Dear Friends,

[Dorc opened up with a joke about using the letter as scratch paper, but it doesn't make sense since you're reading this online. This is where her letter picks up...]

OK, that was a joke and I’m kidding… sort of. It’s always good to be earth friendly. In all seriousness, I would like to write and humbly request your prayers during our upcoming journey. Please know that financial support is only important if you feel that God is really leading you to give. If you feel that he is not, please use your money for another purpose (I strongly recommend kiva.org, World Vision (Note from Mel: I did NOT pay her to include that!), and/or your local food closet or homeless shelter). Space prevents me from providing a detailed account, so I apologize that I must be [relatively] brief in my explanations.

The intro:
This summer a team of four persons from my church will be traveling to a remote village in Asia to teach conversational English to high school- and college- aged students. This is a huge step for us, as this summer team is the first planned trip for the month-long time span. We are not going with any specific or established organization. All travel arrangements, teaching materials, and course preparation has been and will be arranged by ourselves. In some ways we are “going in blind.” We really have no idea what to expect, and what’s going to happen.

Some background:
Several years ago our church somewhat “adopted” this particular church. At that time the government needed the land that the church was located on, so it was taken and moved to a new property (all at the church’s expense). Because this church was unable to afford the cost of the new building, our church took up an offering and donated the expenses for the building project. Since then it was our desire to work with this specific community to provide various opportunities and services for the people (all to the glory and for the Kingdom of God). For starters, we decided the best way to establish a firm and meaningful relationship with the church was to teach conversational English. Originally the church leaders told us we could expect about 500 students in attendance. However, due to the impossibility of preparing for and teaching such a large number in such a short amount of time, we limited the amount to 30 students.

Why I’m going
Well, there’s the long version, and not-as-long-but-still-long version. I will attempt for the latter. Please bear with me. If at any time you feel like you’re ready to put this through the shredder, please take a look at the prayer requests first. (I’m still kidding! …use the back as scratch paper before you shred it!).

I love money. I understand that it is the root of all evil; but when I have money, I really enjoy spending it on myself. Apparently this past year much of that money decided to go away when – due to circumstances beyond my control – I lost several positions in the schools that I teach in. Somehow during that process I was reminded of an excerpt I had read from an individual by the name of Søren Kierkegaard. In this, he wrote about the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God. Many of you will be familiar with the passage from the New Testament book Matthew 6:25-34, where Jesus says that we should not worry; and that we ought to seek after God’s purposes: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well [v33, NIV].”

Here’s a clip of what Kierkegaard said:

God’s Word reads, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” We, however, prefer to read it as, first everything else, and last the kingdom of God. And we do this under the guise of religious piety. Only after the earthly life is first secured, then one should become a minister or a Christian. The clergy’s whole profession (not to mention the rest of us good Christians) is a constant practice of this: first the earthly and then the kingdom of God, first regard for what the fear of man bids or forbids and then the kingdom of God, first a living and then a funeral oration, first a salary and then a wedding sermon, first a pension then I will visit the sick, first money and then virtue. And the kingdom of God becomes something so last that it doesn’t come at all. The whole thing stops with securing a living – the only case where one does not feel the need of “going further.” (Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard. Farmington: Plough Publishing, 1999. Page 195. Originally from Attack Upon Christendom.)

This excerpt meant a great deal to me later when I was offered to teach two summer courses (which would have greatly supplemented my ailing income). After much thought, prayer, agony, and discussion with several friends, I realized that God had placed before me two paths. I believe that he would bless both paths; but that one might be a small step in eventually leading me towards a radically different place than the other. Nevertheless, in both I still had the opportunity to pursue God’s Kingdom. One would allow me physical, psychological, and financial security while at the same time helping to shape and hopefully work towards renewing the minds of local college students. The other would involve very hot and humid weather, terrible sanitary conditions, health risks, and tremendous financial insecurity. But that path would also lead towards renewing the minds and lives of students.

In making this decision I thought a great deal about my goals and intentions, and what that meant for my life and my calling. While God would still bless both paths, God would be more concerned about my own goals and intentions. So, I had to ask myself what it was that I sought first and foremost. In the end of that anxiety I decided that the only reason I would want to stay home and teach the two courses were because it provided me stability and comfort. In this sense, I would be the kind of person that Kierkegaard criticizes. I would seek first security and comfort; then the kingdom of God. Consequently, I chose to turn down the two courses and plan this trip to Asia.

Before you start praising me for religious piety, faith or whatever, let me tell you about what’s happened since… I’ve regretted my decision every day. I hate being poor. I haven’t visited Ann Taylor in months and I miss the pretty clothes. I’ve had to tap into my savings to supplement my income, and I’ve done nothing but complain about the uncertainty of this whole trip. Anyone who has spoken with me knows that I’ve done a lot of complaining. I’m not ready to go on this trip. I also worry a lot about what might happen. I’m the only female going on this trip. My stomach is really weak. I have eczema. I have a bad back. I’m out of shape. It’s going to be really hot and humid there. The toilets are basically holes in the ground, and someone once told me that in the summer you can see the maggots crawling around. What if I have girl issues? What if I get sick? What if I have to eat bugs? What if I accidentally drink bad water? What if my skin flares up really bad? What if the pollution there is too much to handle? What if I slip and fall in the “toilet”? What if I get a disease from the contamination? What if I die?

Needless to say, I’m not really paying attention anything that is mentioned in Matthew 6. I hate suffering, and I know that there will be suffering on this trip. But, my plane ticket has already been booked. It’s too late. I’m going to go. God is still good; and I am not yet.

So this is how God has been working in my life lately, and this is the story of how I tend to mess things up. I do know that God has plans, and that he is faithful in whatever is in store for our team. With the realities and worries aside, I hope God will teach me much about himself, about his Kingdom, and about his work on the other side of the country. I hope I will learn to love people more. I hope I will learn to love Jesus. Please pray with me and for me during this process.

God bless,

Dorcas

Some Prayer Requests for the Trip
o The team of four going on the trip
o George will be going on another English-teaching trip prior to ours. Pray for his first trip!
o Henry and myself will be flying on July 18th.
o Caleb will meet us during the second half of the trip (after his summer school)
o The preparation: There is still much to plan in terms of the English lessons. Please pray for wisdom and discernment during this process.
o Our hearts: We really have no idea what to expect going into this trip. We hope that God will do something, and that He will use us to bring hope and spiritual renewal/ awareness for the people in the village. Please pray that our intentions will be pure. That all that we do will be done for the sake of Christ and his Kingdom.
o Health & Safety in travels. Always important!
o Adjustment. That we will learn how best to adapt to the culture in the village, in a way that best allows us to meaningfully communicate to and with them.
o The people in the village, the government officials. That we will be good representatives of Jesus to them, and that will know how to draw them closer to God. Also, that those who are Christians will be good representatives of Jesus to us and to their community.
o Our prospective students. Same as above. Also, that what we teach them will allow them opportunities to thrive in a way that benefits and pursues the purposes of the Kingdom of God.
o Our families. Because they worry about us. Sometimes maybe too much. ☺
o Yourself. Because you need prayer too.
o The world. Because what we will be doing is only a tiny (but important) speck of what God is doing in the rest of the world. Pray for the billions of other humans who do not have the opportunities that we do. Pray for more sensitivity for their suffering. Pray that God will heal them where they need healing. Pray that there will be someone in their surroundings that will help draw them closer to Jesus.