Cambodia a 14 hour bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City to sieam reap where we will be debriefing. A bus ride that I have been in and out if sleep for, for the majority of the time. It feels like I just get to sleep when we stop again. Last night I got maybe 4 hours of sleep if I am lucky. My rommie maybe got 1.
This morning my team and I were up by 545 to leave for the bus station by 615, and were on the bus ready to leave with the rest of the squad by about 715. We immediately filled out our papers for the boarder, then stopped because we had to truck through the boarder and get visas, then we eventually stopped for food. I tried to read and write some, which lasted for a while, but the bumpy road forced me to eventually put down my tablet, and rest for a little bit.
I woke up with a shiver, and immediately looked out the window. We were passing by thatch houses with huge fields behind them, Children outside playing, pools of water filled with what we would call lily pads, that have beautiful white flowers that are all out. Children are running, some are playing on top of dirt piles or hitting a ball around. Then I look up to the sky. But if I am being completely honest it was so hard to miss because as you moved your eyes across the sky it moved from a pretty light blue, into yellow and into a brilliant intense orange. Just beyond the orange was a dusky blue that showed a faint tree line in the distance. In that kind of setting how can you not think about what God has been up to the last 3 months, or let your thoughts wonder off to what will happen in the next eight.
What is so hard for me to believe is with each new country we enter an immense amount of love, excitement and instant beauty that I feel for the country floods right in, almost from out of no where, it floods in powerfully. A Love that God is giving me the pleasure to experience. I have come to understand it is the Love he feel for this place, for the people. He is giving me insight to how much overwhelming love he feels for each new season. How cool is that?
what Has God Been teaching you lately? Where has God shown up in your holiday season.
Cambodia is already more of what my expectations where when I signed up for the race. Beautiful vast country side, there is grass, tropical trees in place of pine trees, but still a beautiful reminder of home. In some ways it reminds me of the remoter villages of Indonesia. Indonesia the place that grew my heart for Asia, and gave me a taste of wanting more. More eye opening experiences, deeper understanding of who, what, and why God loves us so stinking much.
God has been continually deepening my understanding of him and his word. I am growing in asking questions of others for clarification of what the written word says, strengthening my foundation, bringing walls down that I had up from past experiences, teaching me how to relax and let him be in control, and finally how to Love others, not just through acts of service, but real relational Love. To not doubt what I Know or discredit the experiences I have had or what knowledge I have gained from watching others.
