I shared quite a bit about my ministry and what the Lord has been uprooting and growing me in but I also have many of these other experiences with adventures on the weekends, where I get to explore the different places I have been traveling to! This past weekend we got to go to Kep beach and Rabbit island!
The school, my team teaches at, had a holiday on Friday, so we decided to leave at 6am that day for this adventure. From home we had a 3 hour drive to Phenom Phen, capital of Cambodia. This is where we discovered the great Krispy Kreme and Dominos, American food haha! We then had another 3 hour drive to Kep beach filled with much laughter, singing songs, eating comfort food, and sharing the gospel with our driver who, to our great surprise, was a Christian!
It started with a big surprise for one of my teammates. It was Kat’s birthday, so secretly we made a plan to surprise her and her twin sister Caz, who was away with her own team in a far off village. As we arrived to our hostel the first night, Caz’s whole team was there waiting for us to arrive and the twins to reunite! It was so emotional and a moment full of joy for them to finally be back together, especially for their birthday & just to see their team again after 2 months. We ended up going to the beach and out for dinner that first night. I got to hear stories about their ministry and their living. It was great to come back together and see how much each individual team has changed as a whole.
Saturday morning, we hopped on sketchy boats to take us to the island, it was supposedly a thirty minute ride but it went by so fast because the whole time we were occupied taking in the creation of the Lord.
As we arrived I was overwhelmed by God’s beauty. We were surrounded by tropical palm trees, countless islands in the distance, and a gorgeous beach to lay on! There we also found our Bungalows. We stayed one night in the little shacks . Elle, Mattie, and Kayla where my roomies for the night. Going into this weekend I knew there was no WiFi and service on the island so I really thought of it as a chance to refresh and rest in the Lord’s presence before going back to ministry Monday. I was able to learn what real rest looks like! In the afternoon I got to spend time in His word on the beach and swim in the ocean. That night we asked a random guy to take us to see the bioluminescent plankton, that was in the water surrounding this island. It ended with us almost tipping a boat in the dark trying to move it out into the water. Little did we know it was still anchored in the sand. We came to the conclusion that the boat was most likely not his. We ended up ditching the boat to go exploring through the trails to a deserted beach where the plankton in the water glowed!! It was like a bunch of blue fireflies living in the water! I was amazed. I looked and thought, “wow, with the same precession, detail, and beauty in His creation, He also made us. With all God’s creation He has given a purpose to. He is such a good father to us. He blesses us so extravagantly!
Getting back from the late night nature hike, I fell asleep in our bungalow, under a mosquito net with no electricity, it was great! Fully unplugged, I was able to have the best sleep. The next morning I got up early to see the sun rise and worship on the porch of my bungalow. I loved starting my day with Jesus and looking over the ocean! Me and Mattie sat on the beach reading scripture, taking in the morning views, and listening to the calm waves. We grabbed some breakfast before jumping on the boats back at 9am. I got bread and jam, big mistake, it is not the same in Cambodia. I got the best teammates, thankfully they shared their pancakes with me!
Taking even just a weekend vacation away has made me all the more grateful for what God has placed in my life at home while being here in Cambodia. Getting time away to explore but also getting to go back to my little town with the bustling market I go to each day, the sweet coffee lady, our host and his family we see each day, my adorable students, and all the staff we get to work with. I have realized that we might not have the luxuries of AC and Krispy Kreme everyday but the Lord is our provider. He gives us what we need, and what will sustain us. Nothing more, nothing less. He blesses each day and we just have to open our eyes to those blessings. Getting to do ministry and share the Lord’s word with others, while also exploring the world He created. It blows my mind! I remember being a little girl in elementary school saying I would become a missionary and travel the world, well here I am and boy did God make that little girl’s dream become a living reality!! Although I have change and growth I am working through, I also get a chance at experiencing the joy and happiness that comes along with being a child of the Lord. I am so glad I get to share the goodness of the Lord and just of what He has planted both in ministry and adventure days.
God has truly blessed me through all of you and the endless support I have received! The prayers and the donations have been so immense. I have felt so loved and encouraged throughout this whole journey and I just thank you all so much! I am at $14,925, that is only $875 away from being fully funded!! If you would like contribute to my last little bit to go, hit the donate button on the top of my blog page! Much love and thanks to all who have helped get me here!
