The (World Race) Missionary life is hard. You no longer get the rest that you used to. You no longer have alone time. You no longer have easily accessible toilet paper. You no longer even have a toilet half of the time. You have to learn to live with people. You have to learn how to be without family, friends, comfort, luxury, and easiness. These things have gotten to me a lot lately. The first three months, I LOVED. I loved Central America. I loved speaking Spanish and learning it so quickly. I loved the food, I love our ministry, I loved the people, and I loved being a missionary. Now we are in Thailand and will be in Asia for four months. In Asia, they will speak a different language in every country. One month is not long enough to learn enough of the language to have a conversation. Therefore, every country (including Africa), we will not speak the language at all and have a way to communicate. They eat food here in which I gag over. I hate fish, any fishy substance, and anything spicy. I find pepperoni spicy, let alone the insanely spicy foods in Asia. So eating here has been nerve wrecking and scary. The culture is so incredibly different as well. I do not have to do much at all to offend someone. They have strict rules such as no touching each other’s heads (it is the most holy part of the body), you have to duck down when walking in front of someone, you must place your hands in front of your face, bow, and say “sa-wa-dee ka” when meeting someone or saying hello. These are only a few of the many cultural rules and a few of the rules that I am bad at.
Long story short, I am way out of my element. I feel very awkward and uncomfortable here. I don’t know how to even try to explain God and Jesus’ story when I don’t speak the language and they devotedly worship idols.
A man told me yesterday that “God did not put me here to take care and baby myself”. This is what I need to remember. I need to remember that this is all God’s thoughts and not mine. This is God’s way and not mine. There is a reason. I will bring someone to the kingdom eventually. I will be able to grow through this hard time. I don’t know how that will be right now, but I have to be patient. I have to get through the hard time I am in. I have to say “Yes” to the day and agree to tackle the day.
Jehoshaphat was afraid of the army that was about to attack Judah in 2nd Chronicles chapter 20. He didn’t know what to do except to seek the Lord. In the end, the Lord told him to stand firm and take position in front of the enemy army and to not run away or give up. God wanted Jehoshaphat to stand against the army instead of God sending the enemy army away. When the army approached Jehoshaphat’s, the Judeans began to worship, sing and shout to the Lord. The enemy began to turn on each other and go crazy. The enemy army ended up going to war themselves and killing each other!
I know God wants me to face every day just as Jehoshaphat did. God won’t send the day away, but send the day to me and take care of it only if I am faithful in fighting.
