This idea that only 1% of the population of Thailand knows Jesus did not become real until I was there. It was nothing but a statistic that I could not grasp before I left. What was even scarier is that the Gospel that might have been shared with those wasn’t the true Gospel (but that was another experience in Thailand hah).
What do I mean by TRUE Gospel? This was something my team and I discussed frequently and the conversations that stemmed from this topic had me engaged, very engaged (WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY AMERICAN GOSPEL FOLKS). I’m guilty of believing a counterfeit Gospel. I would have this thought (without recognizing it) in the back of my mind that I need to do something for someone to make it feel like I was making an impact for the Kingdom. I would stretch myself out and pour myself empty as long as I was getting the task done. When I failed at accomplishing certain tasks, I felt like I let people down.
I denied this for a long time because I knew that I was saved by grace and grace alone and that no work could grant me salvation because it was already obtained through the work of Jesus on the Cross. I knew the Truth and that is why I wrestled with my belief in a performance driven Gospel. BUT I KNEW THE TRUTH. I say this all because I was going into this nation where if people believed this Gospel that they had to do something, they would never feel like they were enough. They were coming from nothing and the last thing they want to feel like they have to do is something to be loved.
I experienced this first hand at our ministry host, A Place of Grace. I saw where the kids came from. I saw the slanted tin roofs, most not even with walls that they lived in. I saw the piles of trash they collected because maybe there was something they could eventually put to use out of garbage. In the rain, they would be living in sewage water that was up to their ankles in some places.
A Place of Grace was surrounded by five slum communities. Everyday Place of Grace would ignite their yellow van to go pick up these kiddos in these areas.
A little background about Place of Grace…
I was able to be a witness to what it truly looks like to live out the Gospel wholeheartedly through the people who ran this place. A couple with three kids, one being nine months old, took off for the country of Thailand from the UK. Side note: I not only learned Thai but also some British phrases. Call me multilingual. They started from the ground up with absolutely nothing. They run the place solely off of donations and live on a missionaries salary. This couple gives every single ounce of themselves to make sure the kids are able to worship, play games, eat a snack, and hear the Gospel.
They ask for no recognition whatsoever. They don’t just run the place. They truly care about each kid and know their stories. They are constantly looking to further their ministry- their next step is a Christian school in a Buddhist dominated country. That is crazy! I can’t even begin to describe how much obedience these people have and how they follow Christ so well.
These kids had nothing except for this one thing: Jesus. The owners of POG were creating generational changers through an inward transformation. Little did these children know that they are part of that 1%.
Before we started ministry at POG for the month, we were able to the Gospel to the mall and markets.
When you go up to a person with a Thai written letter saying that Jesus loves you and they can’t comprehend the name… it digs real deep (and yes, it was written correctly in Thai hah). I am so used to living in the Bible belt where everyone I have talked to at least knows the name. This was the first time that my heart broke in this country. I learned God’s sovereignty in a new way. I couldn’t just cry about the fact that this girl in Bath & Body Works had no idea what I was saying. I had to trust that the Lord works everything for His good and that He will water the seed in some crazy way.
Some people’s face lit up when they were told they were loved by Jesus and what He did for them. Other people rejected it.
So, what is something your heart grabbed onto this month and has not let go?Sharing the true Gospel through international missions. And no, this isn’t just going to be one of those “highs” that people get on after they come back from a mind-altering experience. When I proclaimed that at team time, it was just sort of like a this is it moment. It was really sweet listening to how other people’s hearts were tugged on. Mine was international missions whereas someone else had their this is it moment by realizing they needed to run with their campus ministry at home or start a community and learn how to become a disciple maker or even take this idea of the true Gospel and share it with Americans that claim they know the Gospel but don’t.
I don’t know what country the Lord has specifically called me and I don’t know in what form I will be doing international missions. My goal is to finish college. Other than that, I have no plans. If he directs me off this traditional path, so be it. Jesus has my best yes. He went up to the Cross without hesitations so I want to continue to radically follow Him without hesitation. My leaders said it best..”When you radically follow Jesus, you are going to let people down.” They are right. People are going to think you are insane if you just drop you worked for to follow a guy that you can’t even see. People are going to think you are insane if they expect you to do this or that and you don’t because you are being tugged a completely different way. I say so what.
