8 reasons you should never become a missionary.

Since being in Thailand, a couple of my friends have suggested that I check out this fellow missionary's blog.  I was told that this woman, Laura Parker, writes honestly and openly about the good, the bad, and the ugly of a life overseas all while adding a little humor and perspective into the mix.  Plus, she just so happens to also be in Thailand, so our points of connection were even deeper.

But with all the craziness of our own story being played out, I didn't have the time (or the emotional energy) to sit down and read about someone else's--especially someone I didn't even know.  But as Steven was building his own radio last night (something that doesn't interest me in the least bit, but something I find oh so attractive in my hubby... love you babe!), I decided to give this Laura Parker a shot.

And woa.  I think I spent 2 hours reading blog after blog after blog--losing myself in what, often times, felt like my own thoughts and emotions.  It was weird really cool to feel this sense of being so understood by a complete stranger.  Has that ever happened to anyone else out there?!?!

So here's one of her blogs, 8 Reasons You Should Never Become a Missionary, that really hit home.  As I read it out loud to Steven, we found ourselves nodding and laughing in agreement as it was painfully, yet perfectly true in so many ways.  I was going to try and come up with my own "8 reasons", but I think she hit them right on the head.  No sense in reinventing the wheel!  Instead, I just added a couple of my own thoughts/"amen, sisters" at the end of each of her points.  Enjoy :)

1.  Don't Become a Missionary if You Think You Are Going to Change the World.  First, high expectations doom to disappoint, but, also, maybe your desire to change the world is trumping your desire to serve.  Ask yourself if you would be happy moving overseas to a much harsher environment in order to quietly help a local, while getting no recognition and seeing no fruit in the process.  If you can answer honestly yes, then maybe you're still in the running.  (Don't worry, we thought we would've answered yes, but found out that we really had some unhealthy savior-complexes to begin with.)

*Definitely guilty of this one.  And definitely have been humbled by this one.  I hate to break it to you myself, but I haven't changed much of the world in the last 15 months.  For a girl who likes to see results, this has been frustrating.  Yet, I'm often reminded (and relieved) that God's the only one who can do this job.

2.  Don't Become a Missionary to Make Yourself Better.  My first mission trip was as a middle-schooler to Jamaica.  I'm not really sure how much good we actually did, but I do remember one of the missionaries we worked with.  His name was Craig, and he had some of the biggest glasses I'd ever seen.  And the dude talked to everyone about Jesus.  Everyone--the pot smoking Rastafarian in the line, the tourist at the store, the check-out guy at the food stand.  And I remember turning one time to another missionary who worked with him and asked what made him so "good" at evangelizing.  The older missionary said, "Craig? Oh, he didn't come to Jamaica to become like that.  He was already like that in the States."  And to think Craig with the big glasses dispels the lie that if you move overseas, then you will magically become a superhero Christian.  Um, false.  What you are there, you'll be here.  And while it's true that the change of environment can spark growth, it doesn't mean you'll go from luke-warm average Christian to Mark-Driscoll-Cool-On-Fire-Mother-Theresa just because you suddenly find yourself on another continent.  Pretty sure it doesn't work that way.

*Amen, sister!  (Although, I again, fall into the guilty category on this one...)  Crossing an ocean and gaining the title "missionary" doesn't do some magical trick that turns you into a better version of yourself.  Now I'm pretty convinced that just takes years of walking closely with the Lord.

3.  Don't Become a Missionary if You Think You Have the Answers and the Nationals Don't.  Westerners have clunky shoes.  This is just true.  We are loud and obnoxious and, good Lord, arrogant.  Our DNA has us descending on other cultures and dictating ways they can "fix" themselves, while throwing money at their problems.  I think I've learned that every good missionary LISTENS, first.  And listens, a lot.  (Don't worry, I suck at this still.)

*Suspend judgment, suspend judgment, suspend judgment.  Much like you think you are going to save the world, you also falsely believe you have all the answers.  Why don't they just do it like this?  Why do they act like that?  If only they knew better... Yikes.  What I've learned is that people do what makes sense to them.  And even if it doesn't make sense to you, that doesn't mean they're wrong.
*And another "amen, sister!" to not throwing money at their problems.  I have wanted to do that so many times with Pawn.  I love her so much and I just want to help her, and for some reason my wealthy-American mind always defaults to "give her more money!".  More money isn't going to solve Pawn's problems.  And we've actually seen a lot of Thai people who have gained more problems from having missionaries throw money at them (always with good intentions, of course).  Being generous, yet not using money as a crutch or bandaid to address real problems is an ongoing balancing act.  Lord, give us wisdom!

4.  Don't Become a Missionary if You Can't Hack Transition.  We've been overseas now for less than two years, and we have moved houses three times, taken two major trips, and have gotten close to and then had to say goodbye to over 15 good family friends.  People come and go on the mission field.  Terms are up and governments change the visa laws.  You find a deal on a house or the house you are in has rats.  When you sign up for missions, like it or not, realize it or not, you are signing up for a transient lifestyle.

