Empowering
It may seem like a long post but please read it all.
Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, or economic strength of individuals and communities. It often involves the empowered developing confidence in their own capacities.
I pulled this definition off Wikipedia online. This word has really been grabbing my attention lately. For the longest time I couldn’t figure out why. Now I think I know why. This is what it means to be a missionary. Or better yet a Christian. We need to be empowering other people and other cultures. This mind set has begun to reshape my life and work over here in Thailand. Or better yet. It has given me a sense that what we are doing is in fact for their sake. For the Thai people. Mainly the underprivileged or marginalized people groups. They need to do it on their own. We just need to plant the seed, or the vision and watch them grow and become something bigger and better than what their culture settles for.
The reason I have come to all this is because I have begun to see results in people’s life around me. One case study would be my brother-in-law Koi. (Prangs youngest brother) He has been living with us ever since we have been married. Yeah really. So that is coming on four years in July. He was the reason that I first started the landscaping business. He needed money to live and go to school and I was sick of him just living off of us. I knew it wasn’t helping him and he needed to make his own living. It has been three years since he has been working with me cutting grass. I had always visioned him running the business and it being his. But the lack of work ethic and the laziness has never allowed this to happen. Recently I just felt like God was telling me to give him the business. And so I did. Now I am seeing a change in him that I have never seen in the three years he has been working with me. He wakes up early, gets the truck ready, goes to work on time and at the end of the day makes money and puts it in his pocket. He seems happier, more motivated and just easier to be around. I know money is motivating him. As it does all of us. But what I am also seeing is him being empowered. He is growing. Becoming more and more self capable. All because I gave him responsibility. And he had a willingness to do it. I’m not trying to take all the credit here as I know God is growing him.
The point I am getting at is. Empowering people to make their own decisions, the ability to access information, and increasing one’s positive self-image can take years. But I am being able to see this. This is giving me more motivation with the teenage boys in our house and our work in the mountains. Someday we may actually see people being changed. It just may take for ever.
“It just may take forever.”
Heh, yeah. But that’s very cool about Koi. I noticed that too, the times you were gone in the village, he was always very good about getting off to work.
Hey Sean, this is awesome, and I learned a lot by reading it.
This may well be the best article you have posted. It is such a blessing to see the fruits of your labor at such a young age. We pray for you and Prang and of course the children and your work. God Bless you forever.
Thanks for sharing Sean. I totally agree with your thoughts on empowerment. I can see that God is using you in many ways both in Chiang Mai and in the village. I recently heard a quote by Mother Teresa, “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” I feel that you have modeled that well through the ways that you are empowering others in Thailand.
I like this post!
And yeah, it may take forever, but it’s worth it.
I like the quote Lisa
Love it
This is great to hear. Pook and I have certainly had feelings of frustration from time to time as we work with the poor here in the south. It’s great to have a positive story like this to encourage us.
that’s really nice to hear, sean. it must feel good to pass the torch and see koi taking initiative and growing up. please say hello to him and give him a hug from me, peace brother, you’re in my prayers and thoughts.