Close to two years ago, a month of life was spent wandering and exploring the country of Cambodia with twenty five other vagabonds from my university. It didn’t take much for me to come to understand how easy it would be for me to love these people, love this place. The goodbye was one of the hardest I’d experienced because in one month’s time, I had found a second home. I didn’t know, however, if I’d ever be able to return to this home.
Then came the Race. China, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Swaziland, South Africa.
CAMBODIA!?
Yes, home. I got to go back home.
So here I am, back in this land that I love.
But it’s different this time. Not bad-different, though; just different.
I had returned to Cambodia with expectations. It was almost as though I were trying to recreate the experience of last time. But I was failing. I wanted my team to love Cambodia like I loved it. I wanted them to experience what I had experienced.
The thing is, Jesus had different plans for our time here this time around. He was so patient for the two weeks that it took me to realize this.
This month, my team’s ministry is called Unsung Heroes. We are searching throughout the country for disciples that could use assistance and would like to partner with Adventures in Missions to host World Race teams in the future. Consequently, this month has involved a lot of travel, a lot of meetings, and a less obvious opportunity for investment.
I allowed my spirit to grow restless and frustrated from this. I just wanted to dive back in, to love on these people, to be handed opportunities to invest. And when we would go a couple of days without being able to set up an appointment with a ministry, I grew so restless. Why was this time so different??
Because the Lord was waiting for me to wait on Him.
And He had different things to show me. He had new revelations. He had a new hope for me.
When I finally decided to start waiting on Him, trusting Him, the ways He showed up were incredibly numerous. He directed our footsteps to new ministries I had not known of before. He even allowed us to return to a ministry I had visited two years ago. He opened doors for me to meet with old friends but also introduced me to new Khmer friends. He opened my eyes to the red light district that I had not even noticed last time I was here. He allowed our paths to cross with a Korean missionary who is doing amazing things for the Kingdom of God as well as the Kingdom of Cambodia. I began to see a new hope. And my love for Cambodia grew deeper and deeper-something I didn’t even know was possible.
I was reminded that He has bigger plans and bigger hopes for me than I have for myself. He can expand a love that I thought was fully grown. In fact, He wants to do that. So now my prayer is becoming, Lord, show me new hopes. Open my eyes further. And may I never grow weary in the assumption of the mundane when You have infinitely more to show me.
My challenge is for you, also, to adopt a similar prayer. A prayer of infinitely more.
Below are two of my new hopes.
