(Attention! First written last year, three months after my mission trip to Burma in July. It's a rant, so beware.)
Hey guys! Today I want to share with you on what the Lord taught me, and is still teaching me, about the mission trip I came back from three months ago.
Before the trip, it was all about my life now. Everything was “now” related, with wants and Amazon wish-lists. Me, me, me. Stuff, friends, girly vanity; all earthly and all meaningless!
I just want to wipe all that off my history, and skip to my “after the trip self”! It’s not that everything I was doing, how I was living, was all wrong, but my goals and to-do lists were so simplistic and “now”.
I just need to vent these thoughts in a rant. Bare with me, or leave. Your choice.
Before the trip, I somewhat knew how those people lived, how poor they were. My daddy had told me. In Burma, you don’t have the luxuries we spoiled Americans do! You have stick houses that get flooded and mixed with the “everything” water, you don’t even have bare necessities! You don’t have wardrobes full of clothes and every accessories known to the trendy world, but you want to know the shocking thing?
They smile more than the richest, most successful people in the known world. Okay, maybe not everyone there. But the kids in the orphanage we went to.
Their wants are so different compared to ours. Mrs. Cathy was doing interviews with the kids, and those kids had to name what they like and what they want. They didn't even really know what she was asking at first! But when they did understand, do you know what they said? They said food and health. And to be able to pass whatever grade they were in. That’s what was important to them, that’s what they prayed for.
Those kids at Agape and Faith have ruined my life! My entire life is broken down to the tiniest bits! They have no idea how much they have torn down. My passions and goals are so meaningless after what I experienced there. After what they showed me, everything I used to spend so much time on was not worth the attention I gave them. What I saw in their smiles was beautiful. What I felt as I held their hands was beautiful.
My view on life is so different now. My view on happiness is totally different.
It’s not just the feeling of having everything you could ever wish for, everything your heart’s desires. It’s not that feeling. It’s the feeling of the fullness of Jesus Christ in your heart. That’s true happiness. And that’s what I saw in those kids.
They were threadbare of belongings. Literally, you get your arms, stick them straight in front of you, fill that space from your chest to your fingers, and they can fit all their belongings in there. Most of them are school books, but then they have some things that are from their sponsors and such. And yet they love you like you sacrificed something very, very valuable just to go there to see them.
And they’re right. You did give something up, although you didn’t know it at the moment you decided to go.
Do you know what you gave up?
You're whole view on life and true happiness.
Let me tell you what... After a mission trip, your life is ruined.
That’s the plain truth. You can’t sugarcoat it nothin’.
It’s not the materialistic things in life that’ll bring you happiness, darling. It’s the joy of Jesus that glows in smiles and hearts… Like those orphans in Burma. They have happiness bursting from their seams, and it’s contagious. Like the flu.
So, they’ve ruined my life and have given me the flu. Wow. That'll scare anyone from ever going on a mission trip-- well done, Jazzy. *sarcastic applause*
You first walk into the orphanage, and those kids'll hold your hands and smile at you, and you just want to cry. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but just hear me out.
After spending only couple minutes with them, just standing there and smiling at them(since you can’t understand each other anyways), you will fall in love with them. Well, maybe that's just me. I've loved those kids, even before I met them. My heart has always been to go there and love on them!
For the King,
Jazzy
* * *
P.S. I'll see if I could get some pictures from this trip this week, but we'll see. Have you gone on a mission trip? Where did you go? How did it change your life? What did God teach you during your time there, or after?
Hey guys! Today I want to share with you on what the Lord taught me, and is still teaching me, about the mission trip I came back from three months ago.
Before the trip, it was all about my life now. Everything was “now” related, with wants and Amazon wish-lists. Me, me, me. Stuff, friends, girly vanity; all earthly and all meaningless!
I just want to wipe all that off my history, and skip to my “after the trip self”! It’s not that everything I was doing, how I was living, was all wrong, but my goals and to-do lists were so simplistic and “now”.
I just need to vent these thoughts in a rant. Bare with me, or leave. Your choice.
Before the trip, I somewhat knew how those people lived, how poor they were. My daddy had told me. In Burma, you don’t have the luxuries we spoiled Americans do! You have stick houses that get flooded and mixed with the “everything” water, you don’t even have bare necessities! You don’t have wardrobes full of clothes and every accessories known to the trendy world, but you want to know the shocking thing?
They smile more than the richest, most successful people in the known world. Okay, maybe not everyone there. But the kids in the orphanage we went to.
Their wants are so different compared to ours. Mrs. Cathy was doing interviews with the kids, and those kids had to name what they like and what they want. They didn't even really know what she was asking at first! But when they did understand, do you know what they said? They said food and health. And to be able to pass whatever grade they were in. That’s what was important to them, that’s what they prayed for.
Those kids at Agape and Faith have ruined my life! My entire life is broken down to the tiniest bits! They have no idea how much they have torn down. My passions and goals are so meaningless after what I experienced there. After what they showed me, everything I used to spend so much time on was not worth the attention I gave them. What I saw in their smiles was beautiful. What I felt as I held their hands was beautiful.
My view on life is so different now. My view on happiness is totally different.
It’s not just the feeling of having everything you could ever wish for, everything your heart’s desires. It’s not that feeling. It’s the feeling of the fullness of Jesus Christ in your heart. That’s true happiness. And that’s what I saw in those kids.
They were threadbare of belongings. Literally, you get your arms, stick them straight in front of you, fill that space from your chest to your fingers, and they can fit all their belongings in there. Most of them are school books, but then they have some things that are from their sponsors and such. And yet they love you like you sacrificed something very, very valuable just to go there to see them.
And they’re right. You did give something up, although you didn’t know it at the moment you decided to go.
Do you know what you gave up?
You're whole view on life and true happiness.
Let me tell you what... After a mission trip, your life is ruined.
That’s the plain truth. You can’t sugarcoat it nothin’.
It’s not the materialistic things in life that’ll bring you happiness, darling. It’s the joy of Jesus that glows in smiles and hearts… Like those orphans in Burma. They have happiness bursting from their seams, and it’s contagious. Like the flu.
So, they’ve ruined my life and have given me the flu. Wow. That'll scare anyone from ever going on a mission trip-- well done, Jazzy. *sarcastic applause*
You first walk into the orphanage, and those kids'll hold your hands and smile at you, and you just want to cry. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but just hear me out.
After spending only couple minutes with them, just standing there and smiling at them(since you can’t understand each other anyways), you will fall in love with them. Well, maybe that's just me. I've loved those kids, even before I met them. My heart has always been to go there and love on them!
For the King,
Jazzy
* * *
P.S. I'll see if I could get some pictures from this trip this week, but we'll see. Have you gone on a mission trip? Where did you go? How did it change your life? What did God teach you during your time there, or after?