Visual Arts for Missions – In the Beginning

First day of July, first day of the first VAM ever. We were all very excited. Some showed it more than others, but we all knew something big was about to start. Our day, as every should, started with prayer and bible studies, and we took it from the top. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God. The creator. The artist, who created everything we see around us, called every single one of us to Thailand for this season, to do this school, and to join Him in making art for the peoples.

We are partnering with The Creator, The Artist, in showing the world His love and beauty through art and visualmedia, and I don’t think anyone but God could have assembled a better and more exciting bunch of people for this task. We are all from different continents, we speak different languages and look at the world differently. In our school of 6 people, we represent 9 nations. Our two leaders, Rachel and Carla, are from USA, Roy is Canadian, Julia is a Korean girl, born in Brazil and grew up in Paraguay, Grace is from Indonesia but has Chinese parents, and I, Rebekka, am from Norway but grew up in Mali. Since we’re all from different cultures, and are called to yet another foreign culture, it made sense to start with some lectures about culture and worldview, given by Calvin, who started Create International back in the day. Calvin taught us, through various activities, personal tests and creative power points, the importance of knowing your own culture and the one you are called to. We want to communicate properly and efficiently with the people we meet, but this is not always easy. We might speak the same language, or try to learn a new one, but to be able to reach the hearts of the people, we need to understand their culture and worldview, and know how to act according to their traditions and respect their way of life.

As artists, this turns out to be very relevant when working in a different culture, because we all have our own ways of expressing ourselves, and understand art and artistic symbols and expressions differently. So in the next 6 months, we are going to learn how to make art in a relevant and familiar way so that the people we want to reach can understand and take to heart the message, and, through the power of Christ, get their lives transformed.

The lectures in the second week of VAM was given by the other half of the Conkey duo, Carol, who really knows how to inspire, challenge and get a move on things. Throughout the week she got different people to come and show us some projects that are being developed, as well as movies, animations and evangelizing tools already made and in use. She talked to us about how the need for contextualized tools in different people groups’ own heart and art language are huge, and she challenged us to start thinking about what we as a school and as individuals can do to help meet this need.

We actually ended up making two different evangelizing tools for two specific people groups, which we are going to develop further and give to two teams who are going on outreach to these people groups in a little while. So this is not just talk anymore. It’s not just nice words and big dreams. I have been in Thailand less than two weeks, and I have already helped making something that will be used in real life, for a real purpose, to save real humans for Christ.

This is not a “what if” and “that would be nice” school. This is a “let’s do it!” school. “Are you willing?” Carol asked us. “And are you capable? Ok, then, we believe in you, so go for it!” It doesn’t matter that we’re not “real artists”, that we haven’t even started our art technique training yet, or that our time is limited. We know now that we can do it, if we only try, and my, what a difference it makes! It might be scary. We might feel overwhelmed and frustrated, but in the end, with God in our willing hearts, great things are going to happen. We can make a difference with our art and creativity, and I think I speak for us all when I say that that is the desire of our hearts.

To be able to use our creative abilities and talents to glorify God and bring His kingdom to the people He loves. And we’re doing it! We’re seeing it happen! And if this is what our beginning looks like, we should only expect the rest to be life transformingly amazing.

~By Rebekka from Norway