This is why I'm here

Someone recently asked the question "Why has God brought you to Bangladesh?" The answer to that question may seem obvious for me, but there are so many things that I'm involved with, and so many other things I could and even want to do that it was good for me to stop and think about "Why HAS God brought me to Bangladesh?"
I know people who are here to learn language and they do it for hours each day. Some are here for jobs and they spend 60 hours a week at the office and making phone calls. Some say they are here to do ministry and they hang out at the clubs to meet people, or do things with some of the churches. Thousands of people work for NGOs doing every kind of relief, aid and social work known to man. I take language classes, I have a job, I'm involved in social work, and I think its all ministry...these are things I do but why am I here?
I told a colleague that I want people to know about their creator and to have a perfect relationship with Him. I want them to know that Christ came to free them from bondage and that He loves them more than anyone else could, and that He is the reason I am here. I said that if I help people have a better life, give them a job and a well being, but I never get to tell them about Christ, my time has been wasted. In that scenario the people I work with are no better off than the rich man at the end of the story Jesus told about Lazarus the beggar who sat outside the rich man's gate. She didn't agree my radical views.
A few weeks ago I went with a Bengali friend to go look at motorcycles. As we rode away on his motorcycle I asked how he was doing. He said "not so good." We ended up sitting under a tree on the side of the road talking about what was bothering him. Some serious things are going on in this brother's life and we had an amazing time discussing how God was the solution, and how God may be trying to grow him and his family and also use them in this hard time. I mostly listened but we talked about how his wife and kids are his first ministry, about persecution from family members, discipleship, and we spent some time praying together. We then resumed motorcycle hunting. After riding a few and reading too many articles involving 'killer buses' and motorcycles, I've decided against getting one. This brother and I have started meeting often to have coffee, discuss scripture together, and spend time in prayer together. Its a lot like discipleship; this is why God has put me in Bangladesh.
Another night I met with another MBB who wants to see more Muslims know Christ. Two of his Muslim friends joined us and they said they had a lot of questions. I invited their questions. First they asked what the difference b/t the Bible and the Qu'ran was. I've read enough of the Qu'ran to know about it, but assuming they know it better than I do I focused on the message of the Bible: the gospel! They were quite intrigued and said they want to know more about Jesus. I encouraged them to read the gospel of Luke saying that it would tell them all they need to know about Jesus and that we would meet together again soon as I'm sure it would create more questions. I love spending time with Muslims, and I love talking about my Jesus. This is why God has put me in Bangladesh.
These are some of the opportunities God has thrown my way. I pray that these relationships will continue. I pray there will be more like them, and I pray that HE will get the glory from them. Life here is AWESOME!

weekend in Sri Mongol

Four of us boarded a train in Dhaka headed for Sri Mongol; a 4 hour ride to the tea area of Bangladesh. When we got off the train we instantly realized how clean the air was, and the temperature was much cooler than in Dhaka. We took off in a CNG towards some unknown location we were going to meet the owner of the guesthouse we’d stay in. As the open CNG zoomed through the tea fields, rice fields, and hills we breathed in deep the clean air and simply enjoyed not being stuck in traffic surrounded by millions of people and every mode of transportation known to man.

We met the guesthouse owner and followed him down a long windy village road surrounded by rice fields. We stopped and he said we’d have to walk half a kilometer because the driver wouldn’t be able to make it down the road since the rain made the roads navigable only by foot. We rolled up our pant legs, threw our bags on our shoulders and started walking. After 20 minutes of trudging and 2 of us falling into the mud, we arrived at the quaint little 2-bedroom guesthouse to find plenty 8 legged full time residents. We showered, ate a delicious traditional Bengali dinner, killed a few 8 legged pests, climbed under the mosquito nets and went to bed.

We woke up and headed out at 7 with a full day of touring planned. As we were hiking through the mud towards the paved road we happened upon a cng who offered us a ride. As the little 3-wheeler slithered along the muddy road I was sure we were going to take a swim in a rice paddy. Twice the vehicle got stuck and we had to get out and push it out of the mud. Eventually we managed to get out of the mud and to the bazaar where we met our tour guide for the day.


First we took about an hour-long trek through the rain forest, which was a very peaceful environment. We saw some different species of monkeys and a myriad of spiders of all sizes. We did have to dodge soccer ball size jackfruits that were falling from the trees like rain, some landing just feet away from us. In another part of the forest we got to meet an indigenous tribal group that had their own language and culture. One family invited us in for tea and made us try about a dozen different fruits that grow nearby. Then there was the policeman that wanted his picture taken. It was special to get to see these people in their own culture in the forest and to spend some time with them.

After the tribal area, we went to an area they call the heaven of Sri Mongol. It’s a large lake surrounded by hills covered in tea bushes. A tea worker pulled some lilly pad flowers out of the lake and gave them to the girls then followed us around wanting us to pay him for them. We then went to a world famous shop to have 7-layer tea where $1 will buy you a cup of tea that has 7 teas that stay separate from one another and all have different flavors. None of the teas were astounding and I think they kinda ran together when I sipped on it. It was worth the dollar to say I’ve had world famous 7-layer tea though.

Back at the cottage we watched a movie then went to bed. About 4am I woke up when I felt something wet on my foot. I grabbed the flashlight under my pillow and quickly determined there was nothing alive in bed with me but I was getting rained on. There was apparently a hole in the roof right above my feet and there was a torrential downpour hitting it from all angles. In a daze I decided my options were to sleep in the chair with no mosquito net or curl up in a tiny ball at the top of the bed where I wouldn’t be splashed from the puddle that was growing at my feet. When Pete woke up and looked over at my bed he said I looked quite funny curled up like a kid by my pillow, but I didn't care because I was dry and I got some sleep

On Friday morning we slept in and relaxed around the cottage. I got to do some reading. That afternoon we got in a sweet old jeep and went to the wetlands to do some boating in a traditional Bengali long wooden boat. I think the four-wheeling on the way to boating was just as fun! That evening we went to a village wedding we were invited to. We got there in time for some traditional music and dancing but at about 11pm when the ceremony hadn’t started and we hadn’t eaten dinner we decided to leave.

Now I’m back in Dhaka. I really enjoyed the clean air and the quiet of the village but I’m glad to be back. When I got back it really felt like home. I could make what I wanted for dinner, turn on the AC, drink some good coffee, and I won’t get rained on in my sleep.