90 days ago I was sitting on a plane, nervous and excited all at the same time, flying to Albania for the very first time. I came into this beautiful country not knowing anything about the culture, the history, the language, the currency, or the people. And now as I’m sitting on a plane flying to the Philippines, I can look back and see what God has done in my life and the people we’ve gotten to know while being here. We were so blessed with the wide range of ministries that we got to be apart of. Twice a week we went into a men’s prison and got to know the inmates, played cards, sat in on a class that taught them about Christianity and the hope that Jesus has for them, and prayed for them. We also got to be a part of music therapy and art therapy for children with Down Syndrome, which was personally one of my favorite things we got to do. We taught english to hundreds of people, and to my surprise, it was actually really fun! Some of my team members also got to work with girls who have recently been rescued from sex trafficking; they were able to speak life and bring joy to a tough situation.
These are just a few things that filled our days, but one of the most valuable things that I’ve learned here is what I do and who I am when I’m not doing ministry. I’m learning to live every hour of every day on mission, looking for opportunities to serve others, and allowing God to use me even when I don’t feel like it. It’s more than just showing up and volunteering for 5 hours; it’s living out God’s love and bringing a breath of hope everywhere you go. My pastor here in Tirana who is also the chaplain at one of the prisons we went to once said this: “It doesn’t matter how hard things may get in my personal life, when I step into the prison, I put that all behind me because I may be the only example of Jesus that these guys might ever see.”
You never know who you may come across in line at your favorite coffee shop or sitting next to you on the bus. They may need a simple smile, a prayer for them or someone they know, or money for a meal they wouldn’t have had otherwise. I know for me, I don’t want to miss an opportunity to speak life into someone because I’m too focused on myself. And this is something that I am still working on and asking God to help me be more aware of others around me. I want to encourage you to do the same. Let’s be Christians who strive to live like this; genuine people who love God and who don’t keep the amazing gifts that we’ve received to ourselves.
Like I said earlier, I’m mid-air on route to the Philippines, filled with nerves and excitement! I’ll be in Tacloban City living in a tent for 5 weeks! I’m ready for some culture shock and I’m excited to fall in love with these people and love on them like Jesus would! I’m excited to keep you updated once we start working with our ministry and see what life’s like in the Philippines 🙂
