Hey Everyone!
Today I am writing to you from the village of Chiang Dao. My team and I are so excited to be here! For the next two weeks we will be staying in a children’s home. Our ministry is to live amongst the children and play with them, do chores with them, and worship our King with them. We are also helping with clearing away bamboo and brush on a nearby plot for a new home that will be built in the near future.The kids are so great. It blows me away in how disciplined and hard working they are. They start their chores and making breakfast at 5:30 in the morning and continue with chores, school, and helping with the new home throughout the day. Not once have I seen them complain and they are all so filled with joy of the Lord. Their hearts for worship are so reverent and they sing to God at the top of their lungs. It is truly an honor to live here with them.
This is our second day back in ministry since debrief, which was very restfull. Debrief was a time for each of us to rest and spend time processing this past month and preparing for the next. During this time I was given the honor to lead my squad in worship. God has been teaching me so much about what it means to worship Him. The first couple times of leading worship, I just picked random songs that I liked and we could play and sing well. It was just thrown together in a way and although we were still worshiping God, I felt very convicted in how I was preparing for worship. My leaders challenged me with spending time one-on–one with God and asking Him what He wants us to sing for Him. In doing this, He has been teaching me so much. Instead of focusing so much on the chords I need to play or the order in which we sing the song, He has been teaching me to focus on Him and play my guitar and sing for Him without worrying about what the others think. Leading worship is not a show, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. It is about praising the One who saved us from death and gave us life! For me to be a worship leader, my heart has to be completely focused on Him and full of thanksgiving for the sacrifice He made for us. The last worship session of debrief was so eye opening for me. I stopped focusing on myself or the others around me and just focused on letting the Spirit move and on worshipping our King. I have never felt so much freedom and fullness in worship and it was an experience I can’t really put into words, othere than it was Spirit moving.
Anyway, that has been something God has been teaching me this past week and I am excited to continue learning about worship and the importance of it. I am also really excited to see what God has in store for my team and I here at the children’s home this next week and a half. Thank you for all of your prayers! Miss you all!
