A Brief Reflection...

One of the great things about having countries so close together is that it makes it easy to travel...

I am going to Thailand for a week to visit Bangkok and Ratchaburi (about 2 hours from Bangkok), which is where I went for an outreach during the summer of 2007.  I am so excited to see the couple that hosted that trip for me and hopefully some of the students that I became friends with.  There is something amazing about getting to go back to a place where I

 have been on a missions trip before...seeing the changes in people and knowing that for a short time, God used me in their lives.

This is a lesson that I have learned on a personal basis...seeing others that I have affected.  But the most recent "twist" to this lesson is the importance of me telling another person the way that they impacted my life.

One of the main ministries that I worked with while here in Cambodia in January and February was in Sen Sok, a village about 5 miles out of town.  We partnered with Vuth (pronounced Whut) as he was starting a church plant.  We helped with renovations on the building, seeing the start of new English classes, prayer walking through the village and stopping at houses to talk to people.  It was on one of those house visitation days that God really touched my heart and asked if I would be willing to come back to Cambodia.  People asked questions about God and who He really is...not the typical response when trying to share the Gospel.  As I saw the hunger in their spirits to understand truth (whether or not they were fully aware that that was what was happening), I knew that there was something God was asking of me...was I willing to come back and not only answer those questions, but was I willing to come back and impart what I know of missions to the Khmer Christians so they can be fully equipped to answer...even better than I can.

Well, I came back and am in the process of figuring out what that "impartation of knowledge" looks like.  But I was taking to Vuth a few days ago about his ministry in the village and was sad to hear that for the time being, there is no longer a church out there.  The reasons have nothing to do with dedication to God or spreading the Word.  As we talked, something in my heart knew that I needed to encourage him in his decision to step down for now.  He knows he made the right decision, but I felt the urge to quiet the lies being whispered to his heart that he had failed.  I shared my story with so many people back in America of how working with hi was a huge part of my decision to come back to Cambodia.  I believe that God used Vuth and the Sen Sok village to show me what He wanted for my life.  And my heart is at such peace being here because I know this is right.  But I had never actually told him.

It was such an honor to encourage him in his ministry and knowing that even if he didn't see immediate results in the village as he had hoped, my life and heart were impacted beyond what I could have ever imagined  He is part of my testimony.

Who has left a lasting impression on your heart, knowing that God has used them to bring you to where you are today?  Have you ever told them?  You should try it...because it is God that receives the glory through your words.

It worked!

I got it to work!  I am so happy!  It took a couple extra steps, but I am now able to upload pictures.  

I will put more on here in the next few days, but this is one that I took within the first day or so of being back and thought it was great.

Someone carved my name into a tree at the church after I left in February...

I can't tell you how much the people here mean to me...how happy my heart is to be here with them and following what I have been called to do...and it warms my heart to know that they love me and missed me too...and that I have a special place here, immortalized in a tree...

The Sights of Cambodia...

As I am sitting in the office, writing this blog, the scene happening just outside the window is one that I find slightly humorous and I thought I would describe it for you...

There is a decent-sized field out behind the church and, like most roads and open areas here in Cambodia, there are often cows roaming free.  Well, today, as the cows meander through, there are 3 small dogs (no more than 15 pounds each) barking to protect their "territory".  

Not something you see ever day...

There are many things that I see here that are so different from America.  I have taken pictures of some of these things...and yet each time I try to upload them to the site to share them with you, nothing happens.  Denied.  So sad.  I am guessing my page is just not functioning properly because I do not think it is a blogspot-wide problem since others are able to successfully put pictures on.  I do not plan on just describing things for you (I am just not that good with words to be honest) and I will work something out.  But for now...just imagine the cows and the dogs, and I will keep working on this.  Thanks for your patience...

Getting Started...

Brittany and I met with the Pastor and his wife a couple days ago and were able to share more with them about the vision we have for our six months here.  The meeting couldn't have gone better.

We are wanting to start a missions program at the church.  I had spoken to the pastor briefly about this before I left earlier this year, but didn't realize the extent that this is a huge part of his personal and corporate vision for the church.  It was really exciting to see the meshing of ideas and goals...and to know that we all seem to be on the same page.  So here are a few things that we are working on....

