“Welcome to the door.”
Two years ago, my pastor gave a sermon about prayerfully waiting on the Lord. To illustrate this, he had a door that was closed and covered in sticky notes. On the sticky notes, people wrote what they were waiting for beyond the door. Matthew 7:7-8 says, “7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” In prayer, we “knocked” and waited for the Lord to answer what was written on our sticky notes. My sticky note said “SouthEast Asia.”
You, dear reader, are entering my story as I am walking through the door. In the fall, I will be moving to Southeast Asia to teach English!! I have been waiting at this door for years (well before the sermon), and that is the story I would like to share with you today.
Throughout my life, God has strengthened my heart for Him, the nations, and education. When I was six years old, I accepted Christ into my heart. A few months later, I went on my first international mission trip where I got to play with the local kids and share Jesus with them. From the very beginning, God opened my eyes to the nations and gave me a desire to go and share Him with them—HOW COOL IS THAT. In sixth grade I was tasked with writing a paper about what I wanted to be when I grew up. In my head, my answer was a missionary…but that didn’t feel like a “reasonable” or “responsible” answer. During my junior year of high school, I went on a mission trip to Central America where I got to serve in a school. That is where I realized I could easily spend my life serving and loving kids through education (plus, I was good at it). Thus began my pursuit of becoming a teacher.
I went to Grand Canyon University (lopes up!) to study elementary education. When I began, there was still the thought that I could teach overseas...but it would be more practical to teach in the States and travel during my breaks. The summer before my junior year, I got to teach English in Southeast Asia. It was heartbreaking and eye opening. The kids I worked with lived in a mountain village and some would walk miles to come to school. Most of them came to school hungry (whole families would live off of 20-30 lbs of rice per month) and dirty, but they came with a passion to learn! They craved to learn English so much that they would skip recess and stay after school to practice with me. What 12-year-old would voluntarily do that? That is the question I asked myself and my kids. The kids explained to me that if they could speak English, they could move to a bigger city and get a job (such as a translator, tour guide, hotel receptionist) where they could support themselves and their family. Wow.
1 John 3:16-18 says, “16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
During that trip, I realized my heart for education, God, and the nations did not have to exist separately, but were intended to be used together for God’s glory and Kingdom work. I remember thinking, “I could do this [teach ESL overseas] for the rest of my life and be content.” This is when the sermon came into play. I wrote SE Asia not knowing what the future would look like, but with the hope that God could use me there. If you were to ask me two years ago or even seven months ago where I would be today, I could not have imagined this. God wove so many parts of my life together that did not make sense in the moment but have ultimately led me here. God used that hallway of waiting to prepare me, shape me, equip me, and heal me. Now, the door is open and I am walking through it!!
In the fall, I will be joining an international development organization in SE Asia to serve people who suffer from poverty – poverty of health, poverty of education, poverty of opportunity, and poverty of spirit. Poverty is a cycle** that is heard to break. As an organization, our goal is to provide hope to the community through holistic and sustainable development. I will get to build relationships with the locals and teach them English. English is a world language which makes it a valuable skill. English and education can help break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to individuals, communities, and nations! I am extremely excited to join in the work God is doing in SE Asia!!
So, welcome to my journey beyond the door.
Liv :)
P.S. If you find yourself waiting at a door, know that God sees you and He hears you. Your knuckles may be sore from knocking, and your heart weary from waiting. It’s easy to feel alone and forgotten in that hallway. You might impatiently try to pry the door open or sneak a glimpse through the keyhole. Odds are that you can see glory streaming like light beneath the door, illuminating the hallway with hope for what is to come. Wait. Wait faithfully. I cannot tell you how, when, or if the door will open, but I do know that God is good and faithful. May these verses echo through your hallway of waiting:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21
“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 (all of Psalm 27!!)
**I am not affiliated with World Vision