“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” – Proverbs 31: 8-9.
With so much that has been going on since 2019, it has taken a huge toll on a lot of us physically, mentally and spiritually. It certainly helps us when our prayers are answered. I for sure had my prayers answered when I recently had the privilege of going on a mission trip and spending one day in Dhemaji district under the state of Assam with Rev. Toshirenba, Director of India Gospel Mission (IGM).
I felt that this trip was an incredibly rewarding experience for me and my only regret is that I could not spend more time there.
‘Mission’, the word in itself means the duty and work of a person to do what’s right and good out of free will and kindness.
In Christian context, it is by true moral guidance in spirituality that a person goes to a community so as to help people know and learn about Jesus and achieving salvation through the Christian faith.
I’m not a saint nor do I guarantee perfection in true moral essence. This might rather come off as very subjective but missionary work or a mission field trip shouldn’t be a work that necessitates a person representing only the church.
As long as it comes from a genuine heart to help people and guide them to true goodness by helping them know what is right and wrong by teaching the Word of God and spreading the word of God any person can do the mission work no matter in which field he is associated with.
Going to a community to provide them spiritual, emotional, physical and mental nurture is especially necessary in this field of work, as of which it’s only fair that anyone from any background and field of study help out.
It also doesn’t mean that it should be a big community or a region. It can even start with doing what’s good and virtuous for your own neighborhood or any stranger who’s seeking for help.
This mission trip certainly enough can’t be narrowed down to the word “trip” or just a “one day experience” in itself, because from every minute that I spent there with the people of Dhemaji district felt like a lifelong eye opening experience. Not because it felt stretched to be there but over the fact that I was introduced to a better subjective perspective on how blessed beyond measure I am.
All this time we were and still are being graced with love, guidance and all our needs and wants. In fact with each passing day our arrogance and demand grows over the fact that we are dissatisfied even with the “wants” that we initially thought would make us feel enlightened or maybe better.
However, this trip certainly had me looking back on how ungrateful and demanding I have been.
As a Christian it’s necessary that we show love like Jesus loves us. The fact that they had all the love and warmth in their eyes and the way they welcomed us with so much gratefulness over the fact that we were no different from them who only wants to love God and glorify him had me thinking about how I had been taking the most essential love of God’s blessings for granted all this time.
To see them being happy and satisfied with what’s provided and graced with made me feel ungracious is all I have been even when I am loved and protected by God.
To have a better insight on how a true believer is, has truly been liberating. I realize that I lack a lot in my spiritual approach and faith and this has led to a lot of unintentional disbelief and ungratefulness.
This trip and the people I met has helped me open my heart over how appreciative I must be even of the most trivial things and the moments fleeting because nothing is guaranteed but only God’s grace is.
God has truly directed me through this trip. This has not only moved me to be physically there but also to have a change of heart with the things I lacked to understand as a true believer of Christ.
Given the opportunity to accompany Rev. Toshirenba has been rewarding because initially we went there as a mission to help them out but in fact it has been more rewarding for me because it showed me a better light on the workings of God’s guidance through such loving people of Dhemaji district.
I believe and have faith that this certainly is just the first eye opening experience and that I’ll be blessed with a plentiful more reasons to encounter and come across people who are willing to be grateful for what they have and how one’s love for God’s love open a lot of other contented opportunities because if God is for us, then no one can ever stop us.
Noklensangyu Pongen
Law Student
