Wow! It is hard to sum up an amazing month in just a few words. For a Norwegian girl who just turned twenty it is hard to find just one highlight to talk about, cause I am so stuffed with different experiences! My team and I have visited three different villages, worked a lot with children, done some practical work and had a lot of meetings, drama and singing. We also worked as English teachers at Noh Bo Academy, something that was very challenging but a lot of fun. We will never forget all the beautiful faces of the Karen People and their amazing hospitality.
In the second village we visited we really experienced how God is at work through any situation. We were supposed to have a big open air meeting but had to cancel it because John cut himself in the arm with a machete. It worked slightly different from the Norwegian axe. Hsar Moo Paw, John and Laurel went to the hospital. Back in the village were five Norwegian together with a bunch of Karens full of expectance.
After a while we sat down with the guitar and started to sing; Some in Norwegian, some in English and we also somehow got through the three Karen songs that we know. The family we lived with, their relatives and neighbors came to listen to us. After a while we realized that there was a need of extending our report oar and God challenged Gunhild and me to dance for them. They laughed and clapped. Later they sang a bit for us before they asked us if we had something more to share. We had some dramas but we were missing some of the players and we had no one to explain the dramas. But then we realized that our cook, Saw Oo, knew all these dramas from his DTS so he could share something about each of them.
We hadn’t prepared anything but still this was the best meeting we had during the whole trip because God really was there with His Spirit and His peace. Even though we couldn’t communicate with each other verbally there was something stronger that bound us together: The love for Jesus and each other. In situations like this we really understand what divine appointments mean. We often think that when we’re going to share the Gospel we need to be good at preaching, have a beautiful singing voice or a catchy drama. “If we are clever God can use us!” But God has said in His word that it is when we are weak that we are strong. When we admit that we don’t have anything to give in our selves, God comes with His plan which is far greater than what we can plan ourselves. When He is Lord we might not have the full control over the situation but God is really in control and He will work with His power and love that exceeds human understanding.
For me this how I really want to live my life. Every hour, every day, a whole lifetime.
