February 1 - Renato’s Unexpected Mission

{\an2}When Renato was called
{\an2}to be an Adventist volunteer,

{\an2}he imagined serving
{\an2}in remote, exotic

{\an2}locations, such as those he heard
{\an2}about in mission stories as a kid.

{\an2}He was surprised when God
{\an2}sent him to a city instead.

{\an2}Thailand is far from his home
{\an2}country of Brazil,

{\an2}and Renato quickly learned
{\an2}about the

{\an2}mission needs in big cities
{\an2}such as Bangkok.

{\an2}In the very beginning I got
{\an2}a little bit disappointed because.

{\an2}That was not the idea I had
{\an2}of working the 1040 window.

{\an2}I thought I would be teaching
{\an2}in a bamboo school,

{\an2}in the forest, in the jungles,

{\an2}but

{\an2}I realized that challenges
{\an2}are everywhere

{\an2}and they are so intense it
{\an2}is hard to serve

{\an2}as a missionary anywhere.

{\an2}Working in cities such as Bangkok
{\an2}can be difficult.

{\an2}People are often busy, isolated
{\an2}and seemingly in need of nothing.

{\an2}Their lives are good
{\an2}the way it is.

{\an2}They're healthy,
{\an2}they have beautiful families.

{\an2}There are many wealthy people
{\an2}here in Thailand.

{\an2}Why do they need Jesus?

{\an2}That's the question.

{\an2}Why do I need something else

{\an2}if I have everything
{\an2}a successful human being can have?

{\an2}And we know that a life
{\an2}without Jesus is a meaningless life.

{\an2}Despite the challenges,

{\an2}Renato has made it his mission

{\an2}to foster positive connections

{\an2}with the people around him.

{\an2}The volunteer is not just about suffering

{\an2}and dealing with challenges
{\an2}and difficulties.

{\an2}Somehow, even if we don't deserve.

{\an2}God promotes hundreds of opportunities
{\an2}for us to enjoy life and be happy.

{\an2}Renato's primary role as a volunteer
{\an2}is teaching grade for English

{\an2}at Ekamai International

{\an2}School.

{\an2}Teaching has allowed him to bond
{\an2}with his students

{\an2}and learn about their lives.

{\an2}95% of the kids in my school

{\an2}are non Christian so worshipping
{\an2}in the morning for us

{\an2}is

{\an2}really important.

{\an2}From 7:00 to 7:20 AM
{\an2}we have the worship session

{\an2}and that's my favorite moment
{\an2}of the

{\an2}day.

{\an2}After class, Renato is involved
{\an2}with other ministries.

{\an2}Such as visiting people in prison
{\an2}and gathering resources

{\an2}to support refugees.

{\an2}Renato's experiences
{\an2}as an Adventist volunteer service,

{\an2}or AVS worker have impacted him

{\an2}in a way that will remain with him
{\an2}for the rest of his.

{\an2}Life.

{\an2}I'm pretty sure that nobody
{\an2}that goes to any country

{\an2}to serve as an AVS will come back

{\an2}home the same way
{\an2}they got into this.

{\an2}It's a life changing opportunity
{\an2}and by the grace of God.

{\an2}The work here in the missionary field
{\an2}has changed my life

{\an2}in a very good way.

{\an2}As we refocus our attention
{\an2}to mission in the cities,

{\an2}please pray for workers such as

{\an2}Renato who share the light of Jesus
{\an2}with those around them.

{\an2}If you would like to learn more
{\an2}about service opportunities,

{\an2}visit vividfaith.com.

{\an2}Thank you for supporting the mission
{\an2}of the 7th Day Adventist Church.