My heart is bursting with unspeakable joy and my mouth is filled with praises to Jesus our Savior – whose heart beats for missions – for the rich, meaningful and unforgettable mission trip! Thank you Church once again for standing and kneeling with us in prayers. We could literally sense them every step of the way. Blessed to have you as partners. There’s so  much to say and I don’t intend to tell all in this issue of the Pastor’s note (Just wait for the Thailand Mission 2010 Testimony Night to be announced soon). But one highlight is the opportunity given to Pastor Jing and I to visit the Karen Refugee Camp at the border of Burma and Thailand.  What a privilege indeed! Just to actually meet, see, hear, talk and touch these special people who were persecuted almost all their lives and always in constant fear of a mortar falling on their camp or from an attack from the Burmese military! The goal? It’s more than land control (gaining logs and rubies)…it’s to eradicate Christianity!

A Karen refugee camp.

Yes, most Karen are followers of Christ, and that knowledge alone is amazing. And inspite of the extreme poverty and persecution, you could see across their faces the peace of Christ and the smiles that you can conclude it must be supernatural! With nothing much, they display qualities that many people in the world try to attain through money, fame, material things, drugs and even religion. But to no avail. These are all empty promises that leave one emptier! Oh if they just knew what the Karen people knew – a relationship with Jesus Christ and doing His will! And beloved, we could learn from the Karen as well. How our hearts are so prone to stray seeking peace, joy and fulfillment at the wrong places leaving us dry and empty. That we could learn to be content in and every circumstance. We live in an age where we’re increasingly urged to be discontented; where covetousness is the given, where greed is good. And yet more people have become miserable and frustrated.

“Content” means to be independent of external circumstances. It conveys the idea of self-sufficiency and competency that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Those who have a personal relationship with God but no contentment is really a contradiction. And this contradiction occurs when your primary purpose in life is not satisfied. If your primary purpose in life is happiness or having everything your way, you will never be content on this side of Heaven. But if your primary purpose is what God’s Word says, that is to glorify God with your life, then you can be content in whatever situation. Just as a painting and a sculpture glorify or give credit to their Maker, so is our purpose, to glorify or give credit to our Maker, God. Any other purpose will leave us without peace and contentment.

“Content” conveys the idea of self-sufficiency and competency that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Karen people…rejected, insignificant, forgotten, hated in the eyes of men…but appreciated, cared and loved by God. If you get to see their situation you may feel pity but the truth is you will realize how you’re the one lacking and they have everything!