Stories from Asia
Educator, Waverly Wong, shares a personal testimony from Asia on "Seeking Unity and Shaping Culture" during Work as Globalocal Mission 2021. Waverly shares how her work as a director of character education has impacted others at the school where she teaches, and how her family's radically different lifestyle is a witness for God in an extremely materialistic culture.
Discussion Questions
Contributors: Valerie Kosiadi, Customer Success, MainStreet; Enping Hong, Senior Scientist / Pharmaceutical Industry
Waverly shares how she prayed early on in her career: “Lord, give me eyes to see what you see,” no matter what work setting she was in. How has God shown you that he values your work and the people at work, no matter what you are doing? How has God led you in his heart for work and ministry in your current workplace?
Waverly shares how God brought her to become a positive influence as a teacher at a secular school through waiting, praying, repenting, and following. She described frequently wanting to leave her job due to value clashes with leadership, but being challenged to wait on God’s timing. Over time, she describes slowly developing credibility through consistency in her behavior, and being blown away by the “fourth year fruits” God produced through her work. Do you feel like you’re currently in a season at work without much visible fruit? How might God be inviting you in this time to wait, pray, repent, and follow Him in faith?
Waverly encourages us to proclaim kingdom values both at the workplace and at home. She quotes: “Values are like sermons, but without scripture.” What are your values? What does your family value? How might your values have a positive impact on your workplace? If you have or are planning to have children, what do you hope your children will value?
Waverly encourages us to take every opportunity to engage the dominant culture with conversations that reveal the distinctiveness of the kingdom of God, even in secular or even materialistic environments. Waverly’s role as both a teacher and a parent at the school opened up opportunities to engage other families in conversations about values, whether through hosting birthday parties with their children’s classmates or through conducting basketball camps over the summer. What contexts and opportunities do you have through your workplace to engage your colleagues in important or “value-full” conversations that matter?
Waverly encourages us to get our small groups, churches, and others to pray for our work, and pray for more like-minded colleagues at work. She shares that though she was only one of two believers in her organization, after praying with others for more like-minded colleagues at work, she now has a group of 5 teachers who meet regularly to pray. Do you have like-minded peers at work? Who in your community are you currently engaging--or would like to engage--to pray more regularly for your work?