Teaching monks is something I never in my life thought possible. As a woman, teaching/talking to monks is rare… especially as a foreigner. But God in His goodness, omniscience, providence, and mercy has given me and my teammates the opportunity to serve the village by serving monks.
In Buddhist culture, being a monk is highly respected… when we begin class we must acknowledge the monks as we “wai” them (🙏) but they can not “wai” us back because they are higher than us.
One thing that God has taught me through this unique experience is that monks are real people. They have personality, names, a life. A lot of times when I see monks walking around I see them as being completely devoted to their religion and are unrelated to the rest of the world. But they actually are people, who God wants to welcome into his kingdom. But because of the darkness that encompasses them, they do not see or know the truth… this is a devastating reality and has been a burden on my heart for their need of a Savior!
Join me in praying for this situation… pray that God would use us as joy in a hopeless place. Pray for our spirit as we experience spiritual warfare when inside the temple. We teach in between two Buddha statues… the reality of the lostness in unbearable as times, and sometimes I don’t even want to go and be a part. But pray that God continues to produce perseverance, steadfastness, and love for his people.
One thing that comes to my mind is this passage in Psalm 66:
“Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” -Psalm 66:8-14,16-20
“Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.
For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” -Psalm 66:8-14,16-20
-NT365 Gap Year/Hands On participant
Southeast Asia