4th of July on the beach in Da Nang. Team One Accord.
I’ve been putting off writing a blog for a good 3 weeks now. “I’ll do it later,” I thought. I guess now is later. Procrastination… not exactly a word that is a part of my life’s vocabulary.
Normally, I’ve been knocking out an average of 3 blogs a month. Here I am at the end of Month 7 with 1.
I don’t exactly know what to write about (too many emotions, experiences and encounters to choose from). Like, I literally have no idea what this blog will be about… this could be all over the place. Also, I don’t feel like writing. But here it goes…
Two fellas, Hoang and Tran, that I got to talk with as a part of our ministry at Tipi Cafe.
This month in Vietnam has been incredible. Now, incredible doesn’t necessarily mean easy, all positive or even better than the rest of the months.
The Race is still real life, and real life still kicks you in the rear sometimes. People get cancer. Teammates go home. Struggle with sin is ongoing. Sin happens. People get agitated towards each other sometimes. Things get stolen. People flake out on you. You know the drill… this is life, right? And life sucks sometimes, yeah?
I don’t diminish these experiences of life, because these things DO suck, BUT… I would argue that without these difficult experiences, we would have trouble growing our character while also missing out on God’s character and what He wants to show us.
In the moment, I don’t understand things. “Why, God?” Sometimes there may not even be an answer for that question… at least not on our timeline. However, my view of the eternal is being transformed every day. God is so sovereign. I’ve seen Him prove it time and time again.
With our good friends for the month. (From left to right) Me, Seth, Christine, Bryant, Micayla, and Katie
The things of this world are temporary, yet they are not trivial. It is all designed to lead us into an intimate love relationship with Jesus. This idea might not be sufficient enough for some of you readers to bank on, or maybe you just simply can’t agree. Probably seems a little crazy or far-fetched. I don’t blame you. Seems that way to me sometimes too.
Here is what I can tell you. His love is changing me and the way I perceive what is happening around me. So, when I hear stories like the ones I’ve heard this month from the Vietnamese, like gangsters threatening to kill a young boy and his brother if their father didn’t pay up (while their father is hiding out in another city trying to earn the money to pay back the debt), like a mother and father dismissing their daughter’s interests and refusing to encourage her in her dreams and aspirations, like a young man’s parents getting a divorce, or a man deliberately getting “trashed/wasted” every other night to gain affection and acceptance from friends, I can’t help but believe that God can use their stories to draw them in close to His love. And I can’t help but believe that He is using Holy Spirit inside of me to do just that. Helping me say the words that need to be said and helping express the type of love that is only from Him.
I don’t claim to have all the answers, and I never will have all the answers. I’m also far from perfect. I’m confident of this; Jesus is at work in Vietnam. Jesus is at work in my life.
Hanging with some of the Tipi Cafe staff. So fun getting to know them.
