It has been a while since I blogged, I realized that blogging and sharing via social media is something that I need to be more intentional with and something I need to really focus and make a weekly priority. I am naturally a relational person but more of a face to face, over the phone type of relational so bare with me with blogging and social media sharing.
Living life with the staff and children at the childrens home in Cambodia.
We are in month two of our three months mission trip and boy have I learned a lot about leading and even more about myself. Our month in Cambodia was good with a lot of hard moments that thought me about who I am and where I can compromise and where I just do not have room to compromise.
Rice fields where my team played soccer (futball) and where I would go to spend some much needed alone time with God.
I learned that my time with God is a priority over my time with people; wait wait, I know that may sound selfish and a bit confusing since my role as leader is to serve but hear me out. I need to spend time with God and the Trinity. I have learned that I cannot serve unless I am spending time with God. It was about our second week in Cambodia and per usual I was getting all the feedback to be had and usually this does not effect me since I take it all back to God and allow Him to speak into me what needs to be spoken but for some reason something had shift. I was confused as to what since I was spending time with God in the mornings and also at night, but still I was not my full self.
Than one day God said once a day is not enough for us, once a day is not enough to overflow your cup, it is not enough time to realign your heart, mind and soul. So that day after ministry, I grabbed my Bible, phone, Journal and hopped on one of the bikes and just started ride and worshipping with the Lord. He took me down the road by the river and we sat in the nook where all there were was the cutest dog and a few feet away children bathing in the river and on the other side a family fishing. That day I had the most peaceful, uninterrupted time with the Trinity, I worshiped, laughed, wrote down a letter God had for me and just sat in complete peace with the Trinity and it was just what my soul needed.
My team and I on our bikes during evangelism.
See I often forget that I am a spiritual being, we all are and with that, I need to sit with my spiritual father and best friend and allow Him to pour into me as I pour out to Him, I need to sit and allow Him to direct my thoughts, my heart, my eyes and every thing that I bring to Him. I need to remain surrendered to Him and always come back to Him for a daily heart check. I also need to do that more than once a day. When you are in a love relationship or even a friendship, all you want to do is spend time with that person, when something happens throughout the day, you grab your phone and text or call your spouse, best friend or even close family to tell them all about this amazing or even heart breaking thing that has happened in your day and that is the same thing that my soul was longing for. I had missed out on the part that I needed and wanted to go and share my day with God and tell Him how I felt about how my day was going or was not going and for Him to celebrate the victories and failures with me.
We got to attend a non traditional Cambodia wedding!
I always say that my umbilical cord is still attached to God and that week I realized how much truth those words carried. God is my food source, my life source, I need and want Him for EVERYTHING and I need and want to spend all my time with Him. To adjust my schedule around Him and not Him around my schedule. He is my priority and as long as I spend intentional time seeking Him, speaking to Him, listening to Him and allowing Him to love me at all times, I will be good.
One of the sweet girls that lived at the childrens home in Cambodia, she is such a leader and helper. This was during our manual labor where the kids joined and coordinate the project.
So there is it, what I learned in Cambodia, we are now in Thailand and will be here for the remainder of our time. We have partnered with Ywam (Youth with a mission) and have been exposed to so many ministry opportunities and have met so many amazing new friends. Thailand has and will always have a special place in my heart, it always feels like home, like I belong, regardless of the hard moments, the love I feel here overpowers everything else. My phone broke my first week here and it has been such a blessing, I am more present and also spend much more time with God and my team.
Pray Request
· For myself, my team and squad to finish strong and well
· For more people to come to know and experience Christ in a new way
· For monthly donors as I transition to Long Term in Cambodia
· I’m fundraising for my long-term missions in Cambodia and I need your help! So, I’m doing a fun March Madness fundraiser to help reach my goal! (this one is for the guys out there too) If you’re interested in picking one of these prices, donate by clicking on the orange donate button on the top right. There is also the option to do a monthly donation or a one time! (All donations are tax deductible; win win)
Thank you to everyone who has been walking with me and supporting me these past 19 months on the field. Thank you for your prays and your selfless donations and support, it means the world to me to have you in my corner.
Please feel free to share with your friends and family, love each and everyone of you!
