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| Some proud boys with their new wardrobes, and one really proud teacher |
"This is how much
God loved the kosmos [the original Greek word]:
He gave his Son, his one
and only Son.
And this is why:
so that no one
need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life.
God didn’t go to all the
trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the
world how bad it was.
He came to help, to
put the world right again."
John 3:16-17
Bible, Message Translation
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| Our incredible Indian friends, came and cooked us amazing food! They really cute couple on the bottom left just got married and I was honored to preach at the wedding! (a first for me) |
Greetings from Thailand and the East!
I have had an unusually good
day and I am trying to get my heart into words.
There is something a little
frightening and a little exciting about the idea that you are where you are,
and who you are for a purpose, rather than by mere chance or accident.
It may seem a bit harsh, but there are only two positions to take
in life.
Either you actively work to make the world and life better.
Or
You actively (or passively) work to make it worse.
Actively by exploiting, harming, oppressing, enslaving, etc.
Passively by turning a blind eye to those who do.
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| Ben and Kai with our Home of Faith girls, it was a ton of fun! |
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| How excited we are when we get Christmas cards from friends and family in America (looking good Manke family)! |
And that is both a frightening and exciting possibility.
Frightening because it puts some responsibility into your
hands. It isn't enough to just get by, or do your thing. You have a unique part to play in making the
world better.
Exciting because it means you
are part of something larger than yourself. Your life has meaning beyond
the ups and downs of daily life. It gives meaning to all those mundane
moments in our lives, and calls us out to great things as well.
We all have to find that little corner of the cosmos where we were
made to be, and made to help things become a little better.
And that is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
That place fits you, and you
fit it.
If you can find the place, not
just geographically, but vocationally---that fits every part of you---and find
how to practice compassion in making that part of the world a better place, I
think you will be well on your way to discovering the purpose and joy of life
as it was meant to be.
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| A restful family outing on a Saturday morning. |
Audrey likes to say that the reason our marriage works is because our weirdness is compatible.
And it is true!
We are two of the strangest
people I have ever met.
In my weirdness, I just happen to find Audrey's weirdness really
attractive and charming.
And even weirder, she feels the same about me!
Relationships are like that.
And life is like that.
You need to find the right
match for the weird variety of interests, talents, and gifts that you have.
This goes beyond vocation, this
is about life.
I recently spoke at our international church here in Chiang Mai
and one of the things I wanted to help people see was that God has not called anyone to unsatisfying life.
Some seasons shape us through
hard things or mundane things, and that may be necessary for a time, but it
isn't the goal, only a means to a better end.
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| Two of our girls are on a championship Cricket team! |
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| This brother is getting married in a few weeks to our social worker Joy. He is a good man and he keeps me looking good. |
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| We love our neighbors, and they come over more and more to hang out on our porch. Ez likes to show off his firetruck. We love these moments. |
God’s goal for your life is summed up neatly in the quote I shared
at the beginning:
“so that no one
need be destroyed; [but] by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and
lasting life.”
As a Christian, I believe every person is made for this.
There are all sorts of things which hinder us from experiencing
life like this.
Christians call those things sin, but you can simply think of them
as anything which robs or destroys or degrades life.
It can be fears about money and the future, or selfish desires to
have things you don’t need, or a lack of self-confidence, or a refusal to
forgive someone, or a host of other things.
That doesn’t disqualify you, it just means you are like the rest
of us:
You can’t seem to live up to your own dreams.
You need some help.
Fortunate for us, it is gladly and freely offered.
Jesus didn’t come to point a finger at you and tell you how bad
you are.
He came to help, to put things right---starting with us.
Then to recruit us into the same line of work.
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| More photos from our dorm in Samoeng, the hats were a hit! |
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| Ezra got an orange telephone bear that plays Gangnam Style on repeat...forever.... |
Compassion is quite simply the love which
works to make the world right.
We all need to find a place to
practice compassion, for our own sake as much as for those in need.
Start where you are and see
where it leads you.
May you find the corner of the cosmos where you were uniquely made
to help set things right, and then do it with all your strength.
And be satisfied!
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| What our driveway looked like at the new land before... |
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| After 4 hours of sweat equity |
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| Beauty! I had to climb a tree to get the view, but it was worth it! |
That is our prayer for each of
you.
May you find a corner of the cosmos where
you can make things better and brings God's compassion and love where it is
most needed.
May you find a whole and lasting life, and
the One who created it.
No one else can fulfill your
role.
(You are weird---in a good way)
We are grateful that you are in our little
part of the cosmos.
Lots of love,
Matt, Audrey, and Ez
