Often I ask the question, what is a missionary?
Do I really consider myself a missionary, traveling to 11 countries and learning what love looks like in different cultures?
Well, as God so often does, He answered my question with her.
She is a missionary. She is my age and left her life in Texas to live in Vietnam indefinitely. She moved here 2 months ago to start living out the ministry God put on her heart, the people of Vietnam. This is her third trip to Vietnam and now she is here to stay. She travels to orphanages, homes for the blind, schools, churches, villages, and as close as the street corner to build relationships and hear people. She has been with us this month, just taking a month out of her life to help us find our passion in Vietnam. For safety reasons, we will just call her H.
She is one of those people, the more you know her the more you want to know. She is passionate, seeking righteousness, and she has something that is so desirable. She realizes the fullness of a life with God. That is how He made her so perfect for mission work. I was listening to a podcast sermon last week and so often we talk about being the salt and the light for God. I can see her as the salt, because the same way salt makes you thirsty, being around her makes you thirsty for more of God. You want to know more so you can get deeper with her.
She isn't here trying to buy her way to self assurance with her deeds, she just really has a passion for people and when God said go, she packed it all and went. When I think about how short this life is in comparison to eternity, I think about how she is just dedicating this small amount of time to the people in a country that it is illegal to evangelize in, and she is building real relationships so she can share that same salt with them.
I have gotten to live life with H for this month and she has showed me what being a follower in Christ looks like in her life. And this blog is my thank you to her and to our contacts in Vietnam for letting us see Vietnam through your eyes.
This month I have gotten to make a friend in a woman on the street corner that makes less than $1 a day to feed and house her and her 5 year old son by selling cigarettes, maps, fans, chewing gum and bracelets from a basket that hangs from her shoulders.
I had one of the most joyful moments as a woman who has never been able to see a day in her life, held my hand through a worship service with more joy than anyone I had ever see sing to our faithful God!
I got to pray and live with a man who had been a monk for more than 20 years and has now given his life to God and learning about the Bible to open the first Christian Church in his village.
I got to lay face first worshiping God in a room with 30 men who had given up life long drug addictions to live a life of freedom!
I got to see one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and watch one of my teammates let go of lies she has struggled with most of her life on the Lord's most beautiful natural alter.
I got to hold a little boy that lives in a home for the blind, he fell asleep in my arms and opened up the floodgates to the desperate desire to have children.
I got to spend some of the most intimate time with God in a dark stairwell that I will never forget.
This month made me realize that life in Yuma, Georgia or any country that the Lord takes me and Logan to will be for Him first. These moments are some of the sweetest moments in time that I will never forget.
So if like me you desire to be a missionary for God, just look at the people on the street as you are driving, the woman who is in line with you at the grocery store, the open Saturday in your calendar that you can go to a rehab and talk to someone who may feel like they are to the end of the line. Sometimes its as easy as opening our eyes to the person who is desperately in need of being heard right next to us. I am going to challenge myself today to find the one, I challenge you to be someone's blessing today!
I love you all!
Kenra
