Wow! I continue to be blown away by this country…it is easily turning into one of my favorites of this trip so far. I continue to meet new people at the church and in the community and am so blessed to be able to build relationships this month. It has given me a chance to see what life is like here and what kind of missions their local church does. This past weekend, part of our team got a chance to meet a local group at the church we are staying at called the Harvesters. It is led by an American named Heather and is a really amazing community of Cambodians that want to see so much for the Kingdom of God here in Cambodia. We also got the opportunity to go with them to a local church outside Phnom Penh the last couple of days and spend a few days there pouring into the community and painting the church.
It was probably some of my favorite days of ministry on this trip so far for several reasons. For one thing, I really enjoy doing work that you can build relationships while doing (reminds me of laying shingles on roofs at Salkehatchie). A lot of them know a good bit of English and really want to talk and interact with us (I’ve been told my Southern accent comes out more than I think). They also love to laugh and joke around and that always makes work seem so much easier to do. Another reason I really loved this group and their ministry is because of how much effort they really put into everything they do. They really want to further God’s Kingdom and really witness to their local Cambodians.
While on this race this year, we have learned to perform dramas that have no words so that nothing needs to be translated. Our team did a few of the ones we have learned along the way, but we also got to see the Harvesters do one as well and I was blown away. It basically showed that Jesus took all our burdens so that we would not have to bare them and nailed them to the cross. It was so powerful the way it was done and to take Colossians 2:13-15 and make it come alive.
It’s hard to really put into words how great this weekend was. I can’t say enough how incredible the people are here. They are so on fire for Christ and I am so amazed to see how willing they are to go out into the local communities and preach the Gospel…especially when it is not the majority religion (Buddhist country). God continues to bless me and my team with so many great experiences and am so thankful the experiences He has allowed me to enjoy while on this trip.
