no.219 131205 Thank you for the Chinese proverb

From "Teaching to Change Lives"

I hear, and I forget.
I see, and I remember.
I do, and I understand.

-Chinese proverb

I came across this proverb in the book I've been reading "Teaching to Change Lives" by Howard Hendricks. The author goes on and makes one addition -  "when you do, the result is more than understanding; you also change." While I was reading this at a library, I stopped for a minute to think about it. The best thing I could relate to was my experience in Mexico. I was thinking about how my perspective changed about the poor, and also about missions in general, before and after my short term trip to Mexico.

I hear, and I forget.
Often times I hear people's testimonies after their mission trips. Missionaries come to speak about their ministries around the world. I even go to prayer meetings to pray for the missionaries partnered with my church. The stories through them move my heart when I listen. I wipe my tears as they speak, and I feel angry in my heart for the injustice. But that's it. There is no action taken afterwards mostly because I forget. I fail to think about them again.

I see, and I remember.
I'm a visual learner, so I tend to learn better when I have a visual aid rather than just hearing one talk. It also gives me a bigger impact when I see, for instance a photo or a video of the poor, compared to listening to a missionary speaking about how he needs help with his ministry. When I was an undergrad, I got a chance to go on some retreat, and one speaker showed multiple images of North Korea and the poverty and their condition of living. It left me heartbroken, especially because they are my neighbour, and also my family (my grandpa came from the north part of Korea before the war broke out). Therefore, those images left a big impression not just in my mind, but in my heart.

I do, and I understand. Furthermore, I change.
I still remember all the emotions I had when I first encountered the family in Cerro del Quatro in Mexico. Building a house with my team for this poor family who didn't have a proper shelter, made me understand the reality of the poverty. Serving food to the children who were malnourished, helped me understand of the hunger. After being apart of Mexico, I was finally able to understand. It's no longer something that will be forgotten. I now not only remember, but fully understand. Furthermore, it led me to reflect on my own personal life, and influenced me to change my lifestyle.

I can't say that I'm a totally changed person, because I am still working on it. The way I think, the way I act, the way I speak, the way I spend my time and money... these are all the areas I have to keep working on to be like Jesus. Earlier today, I had some time to reflect on how I've been living my life since Mexico. It's been 4 months since I came back from the mission trip. Am I still the person that I wanted to be when I just returned from Mexico? How is my life different from the way I've been living before my mission trip? Am I still keeping up with the promises I made to myself and to God? I'm thankful that I came across the Chinese proverb in the book, and I got a chance to deeply think about it.