Some updates on my trips to Croatia and Kenya/Uganda and my recent thoughts!
For our Croatia short-term mission trip (STM), we just had our third meeting today. We put ourselves in groups in preparation of different programmes and games for the Roma kids. And we spent time learning Croatian as we reckon we will be able to impact and experience much more if we have (even slightly) better language base. To me, language barrier is certainly something. You see how I love to express myself in words and communicate through talking - it is the major way I use to engage with the world. Yet God is giving me such challenge to remind me of being humble and serving with my other senses and organs. There are many more ways to serve and do the same thing! For this, I am getting even more excited about the STM and my experience there!
For my volunteering trip to rural Kenya or Uganda, not yet sure which school site I will be sent to, we had our welcome evening on wednesday evening. It reiterated some of the things said in the information session, but also provided a view of the three school sites available. Instead of just getting excited for the trip and the whole fundraising process, this reminded me of my initial passion for environmental protection and international development. On wednesday night I spent some time researching on possible jobs in the area, and found something that provoked me - an organisation called Medair (maybe you have heard of it already). It focuses on delivering emergency relief and rehabilitation for the most unfashionable places in the developing world, e.g. South Sudan, Afghanistan, Madagascar. While it describes how "paid employees" go on to war zones and refugee camps, and that they do lose staff in accidents, I then asked myself how far I could go for God... I don't know. The question is still lingering on my mind. It struck me even more when I found out that Medair is actually a Christian organisation - all employees are literally employed by God. It just urges me to listen more clearly to every instruction God gives, equip myself, and be used by God soon... I am waiting, not asking for a defininte answer from God, but every night now I tell God how I really really really want to know my calling soon - giving Papa certain kind of pressure? Haha.
Anyway, the Church Mission Society (CMS) is doing something like asking people not only to donate to help sustain 160 missionaries and their ministries in the world, but also to write on and send back to them some star-shaped cards to encourage missionaries in the world. And I just clicked onto my Youversion Bible app on phone, and this scripture came out:
"That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you."
"I ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory, to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing Him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you see exactly what it is He is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life He has for His followers, the utter extravagance of His work in us, who trust Him - ENDLESS ENERGY, BOUNDLESS STRENGTH!"
-- Ephesians 1: 15-19