It was the usual slightly chaotic day at the clinic in rural east Asia.

Our workplace was in an old wing of a school hostel for teenagers with physical disabilities. 

Patients would arrive from the remote villages. Other than tending to their ailments, we tried to arrange a bed for the night and hot meals, especially in winter.

Mismatched 

My staff told me that a delegation had come to visit. We adjourned to our meeting room – which was a former garage – and we sat on tiny, wooden, low stools that were about 25cm high.

The members of the delegation were all dressed in smart business suits. They shared about their plans to build a Christian hospital and were prepared to invest a big sum of money.

We discussed different possibilities but it quickly became clear that we were not going to be suitable partners. We exchanged blessings and they went on their way.

I felt a little sorry that they had used up a whole afternoon to travel to meet. We would have come to the same conclusion of being unsuitable partners if we had done a little more homework about each other’s expectations and work priorities.

Maybe it was still good to learn that the Lord has different people doing diverse projects.

Back alley lessons

Unlocking my bicycle, I was about to go home when yet another group of visitors showed up. 

They were tall Westerners, each a head taller than I, looking a little tired.

I found out that their contacts had taken them around town, where they had viewed the apartments near the international school (for expat kids) and had visited the up and coming Walmart shopping mall. Their friend had told them that our town was becoming more liveable.

Somewhat on edge after the earlier meeting and not wanting to be late going home, I told the team that instead of sitting in the meeting room, we would walk and talk.

I pushed my bicycle alongside. I usually popped by the dormitory that housed our village health workers who were with us for a training course. I invited the team to walk along.

They shared with me about how the Lord had called them to visit this town with the aim of starting rehab work among men caught in drug addiction.

They told me again of the new apartments and malls they had visited; but the team did not seem excited or motivated. The mood was flat.

Nevertheless, I invited them to walk with me.

Leaving the clinic, we turned into a back lane to walk towards the dormitory. The lane was crowded with push carts and tricycles and hawkers selling sundry goods and foods.

Local favourites – hawkers selling pickled chicken feet and stewed pigs’ ears in soy sauce were well represented.

There was an entire colony – an extended clan from the hills who were now the dominant workers in rubbish collection and plastic bottle recycling – living along this street.

They were the folks walking around with big bags of collected recyclables hanging from their shoulders as they walked and picked up throwaways with long tongs.

Surprise, surprise

Ten minutes into the walk along this chaotic back lane, I noticed that my visitors were all smiles. 

Their leader told me: “Thank you for showing us this side of the city. We could live here!”

Paul shared with me that they had sensed a clear calling to come to serve here, but were somewhat uncertain as, up until then, they had seen the “good” side of town and felt that their team was not suitable for what they saw. 

They smiled and I saw faces of energy and eagerness before me.

Their team came, settled in, and for years ran a sacrificial ministry among ex-prisoners and recovering addicts.

Paul had young men going through cold turkey in his apartment. The team started a highly successful café where the ex-prisoners lived, worked and served together.

Looking back, we are thankful that the Lord has our paths in His hands and have been reminded that our fullness and joy comes in knowing Him and serving His people in the diverse ways that God opens up for us. 

The path of life.

The presence of God.

And the pleasure of serving.

It is all about following Jesus. He will make straight the way.

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