During month two I went through something called an inner healing. This inner healing helped release a lot of shame and guilt I had been holding on to since I was 16. After my inner healing I was able to let God completely take over my life. I let go of all things that were holding me back from being who I am in Christ. I’ve learned a lot about spiritual gifts on this trip, and after my inner healing I know God gave me the gift of evangelism. I didn’t have shame and guilt to hold me back anymore, so now God uses my freedom to tell others about Him.
The next month in South Africa I couldn’t help, but tell someone everywhere I went about Jesus. In Vietnam, I had a difficult time because it was a closed country. I couldn’t go up to people on the street and share the gospel. I had to find other ways to share the gospel. I felt like Jeremiah in chapter 20 verse 9, “But if I say, ‘I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,’ then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot ensure it.” I constantly felt weary of holding this gift God has given me inside. I was tired, and would get irritated because I felt held down. So I prayed hard to God to put me in a spot the next month where I share His love.
He answered that prayer.
In Phenom Pen, Cambodia, my team and I worked at a seminary. The students were from all over Asia, such as India, China, Cambodia, Nehemar, and Vietnam. The director started the school in hopes that more Asian Christians can learn about Jesus and start their own ministry at their homes. It was a beautiful experience to meet these students, whose families are disappointed in them or their country hates Christians, to put those things aside and come to the seminary to learn more about Jesus.
During the week we taught the students English, and did local evangelism in the homes near the school. We also went to villages every Sunday to do evangelism and put on a Christmas skit. GD filled this month with so many witnessing opportunities that He did not just answer my prayer, but went above and beyond. Every place I went God would speak to me, and tell me who to talk to and every place I went someone heard about Jesus. It is such a gift to have the freedom to talk about Jesus, and I’m thankful for all the opportunities He gave me.
There were many crazy stories from this month like the day Christi and I somehow got taken to our tuk tuk driver’s house for desert and we shared the gospel. We met a man named John and answered questions about Jesus for three hours. We gave out three Bibles. My phone got stolen and our tuk tuk driver came to church the next day just to check that I still had my passport. Because he came to church I got to give him a bible. The craziest story was at Angkor Wat.
When we left our ministry for Siem Rep, my friend Sarran gave a necklace that said John 3:16 in Cambodian. This necklace gave me so many opportunities to share the gospel. While in Siem Rep, we went to Angkor Wat and I immediately looked for where God wanted me to share the gospel. I talked to an Australian couple, and three tour guides. The sun was rising over Angkor Wat(a Buddhist temple) and I was sharing the gospel! I’ll never forget this moment.
Then Celenne and I began talking to our tuk tuk driver as we were waiting for the others. We were sharing the gospel when a group of drivers began to flock around us. We ended up talking to about seven people about Jesus. Seeds were planted and I know God will water them!
The next day, I went to a coffee shop and began talking to a woman from Switzerland. Her and her husband run a restaurant where they train orphans who are too old to live in a orphanage on how to get a job. They have an amazing heart for the people of Cambodia, and they were atheists. I could hear God telling me to pray for them. I was nervous, because I thought they’d say no, but they didn’t. I got to pray over them! And guess what their names were….Sarah and Paul! I know God is going to reach out to them, and share with them His love.
Cambodia was my favorite month so far! I learned how to be intentional on or off ministry. I learned the goodness of God when you have an obedient heart. I learned that the worse thing someone can say when you ask if they want prayer is no. I learned how to live out Matthew 28:19.
