My heart skipped a beat and my breath caught in my chest. My eyes grew wide as I finally heard the word I had been so desperately looking for. This was the word I was giving up hope of ever hearing in the overprotective and guarded place, (this country in East Asia). This is a place where a faith community of our kind is rated 18+. My ears were set on searching for the word “children”. The children are this country’s future.
How they grow up will shape the future in the coming generations. So far, it appears that this country’s future years do not include our beliefs. Being prohibited to even step foot into a Sunday meeting until 18 years old means a childhood without stories of a giant fish swallowing a man, three heroes in the fiery furnace, or a man being thrown into a lion’s den. It means growing up without a weekly safe place. It means learning the communist ways and going to college before ever having even the opportunity to choose Him.
Walking into a world where our savior is unknown in both adults and children alike is heartbreaking. In every direction, there are business suits and fancy clothes, makeup covered faces, and freshly cut hair filling the streets, all to be seen as successful or beautiful because that is the sole reason for living. Sadness wells up in my eyes imagining those innocent children becoming just another contender in the game of success and never knowing they could have something so much more valuable.
After silently searching for unspoken opportunities and coming up with nothing day after day for more than one of our only two weeks there, I became desperate. Where did my passion fit into His plan for this country? Then, He brought us to two of his warriors. One, a student and the other, his spiritual leader. After being given the opportunity to play soccer on their team and even being invited to a Sunday meeting, they gave us the option of spending a day with them.
We excitedly accepted their offer and spent a day in a town one narrow river away from the border to another country. After this thrilling experience, they took us to a Korean BBQ for lunch. All day I had been crocheting and drawing and the spiritual leader took notice. We ate our food and then he looked straight at me. I had no idea that he was about to say something that would change my life. He talked about watching me crochet and said, “you haven’t mentioned anything about it, but by any chance would you be interested in helping with children?” I was frozen at the shock of hearing those words.
After a few moments, I regained my composure and told him yes. He continued to explain that he and his wife own a daycare that plays games and does crafts all day as they pour out the love of our creator and cover them with silent prayers. My dream was coming true right before my eyes. He had picked out this special moment and fulfilled every promise I felt he had made to me in the past two years. He brought my husband and I each to VidaNet, joined us together, brought us to this beautiful country, and then showed each of us our part in his grand plan for this amazing country. The words sank in as I breathed a sigh of relief. He is ALWAYS faithful.
