swimming lessons in Cambodia

Yes this is hard for me to hear as I wish to be teaching/helping out in the classrooms, AND thats OK. Its ok that i’m sad, its ok that this isn’t my strength, its ok that somedays I don’t feel like i’m doing anything. BECAUSE this is how the Lord grows us. By putting us outside of our comfort zone and just telling us to trust him. 

So that I am. I am trusting in the Lord that he WILL show up and move in these last few months because He is a God that will push us but the reward in the end is far better than what we could have ever dreamed of. He won’t leave me to walk through this new ground alone, because he is my protector, guide, friend, teacher, father and will be holding my hand through all of it. 

 

Anyhow

 

Last week, one of my ministry hosts Vina (who is 20) asked me if I like to swim. I immediately piped up and she had my full attention. 

Since being on the race I’ve swam one time, so when she asked me if I liked to swim it felt like a puzzle piece clicking back together again. (I know that’s cheesy but I don’t know how else to describe it! ) 

Vina asked me if I knew how to swim and so I went on to tell her that I was a lifeguard and swim instructor back home before the race. She got excited and asked me if I could be her teacher and teach her how to swim!!! This past weekend we ended up going to a pool here that was in a hotel and had to pay a huge fee of $4 USD to use it. But at that point I would have payed $10 to just be in a pool. 

 

To sum it up it was the funniest 2 hours of my life. I missed that feeling of being able to teach someone something new  and the joy that comes when they finally master the skill.  I missed the feeling of being underwater and when it feels like the world around me can melt away and its just me. I missed the feel of the tightness in my chest from the water density. But most of all I missed the simpleness and stillness I feel inside of me when i’m in water. 

 

Vina reminded me again of why I started teaching lessons in the first place. From the moment I cannon balled into the pool and made a big splash she had a huge smile on her face and was laughing at me. To me, entering into the pool doesn’t even cross my mind, it is easy and natural. I forgot that Vina had never been to a pool before and this was a whole new experience of uncertainty. With newness comes the excitement of the unknown that I tend to over see because I have done it a thousand times already. The whole time she was praying for Gods boldness and perseverance through the fear of the unknown ahead. This reminded me of James 1:2-3.

 

James 1:2-3 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

This verse also really resonated with me too because I was facing trials in ministry here and God showed up in a way I would have never seen coming and now because of that I still get to teach, but not in the way I thought I would be. I thought I would be teaching English, but God had other plans. Plans to use my strength and love for swimming to teach Vina a skill that she can go on to teach others. 

Because Vina knows her father and the trust she has in him, her testings or fear didn’t hold her back and make her stop, she lived out the Lord’s JOY and persevered in the lesson. 

 

From as simple as blowing bubbles,

The tight feeling in her chest from the water density,

Getting water in her eyes and having them sting, 

Come up coughing and out of breath after a glide, 

Being afraid when she couldn’t touch so she grabbed onto me,

Having her shirt blow up when you pull it off of your stomach when you get out of the pool, 

Pushing off the wall for the first time,

Calling me teacher,

Trying to kick with straight legs, 

Watching me do a somersault, 

And,

Being exhausted after the lesson, made her giggle and rejoice in the Lord in the ways he created life. 

 

This week I had no idea what I wanted to blog about and this was a special moment for me that the Lord highlighted to me this morning, and I thought i’d share it. 

In 2 corinthians 12:9 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

I Love this verse right now because it summed up this event. I was feeling weak in my abilities and the Lords power came in perfect timing and turned my weakness and what I was lacking into a reminder of His strength and to rely on Him because he is with us even if we don’t feel it or believe it fully in our hearts.

 

As always thanks for reading my blogs it means a lot. 

Please reach out if you have any questions or prayer requests!

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Ella:)