*I am not what you would call a "flexible" person.  I like to make plans (really detailed, good ones, at that!) and I like to stick to them.  I also have no patience.  Like zilch.  And while we're at it, I'll also throw in that I don't like change.  Sometimes I wonder why I signed up for something that clearly does not utilize my strengths... sigh.  The whole "when I am weak, You are strong" thing has really been something I've had to lean on more than ever this year.  Biggest lesson of all?  Things are beyond my control.  And I'm just beginning to find peace in that.

5.  Don't Become a Missionary if You Think You Are Really Pretty Great, Spiritually-Speaking.  There's nothing like moving to a foreign country to reveal all the crap that's in your heart.  Seriously.  I have cussed more, cried more, been more angry, had less faith, been more cynical, and, generally speaking, have become in many ways a worser person during my last two years of serving in Asia.  Call it culture-shock if you will, but I tend to think the stress of an overseas move thrusts the junk that was conveniently covered up before out into the blazing hot open.

*Let's just say that we currently have a hole in our bedroom door from the time I got mad at Steven and decided to display my anger by kicking in the door.  Ugly, what-is-wrong-with-me, did-I-just-do-that?, Lauren exposed.  Enough said.

6.  Don't Become a Missionary if You Think Living on Support is Cake.  It might look easy, but it is most definitely not--this monthly process of holding your breath and praying that you get a full paycheck, while knowing that even that paycheck is based on the kindness of your parents or your friends or the lady you know who hardly has two pennies to rub together anyway.  And then, when you do have a little money, you stress about how you should spend it.  Should I treat myself to a coffee?  Do the kids really need to go to the pool today?  Should I buy the more reliable scooter or the used one that will (probably?) be just fine?  And then, and then, shudder, there's that awkward process of asking for it in the first place and feeling like you are annoying the heck out of the same people, who happen to be the only people you know--like that pushy lady selling Tupperware down the street.  The whole thing might be great for your faith, but it can sure be a killer on your... heart, finances, sense of self-worth, savings, relationships, budget, fun and freedom.

*This may be the only one that I don't necessarily agree with 100%.  Steven and I have AMAZING supporters and we do not worry about being fully-funded every month (although I realize that is not the case for everyone).  And furthermore, Steven and I actually really enjoyed our support raising experience (besides the fact that we were crazy busy/tired and I gained about 10 pounds from eating so many meals with so many people...).  I mean, when else would you get the opportunity to connect one-on-one with so many people you love?  It forces you to get your priorities straight and spend some good quality time with some great people.  However, I would be lying if I said there weren't times that I have hated living on support.  I think it's something about feeling like all these eyes are on you--just watching and judging how you spend your their God's money.  I am pretty sure that this is all self-induced, but I have wasted many nights being stressed over things like "Is our house too nice?"  "Should I buy this cheese?"  "What will we write in our newsletter this month since we are still learning language?".  I never thought I struggled with being a people pleaser... until I lived on support.  Yet another exposed sin.. woohoo!  Isn't this fun? :)

7.  Don't Become a Missionary if You Aren't Willing to Change.  Flexibility is more important than I ever thought it would be in an overseas life.  So is humility, actually.  Unfortunately, neither of these qualities is naturally at the top of my Character IQ.  However, I have learned that the more determined you are to stick to your original plan--regarding ministry or living situation or friendships or organizations or personal growth--the more painful it is when that plan changes, and change it most definitely will.  It's the ones who humbly hold things loosely that I think can go the distance with far less collateral damage.

*Please see #4.

8.  Don't Become a Missionary to Find Cool Friends.  Now, I'm not saying you won't find amazing friends--maybe the best in your life--but there is no denying that the mission field can draw some pretty odd ducks.  (Of which, I, of course, am not one.  See #7 regarding my natural humility.)  Don't be surprised, though, if you find yourself in a church service with ladies wearing clothes from the 80's singing praise songs from your middle-school years like Awesome God, but without even the drums.  Don't be surprised, too, if your social interactions are awkward at best with many of your fellow mission-souls.  Living out in the jungles for twenty years might do wonders for your character and strength and important things, like, oh, the translation of the Bible into another language, but it can sure do a number on one's personal ability to shoot the breeze in a church lobby somewhere.  But, there, again, maybe there's a necessary shifting that has to happen to your definition of cool, anyway.

*Okay, Steven and I laughed out loud pretty hard at this one.  Not to say that we think we're cool, but this is just one of those things that I think you have to experience to fully appreciate.  We've had plenty of funny interactions with people that are just downright weird.  BUT, we have also met so many fascinating people with mind-blowing life stories that leave us in awe.  It all evens out, I guess.

*As a side note:  Steven and I were discussing #8 tonight and he thinks that the mission field can turn normal people into slightly odd people.  So, I give my friends and family full permission to call us out if we start becoming weirder than we already are.

a slippery slope.

