Month 1- China
God completely rocked me in China. Walking into month 1 of the race I felt very overwhelmed. I remember walking through the streets of Harbin unable to read any of the street signs, restaurant names, or any of the menus. I looked vastly different from everyone around me, which constantly brought stares and photo shoots. Realizing this would be my new normal for the next eleven months, I panicked. Home sounded pretty great right about then. I constantly felt sick from the smells, the new foods, and the anxiety I felt. But praise Jesus because our God is sovereign. In turning to the Lord for my strength to carry through each day, I found myself in a new state of overwhelm. I began to feel overwhelmed by the grace and goodness of God. I began to experience him in new ways, yearn for time alone with him, and white knuckle grip his hand as I leaped out of my comfort zone. The Lord brought amazing opportunities to love people and to grow in obedience to him all month long. I am blown away by how God worked in my heart last September, but also at how even through my deep brokenness he was able to use me in the lives of my new extremely lovable Chinese friends.
Month 2- Thailand
A piece of my heart will forever be in Thailand. Almost as soon as we stepped off the plane in Bangkok, I fell in love. I fell in love with the beautiful, smile-filled people. I fell in love with the vibrant colors and delicious foods. My heart beat faster just by gazing at the beauty God has draped that land in. After leaving the smog of China, I felt as if I had never breathed in a more refreshing air. I felt refreshed physically as we labored under the hot, tanning sun building the foundation of a home for at-risk young boys. The ear to ear grins, the deep laughter and joy, the trusting hugs and hand holds from the beautiful Thai children we worked with in the evenings warmed my heart in a way that I am completely unable to explain through words. Amidst all of the love, joy, and refreshment though, there was also complete heartbreak. The brokenness, the perversion, the darkness of that country was clear as day, and caused me trouble in feeling connected to God. Thailand was also a month in which God really began to reveal some of my own heart issues to work through. It was a month of my eyes being opened to look within and around me in new ways. Saying goodbye to Thailand was one of the most emotional points on the race thus far.
Month 3- Cambodia
Another piece of my heart will forever lie in beautiful Cambodia. The simplicity of our lives there is something I will always cherish. Sometimes I find myself longing to be back in our small village, living in our wooden home on stilts, overlooking the rice fields and the sugarcane fields, and spending our time with our Khmer family. In that scarred, dark country there lies so much hope and light. I see it in Umong, Utry, and Nary as they live lives filled with opportunity to pour into the children they teach and the young men and women they mentor. One of my favorite memories of the race so far is the afternoons I spent with Nary in the kitchen, rocking baby Martin, helping chop up vegetables, frying the potatoes and pork, and talking about life. Often times 17 year old Srey Nich would join us; so full of life and joy. God taught me so much through my friends in Cambodia. He showed me his constant presence and love, even through seasons of pain and loss. He showed me that he is bigger than the trials of this world, and big enough to be our strength through those times. He also allowed me to experience love in a very raw, real, deep way through my host family, my little brother Paleong, and all of my students.
Month 4- Malaysia
Malaysia has been my most difficult month of the race so far. We were located in a small town that functioned and looked much like a small town in the states. Partnering with a primarily weekend school left us with quite a bit of free time. Our contact had asked us not to share the Gospel in order to protect his business from being shut down, which often left us with the question of what our ministry should look like for the month. We spent the month living in the same warehouse type building we taught in. Through the confusion, God taught me vastly about unconditional love, and his desire for me to mirror the unconditional love he has displayed for me. Unity was also a common theme I felt from the Lord all month, as it was also our most difficult month as a team: we were functioning more as roommates than a family. Eventually God showed me though that I could be a light to our small town in other ways. We began to make friends in the community and simply spend time with them and love them. After much prayer though, we were given permission from our contact to share Jesus with people as long as we used discernment. A major lesson for me in Malaysia was learning to not take for granted our religious freedom at home.
Month 5- Japan
Leaving a difficult month behind and looking forward with a renewed excitement and motivation, we entered Japan. My favorite thing about Japan and how God has used this month in my life is the lesson of being a missionary with my life. I am not called to be a missionary simply by vocation, but by my adoption through Christ. As a Christian it is my joy to bring the light of Jesus to the world, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick. I want to serve out of the overflow of love God has shown me. Japan has been a month where I was able to really dig into that thought. God provided amazing opportunities for us to show his love to the people of this land. One specific way the Lord worked was through physical healings. For the first time in my life, I saw people truly healed through prayer right in front of my eyes. The blessings my team and I experienced from the encouraged church body were innumerable and un-repayable. I will be forever grateful for the people God placed in my life in Japan, the lessons he taught me, and the way he used me.
Praise Jesus for Asia- all that he taught me and showed me there, the relationships we developed there, and the incredible opportunities that he allowed me to take part in. So long for now sweet Asia, and hello eastern Europe!
