Hello! Since I last updated y’all, we’ve had three weeks of ministry in Cambodia, adventure days, debrief, team-changes, and a travel day to Thailand, where we are about to spend a week doing ministry with our parents! With further explanation, here is a bit about life lately…
*Side-note: I’m sharing this a bit late…we are now in Thailand, and I will share some recent updates here soon!
Ministry
I spent the month of March with Team Kuwala – a team of five amazing women who serve, laugh, and love with their whole hearts. We were partnered with University of the Nations (UofN) at The Blue School, approximately 30 minutes outside the city of Siem Reap. Our mornings were spent studying Romans and doing chores, and our afternoon ministry was teaching English to the local kiddos after their school days ended. Some afternoons, our team rode bikes to nearby villages to sing, play, and perform skits telling Bible stories. Also, we rode tuk tuks into the city two days a week to worship with the UofN staff. Y’all, let me just spend some time on this one. My heart overflowed with joy every time we were at the main university for worship. One night, a man pointed out how much that room looked like heaven as we had people from Cambodia, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Brazil, and the United States of America. And then we got to witness all these voices praising the Lord in their own languages…it was one of the most beautiful moments of worship I had ever experienced.
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…
Revelation 7:9
Another part of ministry was living with our hosts – two women and one man around our own ages who live and teach at The Blue School. We got to become friends with them, teach with them, and simply do life with them for a few weeks. We shared stories, lessons learned, praises, and prayer requests with our hosts who became like family.
Adventures
Our first adventure day was a sunrise visit to Angkor Wat with a couple of our hosts! It was beautiful. We got to look out over the city, wander with our new friends, and pet a super cute pup.
Another fun adventure – I tried to learn how to ride a bike when I was a kid, when most other people learn, but I could never stop falling off. Eventually, I lost hope and quit. I know…not the best approach to challenges. Trust me, I’ve developed some endurance and resilience since childhood. Which is evidenced by the fact that I now know how to ride a bike! Our hosts told us that two days a week we would ride bikes to the villages. So, my teamies encouraged me and helped me learn on a rickety, rusty old bike on a sandy, dirt road filled with potholes in a little village in Cambodia. Praise the Lord.
Debrief
This debrief, we had some special guests! Katie and Rachael, our alumni-squad leaders who spent the first five months of our race on the field with us, made a spectacular return to K-squad. Bill Swan, our director, also came out to the field, spending a few days with our men and then all of debrief with our squad. Allison, our mentor who is usually connected to us through technology, also came to the field to be with us again. It was so sweet and encouraging to have so much of our leadership team back, investing in us and having fun with us in Cambodia!
We had discussions on suffering honorably, privilege/entitlement, alcohol, logic in hearing the voice of the Lord, gossip, dreaming practically, setting goals, and setting ourselves up to transition home well. We processed through team changes, had a night of Family Feud, and invited the Lord to meet us in nights of powerful worship.
Also, a fun thing happened where some of our hosts came to our hostel to swim and play with us one afternoon! That was a sweet, delightful time.
Praises
Learning how to ride a bike as a grown adult in front of Cambodian families who watch and cheer all afternoon as kiddos ride past me was a fun time to learn greater dependence on God…also a good time to practice humility
Sweet moments with friends as we stood (or sat) in awe while watching sunrises and sunsets throughout the month
Cooking lessons from hosts who became such encouraging friends
Powerful, life-giving, Kingdom-building worship nights with K-squad
Leaders who genuinely pursue the people they are leading and empowering…who listen intently as people share their hearts and speak truth into the broken parts
Prayer requests
I have this weird thing where I get nosebleeds multiple times a day, multiple days a week, for 3-4 weeks at a time (they stopped about a week ago, so that’s a praise)…it’s not a major health issue, but I’d like it to stop, ya know?
A strong final stretch for K-squad…unity, motivation, faith, endless pursuit of our Father’s heart
Peace and presence as we near the end of our time on the field, which means we are also looking toward transitioning home, and that can be scary and distracting
*Photo credit: Amanda Belle Williams
