Doris' Testimony
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2008
1
40
42
Trip End
Jan 16, 2009
Fairbanks,
Alaska,
United States
Sunday, February 15, 2009
This trip was truly blessed by God from beginning to end and then some. We all heeded God's voice to make this trip and His grace was with each and everyone. According to Ephesians 2:1-3, Grace is the unmerited love that God shows to sinful people. We receive it once we confess our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. Because of God's grace we are forgiven and adopted into his family. One definition of God's grace is the certainty that we can bear whatever God allows. I came across the saying, 'If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it" and liked it. I hung it by my bed and would repeat it from time to time especially when things weren't going too good. As time went by I started understanding a deeper meaning to it. At first it was God is with me, and now it is GOD IS IN ME!! I have grown in my faith of God, and not without an inner battle with my stubborn pride. But today, as I reflect back on my life, I see that my feeling of self worth and faith that I can be a good tool of God to share His Word is a reality. I now know that God's grace is with me and I need to do all that God asks of me. The more I listen to God and obey Him, the more I feel better about myself and feel blessed by His love. At one point in my life, I felt that I would never be good enough to go on a mission trip. I didn't know enough of the Bible and wasn't inclined to study His word more, and also very important to me, I just didn't have the faith that God could use me for His purposes. There had to be stronger and truer believers for Him to use. And slowly but surely God showed me that He wanted to stay in my life. When I accepted that I was a child of God because He chose me therefore how could he not want me? I finally realized that I am worthy of God's love and I need to share His word and His love to others that God puts before me. But by the time this trip to Thailand came about in my life, I knew that God was calling me to do more with my life for Him and His children of the world.
"Grace" became my unofficial team motto. One of our teammates wrote a song called "It's your grace", and we sang the chorus while he played the guitar and sang it. We sang it at various villages and camps. And at several different times and places we praised God for his grace for getting us through what could have been difficult situations. And in my daily Bible study the topic of grace came up 4 different days during this trip. In Ephesians 2:8-9, it says' For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast. So it is with great confidence and love that I can say this trip was a grace from God. God showed me so much love and joy from the Karen people. I learned that faith truly is a powerful gift from God. The faith the Karen showed just blew my mind at times. I discovered that what I knew as faith became more powerful with the daily lives they lived. With all that they had before them, they still smiled and shared the love of God with us. I felt honored to be able to go there but they felt honored because we came to share with them. We were their honored guest and they gave more to us than I expected. I saw true love of God from them. I gained new respect for them and realized that I want to be able to help them in whatever way God calls me to do. People have asked me if I would go to Thailand again. I replied very fast "Yes" if God calls me there again. I must say that I didn't know exactly what to expect to see and feel from this trip but I know that I have learned that faith can overcome so many bad things in life. It can't take away bad things from happening But it can give you the inner strength to make it through. Faith and the grace of God are a good partnership to have in your life.
I loved the weather and fresh fruit and flowers of Thailand too. I grew up in Florida and had so much of the same things there. But a good thing to not have over there was the humidity of Florida. It was very nice to leave the freezing weather behind for a few weeks.
I would love to return to Thailand again if called by God, but if not I do know that God isn't through with me and the Karen people. I may be called to help in some other way that doesn't require me to be there, or who knows what, only God knows at this point. But I have faith that God will show me what he wants of me and I will gladly follow through with it.