October will be the beginning of a 10-week missions course that will meet a few times a week, both for lecture/teaching times, training on how to share their faith with others, as well as local community outreaches.  One of the locations for outreach will be Aspeca, the orphanage that we worked with in January and February.  I will continue to keep you updated as we prepare the curriculum for this course.  

We will also be helping to teach English lessons, both for high school/college age students and preschool students.  I know this seems like quite a stretch in ages, but they really believe that knowing English is a key to the future of their country so there is a focus on this generation getting into the "workplace" as well as training the younger ones to have a head start on it all.

Please be praying for us as we plan the missions course and recruit students.  There is already a great interest in it!  

Also please pray that I will start picking up some of the language.  I have learned a few words here and there...and remember a few from my first trip.  Most of the people want to practice their English with me, but I really want to have a relatively decent vocabulary and be able to have simple conversations in Khmer.  It's not a latin-based language and they have completely different symbols for letters, so that does not help in making it easy.  Just means I have to try harder...

Rubber boots, anyone?

It's days like this that I wish I'd bought those big boots at Target.  They seemed so impractical...but they were cute.  It doesn't rain much in Charlotte, but I thought about buying them to bring to Cambodia.  Needless to say, I talked myself out of it and figured that I would just wear flip-flops that can get wet.

BIG MISTAKE!

I should have followed my gut instinct and bought them, no matter what kind of space they took up in my suitcase...because I can hardly step out of my house without losing my feet in the water and mud.  I actually lost a flip-flop the other day and thankfully another girl came along and was able to get it out for me.

The kind of "vehicle" we tend to ride around in is essentially a cart attached to a motorcycle....not a closed cart, mind you.  So when you are sitting in the back and there is near monsoon weather going on around you...well, you are going to get soaked.  

Thank goodness I don't melt.  And even though I am not the biggest fan of getting muddy, it does wash off pretty easy.  Not even the change in climate like this makes me, even for a second, wish I hadn't come to Cambodia.  Just that I had bought those silly rubber boots...

(still having trouble with pictures...for all those blogspot friends out there, do you have any suggestions?)

Stepping on Cambodian Soil...

I couldn't have imagined what it would feel like to step foot on Cambodian soil again after 6 months of being at home in the states.  I admit...I was a little nervous because I didn't know what to expect.  I knew it wasn't going to be the same as it was when I was here in January and February, but beyond that...I was hoping and praying for the best.  And it was...

As soon as I walked out into the luggage area, I saw the pastor waiting there for us.  Our visas, which originally were not going to be ready for us, had been finished and approved the night before at 5 pm when their offices were closing.  It was a complete answer to prayer so that we didn't have to get a different type of visa and then have to change it.  Now we have an NGO visa (which came at NO charge...free...YEAH!) and we just have to extend it once.  

After getting our luggage and walking outside, I saw many of my friends standing there to greet me.  It was a great reunion that I wish I had enough eloquent words to describe it to you.  We drove back to the dorms where Brittany and I are living with 5 Cambodian girls...we are hoping to learn a bit of Khmer (the name of the language here) and to help them in their English skills.  We will also be doing devotions a couple times a week and I am looking forward to the relationships that we will build with them.

My heart is at such peace being here.  In the last few days, everything has felt "right"....that there is no question that I have followed as God led and I am exactly where I am supposed to be!  It's an amazing feeling.

I am having some problems uploading pictures to my blog, but I am working on it.  I promise I will continue to try and get some up here for you.  Thanks for your patience and your prayers.

It's time...

In about 5 minutes, I am getting in the van...to go to the airport...to go to Cambodia!

Someone asked me a few minutes ago if I was ready. My reply: "I'm packed." I always seem to require the all-night packing session before I leave the country....I tried to be proactive and start early. The problem, however, was that I finished late. I could have used more time, really.

But there is no more time. I have been waiting for 6 months for this moment...to go back to the place where so much happened in my heart and God did some amazing things in me. Now that it is here, my excitement is a little overshadowed by the pain of saying goodbye to my friends and family. Communication over there isn't terribly difficult, but it isn't the same.

Please pray for safe travels and for a peaceful transition as I settle into my new life there. I will write more once I arrive.

For now...goodbye.