What IT looks like?
*First, I would like to let you know that I am indeed safe in Cambodia and loving this country and our ministry! We are in Kampot Province of Cambodia, about 40 minutes from the city of Kampot, with a ministry involving youth and children. We do not have every day access to internet, nor a lot of other amenities and it is glorious!!!
Now, as to what the title entails and what I would like to share with you about. The IT I am referring to is ministry, or bringing Kingdom and the ministry we are working with is exactly that. Allow me to explain.
We are with University of Nations (as they would like to be known) teaching English and loving on kids and youth in a village in the Kampot Province. Our contact, Vuthy (pronouned Voo-thee) is a 27 year-old mighty man of God who has a unique story all his own. A few years ago he was an alcoholic and in a dark, desperate place of being chained to the enemy of the world; however, God saved him from that dark path and brought him to a place where he could serve God. His limited schooling basically involves DTS (I'd elaborate more, if I were allowed to). Anyways, after DTS he began asking the Lord where God needed him to serve and got three visions.
Vuthy got a vision for a youth center, then another one of Kampot Province (his hometown). He was thrown off that God would want him to work in his hometown, but he was willing and available, and so headed off to do the Lord's will. He has also had a vision of a mercy house, which is in the works to being built in 2012.
Amazing Man of God.
Let me tell you just how important this is. Since the reign of the Khmer Rouge and the genocide that occurred in this country, many families are broken and battered with most children and youth not having any hope whatsoever. The Killing Fields haunt this country still and as we traveled to the Kampot Province, I could sense a haze over the countryside, yet a haze ready to be blown away by God. You see, around 80% of this country is under the age of 30 and only about 3% are over the age of 65. It's a stark contrast to every other place we have been to. It's dark and scary to think that most of the population here would probably just now be getting out of grad school if schooling is the path they had chosen.
And yet, it is this dark fact that gives hope to the brightest light. For with the help of those, such as Vuthy, hope and light is being restored into the lives of the people, especially the youth and it will be these youth that will need to be set free and empowered by Christ to change the landscape of this country forever. They will be the tidal wave that overcomes the darkness and sets the greatest amount of captives free!
In his home village, Vuthy, has revitalized it and transformed it through love and grace in Christ. Now, many of the youth go around to proclaim the Gospel to the rest of the village and even other villages. More of them are being raised up by God to be leaders and more will come after them. The children flock to Vuthy, as the children did in Jesus Christ's day, and it is a beautiful site to see as he laughs, plays and engages with them in a way I have never seen before. Vuthy, my brother, is a Mighty Man of God that is bringing Kingdom wherever he walks, regardless of the lack of necessities American's would say he needs, such as degrees from seminary, constant stream of funding, a business plan and so much other stuff that is based off of man's strenght. What he does have is God and God's power to strengthen and provide for him everything that he needs.
This is what it looks like to bring Kingdom, to follow the Lord whole-heartedly and NEVER back down from the calling placed on your life. It's beautiful and a privelege to behold it with my own eyes and I look forward to seeing more of God in this place!!
*Mom, Mom Auman, and the other mothers and fathers of Team RockStar, we are ALL safe and ok and just soaking in more and more of God and His Presence. With that said, we most likely will not get a lot of access to internet, so don't worry we are ok and 100% with the Lord. Nothing can take us from that. I, myself, will not be using any internet this month, other to blog, when and where God decides to tell me that I'm allowed to. I hope you all can understand and will still be waiting to read my blogs. Thank you all so much! Love you all!!
*I'd put more photos but the internet that we do sometimes have access to is not that strong. Sorry yo!