15 MINUTES WITH
JACINTA
What inspires you about mission
among your friends?
How has your relationship with God
changed over the years?
The main thing that encourages me to
be an example of Jesus with my friends
is the thought that we might get to
spend eternity together with Him! I love
my friends and want the best for them,
but, I admit I have trouble speaking up
about Jesus. It sometimes scares me.
I’m so grateful that it’s a team effort
with the Holy Spirit.
When I was younger, I viewed God as
a hero figure that could do amazing
miracles and used incredible people to
do His work. More recently I’ve asked
myself ‘If God can use all these people
in the Bible, what’s stopping Him from
using me?’ I want to move out of my
comfort zone because when deciding
to change things up and do things
differently, I become uncomfortable,
and that discomfort pushes me to draw
closer to God.
What are some of your passions?
Jacinta, aged 16, is a proud
red-head who loves design,
movie watching and surfing.
She also has a passion for
working with younger kids
and making people laugh.
And, she loves reading Resonate
magazine and was stoked to
contribute to this edition.
TIPS
for dealing
with change
MEET
THE
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As a child growing
up in a large town,
Rima lived with her mother
and grandmother, while her father
lived with his second wife in another
town. She was expected to accompany
her grandmother to the Wat (temple)
every week. They sat quietly on the floor
with their hands in a prayer position for
an hour listening to a monk chanting in a
different dialect to the common Khmer
language. She watched her grandmother
*pseudonym
I love art, graphic design and basically
anything that involves making things
look pretty! I believe that God has given
me this passion and gift of creativity.
I am so excited to think about the
opportunities He has in store for using
my gifts for His glory.
We are focusing on transitions and
change in this edition – how do you
respond to change?
I can’t say I’m a real pro in dealing with
change. It can downright stress me out,
especially when it takes me by surprise.
I find researching helps. For example,
when I moved schools I found out all I
could about the new school so on my first
day I held onto the things I knew, which
helped me deal with the differences.
And your understanding of mission?
Going overseas to a country you I
couldn’t pronounce, living in grass
huts and sitting cross-legged teaching
people about Jesus was what
popped into mind when I heard the
word ‘mission’ as a kid. However my
understanding has changed since I was
six! I believe we are all called to mission,
even if it doesn’t involve travelling
overseas. Mission is something that
comes naturally with loving God.
It involves loving others and being
prepared to share the hope we have.
talk
be positive
rely on god
Tell family and friends
about the change you’re
experiencing so you’re
not dealing with it alone.
Reflect on all the
positive outcomes that
have occurred and
helped you through the
change. Being thankful
enables us to see God
in all situations.
Know that even though we
experience change, God
doesn’t change and he is a
firm foundation.
Global Interaction cross-cultural worker Janelle Windus gives us a glimpse
into the life of Rima*, one of her neighbours in Cambodia.
and others give money to the monk
with the hope of receiving merit and
having a better next life. They could not
afford to give much, but they believed
the more money they gave, the more
merit they would receive. Rima often
wondered how Khmer people would
know this merit would help make their
next life better, since they don’t know
what their situation was in their past
life. But she was expected to believe
this, and respectfully do the same.
Over time Rima questioned the Buddhist
teachings which allowed her mind to be
open to other teachings. So when Global
Interaction cross-cultural workers began
to share about the God who created
the universe and offers love and grace,
it made sense to her, and she chose to
trust in Jesus with her heart and follow
His teachings. She continues to go the
Wat with her grandmother, however she
chooses to pray to God the Father there
rather than to Buddha or ancestral spirits.