Day 6 – Engaging the People

Luke 1:37: "For nothing is impossible with God." (NIV)

By now the local leaders have told you about their experiences in the mission field and have provided wisdom on how to avoid their past mistakes. You have also re-instilled the lessons you have learned while you were in your home country. You believe that you can now engage and lead the Lost back to God.

Except that the culture is more complex than what your training have anticipated.

Even with the best preparation, the mission field would always be full of surprise. New cuisine, new social norms and new language will provide a wonderful yet sometimes confusing experience as the theoretical part of your training collide with the practical application.

This is one of the experiences of John Mark Bas, a college student and one of the members of our short term mission to Macau.

John was amazed by the city of Macau. The city was very modern and exudes a sense of class. He also felt a spirit of progress and a culture of excellence and development, a striking contrast to the more laid back culture of the Filipinos.

Despite these differences, John enjoyed his stay. He learned that students like him can be used by God in ministry.

Finally, he learned that by sharing a common interest, in our case Taekwondo, missioners can build relationships with the group that they are trying to reach out while enjoying themselves at the same time.