Hey everyone. I am sorry it has been a while since I have updated you. So I will be posting two blogs back to back. I am currently in South Africa which is month Six!!! Can you believe it is month 6 already? I had VERY limited wifi in Cambodia and NO wifi in Botswana, which is why you are getting it all at the same time.
Month Four was Cambodia, and it was most definitely better than month three for me on many levels – mentally and spiritually for sure because GOD did an amazing thing for me.
So I thought I would share my month in Cambodia with you by interviewing myself. haha So here goes…
How was MANistry month?
For me this month is second on my favorite out of the countries that we have been so far. For a couple of reasons this is the case. I loved our host, the heart and vision for this place, and I loved the ministry itself because it had a lot to do with being involved with the kids here. This month was full of hard working manual labor. We worked from 8am to 6pm with a 2 hour break to be recharged through Gods word or naps… (Or both in my case). We dug trenches this whole month for a new waterline that needed to be replaced because the old one wasn’t working properly. My muscles got bigger and my skin got blacker. ha
So, Marlin, tell us about the host in Cambodia?
Our host for this month was a really awesome couple by the names of Mark and Kerry, and they run an orphanage in Cambodia. I say that he was awesome because of his heart and vision for the ministry and how he wants to expand it throughout nations, not just in Cambodia. Also because of the amount of effort and time he spent that he didn’t have to just to invest and pour into us as young men of God. Every other day we did a bible study and he had a lot of wisdom to share through it all. God has definitely gifted Mark with a great testimony and ability to minister to men through his story. It was really relatable for me. There would be lots of times when we’d be out doing work that he needed done around the premises and he’d be out there with us working alongside us. That to me shows not just that he really wants it done but a lot about his character. The cool thing is that God answered his prayers by sending an all men’s group to him because of the work that needs to be done. I am grateful I was able to meet Mark in Cambodia, and I hope I become like him!
Tell us more about the orphanage?
Mark and his wife are really busy people. They not only keep up with the ins and outs of the property but they run an orphanage of just girls. This orphanage is solely to protect these girls from being sold into sex slavery and/or just being used by their own family members in so many wrong ways. Every other day we got to be with the girls and be a part of their lives by playing games and watching movies with them. Creating some really awesome memories for them and for us also. Also showing them examples of Godly men because most of their stories are them watching siblings or mothers being abused by men that were in their lives. There is also a training center. I love that they have started to train a local couple that will eventually take over the ministry so Mark and Kerry can go start another ministry like this in another country or a different part of Cambodia. Super cool!
What did the Lord teach you or show you in month four?
This month was challenging for me in a really good way. Not because of the manual labor because I had a great experience with that. It was challenging because a lot of my past had come up and I was having to dig to the root of it all and chop it off, get rid of it. Thank God for the host and community that was placed around me to help me walk through it all. The cool thing was that what Mark had shared through his testimony was a lot of what I was working through. How it all ran into the work that we were doing was beyond awesome. If you know anything about digging trenches for water lines then you know that it is hard work. Especially when you don’t have machinery. All this to say what the Lord showed me this month was that yes digging into your past is really hard and difficult. It also takes a lot of patience and energy but it’s important because if you’re not reminded of your past, then you won’t remember how crucial your future is. You have to dig through that root with that shovel to free the route for your pipes. When you make way for the pipes, the most amazing thing happens… you hear the sound of flowing water!
God had me spend an entire month digging trenches so I could experience that flowing, living water of freedom in my own life. His plan is ALWAYS perfect, and He is ALWAYS good!
