As I have a little over a month left on the Race, I will talk about the three major things that I have learned while being on the mission field. Number 1: God is so much bigger than I thought. Number 2: I must be willing and prepared to let God use me. Number 3: The mission field is anywhere I go.
First, I’m going to rewind all the way back to training camp. (If you need a reminder of what training camp was like, you can check out that blog.) I was at training camp in preparation for the 9 month international missions trip. I had no idea what really I was getting myself into. I knew that I would be taking the gospel to different parts of the world and telling others of Jesus. I knew so many details, but I didn’t know how my personal experience would be.
Training camp blew my mind. I had never been surrounded by people more “on fire” for God. The worship that these people declared were not based off of what others would think of them, but rather lifting all of the praise and glory to God. These fellow “runners” would be so bold in declaring who Christ was. Who was I, and what did I think of these things? First off, I thought these people were crazy. I actually thought that some of the **testimonies** I heard from others were demonic. I was so out of my place of “normal” that I didn’t know what to think or how to approach several of the things that I was seeing and hearing. After asking several questions, I cleared up several of the things that I thought about the odd testimonies. This was just the beginning of seeing who God was and how I had kept him in a box for far too long.
The things that happened over training camp was just the beginning of the things God would show me. People spoke visions over me, gave me encouragement that spoke directly into the things that I was going through at the time, and showed me more of my God that I knew so little about. That was just the beginning of what I have seen on the field. I have seen healings first hand, God using me and others to lay hands on others that brought healing, and God healing my leg. God has also spoken to me in visions, given me words to say in Spanish when I had no idea what to say, and he has filled me with boldness. All of this to say, God is so much bigger than I thought. He is so awesome!
Next, I need to be willing and prepared for God to use me. With the several different ministries that I have been a part of, I have seen that God will use me if I am indeed willing and prepared for God to use me. I can’t be sitting on the couch at home, waiting for all of these things to come to me, but rather I need to go out. Whether that is on a missions trip or meeting and talking to others where I am at, I need to be prepared in a way of depending on God. My preparation doesn’t call me to be perfect. My preparation is solely from my dependance on God to come through and he always does.
Finally, I have learned that the mission field is anywhere that I go. I knew this truth when I started the Race, but I have been a part of it more these last 9 months. I think that this really stuck when I was in Guatemala. I had time to talk openly about the Gospel with those that I came in contact with. Whether it was in the park or talking with vendors selling their items, I could do this anywhere. Now in Cambodia, we have had a lot of free time and there is a man here named Zeen that God has really given me a heart for. The cool thing is, most days he will just show up at our house and ask questions, or just talk to us. He has good English and can understand it also. This for me has been exciting to talk to him and tell him more about the Bible. He is really searching for why sin is here and for more details about God. I ask that you would intercede in prayer for him; that he would keep asking questions and for him to see God’s love.
