To be real with you, I have no clue what the title of this blog means… but I thought it would be a funny title since I’m in Thailand.. lol
Anywho, Thailand is amazing! I really really love it here. The culture is so cool, the people are so nice, and the food is the friggin bomb, what more could you ask for?? However, I have been struggling a little bit this month. Ministry is very different than expected. This month, we are working manual labor form Mon-Wed each week and then Thur-Friday we are doing something called ATL (Ask the Lord). To be more specific, ATL basically means that my team and I wake up, sit together and literally ask the Lord what we should do that day, it is a difficult challenge to say the least, but in my experience, there is so much fruit in obedience. ATL is pretty cool, but where my struggle comes in is with the manual labor… I actually enjoy doing it a lot more than I expected. There is an international school here in Chiang Mai that is overflowing with students, so we are helping to renovate a second campus for them to use, it’s a lot of work, but so enjoyable. I have been doing like a crap ton of demolition recently, which is so dope, I take a sledge hammer and break down a wall, like who wouldn’t love that? But really, I say I am struggling because I am such a relational person.. I thrive when it comes to relationship, and that’s all I really want to do is build relationship. How can I build relationship when I am just working a construction site? That just doesn’t make sense to me, it’s not what I wanted to do at all. Although I am enjoying it to an extent, I still find it difficult to really put my heart into it at times because it isn’t where my heart wants to be. It is difficult for me to learn how to find that balance and recognize what ministry really is.
When I think of ministry I think of teaching people about the Bible, about helping at an orphanage, or running a VBS. But in reality, ministry is so much more than just that. I was talking to my girlfriend (Aka the coolest cat on the block) on the phone about it recently and how I was struggling with it. She put it so simply when she said, “Miguel, when that school is finished, there will be so many more people helped by it, and that means so much more.” I’m so blessed to have such a smart (and pretty) girl to help support and push me to see other perspectives and to work hard. It really opened my eyes to the reality of how big this project actually was. Just because I am not sitting around and talking with a bunch of people about life doesn’t mean that what I am doing isn’t going to impact somebody’s life, because it is. I am thankful that God is teaching me this lesson, to be adaptable and to continue learning. I honestly can’t wait for the next time we go to the construction site because the Lord is helping me learn new perspective, a more positive perspective. I’m gonna go in there this next week and work my butt off! I can’t wait to see how the Lord will transform lives at this school.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..”
Colossians 3:23
At the end of this month, we have another deadline to reach for fundraising. We need to be at $13000, which means I am only $2600 away from that next goal. The last time I posted a blog, I raised $600 more than what I had, and that is phenomenal! Thank you to those of you that have donated, it really means the world to me! You have nooooo clue! If you would like to continue helping with my fundraising goals, hit ‘donate’ up top, everything goes to help support the growth of the Kingdom!
Much love, y’all
