Mission-Passion-Context a lesson learnt

My presentation about cross culture

I had the opportunity to speak about cross culture missions yesterday. I tried my best to prepare the slides and was excited to share about cross cultural mission. And close was to our churches but things happen differently as I struggle with my condense animation power point and lost confident because I couldn't connect with the majority of the audiences,who didn't quite understand my point. Most people felt that there is still a lot of need around our neighborhood why should they be concern about cross culture.

After the meeting i was in low spirit but didn't have much time morn because i had to rush to see a movie with my family. We watch a Thai film name "Teacher Diary" or "Kid-Teung-Wittaya". A story inspired by a true story about two teachers who tough in a very remote school above a dam in Lumphoon province. They had to cope with many obstacles, hardship and rethinking about their passion. They were connected through a diary the first one (the heroine) left and the later(the hero) continue to write on. It was a Love story but I learnt many things about "Mission", "Passion" and "Context".

In the movie a student left school to help his father as a fisherman. The heroine tried to point out the importance of education to both the kid and father but i was the her own student that point out that what would education help him in his daily life as a fisherman, our heroine was devastated that she failed her "Mission" and her lost "Passion". She gave up and left the school. A year later the second teacher (the hero) found about this kid through the diary and went to this student house and beg to his father to allow him back to school when the kid asked what will school do for him? Our hero replied "you will be a fisherman that is hard to be fooled". The kid returned to school and even after another year of failed exam he succeed in the following year.

I realized I was like the heroine, felt that i had a "Mission" and "Passion" but i still didn't understood the "Context" and how to communicate my point in a way that other people could relate to. I still have a lot and must be patient and ask God to open my heart and prepare me for the Mission, Passion with in the Context that he will use me in.    

You can never get rid of all the weeds!

The recent weeks or perhaps months I have been suffering from a vicious circle of feeling attached to God then --> falling to sin --> feeling guilty to ask for forgiveness --> feeling insecure --> seeking for God very hard --> feeling attached and it goes on and on again.

I struggle and i tried but in the end their seems to be sins that i could not conquer even how hard i try. I feel very bad of myself, feeling that i let God down again and again.

I consulted my mentor and he said life is not about living sin free life it is more about being sensitive to them and being able to confront them more and more through living and spiritual growing.

Father Tommy, an Indian priest who is visiting our campus gave me an interesting illustration.

"If life is like a garden. No matter how much you try you will never get rid of all the weeds. Instead if you focus more on planting flowers everyday in the end those flower will occupy most of you life".

In the end it really remind me of the Lord's prayer.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debt as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:11-13)

As we should pray and thank God for our everyday meal. It is also necessary to ask for a daily forgiveness. That means we may sin everyday but a healthy Christian would sense it, regret and confess and try every given day to be a better person, moving closer to GOD.

Talking to one's self

"Talking to one's self by Cake (Sleepy circle)

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27)


This picture was drawn by my fellow student "Cake" from the M.div Thai section. She named it "Talking to one's self" she drew it while listening to a Thai song with the same name. 
She posted it on Facebook today and i was so amazed how great this picture is. 
How amazing people are! We all still struggle with sin but we all still have great things with us. If man who has fall down so badly in sin can create such marvel then how great our creator is?

McGilvary Work Camp 2014

2014 Mcgilvary School of divinity work Camp
Photo from @Pual Cabincrew 

Mcgilvary School of divinity work camp has started yesterday. Most of my fellow students endured a 5 hours travel to Hyuahom (ห้วยห้อม) church Amphor Mae La Noi in Mae Hong Son province. The main objectives during this 12-15 March camp are to build a small room and teach some English. Also for the community to spend time together and learn new cultures. I will join them on Saturday and Sunday.