SHARING
On the third night, I shared with them and Dah-Line translated. Their mom does not know English. Her sister, Dite, has been going to church for a couple months, and know a lot so she helped translate a few times, which I think is kind of funny ... she doesn't believe, but she helped us to share the gospel with her mom! After we shared, her mom said she believes and Dah-Line prayed with her!!! Praise the Lord!!! I pray that she not only believes that it is true, but that she genuinely has decided to follow Christ, and either way, that God will continue to work in her life and in that family to bring them all to Him!
On the fourth day of this six days, five nights trip, I realized that I had made no attempt at sharing any part of the gospel with the other 25ish people on the tour with us. I don't know of an opportunity that I had, but I wasn't praying for opportunities either.
Everybody on the tour
This is the group we ate lunch and dinner with every day!(Left) . . Girl pic (Right)
... As I thought about all of this, I felt obligated ... it's my job to tell people of the hope I have in Christ. Yes, it is "my job" (as followers of Christ, it is all of our "jobs"), but it's not about doing it because we HAVE to ... IT'S ABOUT LOVE!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ~ Deuteronomy 6:5
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'This is the great and foremost commandment.39The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." ~ Matthew 22:36-40
>> What does that mean to "love God" with EVERYTHING? to "love your neighbor"? There will always be so much to learn about this ...
... when we love something, we can't help but talk about it ... sports, sales, TV, movies, a video on YouTube...etc. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say "You have to see ______ movie," or "you have to see this video, it's hilarious"... Loving God involves telling others about Him! YOU HAVE TO KNOW MY GOD! READ ABOUT HIM. PRAY TO HIM. PRAISE HIM. LISTEN TO HIM. THERE IS NO OTHER!
...if we truly loved someone, our greatest desire for them, is for them to have an abundant life now and forever with the One True God! "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!" ~ Romans 10:9-15
Look on YouTube for "Atheist on sharing Christ" - He said, "If you believe there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life ... How much do you have to hate somebody and not proselytize [to induce someone to convert to one's faith]? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mf5f_8kdI0
I kept waiting and waiting for the right time, and before I knew it we were home. Even now, thinking back, I'm not sure when would've been a good time. While we were on the bus between cities, maybe. Is there such a thing as the right time? Is there a wrong time? I want to say yes ... for a full gospel presentation ... For example: you work at McDonald's and it's lunch time, you don't ask your co-worker or a customer to sit down with you so you can share with them (unless God is straight up telling you to, in which case, God is higher than your boss) ... I think sometimes, we think that is the only way to share. It's not! The Spirit of Christ lives in all who follow Christ, our goal is to die to our self and live in the Spirit. If sharing is all about love then it does come up naturally, and sometimes with a little guidance, but ultimately it's who we are ... children on God!
FOOD
As always, this is one of the biggest things I stuggled with! It was difficult because a lot of the time I felt like I had no control over what I was eating, and a lot of it were things I didn't want to eat. For example: I have not had a hotdog since 3rd grade and had no intentions of eating one for the rest of my life ... on the first night, Dah-Line's mom gave me what was basically a hotdog on a stick :-( Nearly every meal, somebody put something on my plate. They were so helpful, taking care of me, and making sure I didn't miss out on good food!
I have grown from it! Before, I didn't like sea food (and I still won't choose it for my self), but I can eat it without much difficulty! Praise the Lord! I ate a lot of catfish, squid, octupus, shrimp!
The first meal, I had my bowl of rice and got a couple spoon fulls of beef ... then I noticed that they all only got a little at a time, so I started doing the same. Even when I had a few pieces of meat, they'd give me more. After coming back home and talking to my roommate, I learned that I should have kept my plate full, and they probably wouldn't have given me as much food. They see that I don't have much meat so they may think I'm too shy to get it, or I'm being polite, or can't reach it ... so they help! :-) I was trying to be like them, but I'm American, so they expect me to fill our plate, because that's what we do. Because I'm a foreigner, they have to make sure I'm taken care of! (Sometimes I really appreciate that, but sometimes it's difficult.)
FUN
We visited three cities, went to: the market, amusement parks, temples ...
I have now been in three countries (USA, Cambodia, and Vietnam)! I got to build my relationship with Dah-Line, as well as get to know her mom and sister! We did a lot of fun things, viewed many places, rode the bus a lot :-) ... It was a fun trip!
HO CHI MINH CITY / SAIGON
NHA TRANG
DALAT
CATHOLIC CHURCHES
Apparently, in southern Vietnam, there are a lot of Catholic churches. When we were driving between Dalat and Ho Chi Minh City, I saw three Catholic churches within 5-10 minutes. An hour later, I counted 7 Catholic churches within 15-20 minutes. I also saw a few places that sold statues of Mary and others, and several homes had statues of Mary lit up on their balcony. There was even what looked like a spirit house, with a small Mary, where Buddha normally is. I know several Catholics in the states who I truly belive are Christians, and know that Jesus Christ is the Only Way; however, I also know many who see Jesus as just a man. :-(
It looks as if many of these people worship Mary. I also know that I can't completely think that, because to Cambodians, it looks as if Christians worship the cross. They see movies where people are in a church at the altar, bowing before a cross ... Also, in many ways the cross has become mere decoration. Many non-Christians where clothing and jewelry with a cross on it. --> You can't judge a book by it's cover!
No comments:
Post a Comment