I was doing so well at updating my blog, writing and posting pictures on a frequent and regular basis. Then life got really busy and while I would think about the things that I wanted to post, the fact is that they never made it past that. Here is one of those "thoughts" that has be floating around in my head for a while...
::HARVESTERS::
I would like to introduce you to the newest group...
{L-R...Dara, Leakena, Makara, Bahn, Seyha, Makara, Seyla, Pagna (pronounced Pahn-nya), Heather and Socheata}The new term started on October 4. As we were preparing for this class, there was something stirring in my heart...and the best way I can come up with to describe it is "great expectation." (Sorry Dickens, Miss Havisham, Pip and Estella, this is not a shout out to you.) I have this feeling of excitement and expectation for what is going to happen in this group. One of my favorite things about teaching and leading is getting to watch people see God bigger than they did before. And in these few short weeks, that has already happened. We will be going on our first mission trip in a week and half (November 5 & 6). I will post more details about this later.
About a month ago, before this new class started, we had a Harvesters Gathering. This was a lunch for all the "alumni" and included the two classes from 2011 as well as the inaugural group from 2008/09. As I looked around the room at these 25 beautiful people, my heart felt full. The relationships that I have been able to build with each of them have been such a blessing to me. I feel as if my love for them has been poured out directly from God's heart to mine. I've seen them grow and develop, struggle and pursue God's heart, live and love well. At that moment, I saw in them a loud and clear affirmation to my calling to live here in Cambodia.
We had a time to do some processing and sharing of where each one of them is now after being a part of this class and how they are walking out in the callings on their lives. One question I asked was about how they were challenged through the Harvesters...by God, by the leaders and by themselves. As I listened to a few of them answer, one of them stood out in bold letters. He shared that while he listened and learned the lessons that we as the leaders taught on God's character, on hearing His voice, on living out the design God has made us with, he was also busy watching us...were we practicing what we were speaking? Were we living out the things that we taught or were they just words that we were asking them to do but not for ourselves? He said that he was challenged by us because he saw us teaching out of a place of experience....it was not just theory, but it was our lives. He saw it possible to do these things and live this way because he saw us doing just that. I was so humbled by this statement. It was a reminder to me that others watch me...not just because I am a foreigner, but because I speak truth and they want to see if I live out that same truth. I want my life to point to Jesus. I want my actions, my words, my thoughts all to bring Him glory. I want others to see Him shining through me.
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