God is Good in Santiago!

Here's Karen's blog about her missions work in Chile...

I'm so encouraged and inspired by her life. Not only the fact that she's serving as a missionary there, but also because of her joyful childlike heart and frequent testimonies. Which I really want to learn from her! :D Haha...

I think in the midst of people complaining about how hard ministry work is, and the difficulties we face in ministry, about how people are not responding... the younger ones see the older ones complaining... and not giving thanks for all the wonders.

Haha. I'm complaining about people complaining. Win already lor!

But honestly, I'm really so thankful to be serving together with HQ in DMM. Firstly, it's really a joy to be able to serve in a coreteam. I remember wanting to serve more in the pastoral areas. And I remember that first flush of excitement when HQ asked me to join him in his core-team. Excitement, because it's a new area... and also because it's an opportunity to be able to serve my dear brother in Christ. And to serve my CG. To learn to serve more and more.

I find joy in serving, because every time I serve, it helps me learn to be more like the One who stooped down to wash our feet. Our feet. I still can't help but be touched that He actually washed our feet. So to be more Christlike, that's really such a sweet joy.

Anyway, about thanksgiving versus complaining. I think it's partly because of perspective. One important point I learnt from the Breakthrough teaching is to PERCEIVE GOD. To learn to SEE Him actively at work. God is closer than you think. If Moses had not stopped to see the burning bush, he wouldn't have realised that the burning bush did not burn up. And if he hadn't realised the burning bush did not burn up, he wouldn't have met God. And if he hadn't met God... he would have missed his destiny.

And this is so what I want to do. To return to a childlike heart. Personally, it IS harder to see God actively at work in our workplace, what with the emphasis on productivity. But I think if a concentration camp, as Corrie ten Boom put it so beautifully, cannot keep God's love out, then why not! He is hiding behind your colleague. He is even now speaking through the cleaning auntie. He is the One who stocks the food pantry. He is the One who supervises your supervisor. He is the One who watches me while I work (or try to...)... eh hahah. :P

=)

Ok! I want a breakthrough in joy, in thanksgiving. One thing I also learnt from my shepherding with Peter on Saturday night was to adjust my expectation of how I think people should respond to me. Because one thing that hinders me from sharing my thanksgiving testimonies is the fear that people will think my testimony too small, or that people will think I'm sharing too much. But can we share too much about God's goodness? 'Cos the psalmist said that many are the things the Lord has done for us, were he to tell of them all, they would be too many to recount.

And so I believe learning to see God and to give thanks to Him helps us learn to fear God too, to stand in awe of Him. To realise that God truly is good, whether you're in a holiday resort or in a concentration camp.

But I think we leaders ought to model and set an example of giving thanks in all circumstances. Otherwise, how do we expect our flock to spontaneously burst into thanksgiving? There's one friend whose eyes glitter whenever she shares about God. That is SO encouraging! :)

I'm writing all this, because I remember I used to send out long emails full of thanksgiving. =)

Well, there's so many things. So many desires. I WANT TO SEE GOD AT WORK!