All Hands on Deck

While I was back in the States I heard from multiple people how much they admire my cross-culture work.  A few people said that “I could never do that.”  While I have been called to live overseas and serve a particular group of disadvantaged people, that does not mean that I am better than anyone else.  My calling looks different than yours, but that is the point! There are over 1.7 billion people on the planet. Imagine how boring life would be if everyone was the same.  He uniquely created each individual on planet earth.  We were created differently and that diversity is amazing.

He created me with a certain set of skills, abilities, and dreams which allow me to live overseas.  He has created you with unique dreams, skills, and abilities.  He calls each of us to use our gifts to influence those around us.  You have the ability to positively effect the lives of those around you.  Are you good at math or science?  Great! We need those people to help design buildings, plan cities, take care of our sick, and make sure that the budget is in line.  Those are important skills that should not be overlook because they are not as “intriguing” as living in a foreign country. 

We need people to serve where they are called, to realize that their vocation is just as important as any other.  For the Kingdom to effect reach each society we need believers purposely working in education, government, fine arts, health care, family care, church, and business.  We need dedicated people working in each of these spheres of society so we can see positive transformation.

Hopefully this is encouraging to you.  You are already in a position to impact those around you.

San Francisco

This week I was able to spend a few days in San Francisco with my friend Linda.  I enjoyed sightseeing and was surprised how often I hear and spoke Chinese. 

Mixed Emotions

While I have been in California talking with different groups of people about my cross-cultural work, I have frequently been asked how I process my experiences interacting with the women I visit.  Honestly, each time I visit with the women I feel a wide range of emotions.  I am saddened by the injustice of the situation.  I can feel angry when hearing their stories of past hurts and exploitation.  I am in awe of these women and their strength. They are able to survive in horrible situations and somehow maintain a decently positive outlook on life.  I greatly admire their strength and courage.  I respect them and their desire to provide for their families.  I am overwhelmed with the knowledge that this problem is systemic and cannot be easily fixed.  Often times I am joyful because we had a great conversation with the women.  I am thankful that I can speak truth into their lives.  I am thankful that He has provided me the opportunity to love on these women.  I am grateful for everything that I learned from them.  Most importantly, I am hopeful.  These women are loved by the Creator of the universe.  He has a plan for them and is pursuing them.  I get to be apart of their stories and long for the day when they can know Him personally. I am thankful that He loves these women much more than I do and that His is and will be faithful to them!

Abundance

Lately I have been reflecting on His abundance.  In my heart I know that His love is overflowing. But I often get stuck in my head being consumed by little details.  When I stop and think logically, I know that He is more powerful than all the details that I worry about. However, my default thought pattern is not to focus on His omnipotence but take care of all the minor things that are on my mind.

This weekend we sang the Sunday School classic "His Banner Over Me is Love."  As I was singing the chorus, I was struck by the discrepancy between the lyrics and my thought pattern.  I know that He covers me with His banner of love and prepares a lavish banquet for me.  I realized that I tend to operate under the impression that I have been given a humble meal of peanut butter and jelly, not a banquet in my honor. 

The image that correctly reflects His all consuming love and provision for me is the "Be Our Guest" scene from Beauty and the Beast.

 I like this image because in the scene Belle is overwhelmed with all of the entertainment to watch, the delectable food to consume, and the company of new friends.  She was under stimulation overload. That is what I should feel when I think of His abundance.  When I think about His love there is too much to focus on at one time.  I am constantly discovering new aspects of His character.  I want to become a person who focuses on my provision, not my problems.

Self-Control

This week I have been listening to a Graham Cooke teaching about the Fruit of the Spirit. One particular quote jumped out at me.  Graham defines self-control as "believing the best about someone." I had never heard self-control defined that way.  Typically I would describe self-control as restraining my actions or the things I would say out loud.  Never before had I considered self-control as a check on my thoughts, feelings, or heart attitude. 

I find this definition simple but very powerful. It is not about external actions. It is about the posture of our heart.  G-d is equally as concerned with the thoughts of my heart and my internal attitude as He is about my actions towards other people.  Galatians 5:22-23 lists the attributes of the Spirit and the majority of them have to do with the posture of our hearts.  It is equally exciting and challenging to know that He is constantly wanting us to become more like Him in very thought and deed.

This quote has inspired me to be more in control of my thoughts.  Internally I need to believe the best about each person in my life.  I need to recognize the good qualities in each person, even if there is something challenging in our relationship at the moment.  I hope this new approach in my thinking will help me become a better person, friend, and leader.

A Beam of Light

Last week as I was visiting Holly* and was immediately overwhelmed by her beaming smile.  In the four months I have known Holly, I have yet to see her without an infectious smile.  She has a zest for life, has yet to be jaded by her working environment.  As we were talking, I was realizing that Holly’s joy is in direct contrast to her surroundings.  In the midst of a dark place with little hope, she exudes joy and reminds me that there is more to each person than their current circumstances.  She is content in the middle of a sticky situation, and I greatly admire her courage and tenacity. As our time ended, I celebrated the fact that His joy can be found even in the scariest of places.  I thanked Him for reminding me that no matter what problems we face, we can choose peace and joy.  I ask that this shining light not be diminished by her circumstances, that she continue to bring joy to each person she encounters.

*Name has been change to protect her identity.

出去 (Going Out)

This week I finished reading Leslie T. Chang's book, Factory Girls.  Factory Girls follows the stories of three teenagers who 出去, left their rural farming village to find factory work in the big city. This booked fascinated me on so many levels.  As an ex-pat I identified with the girl's struggles to establish relationships in a foreign place.  As a history/political science student I was fascinated reading the consequences of globalization when examined from the perspective of the person working in the factories that produce Nike shoes, Apple computers, and designer handbags.

Chang spent three years in the factory town of Dongguan, building relationships with the migrant workers and visiting as many factories as possible.  In the book she details each women's journey: changing jobs multiple times a year, losing contact with everyone you know when your cell phone is stolen, and changing family dynamics as they begin earning more money then their parents.  

Though I made notes throughout the book, two quotes have helped me better understand the world in which these young women live and how it parallels the lives of the women I befriend.

•  "To stay outside and work your entire life is better than staying home."  Failure is returning home, not being able to make it in the city. Working 10-12 hour days with little time off does not matter when you are achieving success and earning more money in the city than your entire family can earn back home. [This parallels the American Dream, the ideal that through hard work and effort each generation can surpass the achievement and success of their parents.] As I have established friendships with migrant women in my city and see the demands of their jobs, I have often though "this is just not worth it." After reading this book I feel I better understand the thinking of these women and their desire to succeed.
• "In the end we must rely on ourselves." The women who work in exploitative situations are incredibly strong, determined, and gifted women. They have the strength and courage to make a living in an extremely harsh environment. I am constantly amazed by their determination to succeed in the big city and provide for their families back in the countryside. Their ability to survive, however, comes at a price. Understandably, these women must learn to protect themselves, their hearts and emotions. High, thick walls have been built. Most of the women do not trust very easily because of failed relationships. Past hurts have taught them that other people take advantage of you, trick you, and that people ultimately cannot be trusted. You cannot rely on anyone other than yourself. While this helps them survive in their current work environment, I know that this is not the truth. We were created for community, friendship, to be in a supportive network. I ask our loving Father to guide me as I build relationships with these women. I ask that my actions will help correct the lie that people cannot be trusted. Most importantly, I long for the day when each of these precious women discover the blessing of community and healthy relationships.