And You Call Yourself A Missionary?

"What did the interns do in Thailand again?!" they ask with a puzzled look.  "We taught English," I respond without hesitation.  "Oh," they reply with an underlying tone that says, 'That's it?! You didn't plant churches or do crusades or feed kids or pass out clean water?!' (It's appalling I know!)

Why not?  It wasn't what was asked of us or needed of us.  Thailand isn't a poor nation.  There are missionaries already there planting churches and hosting Bible studies and building relationships & we came alongside them & did what they asked.  We taught English.


And you call yourself a missionary!? Why yes, I sure do.
The Thai people need Jesus, they need salvation, and you taught English!? Yes, we did.

How does this even fit in with your mission's statement at Convoy of Hope?

Children’s Feeding

Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world. Our children’s feeding initiatives are a result of that. The goal of our children’s feeding initiatives is to see lives changed as we promote healthy children, community sustainability, and development. To accomplish our goal we believe that we must go beyond the basic meal to intervene at five levels: nutrition, clean and safe water, agricultural initiatives, healthy living environments, and education.

As a youth pastor, I gave rides, I went mini golfing,  I attended school assemblies & athletic events, I worked for Old Navy every 4th of July, I loaded coke machines, I helped with homework, job applications, moving days! I visited grandmas in the hospital.  Taught school.  I made a million and 1 trips to Sams Club.  And I called myself a youth pastor.  And somehow student's lives were still changed and transformed by Christ.

In Thailand I taught English.  And called myself a missionary. And somehow Buddhist students learned about the love of Jesus and began to seek Him.

In my new position with Sustain Hope.  I will dig gardens, keep bees?, teach communities about health & hygiene, sustainable technologies, and who knows what else and I will call myself a missionary.  Because somehow lives will still be changed and transformed by the power of Christ and heaven will get a little more crowded as result.