Cambodia and Realizations

Our last week in Kampong Cham, Cambodia we taught English for a school that our ministry contacts started.  One of my classes was Business English where Luann and I taught students about interviews, resumes, and professional business conduct.  My second class was Effortless English where students werenÕt so fluent yet but helped them gain confidence in their beginning course of learning English. 

The students only paid one dollar American for the class; very cheap for a person who couldnÕt afford it in any normal school.  Our ministry contacts started this English school as a way to share the gospel while teaching English; a huge desire for these countries.  A couple of days we went over the whole creation story as I had all of them read it out loud in the class and would answer what each thing was created on those days; then pronounce and practice various words that were hard for them to say.  I had to be careful in some ways because it was not their beliefs and there was a government official in my class.  My ministry contact, whom I donÕt use names for protection purposes, told me of current students and past ones that have heard of the gospel while being there and have seeds planted.

ThereÕs a huge lack of missionaries to Cambodia and itÕs very hard sharing in a strong Buddhist culture among with the history of war and genocide in Cambodia.  My missionary contact is originally from the Philippines and she felt the call to Cambodia alone.  For two years she was by herself slowly getting things started, and she confessed to me that there were time of extreme loneliness and impatience.  Then God brought a couple of short term helpers that fell in love and she asked them to stay, now making a team of four that not only reach the Cambodians, but the Vietnamese people, and the Muslim community.  Her work is very hard because you canÕt do anything Òin the openÓ as far as evangelism which has religious freedom as long as you donÕt push it or open sharing of the gospel; as with any belief. 

What encouraged me the most was our ministry contacts faith and perseverance.  In a city where itÕs so hard to share the gospel and having to build things slowly for a long term impact, they have stuck it out.  They said many people come here for missions, but the heat or ÒinconveniencesÓ take away that call and make them go back home for more comfort.  She could have easily quit, but she has stuck it out and now itÕs becoming of fruit.

The time in Cambodia was very refreshing for the new team, Dynami.  With a first week of pioneering ministry for our contact, we were able to establish good relations for future ministry.  Our second week was pretty much an off week because of the Khmer New Year, and then our last week was teaching English.  I had the mornings off and early afternoons to rest, spend time in the Word, and get to bond/invest with this team.

After just having four days of debrief in Bangkok, Thailand (literally walking across the border) I have come to realize three things about myself or desires that are growing:

 1. My prayer life is unfortunately very weak; as a believer and minister this isnÕt good.  My whole life IÕve struggled with consistent day to day prayer.  During my personal times of devotion I would always spend time in the Word but never much in prayer, and only seem to pray where major decisions were coming or just as a body of believers.  I desire to see my prayer life drastically altered into a consistent daily walking with the Lord.  IÕm praying this month while in Thailand that God will empower me more in prayer and I will actually Òpray without ceasingÓ!  IÕm honest with you and myself, prayer isnÕt a strong thing of mine, and as a follower of Christ it should be one of the highest things for me to daily talk to my Father and pray in power of the Spirit, but also in humbleness.  God enlarge my faith and attitude towards prayer.  You did a miracle with a baby for a couple in Australia and have shown up so much in it on this trip, isnÕt it about time I took that to heart?  It is a sin of omission on my part.

 2. Our squad leaders Mark and Kyla have finished their journey with us last week and have gone home as we have new squad leaders now.  They were so great and taught us so much.  Mark taught me a lot about the discipline of listening, and Kyla showed me what it truly means to walk in the Òpresence of GodÓ consistently.  Before she goes to bed she will ask the Lord for a dream to speak to the squad, she will just speak truth, and be in constant fellowship with Him.  God is more than an every once in a while approach, and I need to have my Òeyes openedÓ that He really is with me.  That I can talk to Him, ask things of Him, and just walk in the presence of the Spirit daily.  I believe my attitude will truly be changed, peace will truly be in everything, as no matter where I go, what I do, God is with me and I can have constant communion with him.  How weak our relationship is of him because we donÕt walk WITH Him.

3. A few weeks ago I wrote a blog called “Fill Me” and discussed about how I truly have been wanting the Lord to reveal a lot of things in me that need change and growth, but never really sought it out.  Since then God has been flooding me with dreams and visions (hence the well) for many people and myself; this has never happened at all before except for one time at training camp when I had a vision and it led a guy to Christ on the street.  I am wanting to know more of a confirmation if this is possibly a new spiritual gift that God is giving me to build up the body of Christ.  Since the last few weeks God has been giving me visions for our squadmates for encouragement and growth.  I had a daily vision of parts of a ship for my new team that have been so powerful itÕs kept us in unity and showed our value.  IÕve had a dream of our men praying around a certain male this month who is currently needing a lot of prayer, and many more things.  This never happened so much before and He speaks to us in so many more ways that we ever think are ÒnormalÓ.  If this is truly a gift God is giving me, then I ask for wisdom, clear discernment, and more of it that I might be able to build the church and further His kingdom.  ItÕs really cool and I wish was more evident in churches everywhere.