Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,...
Ephesians 6:7
There was a huge part of me ready to give up even before this mission trip starts, because of financially issue.
It wasn't my intention to join this mission trip in Chicago, but because I'm sort of starting an international student
ministry on our campus, so that would be cool if I can go join them and see what they do, or how they do the ministry.
Also, because I was in Chicago for a camp end of May, so I should just stay and join this mission trip. However, here comes the risk....
I already registered for the South Asia summer mission, so I can't register for this, which means, I won't be able to raise support for this trip.
With that being said, I need to figure out the accommodation, transportation fee, food and other expenses by myself.
This becoming scary to me, worried for the unknown, fearful for the risks, doubt myself, and I want to shrink back so badly.
I even found that my heart would fuss on the ministry and service because of money.
This is really not a joke. When my account left less than ten dollars, the cash on hand is only ten dollars. Even this
two-week transportation fee cannot be guaranteed, lunch and dinner, and the extra cost are considered extravagant to me.
There are still two weeks of living expenses after this mission trip are unknown, try to be very cautious in using
money by lessening the basic living costs, should I lesse out the ministry too?
I have nothing, but God.
There are many concerns and I have only a little faith.
For this reason, I decided to go to the first day of the meeting and the first day of the mission trip to first check it out.
Well, since I didn't even pay for this mission trip, I should call myself a "visitor" instead of attending all of the activities.
Although deep in my heart, I really want to participate in all the activities, but if I can't do it, I have to learn to let go.
On the first day, the transportation fee was higher than I expected. It seems like I must selectively participate in these activities.
That night, I said goodbye to my teammates, ready to take the subway back to my place of accommodation (because of
financial problems, so cannot live with the team.), a teammate I just met said to help me call an Uber, I refused, said it would
be a waste of money, while taking the subway time-consuming, but at least save money. So she accompanied me to the
subway station and while we were there, she said to me: "I want to support the heart that you are willing to serve God and the lost.
Don’t worry about the transportation fees for this whole mission trip. I will be responsible for that and pay for that."
At the moment, my heart was warm:
God sent this angel to supply my needs....
In this way, I continued to live each day by faith and completed the two-week mission trip in Chicago. Isn't this incredible crazy?!
从没想过这事会成，在多方面的考虑下，一度因为资金不足而想过要退缩。
在芝加哥这段期间，有机会参加 Bridges International 两个星期的短宣队，与之前就计划好的南亚短宣队来比，这冒的险也太大了。
因为我已经报名参加南亚的短宣队，所以无法报名参加这个针对国际学生的短宣队，也就意味着我无法为此筹钱，吃，住宿，交通费等都是一个挑战。
身心都是焦虑的， 怀疑和退缩
甚至发现自己的内心竟然会因为钱而变得对事工和服侍斤斤计较。
这真的不是开玩笑的，
当户口里只有不到十美元，手上的钱凑齐也只有十美元，连两个星期的交通费都付不起，别说是午餐晚餐了，多余的一丝费用都是奢侈的。
接下来还有两个星期的生活费都是未知数，能省则省，那事工呢？能省吗？
每次到暑假时都是信心之旅，真的什么都没有，只有神。
担忧很多，顾虑很多，信心很小。
却也就只决定先去第一天的聚会以及第一天的短宣，毕竟我算是“visitor”，应该可以自行决定要参加哪一个吧。
虽然心里是想要全程参加，但若真的不行，那也得顺服。
第一天钱包大失血，交通费比我预期的更高，看来，必须选择性地参与这短宣了。
当晚，告别了队友，准备搭地铁回我住宿的地方（因为经费问题，所以不能和他们一起住。），
我刚认识的一个队友说要帮我叫车，我拒绝了，说着会很浪费钱，搭地铁虽然耗时，但至少省钱。于是
她陪我走到地铁站，对我说：我想要支持你愿意服侍的心，这短宣对的交通费别担心，我会负责。
当下，心头一暖：
上帝竟然把天使差到我身边，像乌鸦供应以利亚一样地供应我的需要。
就这样，继续凭信心地过每一天，完完整整地参加了两个星期的短宣。。。这，还真的是不可思议啊！
Dear Nathan & Rene, Nate & Lindsey, Stuart & Jessica, Brianne, Elizabeth, Solange, Tumi, Nathan, Amy, Luke, and Tom.
Thank you all for allowing me to be part of the team in this past two weeks, although tired from all
the walking, yet I really encouraged by the passion, joy, and love that flowed from each of you.
Thanks for making my trip at Chicago memorable and meaningful!
If God willing, we will meet again.
Recorded from June 10-24, 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment