Ms. Vicki was born and raised in West Virginia. She grew up in a home of 6 siblings with a mother and an abusive Father. Vicki’s mom died of a brain aneurysm at 62. She was by her bedside when she breathed her last breath. Dementia took her fathers life 2 years ago.
Vicki grew up in church, she knew the Lord from a young age. She was saved and baptized at 12. When Ms. Vicki was 17 she started drinking and partying and walked away from God at 18. Vicki was married at a young age of 21 and moved to Sarasota Florida with her newly wedded husband. She lived there with him for a few years, went through some hard times and ended up moving back to West Virginia where she got into the Mortgage Business. She successfully made her way up in the company and landed a job in Clearwater Florida. She ended up getting a divorce in Clearwater, but later met her daughters father who was a local contractor. He had 2 kids, and was in the middle of a divorce but she was in love. After his divorced finalized they got married and moved to Petoskey Michigan. At this time she was 7 months pregnant with her daughter. Her new husband was not a believer, he claimed to be an atheist. Vicki still prays for his salvation to this day.
Vicki and her family eventually ended up in Nashville Tennessee where they lived for 10 years. During this time Vicki worked many hours at her job and her husband was doing a major home improvement on their marital home. Money, prestige and alcohol seemed to be more important to both of them then their marriage. The marriage was having difficulties from the stress of everything including her husbands son from a prior marriage coming to live with them. He was a troubled child and caused havoc in their household. Vicki came home one afternoon and everything her husband had was packed up and he just left. He was seeing another woman.
At this point Vicki is 38 years old, feeling lost, stressed, worn out, alone, and devastated. Her neighbor Trish worked with Campus Crusade and had made friends with Vicki and walked through this crisis with her and eventually led her back to the lord. She is still friends with Trish to this day.
Vicki thought she was going to stay in Nashville, but God had other plans. Gods divinity kept stepping in, meetings with realtors would fall through, clients would back out, God clearly didn’t want her there. She went through some ups and downs but eventually she broke the lease on her house, turned down a job she was offered and moved to Columbus Ohio to be near her sisters. She found a great job at a mortgage company and settled in.
One of Vicki’s life long dreams was to own a coffee shop. Well opportunity finally presented itself. She found a small establishment available in Pickerington Ohio, took money out of her 4O1K and bought it. The economy took a turn for the worst. She was having financial problems and got behind on her debts and was forced to go back into the mortgage business. God used this time to teach her a lot about Himself and faith.
After attending a small church she ended up finding a church called Jersey Baptist, and made the leap of faith to join because she knew God was calling her there. She started attending a singles Sunday school class, and teaching a divorce care for kids class which cared for and mentored kids that were affected by divorce. She also taught Sunday School class for 3rd and 1st graders. Vicki spent the next 10 years of her life devoted to her church, and seeking the Lord.
Her church offered a missionary opportunity to go serve in Cambodia and she went for the first time in 2008 and then again in 2009. During her first mission trip she knew she was supposed to be in Cambodia she didn’t know how she would get there or when she would go. She was also scared because she didn’t feel qualified. Her teacher told her something that has always stuck with her ” God doesn’t call the qualified he qualifies the called.”
In 2010-2011 Vicki didn’t get to go to Cambodia, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy and radiation and came back to Cambodia on a mission trip completely healed in 2012.
While she was at home Vicki took pride in her job. She moved up the ladder in her business and was recognized by many as a successful business woman. She gave 110% because she worked for the Lord. She shared the gospel with her clients and coworkers. She wanted to be Gods hands and feet at her job. Someone once told her they felt an overwhelming presence in her cubicle, a strong sense of peace and comfortability. Ms. Vicki believes that was the Lord but the non-believing woman didn’t know it.
Through out Ms. Vicki’s life she has resignated with these verses in the bible Romans 8:28 God works for the good of those who love him, those who are called according to his purpose. And Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Another couple favorite verses are Proverbs 3: 5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path and John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
God started doing some major modifications in Vicki’s life in the last few years.The date March 7th would pop up repeatedly but she did’t know why. She was still working from home in Ohio in the mortgage business but always had Cambodia on her mind. She sold her house and car in 2014. She saw God’s hand in every step of the way. She had originally put off moving to Cambodia in late 2015 however God had a different plan.
She wasn’t in a frantic worry. She knew like all along, if God called her He would provide. Her old friend Trish introduced her to a company called Ripe for Harvest. It’s a support organization to provide financial stability for missionaries. She made newsletters, prayer cards contacted churches and set up support systems. She booked a flight at the end of January and Moved to Cambodia on March 7th 2015.
