Trust God with Everything

Back in May, as I was preparing for my first short-term trip with SEAPC, like most people I began to pack and go through my packing list. However, I had a slightly different packing list than most. By trade I am a videographer which always means lots of gear, and traveling internationally doesn’t make that any easier. I was going on the trip to film some specific videos, but I am an extensive preparer with everything I do, so I had a lot of anxiety going into the trip. I was traveling with all of my gear because I didn’t know what I might need, so I figured why not bring everything. The day finally came and my anxiety was at an all-time high. I got to the airport and got all my bags through and that was my first sigh of relief, although I was still anxious about the project and all that it entailed but tried to act like I was fine.

As we settled into the first flight on our 25-hour journey to Yangon, Myanmar, just as the “fasten seat belt” sign came on, a scripture came to mind and I opened up my Bible to read it. The scripture that came to mind was 2 Corinthians 12:10, which I’ve heard paraphrased as, “When you’ve done everything you can do, that’s when God will step in and do what you can’t do.” At that very moment I knew that I needed to let go of my anxiety and trust that God had a very specific plan for me on this trip.

After the rest of the running through the various airports and catching flights, we arrived in Yangon. I was given the option to go to the hotel and rest until the following day or go and visit the home. I was eager to see what exactly God’s plan was for this trip and so I insisted that we go to the home. As we arrived at the home we were greeted by all the children running out to meet us and I was in culture shock. I didn’t know what to think of the 200 smiling, overjoyed faces charging at us. But in a split second I felt as if I was just a part of their family. It was a very strange feeling because again these were 200 children then I had never met in my life but I had a peace about it.

As the week progressed I dove deeper into the first project of the week: to film a day in the life of a child at the home. I followed the same boy around for an entire day filming almost everything he did in his day. I was a little worried about this because I don’t know many people who like a camera following them around—and who can still act natural—but Su Ye was a star. He was nothing but ecstatic about getting to help with the project, and there was never a time that I saw Su Ye without a smile on his face. My favorite part about the day were the occasional times that Su Ye and I made eye contact while filming, which was always followed by roaring laughter.

Next it was on to the second project of the trip: to interview the majority of the children sponsored at the Yangon home to send to their sponsors. That’s nearly 200 interviews, which is not a small task, and again a lot of anxiety accompanied this project. As I got everything set up and dialed in we started bringing groups of kids in and interviews them one at a time. It soon became obvious this was a way bigger deal to the kids than I realized. This was a way for them to tell their story and to communicate with their sponsors in a way they couldn’t before. At that moment I felt the same thing that led me to open my Bible on the plane. It was just a feeling of comfort and a feeling of peace. As the day continued I had the privilege to listen to almost 200 testimonies of children that had been through things I couldn’t imagine but yet had a faith that couldn’t be phased. I had no words—I was simply amazed.

On the last day we were in Yangon we traveled to the home one last time and little did I know this would be a life-changing experience. When we got there it was free time for the kids and I branched away from the group I was with to hang out with the kids for the rest of the day. I played soccer with a group of 6 year olds who I’m confident will be pros one day. I was beaten in ping pong but Su Ye, mostly because I was laughing the whole time. I played badminton with a group of girls. But most importantly I met a 6-year-old boy named Moe. Moe had arrived at the Yangon home only two weeks before we had gotten there. Moe was brought to the home along with his brother Tun after their father passed away. Moe didn’t speak any English or Burmese but that didn’t stop us from communicating with each other. After spending a few minutes with Moe I quickly went and grabbed my camera and started to snap some photos of him, and that was when he really showed me his true colors. At first Moe seemed a little shy around me and everyone else because he couldn’t communicate, but the second he saw my camera he changed completely. He instantly started smiling, laughing, and posing. After spending the rest of the day with Moe, I asked if he was sponsored and it turned out he actually wasn’t. At the moment I knew that was the plan God had for me for this trip.

Through Moe and the rest of the children at Charity Children’s home, I learned to trust God with everything and enjoy the moments that he gives us.