Easter to me is normally, waking up, getting dressed into some nice clothes, going to church, having a big dinner and spending some quality time with family. I knew this Easter would be different, but I didn’t realize how different it would look.
I love the Easter story and what it symbolizes. We are set free because our father sent His son to die for us and we celebrate today, because not only did he die but he rose again. He took our sin, so that we could live in freedom.
As I have been travelling the past four months, I have found new meanings in what the Lord has done and how to walk in freedom. I am human so I still struggle often, but because of his everlasting love I am continually forgiven and set free of my sins! I was excited to share this with the people of Cambodia today, as it was my turn to give a sermon, but plans change fast out here.
As our team got ready for church and were expecting another long day of attending 3 different church services, we were told to go change and put on ‘nicer clothes’. We were going to a funeral…Well we don’t really have nicer clothes then our church clothes so we all tried to do our hair a little different in hopes that we would try to fit into a place we already stand out in.
We knew that this funeral could be a possibility as we had prayed over the man the night before he passed. He was our pastors father and he had been bed ridden for the past month and had recently just gotten sick. He passed away the next morning, and here we were heading to his funeral on Easter Sunday.
We then got to go sit on the river at a floating restaurant and just rest in God’s beauty and hang out with each other. It was so much fun getting to sit in hammocks, enjoying the view and talking with one another.
On the way back home, we happened to pass by a car-moto accident, and lets just say the image of the dead guy sitting on the side of the road is still engrained inside my head. I am so thankful they cover these bodies back home! This made me realize that our life can change in an instant, this innocent man might have been on his way somewhere and was taken so fast. It is my prayer that this man went to heaven.
We were then on the search for some AC and some coffee. Our hosts love to hangout in AC areas as it is extremely hot here. We have really enjoyed getting to know them and build a relationship with the two of them. We also got to make some pancakes and hear our host Thyvenn’s story. It is powerful and I am hoping to share his video with you all. It is a real testament of how Jesus redeems everyone and can change your life completly.
Today we were all over the place, and Easter wasn’t celebrated the way we normally would celebrate back home. People weren’t celebrating here as it is the Cambodian New Year and that is what was and has been celebrated for the past 4 days, but it is an Easter I will never forget. It was a nice relaxed day of spending time with my team.
We may be on a mission trip and I would have thought that Easter would have looked a lot like home and an amazing service, but then I remember that I am in another country, where only 1% of the population is Christian and I go to a church where I don’t understand the worship or pastor. It is time that I use to pray and have my own time with the Lord, while I watch and see another culture soak up his word!
Through all the craziness, I am still thankful that Jesus rose from the dead and took the pain of suffering so that one day I will meet him face to face!
