I have had a difficult time deciding what to write/how to put into words what else has happened in Bali since the last time I checked in here on the blog. Rather than pressing into that challenge I have avoided it — and I am truly sorry for that. This is by no means a pre-thought out post, it will be more stream of conscious and I hope it ends up making sense. So here are a few of the lessons that I learned while in Bali:
Isaiah 58:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
I believe I have mentioned before that as a team we grew in what it means to live life with open hands — life is meant to be interrupted by the people around us at times. One of the most beautiful interruptions happened at the beginning of the week when we sat down as the Fierce Five with our Squad Leader, Morgan White, in attendance as well to complete our Journey Markers. (Journey Markers were created by the Bible Project — they are short videos about Biblical concepts that are coupled with reflection questions). This week our Journey Markers were centered around the topics of Heaven on Earth/bringing Christ’s Kingdom to Earth and what that looks like.
As we were finishing up our self reflection questions and about to start the videos one of our local friends came over to hang out. We agreed as a group that we were going to politely let our friend know that we were in the middle of team time, as this was something we wanted to prioritize. We did share with our friend and told her what we were watching a video about, when it was clear that she didn’t understand we initially were meaning that we wanted her to come back later to hang out Hannah wisely told her she could watch the video with us. So she did. And then we got to talk to her about it. As is typical in the culture here, she shared that she thinks it is good that we pray to Jesus and that it is the same as her praying to her gods for good luck. We eagerly tried to share (with difficulty because of the language barrier) more of the differences and how we believe that we are forgiven of all our sins, that we don’t need to pray for good luck — because God works all things for the good of those who love them. (Romans 8) (I will insert an honest comment here that I have had moments of grappling with this scripture when I myself or loved ones are going through trials — but I do believe that we serve a God good who loves us lavishly.)
Our friend had to leave, and as she left Courtney gave her a cross to remember us by. She said that she will put it up in her home. As she left we prayed together as a team and tears came to my eyes, knowing that we have done what we were called to do — to plant seeds. Now we must leave knowing the truth of the song we sang daily with the little ones in the village: He’s got the whole world in His hands. It is much better for our new friends to be in the hands of the Father — their Creator — than in my hands. His ways are better than my ways. His thoughts are better than my thoughts. His love for this village is greater than my love could ever be for them.
Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
When I participated in the LIFT discipleship program we memorized the book of Philippians together. I distinctly remember Jeff reading us a letter from a friend of his who was encouraging him and our group in striving to be more like Christ. As he read the letter aloud, it sounded very similar to the style of writing Paul used — seasoned with salt, encouraging in words from Holy Spirit, not just from himself. Something about this stuck with me every since — desiring that I myself would be able to point myself and others to Christ through scripture.
The first week we were in Bali I read Colossians once a day. This verse kept sticking out to me. That our speech should be gracious and seasoned with salt. To be filled with grace, is to be filled with Jesus. To be the salt of the earth, is to be filled with Jesus. To be filled with Jesus I need to be in the Word. I need to be seeking intimacy with Holy Spirit through prayer. I need to be seeking my Father’s will and surrendering my flesh daily. This is hard. I cannot do it on my own strength. One of the pillars of The World Race is community. I have learned that I really need my community to surround me with words of encouragement and prayer. I need to be honest with them. I need them to be honest with me. Feedback (holding each other up in love through encouragement and constructive observations) is teaching me that I need to be filled with truth in order to speak graciously and lovingly to my teammates — and for my feedback to have a positive impact. Feedback is not judgement.
I am learning to hold my tongue and recognize judgmental thoughts more quickly. To take those thoughts to the Lord and ask Him for His love and His eyes to see the people around me. When I am judging others, even in my mind, my inner speech is not seasoned with salt. Thank you for being a safe community to share this particular lesson with.
Along with this lesson, I have learned the beauty of living within a community of women who speak with grace and shake salt in the village as well as during team time. Before leaving I hoped that we would not be a stereotypical female community where comparison hurts ourselves and those around us. I hoped that we would be able to love each other well. But I also thought, yikes, living in close quarters with 14 other women could be challenging. There were definitely challenges. But I can honestly say, that the challenges were more about the heat, needing to figure out how to find food, adjusting to squatty potties — because of the culture we have created and the grace with which God has filled us, our community has been one of the most beautiful and vibrant parts of the World Race so far.
Just one more lesson, because I think I am starting to get long winded. 🙂 And my battery is at about 9%…
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
In general, I am learning a lot about the gifts of Holy Spirit. Some on my squad have visions/spiritual eyes, some are developing in the gift of Evangelism, some have the gift of leading worship — but we all have the same Spirit in us. How cool is that?!
Seeing Holy Spirit move in the lives of my teammates has stirred a desire in my own heart to grow in more and more intimacy with Him. There is so much of His character that I know about, but don’t know in depth. I love learning, I love becoming friends with others — how awesome is it that I get to learn and grow in friendship with our Lord. WOW! What a gift.
There is a lot to this that I am still processing/finding how to put into words. Definitely more on this later.
Tomorrow my team leaves Indonesia and flies into Malaysia. Thank you for making this dream of international missions and growing in Community, Intimacy, and Mission with my teammates possible.
Love,
Caroline
