I picked up my cell phone to text Rita and see if she had any free time to meet up. As I began to look through my contacts, I sensed God telling me to stop. So….I stopped. I put my phone back in my pocket and my day continued on as usual.
That night, Rita called me. She asked if we could meet for dinner, so I quickly got ready and headed back to campus to meet up with her. As I walked through the campus, the word “desperate” came to mind. I was reminded that sometimes we need to cry out to God and tell Him how desperate we are. Sometimes we are even put in situations to remind us that without Him, we are hopeless. I thought, maybe that’s why I sensed Him saying to not text her. Maybe He wanted her to reach out first.
As we met for dinner, Rita opened up her heart to me. She shared stories of past hurts, present situations, and dreams for the future. I was able to use God’s Word to speak life into her current circumstances. She looked me in the eye and asked me why I was so different from anyone else she has ever met. The only thing I could reply with was “It’s because of Jesus”. She nodded her head and said, “Yeah, I think so.”
As we paid for dinner, 6 or 7 albino frogs caught my eye. I motioned Rita over so that she could look at them as well. I’ve eaten frog many times since arriving in Asia, but never the ugly albino ones like these. In the local language, I asked, “Do they taste good? Do you like to eat them?” She looked at me and started laughing. And then the two owners looked at me with confused and bewildered faces.
Pretty much, the ladies told us that they are gods that are supposed to bring them good luck and prosperity. At this point, I am slightly embarrassed and am feeling more than awkward. Five Asian faces are staring at me and I have no idea what to do. So I start laughing. And then they all join in on the laughter. Rita linked arms with me and we laughed the whole way home.
While this is probably one of the funniest and most awkward situations that I have ever experienced in Asia, it’s also a reminder of why God has called me to this nation. I am living in a country where the majority of people either have no faith, or they place their faith in wooden statues and ugly albino frogs. He has called me here to be a light in the darkness. It’s not an easy job, but there is nothing else that I would rather be doing! Thanks for partnering with me on this adventure!
Love,
Amilah
Praises:
Last week was our midterms! All five of us made it out alive!
Rita is praying regularly, ask God to do something big!
There is a Christian Bookstore on my campus – crazy huh?
This weekend I found out that my language teacher is also a believer!