What's So Great About Living Here?

There is always the temptation to compare life to what it was like "back then," you know, "back in the good ol' days when..." Living in a developing country certainly invites such thinking for those of us who did not grow up here. I confess that there are days that my mind wanders off to the "if only I still lived there, then I (or my kids) could do this or that." But, dwelling on those thoughts only leads to discontentment, which leads to ingratitude, covetousness, bitterness, self-pity and the list of sins goes on and on. I can't praise my God in Heaven while I'm submerged in a blinding, ungrateful heart.

Instead, I grab hold of the exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This verse is saying that in everything there is reason that can be found to give thanks. And that perspective changes things, it changes the heart, doesn't it?

It goes without saying that living here we live without some perks or luxuries of living in the States. However, for all the things that we "don't get" there are some pretty incredible things that we do get - watching our kids grow up where their love and compassion for "the least of these" is being more keenly developed and nurtured. They get to see with their own eyes poverty and pain, and are able to help with their very own hands. Meeting the dusty shoeless person in their despair, and giving them hope (realizing that we, too, were once this person). What a gift we have here! So, what's so great about living here? Loving like Jesus.

A house we got to help build for a family in need.

Catelyn doing her part. ;)

The girls "helping" with the wood work.

Ella's best skill of all being utilized: simply being cute and making people smile! Her asking "Sedang apa?" (translation: "Whatcha doin?")