We’re told we’ll have no internet this month. We’re also told there’s no ATMS, no grocery stores, not even a market to buy food. We’re assuming there is no A/C since we’re currently in the city at the YWAM base and even they don’t have A/C. What’s my initial reaction? Well, being the seasoned World Racer entering her 10th month of ministry my first reaction is…to pout. I mean, I just spent the last month in communist Vietnam and even they have grocery stores and internet and A/C! So, I’m sad to say it but I spent a good 10….ok 30 minutes mourning the loss of things I have once again become accustomed to and have prepared myself for one final month living the life of the non-luxury. It’s awful that I have seen and experienced so much poverty and lack of resources on this trip and yet I still grieve one more month of uncomfortable living conditions. I’m sad how quickly I forget about life in Romania or Pader and whine because I won’t have internet for a month. And I don’t know if I forget because while we were there it was the norm or if I just block the bad experiences from my memory. Regardless, I’m going to work harder on accepting life for what it gives me…whether that’s an air-conditioned room with a king sized bed or an air mattress on the floor of a tiny cockroach infested hut. And you know what? Either way, I’m going to be ok. If life throws me the not so ideal ball I know I will survive but if life throws me the better than average ball I’m going to do my best to use it to bless others.
Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I’d
say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble,
reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the
beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into
practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that,
and G*d, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most
excellent harmonies.
We don’t know specifics for what we’ll be doing this month except the fact we’ll be about 3 hours away from the city living in a Canadian missionary’s house working with children or the elderly. We’ll be there for 2 weeks and then move to another place in Cambodia living with a Cambodian family living the Cambodian life. I feel like this is our first month in Asia even though Vietnam is already long gone. Vietnam went by so quickly and I will sincerely miss it and all of the friends I made there. Cambodia is our last month as a team. Next month we will be split up, the boys go somewhere while the girls do bar ministry so this is my last month with Chad and Callan. It’s weird to think that endings are already happening. You can be praying for us to really cherish this last month together.
And for those of you who don’t know, we found out when our flight home will be. Get excited folks because I will be back in good old Minneapolis, Minnesota at 8:25pm on June 29th. Get ready with all of the Caribou Coffee, Brewhouse Wild Rice Burgers, Coldstone Creamery and Pizza Luce brownies you can find because I’ll be back in full force! I can’t wait to see all of your pretty faces in person!!
And since I know you all are curious, there is officially 3 months and 16 days until my birthday (August 19th). Please send all birthday cards, Caribou gift cards and extravagant gifts to my parent’s house. 🙂
