Must love them

When I walk these streets people look at me or even stare for a while because I'm different. They rarely see foreigners. I don't like it when they do this.

I had just reminded the kids about classroom rules and after a minute they break them. They like to play too much that they don't focus on what we are learning. "Teacher can I play?" the kids asks and when you say no they look at you like someone who doesn't like them to be happy. This tests my patience.

She said "one hour" so after an hour I went back to go out with her but I don't see her. I went to some place first while waiting and see if she's ready when I come back. I head back seeing her playing badminton as if we never talked about going somewhere. I then find out that we had misunderstood each other. This is awful. I don't like keep changing of minds and misunderstandings neither.

There are so many reasons for me to hate anybody and so many things they do that makes me turn my head in disagreement. But the Father speaks to my heart saying "love them like Jesus". He reminds me "Child, I loved you though you did not deserve it. No one deserves to be loved but everybody needs love. Love the unlovable." I look at what they do or what they did and think again. The question of the girl stroke me "Stancy, do you hate him?" I had to pause and my Father says through me, "No, I don't hate him".

I reside "I have to love these people"; it doesn't matter who they are, what they did, or what they might do. I have to love them because He wants me to.

"If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" -Matthew 5:46-47

Leaving Again

Yesterday, October 7, 2012 I arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam for the third time. This time I came from the Philippines: my country, my home where my family belongs, and my friends' home. As I was trying to set my mind on continuing in my goals and purposes here in Hanoi I can't stop my tears from falling. I had only one week vacation with my family and it has passed; it was time for me to move forward. Leaving the second time around made it harder because it was in the middle of a family celebration. I never thought pursuing your purpose can be this hard neither did I think it would be easy. But whatever risks and sacrifices are ahead I know that I must keep on pursuing my purpose.

Some people will not understand what you are doing till they see the results.

Some people will try to stop you by putting  hindrances along the way.

Some situations may discourage you and make you doubt your purpose.

Sometimes even your personal dreams get in the way.

You have to sacrifice your pride...your personal dreams... your wants because you know there's better fulfillment when you have fulfilled your purpose.

You take risks that other people won't. You might have to go to a place they have never been. You might have to do what you didn"t dream of doing. You might get across a lot of disappointments, frustrations, and loneliness. You might not see your friends again.

But as these things come along the way of finding and pursuing your purpose be ready. Face them with courage and fight them with boldness knowing deep inside your heart these are just obstacles. You must say to yourself, "This is why I am here, I will fulfill my purpose and I will not let anything get in the way."

As my leader always tells us, "Keep on keeping on". Don't stop. Be constant. Be steadfast.

Just like "leaving again" is very hard for me but I just had to go back to why I chose to follow this road. I went back to determining my purpose.

Someday, I will see how "leaving again" will be all worth the risk because my purpose (His purpose for me) is fullfilled.