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!