Here's the latest snippet of an e-mail from a friend of a friend in the current Gilead class. This is his recap of part of one of their lectures in class:
... 1 Cor 7:17-24 speaks about
ones lot in life. Everyone has different abilities and circumstances.
Some of these will never change no matter how hard we work at them.
That's okay, just be content with whatever lot in life we have. Serve
Jehovah. Don't let these things be your all consuming passion. If
Jehovah has allowed these circumstances then don't worry and just put up
with them. The teacher made an interesting application to this scripture
also. He said that people that come from poor countries often are not
content with their circumstances. In fact, they get so consumed with
changing them that they will do illegal things to get to other countries
to work and stay there illegally...
So...struggling to live on your 32 cents per day wage while living in 3rd world squalor? Living in constant fear that machete-wielding thugs will kidnap you or your family, or "ethnically cleanse" you? Having a difficult time watching your child die from dysentary because no medicine is available in your remote village?
Don't be consumed with these things! Don't worry! Just put up with it! You slackers, get to the meeting!
I really enjoyed the student's next comment, immediately following the above:
... This might be a good point for me to
keep in mind to share with the local brothers when we get to our
assignments.
So, you brothers in Burkina Faso or Angola or wherever, what a treat you have to look forward to, as the incoming missionary couple gives their opening talk in your congregation, "Don't worry, be happy".