Happy Birthday to me! This was one of the most memorable birthdays I have ever experienced. The day started out like any other day on the Race where I woke up at 5:15 to work out when I opened the door to my room and the door was covered with Happy Birthday signs! They had words of encouragement and love and it touched and overwhelmed my heart so much that I started to cry! I am so thankful for the girls on my team, they are so loving and caring all the time.
When our team met together for worship and intercession, we read 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 and discussed how when we give generously and cheerfully, that we are continuously being filled by our Giver. We also discussed parts of 2 Corinthians 8-9, Isaiah 55:10-13 and the story about the Samaritan Woman at the Well. When we are tapped into the well of Life, it will never run dry. God is inexhaustible. We have faith that there is always more and we don’t have to save or reserve our energy or whatever we are giving, because we will always be continually filled as long as we are continuing to abide in the Father (John 15: abide in Me, obey My command of loving one another as I have loved and I will abide in you). We were challenged to ask God what He wants us to give this month, what do His children need that He has equipped us with that we can give to them?
After the time of praying and interceding for Kampong Cham, we went on a tour of the city. We went to a Muslim mosque, a few Buddhist temples where we got to feed monkeys, ascend over 100 stairs to overlook the Killing Fields, have good conversations with one another and with one of the workers at the place where we are staying. It was such a fun and wonderful morning, being able to see and understand more of the culture of Cambodia.
We got back before lunch and were blessed with the amazing smells of homemade food from the Philippines. I am so excited for this month and the blessing of homemade meals.
Amanda and Tyler came up to me and surprised me with 2 ice cream bars, one for now and then another one for later. Oh how thankful I am for them and for surprises!
Chip and I later planned out lessons and taught English to 2 beginner classes. It was great building relationships with the students and even though it was a struggle on how to communicate through speaking, we discovered that writing down words is easiest for them to understand us. A lot of the students in Cambodia can’t understand English very well, but they can read and write it very well. The second group we taught sung Happy Birthday to me as we taught them about birthdays and holidays. It was such a treat just because it was our first day meeting the students and because they were so eager to make us all felt so loved and welcomed into their country.
After teaching we were blessed with another homemade meal from our contact. We were relaxing and having great conversations when Amanda and our contact came out with a big cake and everyone started singing Happy Birthday! It was such a treat to be blessed and loved by our contact after meeting her for 24 hours! I am so excited for this month of ministry and just being able to see our contact’s heart and love for people.
After dinner and surprises, our team had Team Time where we gave each other positive and constructive feedback. It was good being able to speak life over everyone and to listen to what the Spirit was saying about this family. I don’t know if it was just because it was my birthday or if the Spirit was doing something incredible this evening, but I have never felt so loved and had so much life spoken over me before. I was told about how perceptive I am, how I pay attention not only to others, but also to what the Spirit is doing and saying. I was encouraged to speak more because what I say has so much wisdom and life behind it. It causes my teammates’ ears to perk up when I speak because they hear something that no one else in the world has to offer; something about my relationship with the Father consists of something special that others do not have.
*I am no better than what anyone else hears from the Father, everyone has a special relationship with the Lord. I just don’t speak out as much as my other teammates and so they are always encouraging me to speak more and share more about what the Lord is doing and speaking to in my life.
That feedback blew my mind because I was so encouraged and did not realize that what I said had so much wisdom and life behind it. I have always been intimidated by others and talking. I have grown up with a spirit of comparison, but now I am breaking free from those chains and walking boldly with a Spirit of Confidence.
I received more feedback on how I am unique and how I am needed. I am needed on the team, the squad, the Body and I am not overlooked. God gave me gifts and a personality that is different from anyone else. He made me a part of the Body that no one else can be. I was created to be in the Body and for a specific purpose. I want to be able to give back all that I can and serve the Lord in the best way that He has equipped me with. I no longer want to withhold anything that will glorify Him and keep others from seeing His glory.
After feedback, for a new style of loving on one another, we give everyone a day of the week where we love on them and pray over one another. Today was my day and the team prayed over me World Race style. I could not hear what everyone was saying, but I could feel the Spirit moving and His presence. It was so wonderful resting in His presence and just wanting more of Him. The team then did Listening Prayer where they saw visions and received words of encouragement for me. One of the visions that were seen was a picture of a sunset where God and I are sitting on a tree branch overlooking the sunset. He has his arm wrapped around me and we were just enjoying each other’s presence. I receive that! I think that this is so valuable this month because even though last month was a time of rest and healing, revelations and time with the Lord, this month is a time to pour back out into all the ministries and people we will come into contact with. There are limited amounts of time to rest and soak up time with God through His Word, studying, journaling, praying and worship. Even though we are doing ministry and pouring back out, I really enjoy the time that I get to sit and just soak up time with God. I am excited for this month of being able to experience God all day long.
Another vision that was seen was God where He was like the size of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. I was sitting on my Daddy’s lap and just soaking up time with Him. I will receive that as well!
The last vision that was seen was one of me on a stage. I was talking to a HUGE crowd of people and I was seen as the “quiet-quiet Kaitlyn” when I first got on. However, I was preaching the gospel and the part that stood out to me most was when I was told that I was not using a microphone. I was so bold and God’s voice was so loud that a microphone was not needed! Well, the interesting thing about this vision was that I did not tell my team before about how I have seen this vision before, back in Nepal. I have a huge fear of public speaking, especially when I have to be on a stage and preaching. This was funny to me because this is just confirmation about what the Lord is doing in my life and how I will one day be using the voice He has given me to preach to the nations.
This was one of the best birthdays I have had, especially overseas and away from my family and friends at home. However, I would not trade it for anything and I am so thankful for the family and friends that I have here in Cambodia.
Thanks God for 23 beautiful years and I pray for more years to get to know You and to bless and glorify You.
