I often find myself in need
of looking back for a moment in order to prepare myself to look forward. With
Easter just a few days ago, I found myself reflecting upon Christ’s life and my
life as I boarded a flight from Khula Lampur to Phonon Phe.
So, what have I been up to
the last 5 years of my life during Easter?
Five years ago, I spent
Easter in Chicago
with my immediate family;
Four years ago, I spent
Easter in Paris
with friends, touring around and going to mass at Notre Dame;
Three years ago, I spent
Easter in New Orleans,
building a playground post-Katrina;
Two years ago, I spent Easter
in Tampa, with
a good friend and her family;
One year ago, I spent Easter
by myself in Nashville;
This year, I traveled from Malaysia to Cambodia with my squad.
As I look back at the last
few years, I know that I have been immeasurably blessed by God, people, places,
and opportunities. I have grown more through my relationships with God and
people and have learned countless lessons through the places I have lived and visited,
as well as the opportunities within each location.
Through this, I have learned
to be more open to where and what God wants of me. Such is the case, as I sit
in the Siem Reap YWAM guesthouse, a day before ministry begins. To be
completely honest, I was hesitant about leaving the Philippines on Saturday. I knew I
had no choice in this decision, but because of my love for the ministries in
and around Manila,
I did not want to leave so soon. I also was not very excited about Cambodia, but
this quickly changed after our three-day journey that ended yesterday.
While our initial ministry of
teaching English to Buddhist college students is no longer in the forecast, I
am excited to be working with ARM, an NGO that works with and teaches life
skills to sexually trafficked women in this tourist-infested city.
I do not know many more
details…but I am excited to see what is in the days ahead. I am saddened that
our ministry here is only through the 23rd before we get bussed off
to Thailand.
It is still funny for me to think about how much God has and continues to
expand my heart for the people I meet. Some months more than others, but when I
think about this change, I am pleasantly surprised that He is not letting me
stay the same limited individual I once was more than happy with.
