I was blessed to have a couple more days working on the curriculum for the schools. We sorted, prepared teacher resources, and filled orders. Then this morning our team headed back out to join the other teams in village ministry. The others have been working in the village of Minotrie; building relationships, painting a house, playing with kids, etc. So we joined them for door to door ministry this morning to chat with folk, pray for them, and mainly to invite them out to a concert they are putting on at the church tonight.
A couple people I met today stood out to me. One was a woman who was washing clothes, and we joined in to help as we chatted with her. She was one of the few that could afford to send her kids to school, but you couldn’t tell that from the outside. After we made quick work of the washing and hanging to dry, she told us through the translator “Many groups of whites come through the village and talk. But you are the first to stop and help. You are like the hands of Jesus.”
This stuck with me, because I noticed something about myself. (This is the part where we talk about feelings.) I tend to lean towards the ministries where I am DOING something. I would much rather move cement blocks and sort/package curriculum over loving on people in the villages. I am goal oriented, so seeing the results of my labor is something that affirms me. BUT, being a missionary is not about getting affirmation. Living life to do good for others shouldn’t be about me!
This woman in Minotrie was blessed by us. Blessed by us just being us and doing what we could at that moment. What I take away from that is to not feel like I am not a good minister just because I cannot see the results of my work here. Not to be discouraged if people or circumstances don’t affirm me, but to take my affirmation from the Lord.
