Renato, a volunteer from Brazil, expected to serve in remote places but was sent to the busy city of Bangkok, Thailand. He was surprised but soon realized that cities have their own mission challenges. Through teaching, Renato has found ways to connect with people and share the love of Jesus!
When Renato was called to be an Adventist volunteer, he imagined serving in remote, exotic locations such as those he heard about in mission stories as a kid. He was surprised when God sent him to a city instead. Thailand is far from his home country of Brazil, and Renato quickly learned about the mission needs in big cities such as Bangkok.
“At the very beginning I got a little disappointed because that was not the idea I had of working in the 10/40 Window. I thought I would be teaching in a bamboo school in the forest or jungles, but I realized that challenges are everywhere, and they are so intense. It is hard to serve as a missionary anywhere.”
Working in cities such as Bangkok can be difficult. People are often busy, isolated, and seemingly in need of nothing.
“Their lives are good the way they are. They are healthy. They have beautiful families. There are many wealthy people here in Thailand. Why do they need Jesus? That’s the question. Why do I need something else if I have everything a successful human being can have? And we know that a life without Jesus is a meaningless life.”
Despite the challenges, Renato has made it his mission to foster positive connections with the people around him.
“To volunteer is not just about suffering and dealing with challenges and difficulties. Somehow even if we don’t deserve it, God promotes hundreds of opportunities for us to enjoy life and be happy.”
Renato’s primary role as a volunteer is teaching grade four English at Ekamai International School. Teaching has allowed him to bond with his students and learn about their lives.
“Ninety-five percent of the kids in my school are not Christian, so worshiping in the morning for us is really important. From 7 to 7:20 AM we have the worship session and that’s my favorite moment of the day.”
After class, Renato is involved with other ministries such as visiting people in prison and gathering resources to support refugees. Renato’s experiences as an Adventist Volunteer Service or AVS worker have impacted him in a way that will remain with him for the rest of his life.
“I’m pretty sure that nobody that goes to any country to serve with AVS will come back home the same way they got into this. It’s a life-changing opportunity, and by the grace of God, the work here in the missionary field has changed my life in a very good way.”
As we refocus our attention to mission in the cities, please pray for workers such as Renato who share the light of Jesus with those around them. If you would like to learn more about service opportunities, visit VividFaith.com. Thank you for supporting the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
