She gave me a thumbs up, nodded, and smiled. I gave her a hug, smiled, and just laughed.
Week one in Thailand and already she’s taught me that even though we don’t speak the same language, LOVE speaks louder.
Her name is Fern.
She’s fourteen, loves volleyball, sewing, teaching and has dreams to become a doctor when she’s older. She has a gentle spirit and warm heart. Her patience and pursuit of me though, was something that I will forever cherish.
Let me give you some context. So this is Month 7 on the race and our team is working with Agape home in Thailand. For the past several months I’ve been praying for a unique ministry and this literally is an answered prayer.
Agape home is amazing. The organization takes in kids who have either hiv/aids, have been orphaned or abandoned. They partner with Samaritians Purse and give back to kids in other countries in need.
The kids here make jump ropes and sew handbags to be packaged in Operation Christmas child boxes. Our team has been honored to be apart of this.
The first day I remember walking through the center in awe at the whole process. I looked at the people sewing and said “wow that looks cool but it’s been so long since I’ve sewn, I don’t know if I’d do that right.”
Instead, I worked with the kids on the jump ropes. That alone was actually harder than it seemed and I kept feeling like I was just screwing it up. But the second day, Fern changed my perspective.
I remember walking into the center that morning, seeing her, giving her a wave and smile, and she did the same back. In the afternoon as I was burning a rope (to tie the ends of it into a knot for the end of the jump rope) and I felt a tap on the back of my shoulder.
It was Fern. With a bright smile, she motioned for me to come with her. I got up and walked with her to the sewing machine, “oh no I don’t think I can do this,” I said to her. She shook her head with a yes, smiled, and motioned for me to sit down.
For over an hour Fern taught me how to sew. Although I asked her a million questions and did a thousand hand motions to help with the language barrier, she was patient and never gave up on me.
I was shocked. She believed in me more than I even believed in myself. Literally, I knew that was Jesus.
Fern taught me a lot that day more than she will ever probably know. The crazy thing is, she came to get me the next day to sew more difficult pieces.
We’ve sewn and played volleyball everyday here at Agape home but truthfully, knowing Fern is like knowing more of Jesus.
I realized her constant pursuit out of love is like Christ. He calls us into things we may feel inadequate for, says with Him, we can do this AND always pursues us even if we feel like we’ve messed up a million times.
Hopefully this story impacts your heart as it did mine with the reality of Jesus and His love for us.
I wish had a picture with Fern but unfortunately we’re not allowed to take a picture with the kids here. Please pray for her though. Less than 1% of the people here in Thailand are Christian, and my heart just yearns that she grows up knowing and serving Jesus with all that she is.
Even when we don’t speak the same language, love speaks louder.