Sometimes my view of God is way too small.  I don't know if other people feel this way, but it is often hard for me to really wrap my mind around how BIG God really is.

Yet when I stop and think about it, I know and believe these truths deep within my heart...

He holds the world in His hands.
By His spoken word, the heavens were created.
The winds and rain obey His voice.
Nothing in this universe happens outside of Him.
He knows all things, sees all things, ordains all things.
He is the beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega.
He has power over sin and death--nothing is too big or impossible for Him.
He is the Sovereign, Glorious, Powerful One in which we live and move and have our being.

My God is BIG.  Dare I say, almost too big.  His enormity sometimes leads me to His incomprehensibility.  It's like I can't imagine all that God is because it is so beyond myself.  So instead, I reduce Him to fit into a box that I can understand.  Something I am more comfortable with.  Something that looks more like mankind instead of someone completely set apart, completely holy, completely powerful, completely complete.

This is a dangerous slippery slope.

Because really, how you view God affects everything.  The way you live, think, plan and dream.  And the scary thing is, your view of God can change without you ever noticing.

Throughout this whole language learning process, I have continued to be challenged. It's an up and down roller coaster that feels like it may never end.  One moment I'll have a successful and easy conversation with a neighbor and think, "This can be done!".  The next I'm fumbling over my words, my mind completely blank and unable to produce anything coherent.  It's not a pretty sight.  But through it all, I was convinced I had held on to my BIG view of God.  I was constantly praying for God to show up in big ways.  For Him to supernaturally allow us to learn Thai well and quickly.  Steven and I were always reminding each other that God had all the power in the world to allow us to learn Thai and that we were fully expecting Him to show up.  I was even ready to give Him all the glory.

But somewhere in the midst of the highs and lows, my thoughts began to shift ever so slightly.  While I still believed God was big enough to bless me with the ability to learn Thai, I started believing that He now needed me to learn Thai.  As my relationships with Thai people grew, so did my desire to see them know Jesus.  But instead of keeping God on His throne and trusting that He could work, it became all about me.  I was beginning to have a schizophrenic view of God--thinking He was big enough to help me learn Thai, but somehow not big enough to save Thai people.  ("Saving Thai people" was something I would have to do.)  You see, I still needed God, but now God also needed me.

I have to learn Thai so my neighbors can know about Jesus.
I need to figure out a better way to explain the Gospel so Pawn really "gets it".
I need to speak Thai because God needs my help.

You can imagine the self-induced pressure this brought upon me.  If I messed up in a conversation, I was letting down God.  If I didn't push hard enough, it meant I didn't care enough about Thai people.  If I didn't study enough for the day, I felt lazy and worthless.  It sounds ridiculous as I type it out now (as most sin does in hindsight), but I was blind to it for quite some time.  Actually, it wasn't until a couple of Saturdays ago that I even started to realize it.  I was sick in bed all day and didn't get much studying done.  Steven came in to check on me and when he asked me how I felt, I just started bawling. (Yet another "Poor Stevo" moment)  Naturally, he thought I was crying because I felt so sick, but I was really just upset and disappointed in myself.  I just kept saying, "I'm so sorry, Steven.  I'm such a failure. I didn't study language today, I'm so so sorry.  You married such a failure."

Yikes.

I was a failure of a person just because I didn't study one Saturday?  It was my first wake up call that something wasn't right.

And then yesterday I was listening to a sermon (which I highly recommend) by David Platt. And he read the following quote by A.W. Tozer:

Almighty God, just because He is almighty, needs no support. The picture of a nervous, ingratiating God fawning over men to win their favor is not a pleasant one; yet if we look at the popular conception of God, that is precisely what we see. Twentieth century Christianity has put God on charity. So lofty is our opinion of ourselves that we find it quite easy, not to say enjoyable, to believe that we are necessary to God. 

Probably the hardest thought of all for our natural egotism to entertain is that God does not need our help. We commonly represent Him as a busy, eager, somewhat frustrated Father hurrying about seeking help to carry out His benevolent plan to bring peace and salvation to the world...

...Too many missionary appeals are based upon this fancied frustration of Almighty God. An effective speaker can easily excite pity in his hearers, not only for the heathen but for the God who has tried so hard and so long to save them and has failed for want of support. I fear that thousands of young persons enter Christian service from no higher motive than to help deliver God from the embarrassing situation His love has gotten Him into and His limited abilities seem unable to get Him out of. Add to this a certain degree of commendable idealism and a fair amount of compassion for the underprivileged, and you have the true drive behind much Christian activity today.

The hard yet freeing truth is that God does not need my help.  He does not need me to learn Thai.  God, the same God who breathes life into man and calls out the stars by name, has all power, all authority and all ability to do all things.  And if I really believe this, then that needs to flow into all areas of my life.  Not just some.  I can't believe in the self-sufficiency and perfection of God, while also reducing Him to someone who is dependent on me.  It just doesn't work that way.

