Hello all,
Life is tough. But I thank God I don’t have to do it alone. The Lord is with me. God is good, whether life is easy to enjoy or not. He is still goof and worthy of my praise. There I will enjoy God in the middle of suffering. Aj Garcia
I read this a few mornings ago. After the tears started rolling down, I thanked God for loving me, even when I forget that He never leaves. I have been in Asia for almost three weeks now and I would be lying if I said I’m transitioning well. I didn’t realize how content I became, with nothing, while living in Africa for four months. Needless to say, this move was hard. There is everything you need in Asia, and more (including $15 hour and half full body massages). The culture shock I am experiencing is more than I expected and I’m still not comfortable. I’ve cried myself to sleep more nights than not, hoping that in the morning when I wake, I will somehow be content again.
If I am being honest, I’m not truly sure why I am struggling so much. While in Vietnam, I have been serving and living in a coffee shop called Vision Cafe. My team and I help teach English every night here, over our favorite coconut coffee. Building relationships over coffee is right up my alley and trying to comprehend and or explain why I am still so uncomfortable is a hard thing to do. It feels selfish of me not to feel like I am in Heaven, but I’m not. And I think that’s okay.
Most of my team is upset that were only with Vision Cafe for two weeks. When Alison talked to the Lord about why, He so kindly reminded us that He doesn’t want us to get comfortable.
I’m not going to wake up tomorrow and be content. I didn’t commit to the race, because it was going to be comfortable. But I am going to choose to be thankful that I get to wake up, uncomfortable in Vietnam. It’s not often you hear someone say that got to spend Christmas in Vietnam.
Although Vietnamese culture doesn’t celebrate Christmas for the same reasons we do, the Christmas spirit is all around us. And although Evangelism is illegal here, asking “why do you celebrate Christmas” opens doors for a lot of beautiful conversations. And my prayer is the God waters the seeds that my team and I have planted while we’ve been here.
Spending Christmas away from home was hard, but it’s what I signed up for when I surrendered everything to serve the kingdom. This holiday season has been a season of emotions, but God is faithful in putting the people I need in my life to help me get through it.
I spent this Christmas with five beautiful sisters in Christ, making Christmas 2019 unforgettable. And if I was able to tell just one person, here in Dan Nang, that Christmas is the day that we GET to celebrate the one who created us, I’d do it all over again.
Lord, I ask you to reveal yourself in new ways to the souls Team Redefine has touched. Thank you for using us, to build your kingdom.
Team Redefine has a goal to Redefine Asia’s relationship with God, but God is Redefining my heart for Asia.
Merry Christmas!
Because They Haven’t Heard,
Calla Rae
