Filled with JOY
18 May 2011 2 Comments
Remember the church in the slums by our neighborhood and the Thai woman Gkanika I told you about? Well, the past several weeks I’ve been going on Saturday mornings to help her with the children who come to the church. She has on average 10 kids each time.
The first time I went, it was ok. The second time, I felt more of a burden than a blessing. This is a common feeling for first term missionaries. We go wanting to teach and serve and wind up seeing that we must be willing to be, well…humiliated. Our language skills are still growing. But if we are willing to be laughed at, stared at, and pointed at…we can be used by God. Of that I am certain. They call me “Ajaan” which means teacher, but I still have to rely on their help. Being a native English speaker does provide a tangible valuable tool for these people, I thank God for that. If they can learn to speak English, it radically changes their employment opportunities. So, here we are, together bound by mutual desires. I desire to share the Gospel in Thai to them, they desire to learn to speak like me (and I desire to speak like them, isn’ that funny!).
Anyway…this past Saturday was different………
I prayed more before going.
I worked on translating the material more (it is a CEF brochure about the Lord and people in crisis), she had asked that I teach English for an hour. So off I went.
When I got there, a Japanese missionary was there (Ajaan Cheep) and he was playing the guitar with 9 kids around him in a circle. I met him once before, he is awesome. I sat down in the circle and started trying to sing with them too. We were worshipping the Lord, the kids doing hand movements to the songs. After a few minutes, Ajaan Cheep turns to me and says (much to my surprise) …”Ajaan Paula, do you have a Bible lesson to share with us today?” Well………..sure. How could I ever say no to that? I say a silent prayer and ask the Lord for His desire. “Matthew 6, about the Lord knowing our needs, He knows the birds needs and provides for them, much more for us”…ok, go with that…
So I start in Thai explaining this passage. I explain that we all have stress. I ask the kids what kinds of stress they have? They respond with: fears about family members who have gone to the country, fears about failing in school, fears about family conflict, fears about the work they have to do in their homes, money fears, etc. Then I tell them that when I first came to Thailand, I was really struck by how many birds I saw. They are everywhere! The we read the Matthew passage, 6:24- end of chapter. I explain that the Lord knows our stress, our needs, our worries…but when we see the birds we can remember what Jesus is saying…He knows and he cares for us- like He does the birds- He loves us even more than the birds. The I prayed for us in Thai and we sang a few more songs. I am thinking…”Wow, Thank You Lord for getting me through that!”
When we were done, something else new happened. A big thunderstorm had come upon us. I could not leave on my bike. One of the kids asked if we could play a game. Ajaan Cheep turned to me and asked (are you ready for this?)…”Ajaan Paula, do you have a game for us?” Well………..sure. Again, I prayed to the Lord. I grabbed a toy nearby and explained a game where…………….thanking God for such on-the-spot provision. The kids opened up and laughed, danced and sang. It was so joyful!!! The rain and thunder poured upon us and we laughed and loved each other more and more. It was a breakthrough as far as I can tell!
For weeks they had been quiet and shy, now they were playing and having fun, taking pictures and singing solos, holding my hands and wanting me to pick them up. I was overwhelmed with joy!
Riding my bike home, in a tropical rain storm…I could not help but think…
THIS IS THE LIFE.
Thank you Lord.
No doubt the Lord made us and we are His, in His right hand are pleasures forevermore, nothing satisfies our souls like His presence. I hold on to these moments. At the end, Ghanika asked me if we could have monthly gathering at our house, bring all the kids from the slums who would come. My hearts swelled. Please pray with me as we work to get the details ironed out. I am praying for this community. Please join us in prayer for many more children and older kids to come out, join us, and ultimately hear of Jesus and be saved. Hallelujah!
May 19, 2011 @ 07:46:50
This is wonderful!!!! So awesome how God gave you those special moments….both for them and for you. Praying for your new neighbors and for ya’ll too! I’m wondering about Seeds Family Worship as an option for children’s worship and music when ya’ll get together at your house…..I’m not sure if you’re familiar. You can google. They have awesome cd’s ….simple songs to scripture. Great stuff. I could be way off track with what you need but take it for what’s it worth.
Jul 09, 2011 @ 08:03:58
This Bible study time with the children is such a precious gift. A heavenly return for giving up some earthly comforts. I wish I could have one afternoon there with you at least. Thank you for including me in your updates. Love you all.