God has called me to Thailand not because He needs me, but because he loves me.  In His mercy, He has invited us to be involved in HIS great and sovereign plan to reach the nations for His namesake.  The joy is not in being needed by God, but in being found and used by God.  I can no longer mistake His willingness to use me as His need for me.  May I continually be on guard against thinking too little of God and too much of myself.  And may I choose wisely--not the path that leads to self-destruction, but the one that leads to freedom and worship.

For my Gpa

*This video was played at my grandpa's funeral last Friday.  Even though I wasn't there in person, I still wanted to be part of his memorial service.  I ended up writing this poem for him and then asked one of our friends here (what a blessing they are!) to put this video together for me.

I love you, Gpa.  I think about you every day.  And probably always will.



Before my grandpa was my grandpa
he started out just a boy,
he told me he was a wild one,
his older brother he sure annoyed

But eventually all his energy
got channeled to the court,
where he soon became a super star,
the love of basketball his sport

People always tell me
how athletic he used to be,
they say he was competitive,
a trait surely passed on to me

My grandpa soon became a brave young man
through the internment camp and war,
yet never harboring any bitterness
toward the country he fought for

In the end, God used this time
to make him Chicago-bound,
never knowing that his future wife
was just waiting to be found

Her name was Yuki, a spunky one,
with a boisterous life-filled laugh,
their first date must've gone real well,
for she became his other half

Many looked at them and saw a pair
that seemed quite accidental,
one a crazy social girl,
the other so quiet and gentle

But beyond the surface their love ran deep,
it would carry them through the storms,
a picture of what marriage should be,
a gracious partnership they formed

Not long there after, their family began,
with joy, 3 little ones came
their clan would then become complete
with Carol, Marsha and Wayne

As a newfound father and family man,
my grandpa left his comfort zone
to take a risk and follow his dream
to have a business all his own

I can only imagine the courage this took,
the fear he must've felt within his heart,
yet he walked by faith and worked real hard,
a vending business he did start

But all these things, these stories I've heard,
all happened long before,
and although they make up who he was
to me, he's so much more

To me, he's just my grandpa
where an unexplainable bond was shared,
I think it started when I was young
and I would climb upon his chair

It was there that we would cuddle
and I'd find rest upon his chest,
we'd watch t.v. or have a talk,
just oblivious to the rest

My grandpa was my hero,
always someone I strived to be,
a friendly giant with a heart of gold
who I had never seen be mean

For he was patient, kind and sweet,
the most endearing man I've known,
he supported us in every way
his love so clearly shown

He was involved in all our lives,
constantly helping where he could,
he'd listen and be generous
his promises were good

You could trust in his character,
in his sweet and tender soul,
his quiet, faithful steadiness
has kept our family whole

I love the way he'd make me feel,
I know he loved me so,
and that is why my heart just aches,
why I'm sad to see him go

I know you're in a better place,
You're worshiping Your King,
a part of me delights for you,
yet I feel this painful sting

You see, I've never been more homesick,
more longing to be there,
but it's not because of Thailand,
for it doesn't matter where

The reason why I'm homesick
and it's hard to make it through,
is how long I now must wait
until again I am with you

When I stop to close my eyes
and I see your precious face,
I know that you are truly home
and now it's me that's out of place

Because this earth is quickly fading,
like a mist or morning dew,
with you now gone and me still here
I realize heaven's home with you

But until then, I'll cling to God
because in Christ there is no end,
and I'll trust in His promise that
soon in eternity we'll spend

My grandpa lived a long full life
and I feel blessed beyond all measure,
I had 27 years with him
that I'll forever treasure

Before I moved to Thailand,
my grandpa turned to me to say
in his deep, gentle, loving voice,
"Lauren, I'll miss you every day."

But now it seems the time has come
for me to say it back to him,
"I love you, Gpa.  I'll miss you, Gpa,
until we meet again."

His grace is sufficient

This morning I got the call.

Mom and dad were on their way to say goodbye to grandpa.  In just a few short hours, his condition had worsened to the point where they didn't know if he'd make it through the night.  Mom had called to tell me that it was happening and that it was time to let him go.

I've thought about this moment a lot.  And not just in the past couple of months.  My grandpa, my beloved tender-hearted soul, was the one person I was always afraid of losing.  Whenever a "mourning" song would come on the radio, tears would begin to fall as I thought about what it would be like to lose him.  Whenever I attended a funeral, my heart would break thinking about the day that it would be my grandpa's turn.  And when I boarded the plane to come to Thailand, his passing was the one exception I had made up in my mind to return home for.

But now that time is here.

And I'm not returning home.  And although this is not at all what I expected, God's grace has been sufficient.  His power made perfect in my weakness.

The decision to not return home wasn't an easy one, or a pretty one for that matter.  It was gut-wrenchingly hard with many emotions and tears to sort through.  It was something that Steven and I talked about for hours, something I prayed about endlessly, and something I felt was beyond my control.  And even though there were millions of thoughts running through my head at once, I kept coming back to just one.

