It takes many hands.

This week, my life featured Barry and three other Australians coming my way.  The photo shows the other three Australians - three young women from Brisbane here as part of the Presentation Sisters' Cross-cultural Ministry Program.  Barry comes on a regular basis as a volunteer to work with me at BRC (Bangkok Refugee Centre) and then up north to be with Br Anurak on his agricultural leadership project with hill tribe peoples.  The latter is his real love and so that is where he is focusing his energies for now.  This time, he came without his wife, Maria, who helps the incredible Sr Joan Evans pbvm, who lives and works with the poor of Bangkok.  Barry would be in the photo except that he was too shy and my photo skills with my new camera are just too lacking. 

As I hosted my visitors, it struck me that this experience for me was about sharing the mission, the endeavours, the challenges with others, three of whom I had never met before.  I found it energising and humbling that people would go to such lengths to become involved with their fellow human beings, especially in their need. 

It reminds me again that I might be here on my own working away but I am not alone.  All sorts of people come my way here and I work with all sorts of people in different capacities.  I am definitely not alone and neither is there any future in being alone.  No matter how much good you might be doing along the way, being an isolated loner is not the way to go.  It does take many hands to live life and work in mission.  Thank God, they're there for me and with me, and I'm there for and with them.  That's how life chugs along.