By Christian Cha
It has been weeks since we have said “Goodbye,” to Thailand; but everyday I am reminded of my experience there.
My experience is beyond human intellect and beyond human emotions. What I can only utter out of my mouth are these three words: God is good. He is so good to the point where I cannot fathom how good He is. I think about this trip and how good He is. I think about my past mistakes, and yet, He has been good. I think about my future and what endless possibilities that are ahead of me, and I continue to say that He is good. More specifically, this trip taught me that God is a good, good father; nothing – not even one precious moment – is ever wasted. I think about this trip, and I am always reminded that His goodness has been and will always be present in our lives.
This trip would not have had this big of an impact on me if it was not for ZOE. Because of ZOE, they have made me fall in love with Thailand. They made me fall in love with Thailand because they made me see how God is making a beautiful masterpiece.
With a lot of sweat and tears, the OEM team had that opportunity to truly experience lives radically transformed by God’s awesome and amazing power. Within a week, OEM and ZOE did five outreaches and over two hundred people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. What was special was that there were no sermons or evangelistic events involved. With the help of her K-pop students, Junhee Park – one of the top choreographers in Korea – was able to touch many hearts by her testimony and how God placed her where she is today. Because she came from a Buddhist background, the kids related to her story and most of them ended up making the best decision of their lives. After reaching over two hundred young children, how can one not say that God is good?
ZOE has made a tremendous impact not only in my life but in the lives of the other OEM team members. Towards the end of the trip, our last debrief meeting was filled with thankfulness and joy as each member shared his/her favorite memory with the kids, the lesson he/she learned, and how the trip impacted them on a personal and spiritual level. Myself included, the OEM team did not feel like they were a blessing to the ZOE community, but were instead blessed by ZOE – the children, the Leadership Training students, and the staff. The memories with ZOE are implanted in our minds.
It was excruciating to say our goodbyes after such an eventful and extremely fun time we had. When I go back to college, I have to think about what I could possibly do to further support ZOE in the work that they are doing. The most obvious answer is prayer. Prayer is the way for me to treasure the memories and present them at God’s feet. However, that is not the only answer. I have three years left of college, and I will not waste them. I need to be equipped to be His vessel, His hands and feet, if I am to return to Thailand.
It may be impossible for us to save the world with our own hands, but if we let our Master take care of the impossible, He will make it possible. That is our heavenly Father. Let God take the wheel, and we will end up in places we have never imagined going.
