Coming on The World Race they encourage you to not have expectations because if you do you may be disappointed. You don’t always get to go to the exact route you sign up for, or be placed into the ministry you want, or see what you want. As simple as it may sound…it’s harder then you expect. See there I go expecting again. Hahhaha. I think it is a challenge not entering into this season with expectations but definitely something worth growing from.
Starting this month in Thailand our team had to decide and put in order out of the 3 ministry options presented to us which we’d want more then the other. Our options were/preferences was as follows
1. Cafe: where we get to work with our hosts this months staff and assist by walking in love and building relationships with co workers.
2. Monk Chat/Slums: where we go during the afternoon to talk with Monks about monk life, religion, culture, and/or any other topic we feel lead to. Then later on we go to the slum villages to spend time with the children.
3. Bar Ministry: where you go and prayer walk during the day and then at night send out half the team to build relationships with Guys/Girls working prositution while the other half intercedes (prays)
With those options I knew what would be my desire. It would be bar ministry or cafe work. My heart wanted it but my God wanted something different. Low and behold my team was placed in Monk Chat/Slums which was least on my list. I expected that we’d be placed in one of the ministries I longed for. I expected to get my way. Yet I didn’t. Was I happy…no. Did I express that…yes.
The cool part was that God had other expectations for me that would be greater. He reminded me of prayers I prayed before this journey. Prayers that asked for myself to be pushed out of my comfort zone and to grow in his word and grow in learning other religions/cultures. Well what do you know…I get placed in a ministry that I feel uncomfortable about, I get to learn about Buddhism and has set a fire in me to read the Bible in depth. I have been stretched to start my day with laying aside my expectations/agenda and walk confident in God’s plan. Is it super easy…no but it’s been cool to see how God has shaped my heart to enjoy and be excited about ministry.
Now here are some things I didn’t expect to happen this month:
-First I didn’t expect to have expectations but finding out I did
-to grow in interceding/praying for others
-to have a calm, encouraging, and insightful talk with a monk
-to sing “my heart will go on” and “I believe I can fly” with a monk”
-to have a conversation about how great Harry Potter and Transformers are with a monk
-to randomly talk with a University student who attends a Buddhist University and is one of the few Christians there. He then takes us to a Chiang Mai soccer game and may become one of my besties.
-to intercede for our team during monk chat and to see randomly next to me on a piece of paper “Jehovah” & “Let your kingdom come”
-to learn a lot more about Buddhism and to grow in my faith about what I believe as truth in my life
-I never expected to lead worship for my squad when all I know are about 4 chords on a guitar and one pitch.
All to say this month has been really good and it’s not done yet. I still have about a week and a half here.
Thank you all for your support and prayers!!!
