First two weeks of ministry… DOWN! These last two weeks have been an incredible learning process for me and each day is filled with new, crazy adventures!
On the first day of ministry, we arrived at the school where we will be teaching at and had the biggest welcome from all the staff and students there. As I began teaching I was in shock with how smart each of these kids were and how passionate they were to learn English!
The schools here in Thailand run a lot different than the ones in America. For example, after lunch all the kids have to line up outside of their classrooms and pray to Buddha for about 15 minutes. The principal prays (or something I can’t understand) over the microphone and the kids repeat after him. I quickly learned that less than 10 kids, in a school of 1,000+, are Christian. Can you imagine how singled out they must feel? I pray God gives them the strength and boldness to be the difference in their village and His kingdom.
If I’m being honest, the language barrier has been so challenging for me. It’s so hard wanting to talk to someone and not being able to. One night, as I was feeling a little discouraged and praying for answers, God told me that I was here “to share His love.” Loving someone isn’t about saying things to make that person feel loved, it is about the actions you do that make that person feel loved. He told me that these are His people and His land and He wants me to share His love with all of them.
It’s so amazing to me that despite our different race, language and religion; all the kids still shower us with love. And I mean DUMP love. As soon as we show up to school the kids are throwing up the “I love you” sign with their hands, smiling from cheek to cheek, running at you from every angle and make it so very hard to leave for the day. The feeling of love radiates off of them without using any words or phrases. This, is a testimony to God’s love.
I quickly learned that God’s purpose for my life to move to Thailand was not to do the growth on my own, but to plant the necessary seeds so God could work. You may ask how are we planting these seeds? Everyday as we teach them English, we work in a bible study or two that always applies to the lesson and then we open it up to questions. Its so cool seeing these kids wanting to know more and asking us questions about our faith. Their responses have been more than encouraging and make it so, so easy! With that being said, I can’t WAIT to see what God has planned for each and everyone of them!!
As Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” -Corinthians 3:6-7
First two weeks down, and many to go… I’m so excited to see the growth in these kiddos hearts. :}
xoxo,
Bethany
