Last month was a roller coaster, a wild ride. It started in Siem Reap with team Avanti, at a free university for the economically disadvantaged. It quickly changed to the Overflow Guesthouse with my friend, Scott Kwak, as our ministry host. AIM (the parent organization of The World Race) recently acquired a guesthouse as a part of their new venture in Business As Missions, in Siem Reap. The Overflow – what was once a beautiful and serene hotel is now a run-down and bug infested guesthouse, with only 4 staff to hold it together. Scott was pulling 18-20 hour days and needed help, so he sent an S.O.S. to the main office, who decided to split Team Avanti and send Alyssa, Hilary, and myself to help.
Most of our days were spent deep cleaning, serving meals, teaching English, and pest control. We held long hours and worked hard, with lots to show for it. The relationships we built with the staff were unforgettable, to say the least. Hilary wrote a great blog about it, check it out. The overgrown pool with a rundown bar turned into a lovely spot with a poolside smoothie bar. The kitchen was whipped into shape, deep-cleaned, and organized. The rooms were deep cleaned for the seemingly first time ever. But most importantly, the guesthouse received a spiritual cleansing.
The third week into our stay there, we began hearing a demonic voice whisper threats of death over us. Apparently when they purchased the guesthouse, they had acquired more than they bargained for. At first I was incredibly fearful; this was my first physical encounter with the demonic. The Bible tells us that God’s perfect love drives out fear and that Christ has conquered death, won the battle, and is sovereign over all. So, we trusted our Lord and Savior, rejoiced in His victory, and prayed for more and more of his oh so perfect love in us and the guesthouse. We took down all of the traditional and spiritual paintings and deep cleaned the walls. Anything we prayed over and felt had any attachment to evil was given back to the previous owner and everything else was spread out to decorate the barren walls. They’ve started a campaign to raise funds for new equipment and decorations for the guesthouse. We worshipped on the rooftop with Fusion II, Expedition, and X Squad – then passed the baton off to Z Squad and now there’s a new squad working there for the month! We did heart healings, confessed our sins to each other, and filled the place with joy. It was a really beautiful time and such a unique and incredible experience getting to share it with three different squads!
Throughout all of this, I fell in love with the place. I was given the opportunity to return to Overflow after my time on the field with the Fusion II Squad and work at the guesthouse for another three months (July to October). After much prayer and consideration, I accepted. It really is a sweet spot where your passions line up with what the Lord is calling you to do. Christian Hospitality Ministry and, specifically, guesthouses/hostels have been on my heart since my World Race in 2011. I helped start the guesthouse in Argentina and now I get to help run this guesthouse in Cambodia! All while under the leadership and authority of The World Race, which I’ve worked closely with for the past 4 years and trust deeply. Praise Jesus!
Something I’ve learned throughout all of this is living in Godly abundance. Orphans take, steal, hide away, etc. – but we are not orphans. We are adopted into the King’s family, children of the Lord. Children are provided for by their parents, they receive. Just like a child, I’m learning to just sit and receive from my Heavenly father. I don’t need to take comforts or steal away time for myself – the Lord has SO much for me, if I’m willing to receive it. If I’m open to all of what God has for me, I will naturally overflow. I want to be someone who is overflowing in peace, and love, and patience, and grace for others. I want to be bursting at the seams with goodness, faithfulness, and joy. I want to be filled with kindness, gentleness, and self-control. I want to live with open hands and not closed fists. Open hands – ready to receive and ready to give. When the enemy attacks, I don’t need to surround myself with weapons and barriers – God fights for me. The Bible says the Lord’s perfect love casts out fear. In other words, sit there and allow God to fill you with His absolutely perfect love and that love will outweigh any fear you may be feeling. You don’t have to do or prove anything – just receive the Lord’s beautiful and merciful abundance. How beautiful is that!
One example of this is when we were deep cleaning a room in the Family Suite. We first were praying for the room and were about to anoint it with frankincense, when we felt like we should confess our own sins and cast out any unclean spirits. I was the last person to go and as I was confessing I felt a tingling in my ankle. Some BACKstory – I had back surgery in 2007 which damaged some of my sciatic nerve. I hadn’t been able to feel part of my right ankle since the surgery, but it had never bothered me. It was a small part of my ankle that didn’t affect me much at all. However, this afternoon it started to tingle and I felt like the team should pray over it. We prayed and my ankle started to have the sensation of waking up after it had been sat on for some time. It was cold and I could feel the blood rushing through it. God healed me! This was a part of me that I didn’t even realize was a problem, but the Lord had more for me. There are things in our lives we may be accepting or are satisfied with – when, really, this isn’t the perfection God created us for. The Lord has SO much more for us, if we accept it. If we ask, He is a good good father and will answer with abundance. The enemy attacks and God responds with, not only casting out my fear, but giving me joy and healing my body! When the enemy tries to attack with death, the Lord brings life.
This month I started on a team of 6, which was split into a team of 3, then multiplied into over 100 racers from 4 different squads – all led by the infamous Scott Kwak. This month has definitely been the most interesting of my entire race experience and I am incredibly thankful for it.
