Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

If you read my blog about joy and the things that God has been teaching me about this marvelous Fruit of the Spirit, then you’ll know that joy is something I’ve been trying to walk in more and more as the days progress. Cambodia was a HUGE month for me in the “learning about joy” category; we got to experience the Khmer (pronounced Ka-my) New Year, Easter, a jubilant preschool class, a beyond awesome host family, a cohesive, encouraging team, and an Awakening event that brought together 150+ racers and Cambodian ministry hosts. Throughout my time in Cambodia, I made it my goal to make a list of 30 ways that I saw or experienced joy (either my own joy or others’ joy) in day-to-day life. I would love to take the chance and share that list with you; may it bring you as much J:O:Y as it brought me!

  1. The lessons of corporate joy that I began to understand in Vietnam
  2. The joy of Palm Sunday and Jesus riding in to meet His people (and the joy that His 12 disciples had when He rode to meet them)
  3. The joy expressed by our host family worshiping at night
  4. Christ who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Father — Hebrews 12:2
  5. The joy and laughter of Team Themlesios exploring the shops on Street 240
  6. The simple joy of cold showers at 6 a.m. and of lounging in a hammock
  7. The joy God allows me to bring into the classroom as a teacher
  8. God has set you apart by anointing you with the oil of (His) joy — Psalm 45:7
  9. The joy of what the Easter season really symbolizes
  10. The joy of the children squealing while throwing water balloons at each others’ feet during the New Year’s celebration
  11. The joy of praying with the family each night
  12. Being filled with joy at the sight of Mama praying over her family and World Race children and being so reminded of my own Mama: feeling joy replace homesickness
  13. The laughter and joy of catching mangoes falling from the trees
  14. “To find joy in this day… do not worry about tomorrow or get stuck in the past. There is abundant life in My Presence.” (Jesus Calling 4/11)
  15. The joy of the ESL class drawing “frog drinking coffee”
  16. The New Year season being focused on joy and family celebration
  17. The sheer joy of crisp, Cambodian rain… and dancing in the rain!
  18. The joy of a colorful new dress from Mama
  19. The joy experienced in singing and dancing as one big family
  20. The joy that outlasts getting drenched in your own sweat
  21. You will show me the path of life; if your presence is fullness of joy — Psalm 16:11
  22. The joy in being secure in the identity of “daughter of the living God”
  23. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance — James 1:2
  24. The knowledge that the joy of the Lord is there even when I don’t personally feel it
  25. The majesty and joy of the beautiful Cambodian sunrises and sunsets
  26. The joy of jumping into a swimming pool in the heat of the Cambodian afternoon
  27. The joy of worshipping with 180 fellow racers, all at different stages but all running hard after the exact same God
  28. The joy and power that is and will be Team R1:16 (stay tuned for more info!)
  29. The joy that comes with being surrounded by a community than knows your true heart
  30. The Truth and joy that God is doing greater things than I could imagine in my own heart, this city, and the nation of Cambodia