So now I get to spread the Gospel!

   So this is what I would like to call a “mutt blog” meaning a lot of different events all wrapped into one blog. This isn’t because I want to save time…well not completely…it is more because everything that has happened to me during the last month or so has a common theme.

 

   If you are an avid blog follower you would remember a blog I wrote back in Honduras about spreading the Gospel and how God has been changing what it means in my life. It’s ok if you don’t, that only hurts a little bit. Anyways, one amazing thing about God is that he never stops teaching you and bringing you to new areas where he shows you room for improvement. Sometimes this can be kind of frustrating, but more often than not it reveals God character of perfecting and caring for what is his.

 

   This month we are in Cambodia, and we have been teaching English at a Christian elementary school in Phnom Penh, the capitol city. It has been exciting and wild every single day, and even though I love the kids it has reminded me why I didn’t get my degree in Elementary Education. The interesting thing about it, however, is that as the race has gone on certain things have become less and less important. Now don’t worry, I’m still keepin the main thang the main thang, I haven’t gone off the deep end…yet, but God has revealed to me what actually matters as his plan unfolds infront of me.

  

    For most of the race I have convinced myself that if I just had a certain ministry contact, or if we just went to a certain country and lived certain ways that the things I wanted to see God do would happen. By this I am referring to the classic images of missionaries walking through poverty stricken villages passing out toothbrushes while people line up and we heal the sick as a complete revival breaks out in the area. Now I know this sounds funny, but let’s be honest and all put to rest our romantic view of missions. In fact if you want to comment about what your super hero missionary does that would be funny. 

  

    Now here is the crazy part, I fully expect that to happen (well maybe not the toothbrush thing) and even greater things than that to happen, God has just clearly spoken into my life and said “Allan drop the idea that you need any other circumstances other than the Holy Spirit within you to make these things happen.” I am now slowly buying into this strange idea that God really can do what you ask regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

   

    What has followed has been one of the most liberating truths that has ever affected my life. In the last month of my life the bus station, random car rides, pizza restaurants and so much more have all been places where the Holy Spirit had ministry for me. Now if you have asked me before I would have said, “of course I believe that God can work in all these places”. The point, however, isn’t what you say you believe but how you act your belief in those circumstances. That is why faith without works is dead! I would really love to tell you about all of those times the Holy Spirit did work but this blog would be too long. In short, I prayed for God to act and he gave me so much more than I asked.

 

   What has become of it is me not really caring anymore what contact or country I go to next, or what happens when other people get to go somewhere I wanted. Some of the sweetest times this month have been completely enjoying who God is basking in his presence and just walking down the paths that he has lighted for me, not straying to the left of right. I know words can’t do what God has been teaching me justice because words don’t teach, the Holy Spirit does. That’s why I challenge everyone who reads this to ask God to show up and redefine for you what ministry actually is, and how it is not defined by circumstances but that changes, but by an ever present God who lives inside of you and never changes.