This color contains a quick apology, a bit about debrief and travel
This color contains a bit about Cambodia this month
This color contains financial support level and prayer requests
This color contains a bit about Cambodia this month
This color contains financial support level and prayer requests
Communication…or lack there of, was supposedly one of the “spiritual strongholds” of the area we have been serving in this past month. So was “apathy.”
I’d like to apologize for my lack of communication thus far this month. I haven’t exactly been apathetic but I haven’t known what or how to share what all is going on in my heart or mind lately. Many of you have dropped me notes or have been waiting for updates and I want you to know that I will do my best to answer questions either directly or through upcoming blogs where possible. I haven’t spent much time on the internet and everytime I think about hopping on “quick” I have often opted not to because I’m just not where to start…regardless, I shouldn’t be starting now so I apologize about that. I’ll to catch you up a little bit tonight and maybe some more in the next few days.
Last debrief at the end of Feb was very good for me. I started to come alive as I realized how much I truly love this squad!!! It is filled with some amazing people that I have no doubt will affect this world greatly. Likewise, I’ve been realizing more and more how much I truly love my family. My parents have been such a resounding grace to me while my brothers have been blessing me in an abundance that I’m so humbly appreciative of.
I spent my birthday in a plane traveling half-way around the world. I was literally in a plane for all of it minus about an hour in the Tokyo airport and a few minutes in the Bankok airport. My birthday started at around 4pm and I lived that hour of my life multiple times as I continued flying west. The trip from Santo Domingo to Miami to LA to Japan to Bangkok to Phnom Penh lasted about 82 hours and was as effortless and enjoyable of a trip as I can remember. Much of the hours were spent with people that I love with random notes and chats of encouragement. Even the bus ride from the border of Thailand to Phnom Penh, Cambodia which was supposedly the “worst bus ride ever” would rival any bus trip of my life. Needless to say the traveling was enjoyable and your prayers were answered which I am grateful for.
Cambodia…
I’m not sure how much you know about the history of this area of the world and I haven’t taken the time to read through all the other blogs to see how much other racers have posted on this subject. I’m not going into details right now other than to say that these people have been subject to some pretty cruel times and the attrocities that have occured still live on in the minds of anyone who is 30 or older…still there is a sense of respect, pride and enjoyment of life that resides here.
Until about a year and a half ago, I lacked a desire to really ever come to Asia. Coming into this month, I didn’t have a lot of expectations but was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy it. Life here is more effortless than I was anticipating. I don’t feel as though I stand out as much as I did in the Dominican Republic or in Haiti. Phnom Penh just doesn’t feel like a big city for the amount of people who are actually here. By day three I knew how to get around town and have enjoyed jumping on the back of Motos (motorocycles) or hopping in Touk Touk’s (moto pulling a cart with 2 benches.)
Our team has been working with university students here at an English Center founded by a man from Korea. Our class size is small but their hearts are huge. We have been teaching them English but more than anything we have been becoming their friends. Likewise, they have been becoming our friends. Simply put I enjoy their presence and their smiles and laughter bring me joy. This makes me thankful and I feel very fortunate to bring them a bit of the same.
We have on last busy week with our new friends before we take off to Siem Reap for another debrief. This is where Angkor Wat is found and where Team Spectacle currently resides. There will be a lot of history and pictures to be shared about this very unique place. I encourage you to check it out some time.
Financially I’m currently at $10,500 so only a few thousand left to go which somehow seems more and more plausible.
WHAT YOU CAN BE PRAYING FOR:
Trust…I’m learning how to trust that God enjoys giving me good things…sounds strange maybe, but it’s usually easy for me to believe it for someone else but much harder for myself
*on a side note, I’m also reading through a book called Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning and I’m not sure why it has taken me so long to get to it because it is a very good book…I will blog more about it later
Guidance…Our team will be heading to Chiang Mai, Thailand at the start of the next month and the first half of our ministry is set up but the second half isn’t set in stone quite yet. It looks like we will be teaching baking skills to a number of former prostitutes to increase their skill set and enable them to earn more money outside of selling themselves. Our girls are looking to continue a ministry with prostitutes while Dave and I will most likely join the men of the squad for a little bit of MANISTRY.
The month after Thailand, our team will be living off of less than normal and learning to rely on Him more than we normally do. This is in hopes that we will make reliance on Him more of a normal thing. Pray that we’d have ears to hear where He wants us to take us and that we would be both obedient and faithful to whatever and wherever with whomever He calls us to.
You can continue to pray for our team unity as we continue to learn how to best compliment each other. Pray that we continue to move towards a healthy family.