I felt this slight and gentle nudge from the Lord... promising that He would walk with me through this process.  That I could trust Him to be my support and to be my source of strength.  I felt like God was telling me that He would mourn with me and that He would hold me like never before.

His grace is sufficient.

When my mom called to tell me the news, I didn't become hysterical.  I was somehow able to hold it together.  (This is not normal.)  To my surprise, I kept my composure and encouraged her as she prepared to say goodbye.  I told her that she was the only one who had been where grandpa was going, that she knew more than anybody the joy and peace he would soon feel.  I told her that now was the time to get grandpa excited to meet His King.  The peace I felt in that moment, the moment I had dreaded most of my life, was supernatural.  There was a deep calm within my heart that was then able to offer strength to my mom.

His grace is sufficient.  His power made perfect in my weakness.

About an hour later, it was my turn to say goodbye.  Mom tried to prepare me and told me that grandpa was pretty out of it.  He just wasn't responding and was really tired from having the whole family there.  So as my mom put me on speaker for him to hear, all I could get out was, "Gpa...".  There was just so much I wanted to say.  So many feelings happening within me all at once, I didn't know if I'd have enough strength to get anything else out.  But as I saw the opportunity slipping away, my mom interjected and said, "Lauren!  He's  s m i l i n g.  SO BIG.  He knows it's you."  And that was all I needed.  I was then able to say what I wanted to say, telling him how much I loved him and how much I would miss him every day.  I was able to tell him that I was excited for him to be with Jesus and that I couldn't wait to see him again real soon.  And as I kept talking, I could hear my mom and my aunts reacting in the background... "Oh my gosh, do you see that smile?  He hasn't smiled like that all day...  I can actually see all his teeth!  Lauren, he looks so happy."

What a sweet, sweet moment for me.

I always knew my grandpa and I shared this unexplainable bond.  How grateful I am that God allowed me to experience it one last time in such a significant way.  Thank you, Jesus.

So now, we wait.  I am dreading the next call to come, knowing that it'll probably mean he's gone.  But I am clinging to Jesus.  Thanking Him for the ways in which He has already given me moments of grace and then claiming His promise that He'll continue to do so.

May the love and grace of God rest upon me tonight and welcome my Gpa home...

Defining success.

Woa, where did the month of February go?  (Okay, I know... it was mostly spent enjoying the amazing 2 weeks we had with my parents here!  You can click here to see our many adventures...)  But really, it seemed like yesterday we were just celebrating Christmas and now all of a sudden March is here?!  Crazy how that happens.

Much to our surprise, as the time flew by us, we found ourselves catapulted into our second year in Thailand.  Just like that. Year One was down and we had suddenly crossed over into Year Número Dos. (See mom? I haven't forgotten all my Spanish...)  

You'd think the transition wouldn't have been that big a deal... I mean, we've transitioned lots of times before.  Marriage, Chicago, Roanoke, Thailand.  Going from Year One to Year Two should've be easy--we weren't even moving anywhere for goodness sakes!  But to be perfectly honest, it really hasn't been an easy transition.  It's been rather hard.

Because in Year Two...

I feel all this pressure.  

With a year under our belt, I feel like we should be so much further along.  It feels like now people are looking at us and thinking, "Gosh, they've been there a year and they haven't really done anything."  All of a sudden, it's like all this grace and patience was taken up from me and the only thing left was a critical eye.

You're still learning language?

You haven't seen anyone come to know Jesus?

Where's the successful business you were supposed to start?

What are you really doing there anyway?

It is no secret that Steven and I struggle with this need to feel productive.  We find worth, too much so, in what we're doing and how much we can "accomplish".  I make check lists just so I can see how many things I can cross off.  Steven builds things, knowing he'll have something beautiful to show off at the end of it.

But then God sent us to Thailand.  And convinced us that we must know Thai and we must know it well.  He's convicted us to take a long term approach and just "hunker down" and learn this difficult language.  Basically, He pulled us out of our comfort zone of productivity and placed us in one of the slowest processes of all.  There have been days that I look over at Steven and my heart just breaks for him.  I know he misses working with his hands.  I know he misses feeling like a leader and organizing projects and jobs.  I see how frustrated he gets, but how he never complains and just works harder.  And when I hear him pray to God every night for the language to "stick in his brain" while he sleeps, I know just how much faith this is taking for him.

I wish it could go faster.  

I wish we could've crossed "language learning" off our list a long time ago.

I wish we could write really cool newsletters with all this amazing stuff God's done through our ministry.

I wish Year Two didn't feel so ambiguous.

I wish Year One felt more successful.

And as I've been processing all of these unhealthy emotions and false expectations (yes, I've realized these thoughts are not good...), God led me to read this the other day:

"It is no accident you are where you are.  And it is not necessarily a problem that you are not where you assume you ought to be.  God is very much in control.  He works all things to the good of those who are "called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).  His vision for your life is his purpose.

