One of my favorite things
about the race is meeting new people.
I
love how ‘same same but different’ people are, and I believe that every person is a unique piece that fits into the puzzle of love that God is.
Last month, I met
four more puzzle pieces: Cecil, Heisui, Shalom, and Ellen. These
women run the ‘Youth Development Center’ in Kampang Cham, Cambodia.
They are all single women (Although Heisui is getting married soon!)
from different countries who have God’s heart for Cambodia.
Cecil founded this
center almost two years ago, and now these four women run everything-
from teaching English lessons to setting up medical missions to
fixing rusty bike tires. Their stories tell of loss and redemption,
of pain and love, and their lives reveal our God.
Through Ellen, God
revealed that His ways are higher than ours. Ellen came to Cambodia
for a short-term trip, but stayed when she saw the need there.
Through Shalom, God
revealed that He is the coincidence. Shalom is from Vietnam, and
there just so happens to be a large population of Vietnamese people
in Kampang Cham who need the love of Jesus.
Through Heisui, God
revealed that He is the redeemer. Through the loss of her fiance, she
learned to rely on her first love (Jesus). Now, God has brought
redemption and joy, and she’s getting married at the end of this
year.
Through Cecil, God
revealed that hope in Him is never in vain. She was the one who
founded the center from scratch. It was lonely and discouraging at
times, but she kept her hope in the Lord, and stayed obedient to his
voice, and He never let her go.
Please keep these
incredible women in your prayers. They need more teachers and more
resources. Word about the YDC has spread and there are already 300
people on the waiting list to get into the next classes. They are
making a huge impact in this community, and they definitely impacted
me.
there, we gave them scarves, and they gave us t-shirts:
