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.