Journey: Guangxi

We focused on anger and forgiveness today. We all get into conflicts, there are always difference in opinions, and just when people don't get along. It often can spark anger, and tension, but thats completely fine, no one ever said that you had to get along with every person you see. But how you deal with it is whats most important.

When there's conflict, there are two main roads we can take.

Bitterness. You can take this conflict and make it anger, you can twist it into revenge, and act upon it. It can get much worse, its practically playing with fire. Whats worse is that when we are bitter when we hold grudges, it doesn't help. It affects us, our relationship with others as well as our relationship with God. It will eat you from the inside out and the bitterness will eventually start pouring out of you.

Forgiveness. God calls us to forgive, continuously, over and over again. When forgiving, you are channelling Christ's love for us, and similar to bitterness or anything in general, as you channel and invest yourself into something more and more, you eventually start to be it and it starts to reflect and pour out of you naturally.

Along the lines of conflict, forgiveness, and bitterness, the next step is repentance. Especially when you've done something wrong. Repentance isn't a formula, some ritual you do, but it is a choice that you make, a change in thinking. When you decide to confess and repent, you acknowledge what you are doing wrong, and you make an effort and change, to stop, to fight it. This allows for growth, and strengthening in your faith and in your character.

On a short terms missions, even every day, we're dealing with problems and people, we must learn to follow Christ, forgive and love. Turn the other cheek.

²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Mark 11:25 

Journey: Guangxi

Unity.

Unity is necessary on all projects, on all levels, to have a good communication, and good relationships with one another. Without unity, the team can easily fall apart. Especially in a missions trip, when you're in the battlefield, you need all the support you can get, and without it, its extremely easy for Satan to tear and bring you down.

There are four main things that will break unity.

Gold. Resembling material possessions, if we have an attitude of wanting something to gain out of it, may it be money or a gift, its isn't the right attitude to serve with. You're there to give, not gain.

Glory. Serving and helping out, you are usually using your gifts and talents to glorify God, but if you are doing it with intentions of receiving praise and to show off your talents, for your own glory, that is also the wrong perspective to view ministry.

Guys/Girls. Ministry is not an opportunity to mingle and to get to know others, brewing relationships, especially romantic ones.

Gods. Before you go on a missions, you have to know the priorities in your heart. Where does God stand? He should be at the top. Are there other things that may be fighting that spot with God, may it be people, or materialistic things, but we have to make sure we have the right heart and attitude before entering the battlefield.

All these things have one thing in common, they all do not have God in mind. They're all self-oriented attitudes. All team members should have God first, working to please and honour him, and with the same goals and attitudes, unity can thrive.

Practical ways to sustain unity.

1) Positive and good communication. Do not assume things and over analyze things. Learn to confront others in love and privately.

2) Rejoice with one another. Seeing yourself and others succeed are always great motivations, learn to support one another. Share with others how God is working in your life!

3) Empathize with one another. Don't hide your feelings, be vulnerable and share with others, and be sensitive when someone decides to open up to you. Its through transparency will tighter relationships be made.

4) Be generous with one another. Take care of one another and give to one another. These members are your team for the missions time period, watch out for each other.

5) Forgive one another. You're going to be spending x amount of days with the same people, and you can get frustrated. In times of stress and trouble, things will get hard, but forgive each other.

6) Affirm our common goal. Be constantly reminded of why you are here and who you are serving. Its easy to get distracted and stray away in the pride and the hype of all things.

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

1 Corinthians 1:10 

Journey: Guangxi

Second training. The missions trip is approaching fast actually, I'm leaving early july, so that gives us about less than 3 months before we depart and execute this. Today's training was surrounding the topic of Personality. For unity to happen, we must be able to understand each other and our teams, how we work, who we are as people. So we did a quick test.

There are four animals.

The Lion - the extrovert, task-oriented, strong, direct, but too dictatorial.

The Otter - the extrovert, people-oriented, open and positive, but may talk to much.

The Golden Retriever - the introvert, people-oriented, calm and sensitive, but can get hurt easily

The Beaver - the introvert, task-oriented, has high standards, but is a perfectionist.

I ranked as the golden retriever. And I can totally see it in myself, I'm sensitive, i try my best to sympathize with others, but I can get too sensitive and be hurt easily.

Looking around at the new faces at the training, naturally, there are people i tend to stay closer to, there are people who i judge based on first impressions, for instance there's this one team member who i just am not getting the best vibe from. I feel like we won't mix... and I don't know how to handle it.

We're also in somewhat of an uncomfortable situation. I didn't want to be put in a group with these people, but this team came together from different churches to make up this team. Its another chance to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and start new friendships. I have to continue to push myself forward and out there.

During the sharing, they talked about a typical day of the trip. I came to realize that this trip is going to be my longest short term missions so far. OJ Quebec was only 4 days of crazy wake up early, sleep late schedules. Day Camp was two weeks, but it was only most of the day, but on this upcoming trip, we will be up from 6:30am-10pm pretty much everyday for two weeks. In crazy climate and temperatures, with lack of luxury (they said there won't be seated toilets). I wonder how i'll cope. I remember in the past, i've heard these "typical day" talks and them saying that we'll be all exhausted, but honestly i haven't really felt that.

Im guess i'm nervous to work with these new people, i hope that i can mesh well and just open up to them.

¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:16

Journey: Guangxi

This summer, I'm heading out Guangxi, China for a short terms missions trip and tonight we had our first training session, where each meeting revolves a specific theme, from expectations, to love, to unity, to the actually lessons we're teaching.

At the end, one of the veterans came up to share with us and he talked about the journey. Not just for this specific trip, but for missions trips in general. We're going for two weeks to teach english, but thats not the only thing. That's only one small portion of the entire journey. He challenged us to reflect and think about this process. It starts now actually, or even before. As he said, when you first start praying about it. Thats what I intend to do with this series, i'll try to update myself and y'all on my journey. From today, the first meeting, the ten weeks of training we'll go through, the two weeks of execution, the the debrief afterwards. Its a long process for a short term missions. He also challenged us with two questions. "So What?", "What's the next step?". These are things we need to answer after the trip (which i will eventually, as long as I remember). He said that many people usually get a spiritual high from these missions and once they return, it just drops back.

Going along with the theme of tonight, expectations. They really talked about preparing ourselves personally, for the change in environment, the change of lifestyle, from the living conditions, the food, and the people. And because we're going with a bunch of people, we focused on unity as well, and prayer.

There were so many new faces there although more than half of the people were from my church, RHCCC. It was interesting to get to know new people, and i could already feel myself being pushed out of my comfort zone. Im excited to interact with this new group of people, knowing that God brought us together for a reason. How i'll mesh with them? That's a whole other story. Im praying that I can be open to them, and just be able to have peace and unity with our whole group.

Personally, reflecting on everything so far, i can say that I'm not that excited for the trip. Im giving up so many things for this trip, my OJ missions, day camp, overnight camp, and i know I'm really going to miss them. I hope they don't forget me! But as i journey into this new realm, of new people, and new experiences, i pray that i'll keep my eyes and heart open to new ideas, new cultures, and new encounters. May I learn to be willing to take in what God wants to teach me. May all of it be for God's glory now and forevermore.

¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17