The Father’s Good Gift

Dear friend,

I wanted to write you first to say hi and express how much I miss you and the WonGen family! It was so hard to leave but God has given me such a peace about coming back that I am not filled with grief.

I am also writing to express the deep gratitude I have for this camera. I know it was a great sacrifice and my heart aches for you sometimes because I know how hard sacrifice and obedience can be, but be sure of this, you will be blessed in return. It amazes me how God can use one act, like giving away a personal possession, as a rippled effect in the Kingdom. Let me explain…

This race has been extremely hard for me. I had to sacrifice much to get here and to be obedient to the Lord. Over and over I had to surrender. I let go of job offers, I gave up my apartment, my car,and sold 80% of all my belongings such as my bed, my clothes, my dishes, my living room furniture, my DVDs, my tv, bookshelves…and my camera. I had to leave my safe circle of friends and family who had been there for me through the past 3 hardest years of my life. I was diagnosed with depression a few years ago and I give praise and thanks to the Lord for he walked me through alot of healing and used these people to guide me and walk with me. God called me on the race to learn how to walk on my own two feet and to let go of my safety net, believing that if I fell He would surely be there to catch me. He asked me to give up all of my comforts to really see how healed from depression I was.

Surrender, sacrifice and obedience did not stop when I said, "yes Lord I will go" but it is a daily choice and discipline. Countless times I have had to let go of my will and choose to trust Him. I have been sick alot on this race and struggled with letting my teammates in, which has led me to almost calling it quits and going home twice. But each time I dedicated it to prayer and heard the Father's voice saying, "Not yet, beloved. I am asking you to stay. There is more Kingdom to be brought." And every time, no matter how hard it has been and no matter how close I have gotten to calling it quits, I have chosen to stay and trust in the Father. 

This is where you and your camera come in.

When you looked at me in the very last few minutes of my stay in Thailand and told me you wanted to give me your camera and bless me with it and that you believed God wanted you to give it to me, I was in shock. I often feel like I do not deserve gifts like that, and it is very hard for me to just receive. It was so precious and what made it mean so much was that it was dear to you. You didn't give me something worn out and no good…you gave me the best; you gave me a really good gift. I got on the bus still trying to understand what just happened and so I decided to pray and thank God so much. I began to pray and the tears would not stop flooding out my eyes. I listened to a worship song by Will Reagan and the United Pursuit Band, called If I give it all, and the chorus basicly says over and over "If I give it all to you will you make it all new? If I open up my hands will you fill them again?"  I remembered crying myself to sleep many times singing this prayer…and here I was sitting on a bus to Cambodia, after an amazing month in Thailand, with my hands filled with a new gift. I heard my Abba say,

Beautiful, huh? You will be even more happy to know that I have not gone 1 day without taking pictures! I am in love with it! I am learning more and more every day and seeing things in a whole new light.  I love taking pictures of the Cambodians, especially the wee children, and showing them their portrait. The look on their face when they see themselves is priceless! Can you imagine never having seen a picture of yourself before? It boggles my mind. I have taken something like 2000 pictures in the past week and can't wait to get home and learn editing! That's another thing, I am realizing photography is a potentially expensive hobby to get in to haha! Lenses, tripods, editing equipment…bah!! So much! haha BUT…if He provided once He will provide again, right? My job is to worship and to trust and He will do the rest! 

So thank you, friend! Thank you for your beautiful obedience and friendship. I can't wait to see you again in Thailand and I am praying for great blessing to come your way. TRUST the Father. He is a GOOD DAD and He is with you every step of the way.

Love your Canadian friend, Aisha.