Before Ms. Vicki moved she got the opportunity at her local church to work in the coffee shop. She believes this was a refresher and preparation for what she was about to do in Cambodia.
She had felt in the past she was being called to Cambodia to open a coffee shop. She would come and do prayer walks through the city asking God to show her her place in Kompong Thom. But God had other plans…She met a woman who owed a nearby restaurant that needed to sell it. Vicki prayed someone else would buy it, but asked God if she was supposed to have it to provide a good price. The price fell significantly lower and she made an offer. The language barrier made it difficult to finish up the detailed paperwork but God provided the right people and the help for what is now called Love Café & Pizza. He provides the finances monthly and meets all her needs. She firmly believes God is not giving her excess because he wants her to rely solely on him for everything. Her dream is eventually to move locations closer to the main highway and expand the building. But she is waiting on Gods timing, the resources, and the funds. She knows that this business is all from the Lord and she is just blessed to be apart of it working along side him. The main reason for the business is to employ young adults from The Shelter of Love Orphanage (this is the orphanage she worked with on all her mission trips) and hopes to turn ownership over to a couple of them when the time is right.
She misses home, her family, friends, her church, and her daughter but she knows this is where the Lord needs her, so she stays. She invests, she serves, spends countless hours at work or on her knees praying and she provides a home to 2 of the girls who work for her from the cafe.
When I asked If she had any advice for me and my readers she simply said; “God provides the pieces and the placement for the puzzle.”
God got Vicki to a point where “stuff” didn’t matter. Instead of a house full of material possessions she wanted to be free of debt and right in the center of Gods will empty handed. She told me “if we TRULY want to follow and serve the Lord, and he knows in our hearts; then stuff is just stuff, and it’s not that important to us.” Vicki told me “the devil works overtime on her while shes here.” But that doesn’t keep her down. She serves with a joyful heart and high expectations that God will do great things here in Cambodia.
Vicki is very optimistic, she tries to view everything as a learning experience and she knows God will use it for her good and His Glory. She firmly believes that anything that happens here is God’s doing, not hers. She also advised me to share ” be honest with yourself about the Lords will in your life, and to not give up. Work for God not man.” (Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters)
Ms. Vicki is real and raw. She doesn’t have fancy things, lots of money, or many degrees. But she loves the Lord and trusts his plan for her life. Vicki taught me God cares about obedience more than sacrifice. She taught me not to be wishy washy when it comes to Gods will. I learned a lot from listening to Vicki’s story. I learned I valued my comfort way more than Gods kingdom. I don’t know that I would move my life to Cambodia if God asked me to. Although it’s uncomfortable Vicki puts God’s will before her own. She serves with a YES in her spirit and she goes where he leads. In Acts 4 it talks about the peoples view of Peter and John. They were in awe of their courage, although they were unschooled, ordinary people, they recognized them as people who had been with Jesus. Something was different about them. That is how I feel about Ms. Vicki. Her smile lights up a room, she exudes the love of Christ wherever she goes, and she longs for kingdom advancement. She is selfless, caring, compassionate, and in love with God and his people. She owns her faults and her mistakes. She isn’t perfect, but shes tries each day to look a little more like Jesus. She inspires me. I hope one day to be half the woman Ms. Vicki is. At the end of the next 5 months I get to choose to go back home to the US. To a life of options, freedom, normalcy, and comfortability. Ms. Vicki doesn’t get that option THIS is where God’s called her. THIS is her reality. And she is content with that. Like Paul in Philippians “whether well fed or hungry, having little or plenty.” She’s content with her situation because the Lord is MORE than enough for her. I want to live like Ms. Vicki, in abandon. In sheer obedience. She’s living recklessly for the Lord WHERE EVER he calls her because he is that important to her and she loves him that much. She is right in the center of God’s will and that is the best place to be. That’s where I want to be.
Ms. Vicki was hesitant to share her story. There were a lot of things she shared with me that brought back a lot of painful memories. But the Lord redeems. He makes our ashes beautiful. And by the blood of the lamb and the words of our testimony we are healed. Your story is powerful. Chains can be broken and captives can be set free. Know that you didn’t go through those things for nothing. God doesn’t allow bad things to happen just because, something beautiful will come of it. Share your story, God will use it!
Ms. Vicki’s prayer requests: to learn the local language, for her daughter Taylor to come to the Lord, and for a successful business that glorifies God.
