Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

Me to others: “I don’t want to see that. It’s too depressing.”

Me to myself: “I don’t feel like seeing that because I don’t have time to be sad about other people’s problems and pain.”

Why would I say/think something like that? Because most people think that other people’s problems aren’t theirs and even hearing about it shouldn’t cause us pain or discomfort. We have a right to not be brought down by someone else’s struggles.

We turn the tv station, put down a book, gloss over an article, or avoid certain places because they present too many opportunities to hear about the bad in world. We choose not to fixate on other people’s pain and misfortune because (1) we have enough problems of our own (2) the world is filled with too much negativity so we only focus on the good or (3) we can’t do anything to help so why care. 

Back in August, a friend called me out on being a victim of the second mindset. I avoid sad stories and people’s pain because I want the world to be all rainbows and sunshine–but it’s not! I cant run from the world’s pain because I don’t want to be depressed or don’t want to cry. That’s exactly what I need more of!

God wants to use the pain of the world to break my heart and stir up love for others. John tells us this:

“This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality.”
(1 John 3:16-19; The Message)
Touching stories and moving images should cause me to not only feel sorry for others but to want to do something about it. God wants me to feel so much love for the hurting that I’m broken with compassion to the point of action, because that’s the difference between sympathy and compassion–the latter involves action to help the hurting. 

I don’t want to be selfish and hide from the pain of others. Truly loving them is feeling their pain and being so moved by it that I want to help. I’m not afraid to be broken anymore because even though it isn’t always fun and be painful at times, it’s how I can best be used by God and how I can best love others. 

I know that on this mission trip I will be continually broken by the people I meet, and part of me is so afraid of that pain. Another part, however, looks forward to the brokenness because it leads to compassion and true love for others. 

Today, I challenge you to ask yourself, “How can I allow God to break my heart for others?” 

And go out and love on those people through action! 

This month in Thailand we will be working with Emmi and her ministry Lighthouse in Action. My team will mostly focus on loving the children in the slums of Chiang Mai and chatting with the Buddhist monks here, but oftentimes we will also pray over and love on the women and men in the red light district. In all of our ministry (extreme poverty, Buddhism, prostiution) my heart will be saddened and hopefully broken for God so that I may love these people better and give them everything I have. This is my prayer for the next month and I ask that you please join with me in praying for brokeness, compassion, and a heart overflowing with God’s love for the Thai people. 

The video below gives an overview of the amazing woman that is our host Emmi and the ministry that she is leading to impact Thailand for Christ. Please watch!

Lighthouse In Action: Fighting Sex-Trafficking in Thailand from David Nakamoto on Vimeo.

 

Fundraising Update
$10,265 of 15,500

I must raise $15, 500  to cover the costs of the trip. If you are able to give in any amount, here the ways you can give: 
  • Click the “Support ME” link on the left-hand side or at the top of the page and follow the step by step instructions. 
  • Send a check made out to “Adventures in Missions” with “SCOTTSHARION” in the memo line to: 
                   Adventures in Missions | PO Box 534470 | Atlanta, GA 30353-4470

*donations are tax-dedecutible and non-refundable.