February 1 - Renato’s Unexpected Mission

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.

In the very beginning,
I got a little bit disappointed,

because that was not the idea I had
of working the 10/40 Window.

I thought I would be teaching
in a bamboo school,

in the forest, in the 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 it is.

They're 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?

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 4 English

at Ekamai International School.

Teaching has allowed him
to bond with his students

and learn about their lives.

95% of the kids in my school
are not Christian,

so worshipping in the morning for us
is really important.

From 7:00 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 as an 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.