Earlier this week I gave a personal and spiritual update, so I thought I’d write another blog to share more about ministry and the opportunities we’ve had as a team!
So here’s a little update:
Over the weekend we had a movie night with the kids, attended a Cambodian wedding reception (we danced till we dropped), lead worship at church, and had a water fight while helping the boys do laundry. It was a blast!
Our weekdays consist of teaching English, prayer walks through the village, playing futbol, card games with the kids, dance parties, and evangelizing in nearby villages.
Our days are most definitely full! While this is such a blessing, it’s also exhausting and overwhelming at times. And this week has definitely been difficult! As we enter our third week of ministry, our team is transitioning out of something called, “the honeymoon phase”… Meaning we are all mentally, spiritually, and physically exhausted.
But the Lord provided a beautiful (and much needed) ending to the week:
We biked to a nearby village to evangelize and spread the gospel with our host and his father-in-law. Going into the morning, I was honestly nervous and unsure of how it would all go down… but the moment we hopped on the bikes, I was filled with a sense of freedom. It was true childlike fun! Our team was filled with laughter as we rode (or raced) through the rice fields! When we arrived, we pulled over at a house and sat outside with a large family. I prayed silently as I listened to Kaitlin, one of my teammates, give her testimony and share about Jesus. She has such a heart for spreading the gospel and it’s absolutely inspiring. Before we left to go to the next house, we prayed over the mother and her family.
At the second house, we got to sit and share with an older woman and her grandchildren. I still didn’t receive any specific word or image from the Lord, so I sat on the side and prayed as Stephanie, my teammate, and Oriolyne, my leader, spoke truth and scripture over her. As a team, we prayed over her, her children, and her grandchildren. Leaving the house, I felt kind of discouraged because I wasn’t hearing anything from the Lord. Unconsciously, I started placing Him in a box, believing the lie that He couldn’t work through me. Yet again, He blew my mind.
As we pulled up to the last house, our host warned us that someone was sick. And the second I entered the small home, I was overwhelmed. My heart felt heavy and my eyes were filled with tears. I looked to my right and I saw an older woman lying on the floor. She looked so fragile and weak as if she would break at any point. They communicated to us that she had a stroke and that she hasn’t been able to walk since. We sat around her and I instantly felt lead to pray over her. If you know me, you know the idea of praying for healing is something I struggle with. I question God’s power and strength because of my father’s disease and death. I have always been hurt as I hear stories of how the Lord has answered prayers and healed people. I question, if He could truly do these miracles, we didn’t He save my dad? Yet, He did heal my father, just not the way I wanted Him to.
With all this being said, the Lord knew this was one of my weaknesses… and at this moment I remembered something He spoke to me this summer, “Through me, your weakness will become your strength.” What a powerful God. Where we are lacking, He is enough. So despite my fears, I laid my hands on her thin leg and called out to Him. I asked that He would touch her heart and her body. And as I prayed, tears were streaming down my face. It was an indescribable moment.
Later, the family asked us to massage her body to provide blood flow. So we began to sing over her and gently massage her hands and feet. As I held her hand in mine, she looked at me, and at that moment, I felt as if I was looking into the eyes of my dad. And the Lord spoke to me, “I gave you a heart for this… stop hiding from it. Use it.”
Where we are weak, He is strong. How cool.
Yet again, God blew my mind and reminded me that I can’t put Him in a box. I cannot fathom His thoughts and plans. And I’m so thankful that as I seek Him, He continues to reveal more of himself to me.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read about this journey I’m on! I ask that continue to pray for me, my team, and the lives that we encounter!
Have a great week!
Kat:)
