Month one of my World Race is over, and while I prepare to start month two ministry here in Thailand, I wanted to give you all a recap of my month in Cambodia. This has been hard for me because so much happened and I have so many amazing memories. I could spend forever sharing my entire journey in Cambodia and could write many blogs about my heart, my ministry, and my stories. But there is one story that needs to be told. One story that needs to be heard. And one story that needs to be celebrated. I actually wrote a journal entry the day this happened, so here it is:
October 20, 2016
Today was a beautiful day! All of Heaven is rejoicing and I can not stop singing songs of praise to our Lord and Savior. It started off just like every other day with door to door evangelism in the village. This has been a huge part of our ministry this month that we do each morning. It has been a great way to get to know the community and build relationships with people. Most of the homes we visit are Buddhist, and evangelism is hard because you don’t see a lot of fruit. The truth is, we plant a lot of seeds, and till everyday, but we harvest very little. At times this becomes very discouraging because every Buddhist home I enter I want to see them saved. But that is not the case. 95% of Cambodia is Buddhist. With a culture so deeply rooted in Buddhism, people are reluctant to walk away from it. In many cases it will cost them their friends, family, and social life. There have been numerous accounts where we meet people who have heard of Jesus, but they can not find the courage to leave the temple. It is heart breaking, and it leaves me feeling helpless. All we can do is give them our time, love, prayers, and let the Lord do the rest.
But today, we were able to taste the sweetest of fruits.
Her name is Chea Two, and I knew she was special the moment she invited us into her home. She had a giant smile that she tried to hide but couldn’t because her joy and love could not be masked. Her hospitality was gentle and honest. She looked at us as if we were family, beyond excited that we were there for her. When we sat down, we began asking her questions, trying to get to know her. But I could tell right away that she was eager to hear about Christianity and wanted to listen to what we had to say.
We asked her if she had ever been to church.
“No. I don’t go.” (Pause) “I used to hear things on the radio. My heart is split, with the temple and with God.”
So we continued to ask her if she knew who Jesus was.
“I remember hearing about him on the radio, but I have forgotten now. The radio doesn’t talk about him anymore.”
So we asked her if she would like to hear about Jesus and what he did for her.
She said YES!
My heart was beating out of my chest. Her daughter scooted closer and my teammate Katherine began to share the Gospel with them. Each time a piece of the Gospel was translated to her, I could see her dance with the idea in her head. In that moment I prayed, asking the Lord to open her heart to the truth that was being spoken to her. And when Katherine had finished, we asked the women if she wanted to accept Christ into her heart.
AND WITH A HUGE SMILE ON HER FACE SHE SAID YES!!!!!!
So we surrounded her, laid hands on her, and walked her through prayer as she invited Christ into her heart and accepted him as her Lord and Savior. Afterward she could not stop smiling and said, “I am full of delight!”
She was glowing!! This was truly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life. GOD IS SO GOOD! Can we all just take a moment to sing praises out loud and rejoice in celebration of our sister who was just saved!! These are the moments to live for. This is the sweetest of fruits. Praise God for populating Heaven and for our sister who is no longer lost.
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in you heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 10: 9-10
Please add Chea Two to your prayers and join me in celebrating this beautiful moment!
My team and I served the community in a variety of ways last month. Beyond evangelism we taught children English, taught teachers proper English pronunciation, visited a local village to teach the children general hygiene, performed skits such as David and Goliath and The Three Little Pigs and visited the local orphanage. If you would like to hear more about Cambodia please feel free to contact me, I would love to share.
Thank you for your continued love and support! God is so good!
Yours Truly,
Jac Jac