God is using your circumstances to prepare you to accomplish his vision for your life.  Your present circumstances are part of the vision.  You are not wasting your time.  You are not spinning your wheels.  You are not wandering in the wilderness.  If you are "seeking first" His kingdom where you are, then where you are is where he has positioned you.  And he has positioned you there with a purpose in mind.

You are a success every day you get up and show up for duty.  Every day of faithfulness where you are, with what you have, is a successful day.  Rewarding? Maybe.  Successful? Absolutely."

*Above quotes were taken from a chapter in Andy Stanley's book, Visioneering

Goodness.  I felt like Andy was talking directly to me.  (Does that ever happen to anyone else?!)  It was exactly what I needed to jolt my brain and heart back into sync with God's.  It always amazes me how easily my pride gets in the way and consequently follows after man.  After reading that, I realized how consumed I was becoming with my own image and what others thought of me.  Because the reality is, God doesn't necessarily care what I'm doing, but rather in who I'm becoming.  God doesn't look back at our Year One and think of us as failures.  He sees that we have walked by faith and trusted in God's power probably more than ever.  He sees our hard work in language and counts it valuable for His Kingdom.  He hears Steven's prayers and is delighted that Steven's no longer relying on his own abilities, but on God's.  He doesn't see the year as a wasted year, but as a fruitful time where His children have grown in His likeness.

I think maybe, just maybe, God sees our Year One as a success.

But I don't think it ends with me and Steven.  The reason why I decided to publicly write my irrational thoughts (although I suppose that's what this entire blog is about...), is because I think this is something everyone struggles with.  Or at least can relate with.  We're always so busy looking ahead to the next best thing, that we often feel like where God has us now is just wasted time.  Far too often we measure our value and success based on the results we get.  But I think we need to challenge ourselves with this thought:  Success is remaining faithful to the process God has laid out for us.  It's less about the results and so much more about the process.  God can get the results He wants with or without our help.  What He's interested in is the sanctification process in all of us and the working it out day by day.  Is a mom successful the day her child graduates college?  No.  She's successful every day she gets up and loves, teaches, disciplines and serves her child.  It's not the end goal that's important, it's the every (little, mundane) day leading up to it.  I need to do a better job of living in the freedom that this brings.  The freedom in knowing that each day lived for the Kingdom of God--in the here and now, with whatever God has for me-- is the most successful day I could ever have.

eyes like his.

Well, I am happy to report that Pawn did decide to go through with the surgery.  Praise God!

After she had originally told us no, Steven made a trip to see the doctor again.  He wanted to know what our options were and exactly what the outcome would be if she didn't have the surgery.  Just as we thought, the doctor told us again that Pawn would most likely never walk normally and that her life and lifestyle would be drastically different.

So we prayed.  For wisdom and leading in how God wanted to use us, for the ability to communicate at a heart level (something very new to us in Thai),  and for Pawn's heart to not be fearful and discouraged, but open and willing to walk by faith.

That afternoon we felt the Spirit give us freedom to pursue Pawn once more, so we made our way over to her small block home.  (which calls for a blog all it's own... we had never seen her home before and my heart broke seeing the stark contrast of the way she lives to the way we live.  having seen poverty numerous times before through mission trips and living abroad, there is just something different that resonates in your heart when you personally know and love the people living in it.  it changes things.)  Anyway, as we sat down with Pawn we simply asked her to reconsider.  We told her we weren't there to force her to change her mind, but were praying and hoping she would.  We told her that we cared about her future--that she would be able to work and provide for her family, to run and play with her daughter, to live a life without constant pain or disablement.  We reassured her that the surgery wasn't too expensive--that it would be our joy to help her and that she was worth more than any sum of money.  And we tried, in our very broken Thai, to make her see the Gospel.  To see that God continually gives us free gifts, that He has already paid all our debts, and that He has blessed us to be a blessing.

Miraculously, through all our mumble jumble, Pawn seemed to understand.  I'm sure she understood our facial expressions and look of concern much more than our attempts to explain our hearts in Thai, but nevertheless, Pawn grasped enough to change her mind.  After all was said and done, she told us she would move forward with surgery.  (Now that deserves a big "hallelujah, thank you Jesus, amen!" interjection, don't you think?  Looking back, I actually think those were the exact words I exclaimed to myself when she said yes.)

The following day we took Pawn in for surgery.  We got to the hospital at 10 am, they took her for surgery at 2:30 pm, and she didn't return until 8:30 pm.  It was a long day of waiting.  When they finally rolled Pawn back into the room, I wasn't expecting to see her awake.  In America, when the patient comes out of surgery, they are usually still "out of it" and not feeling much of anything.  Well... not in Thailand.  Pawn was wide awake moaning and crying, the pain on her face overwhelming.

It caught me so off guard.

Standing there in shock, Kristi (our team leader's wife) and I immediately started crying.  I felt absolutely horrible seeing Pawn in so much pain and felt this deep sense of guilt for encouraging her to have the surgery.  Doubts started popping through my head... Should we not have done this?  Is Pawn going to hate us for letting her go through all this suffering?  Will she understand that this is for the better?

