Spending time doing mission work in foreign lands can be trying and exhausting. The trips can also offer many chances for new and funny experiences. I found that learning to laugh with the people we serve can break down many barriers and make ministry together easier. “Laughter is good medicine” proves to be true even on the mission field.
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 (ESV)
I think we take ourselves too seriously sometimes and forget to laugh along the path of life. Laughter and rejoicing are mentioned throughout the Bible. God gave us laughter to lighten our burdens. When our hearts feel light enough to laugh, we can easily rejoice at all God has done for us.
When our hearts feel light enough to laugh, we can easily rejoice at all God has done for us. Click To TweetThen our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2 (ESV)
Today, I want to take the time to share some of the lighter moments from my journeys.
- Kissed by a giraffe.
- Learned to braid goat intestines.
- A local tricked into watching them butcher a cow for dinner.
- Had a baboon watch me as I went to the bathroom behind a rock.
- Petted a real, live cheetah and survived it.
- Helped construct a building using cow manure for plaster.
- Taught an orphan how to get on an escalator.
- Learned to call myself “Crazy White Person” in a tribal language.
- Bathed in an outdoor shower while someone milked a cow in the stall next to me.
- Learned how to “knock” on a door for a house constructed of plastic sheeting. (clue – you clapped your hands loudly).
I pray you find some laughter in your day. I would love to hear about some of the funny experiences God provided for you during a time of ministry. Please share them in the comment section below.
Blessings,
Yvonne – #blogger, #speaker, and #author
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
100% of the proceeds from sales of my book, Turning Mountains Into Molehills, go to help the orphans at Orphan Relief Effort, Inc
Thanks for giving me laughter today. Looks like you have had some very interesting experiences. 🙂
Lots of interesting experiences. God is good
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I want to know more about braiding goat intestines!! Love your funny memories! 🙂
Will the one good part is you clean them before you braid them. Lol. They are deep fried before eating and I did not like them.
Oh wow!! Yeah, I’d imagine that would be a tough one to eat…
Missions will change you–and for the better! Nothing like taking a shower next to a cow being milked to give you a new perspective.
What a great and fun post, Yvonne! Love it! Laughter is a wonderful medicine…good not only for our countenance but for our soul! Tweeted!
I love this!! Not just the wonderful experiences you’ve had, but also the fact that you point out how God desires us to laugh. What a great reminder!
Yvonne, thank you for bringing a smile to my face this morning and warming my heart. Your post is a great reminder that God created laughter and it is a gift that does help us walk through life with a lighter step.
I laughed out loud when I read that you were kissed by a giraffe. I can only imagine what that must have been like.
Very sticky, lol
Awww thanks for sharing this perspective and congrats on petting a cheetah!
These are all great! I don’t think I can single out one as my favorite – they’re all terrific – goats, manure, intestines, barn showers – you’ve got it all! What wonderful experiences you’ve had traveling the globe and serving the Lord! God bless!
Yvonne, yes, laughter is great medicine and helps us connect with people.
Such a wonderful adventure! So many ways that God show us things we have never seen or done before. How great that God blesses us with lives full of laughter. Love this 🙂