a missionary

wow it's been already 3 weeks or so since i've been in japan.was hanging out with a missionary yesterday. she had strained her back yesterday and so i went to help her with her back pain. and she was telling me how God had prompted her many years ago to forsake her (well-paying) job and her family and all her possessions to come to Japan. she was clearly instructed to give them all away and not even sell them! and she obeyed. how amazing. and she has now been here for more than a decade serving faithfully in the church and english school. she lives frugally and has to be very careful with spending money and she was teaching me that despite earning very little, generosity is really important. that as you give to God, He gives you back many fold.

she isn't with any mission organization as there aren't such things in india. and to join a japan agency she said would take her alot of time (much ongoing paperwork) and also she would have to raise her own funds (but people in india are really poor anyway and what they give would be 1/10th the value here) and also she would have to account for her time and spending which will take more time-- the time that could be better used for ministry. for practical reasons, she's just here 'by herself', just obeying the call that God has placed on her heart. ah, i was so encouraged. and she was like,"it's not a sacrifice. i am content". and here i am, much "richer" than her, for at least i have a car and a job that pays me probably 3x more, but wanting to upgrade myself to a more challenging job etc. i am ashamed. i really am.

and i am reminded of Gods promise "and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. but many who are first will be last, and the last first"

my perspective of missionaries is also changing. i always thought they were something special. haha not that they aren't cos they ARE special. but just that i had this impression before that they had a special call on their life and a special anointing or something. but really, talking to them and watching them and kind of being on 'mission' myself, i realise that it's just the mindset. it's the obedience of following the call, and really making the most of every opportunity to tell someone about Christ. like Jesus called us all to go and make disciples right? so doesn't that make us all some sort of missionary? and i guess when you are out of comfort zone with the mind set on wanting to make disciples, you are more focussed in your interactions. but in fact, perhaps that is what we all aim to be just that we get distracted by work/family/social needs. like i was saying before, lighthouse is using these 40 days leading up to Easter to fast one meal per day. and use the time to pray and seek God. and haha, i must say, my food baby (stomach) is NOT used to not eating when it's time to eat. but the hunger pangs are a good reminder for me that as my stomach needs food, my soul needs the Word of God. and like yeah, i think living the way they are, missionaries here really live depending on the provision and sustenance of God in a very viable way, causing their faith to be tested and stretched but also proving God to be a good God of provision.

so please pray for the missionaries here. there are 3 at the moment. est*, hea* and jul*. pray that God will continue to sustain and provide for them in all areas of their lives. (physically, emotionally and spiritually) and also if you ever feel inclined to give anything at all (for they are living from paycheck to paycheck and do not even have any savings for retirement or anything) that yea, let me know and i can do it on your behalf while i'm here. :)

have a great day walking in the provision of God, never forgetting that like He is the one who sustains you! :)