And there again, at a time I least expected, God reminded me of His love.

Like He spoke to me before, we are all just like Pawn.  When we accept His free gift of love and grace, it doesn't mean we accept an easier life.  A better, more fulfilling, eternally significant life?  Yes.  But easier? No way.  There are times where God allows, encourages and ordains pain in our lives.  Not because He wants to punish us, but because He knows the sanctification process will ultimately be for our good.  Pruning hurts, but it always produces more fruit.  Pawn was in pain today, but I knew that tomorrow she'd be on the road to recovery and renewal.

What spoke to me even more was seeing this image, this picture of truth that God hurts with us.  That even though God puts pain in our lives, it doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt Him too.  I think it hurts Him more than we know.  I think when we're weeping, He is weeping right along side of us.  Most of the time though, I view God as this insensitive, distant, and cruel master pointing His finger at me from heaven telling me "I told you so".  But seeing Pawn in pain and then feeling a strong, painful ache inside my heart, allowed me to see that we have a God who sympathizes with us.  That He is a loving, comforting, tender-hearted Father who hurts when we hurt and hates seeing His children in pain.

Sympathizing with Pawn, in that dark hospital room in the middle of Thailand, felt like I was almost seeing through the eyes of God.  In that moment, the tangible image of God's deep compassion, concern and care for us was so real it took my breath away.

The day before, God had shown me what it felt like to have a heart like His.

Today?  Today he showed me what it looks like to have eyes likes His.


**As I post this, a couple days have passed and Pawn is out of the hospital and resting at home :)  Below are a couple of pictures I took after her surgery...

The x-ray post-surgery!

Go ahead and count em... 6 screws, 3 pins and 1 metal plate.

The doctor also tried to stitch her MCL & ACL back together, but we won't know how those will heal until much later.  After seeing everything, we definitely know Pawn wouldn't have been able to walk again without having surgery.  We are so incredibly thankful that that is no longer a concern!

A different angle

Her beautiful scars :)

(She was definitely freaked out seeing the staples in her leg!)

All wrapped up and ready to go home!

(One the lefthand side is Pawn's mom--it was really fun to get to meet a lot of Pawn's family through this experience)

Steven and I just want to thank you for all your prayers for Pawn these past couple of weeks.  Every time we told Pawn that people were praying for her, she would smile and say: "Khoop khun maak kha"!  (Thank you so much!)  She will have a long 2 months in this cast with no walking whatsoever and then months of physical therapy.  Our prayer is that her bones and ligaments would heal together well and that God would spare her from a second surgery.  Again, we are so thankful for your love and support for us and Pawn.  We are blessed!

a heart like his.

One of my silent fears in coming to Thailand was whether or not I would like the people. I know it sounds shallow, but it was the looming question in my heart as we boarded the plane.  As I wept for all the ones we were leaving behind, I naturally wondered if I would ever shed tears for the Thai people.  It was something I couldn't imagine at the time--having relationships deep enough with people I had never met and probably had nothing in common with.  And so, as we left Chicago, I prayed that God would grow in me a love for the people.  That even though I didn't know them yet, God did.  And He found them precious.  Valuable.  Worthy of His Son's life.  With little faith, I asked God to give me a heart like His--one that loved and broke for the Thais.

God has answered my prayer.

God put Pawn in our lives.

As many of you know, Pawn is our "maebon" and the one we have helped to start a bagel business.  Originally our house-helper, she has quickly become my cooking companion, language helper, business partner and friend.  Every Tuesday and Thursday I get excited because Pawn is "coming over!"  This means that I get to cook, talk and hang out with Pawn all day.  She teaches me how to cook panang chicken, I teach her my favorite cookie recipe.  She tells me about her family, I tell her about mine.  She asks me the difference between yellow and white cheese, I ask her the difference between the words "mai^" and "mai`".  I love it.  All of it.  To Steven and I, Pawn has become like family.

Two and a half weeks ago, Pawn got in a moped accident.  She was at home in her mom's village over New Years Eve when she lost control of her bike and fell.  She called us from the hospital, pretty groggy, only to tell us that she couldn't come to work the next day.  Our understanding was that she was okay, but something pretty bad had happened to her knee.  As I got off the phone with her, a rush of emotions overcame me.  Worry--how badly is she hurt?  Sadness--how will she recover?  Thankfulness--it could have been worse.  Frustration--I need to speak better Thai!  I unexpectedly found myself crying to Steven about all these things.  Little did I know that this was only the beginning.  God was about to show me just how deeply He had answered my prayer.

Pawn eventually got transferred to a government hospital back in Chiang Mai.  The hospital in her mom's village said they couldn't take care of her needs, so she was brought back here.  In Thailand, they have socialized healthcare called the "30 baht program".  You basically pay 30 baht ($1) per visit to have all your medical needs taken care of.  We went to go see Pawn multiple times while she was in the hospital and began to worry she wasn't getting the best care.   Throughout the 10 days that she was there, she only saw the doctor a couple of times.  All the doctor told her was that she had hurt her knee badly (obviously) and needed physical therapy.  She laid in the hospital bed all day, except for the 20 minutes they took her to do electric shock therapy.  Eventually Pawn told the doctor that she was bored and wanted to go home.  So, not to our surprise, they released her.

