Missionary to Rich Kids

R

enato Carvalho was living in his homeland of Brazil when he applied to work as a Seventh-day Adventist volunteer in Egypt through VividFaith, the church’s mission service portal.

When his request didn’t work out, he received an email from VividFaith inviting him to apply for another position.

Renato applied to Ekamai International School in Bangkok, Thailand, and was quickly accepted as a fourth-grade teacher.

When Renato arrived in Thailand, he was surprised to learn that the school catered to the upper class. His 100 fourth-grade students came from families of ambassadors, models, and professional soccer players. He prayed, “God, did You want me to cross 10,000 miles to the 10/40 Window to serve rich people? Many people in Brazil need my help. Why did You bring me here?”

Renato felt nervous on his first day at school. The school sent out a letter to all the parents, introducing him as the new 36-year-old teacher from Brazil.

On the second day, he ate with the children in the cafeteria. He wanted to get a sense of the environment and to hear what the children were talking about.

Renato went through the line and received a bowl of noodles. Then, he sat down at a table with a group of fourth graders from his class. But before eating, he closed his eyes to pray.

Usually, Renato also folded his hands to pray. But on this day, he stretched out his hands with the palms facing up. He wasn’t sure why he prayed that way. He just did.

“Dear God,” he prayed silently. “Thank You for this food. Please bless it.”

When he opened his eyes, one of his new students, a nine-year-old girl, asked, “What are you doing?”

“I was praying,” he said.

“But you can’t pray like that,” she said. “You need to fold your hands.”

The girl, like many of the 1,500 children at the school, came from a non-Christian home. Less than three percent of the students are Christian. No one prayed to the God of heaven at her home. The school had taught her everything she knew about praying. Her previous teacher had taught her to close her eyes and fold her hands when she prayed, and now she couldn’t understand why Renato had closed his eyes but hadn’t folded his hands.

“Does God listen to this kind of prayer?” she asked.

“For sure!” Renato said with a big smile. “He listens to everyone. I have prayed driving a car with open eyes.”

Shock and amazement flashed across the girl’s face.

“Can you pray with open eyes?” she asked.

Renato’s smile grew bigger.

“I’ve prayed while cooking,” he said. “I’ve prayed while working out.”

The girl’s shock and amazement grew even bigger. “What?” she exclaimed. “Can God hear you there?”

“God can hear you everywhere,” Renato said. “He is just waiting for you to talk to Him. Sometimes, He talks to you even if you don’t talk to Him. But You can pray to Him everywhere, even with open eyes and hands.”

The girl didn’t say anything. After a long silence, she got up and left the table. She had a lot to think about.

At that moment, Renato realized why God had sent him to Thailand. Rich kids also needed to know God. Being a missionary wasn’t only about sharing God’s love with those in physical need. It was about sharing God’s love with everyone, everywhere. Renato resolved to pour his heart into the 15 minutes he had for morning worship with his fourth graders every day.

“My mission is much more than teaching English or literature,” said Renato, now in his second year at the school. “I put all my energy into the first fifteen minutes of the day. We talk about the Bible and Bible stories. These stories help them understand God’s plan.”

Please pray for Renato in Thailand and all our volunteer missionaries serving worldwide.