Monday, 06 May 2013 00:00

Im finally here! (Kristina)

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Its been a full week since I’ve been here, and I can say that this has been one of the most different mission trips I have ever been on so far. The main reason is that this is not the place that I have dreamed about going to. It has not been of me in any way and there is not anything I can boast of. I did not have any desires of my own to come here. I never had a heart for the Asian people or nations. I had my own ideas about missions and was planning out my own mission life. A life in a poor village of Africa. But God said, “Let go my child…leave it to Me to decide where you should go.” It was not without tears, but God helped me to let go.  “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9. I thank God that His plans are greater than my own and that He did not let me go the way I wanted to go, but instead, kept me on the path of His will for me and gave me the necessary desires for a people and nation I never planned on coming to. God was teaching me to trust Him in this new step of my life. To believe that His plans are greater than I could have ever dreamed of for myself. “For I know the plans I have for you…” Jeremiah 29:11.

So here I am, in the beautiful land of Thailand where palm trees grow tall and banana trees spread wide, and flowers bloom in yellow and orange. Where the Thai are more polite than many Christians;) and life so simple. God has planted me in a small wooden bungalow, along with my dear sister Anita, near my wonderful friends, in the village near Tak. It is a lovely place and I’m happy to live in the woods of the Avoda property, but mission life is not without its problems.

One of the biggest lesson God is teaching me right now is that there is nothing that I can do here, apart from Christ. I cannot love the children on my own. I cant give of myself selflessly. I don’t have the  zeal to do the work God has prepared for me to do. Being here does not make me more self -sacrificial or more holy.  “John 15:5 “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” I am realizing even more how much I need Christ and only Him. His strength, His love, His patience, His joy. I am nothing and have nothing of my own and I need to constantly look to Him. And it is when I look to Him, that is when I am strong in Him and in His mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)That is when His grace flows through me and enables me to do the work I need to do. And that is what brings the most joy. To see Christ work through me and having nothing of my own to boast about. As I look ahead to this year, I don’t know what to expect, but one thing I know is that “He who calls me is faithful and He will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24.

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