Because she still couldn’t move her leg or put any weight on it, we sensed there was something more going on with her knee.  We asked Pawn if we could take her to a different doctor and she agreed.  We took her to a private and highly recommended orthopedic specialist and within 5 minutes he concluded that she had at least a torn MCL and ACL.   He told us that he needed an MRI and an X-ray to know more, so we went that night to have it done.  The following day, the doctor told us that not only did Pawn have a torn MCL and ACL, but also a torn PCL and a broken bone.  (What?)  A part of her joint bone had broken off and was "floating" in the back of her leg.  Not to mention he thought there was another fracture, but couldn't be 100% sure from the MRI.  His recommendation was for her to have surgery immediately.  He voiced concern that it had already been two weeks since the accident and the longer we wait, the harder it would be to repair.  He would do surgery to fix the bone (and possible fractures) while also seeing if he could repair the torn MCL.  After surgery, Pawn would need to be in hard cast for at least a month and then possibly have another surgery to repair the ACL and PCL.  To sum it all up, her knee was destroyed and the road ahead would be long.

So, he explained all of this to Pawn and we scheduled the surgery to happen in two days.  I could tell by the look on Pawn's face that she was scared and doubtful.  Why wouldn't she be?  No one that she knows has ever had major surgery and the other doctor told her that she could go home and everything would be fine.  We figured that her previous doctor probably knew how badly her knee was hurt, but either couldn't perform the surgery or thought it would cost too much for a person on the "30 baht program".  But how could we really explain that to her?  We also knew that if she didn't have this surgery, she would probably not walk normally again.  The doctor said she'd always walk with a limp, always have pain, and definitely have arthritis.  To not have surgery was not really an option.

Knowing the gravity of the situation, we tried to tell Pawn not to worry.  We told her that we would take care of all of the expenses.  That the surgery wouldn’t be that scary.  That we were committed to walk through this journey with her.

However, the following morning I got a call from a friend telling me that Pawn had to decided to decline the surgery.  Our friend tried to explain to Pawn again why the surgery was a good idea, but Pawn seemed to have her mind made up.  Too expensive.  Too scary.  Too many unknowns.  As I hung up the phone, I ran to Steven and cried once again.  No surgery would mean so many things.  I cried at the thought of Pawn never walking again.  I cried thinking of her not being able to work and what that would mean for her and her daughter.  I cried knowing how confusing this all must be for her.  I cried from feeling helpless, wanting to make the decision for her, yet realizing we couldn’t.  And I cried, mostly because she was declining our free gift that we so desperately wanted to give her.

As I sat there journaling and praying about what to do next, God sweetly reminded me of the Gospel.  Suddenly, I saw so many parallels of what was happening with Pawn to what happens with mankind every day.  Here was Pawn--someone we have grown to love so much, so deeply--lying helplessly broken and in need of fixing.  Wanting to do it on her own, yet knowing she couldn’t.  And there was Steven and I--knowing her healing would come through surgery--just wanting to bless Pawn by offering to pay for it all.

I was getting a small, tiny glimpse into how God must feel every day.

Because the reality is, we are all broken.  We are all limping around in need of healing, trying our best to fix ourselves.  And we have this God--a God who passionately and perfectly loves us-- who cries over our brokenness and offers freely the gift of new life.

The tears I shed for Pawn suddenly seemed to pale in comparison to the tears I am sure God sheds for us.  How his heart must break when the people He loves reject His love and grace.  How He must weep watching people turn to their own destructive ways, knowing He is the only one who can sufficiently heal their wounds.  How badly He must want us to accept His gift, for only He knows how much was truly sacrificed.  And all of a sudden, my heart was weeping with God’s.  Not just for Pawn, but for the broken world we live in.  For all the people in Thailand who have never heard that “the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  

It was in that moment that I knew God had answered my prayer.

I originally came to Thailand because I knew God loved the Thai people.  But now I know, that somewhere in the midst of this year, God has allowed my heart to love and break for the Thai people as well.  To see them as He sees them, wanting nothing more than to see them free of bondage, running boldly to His throne of grace.  They aren’t strangers anymore.  No longer just another "people group” or statistic I read about in missions books.  Now they have faces and stories.  They're real people with a real need for Jesus.

Amidst all that has been going on with Pawn, I praise God for using her and this situation to show me that my silent fear never came to be.  For He has provided for me once again in giving me deep and genuine relationships with people I never imagined would mean so much to me.  And through that, all glory to God, my heart has grown to be more like His.

*I plan to write another blog about the rest of what's been going on with Pawn, but for now I wanted to just pause and praise God for the work He's been doing in our hearts :)