And before I can even stop to catch my breath we are in Cambodia. This Race has got to slow down or I am going to fall off. At the same time, it feels like the longest year of my life. Time works differently when you travel, I suppose.
Well, this is a very important blog post, and I ask that you share it around, because our ministry this month relies a great deal on you!
First off – some changes were made in our squad. At this point during the Race, individuals are selected to take over the position of Squad Leaders, as our current Squad Leaders (people who have done the Race before) depart from the Race. This change results in team shifts and changes that, hopefully, will remain throughout the rest of the mission trip.
So, without further ado, I would LOVE to introduce you to my new and (hopefully) final team, drumroll please…Radical Pursuit!
This is the all-girls team (you read that right – ALL GIRLS) that will see me through to the end of this journey, and vice versa. I am unbelievably excited to be placed in a team with these girls, and to have the opportunity to travel with them and experience what God is doing in our lives together for the next seven months! Maybe I will write a blog about the dynamics of team changes, and my hopes for this new team, but this is not that blog.
I would like to talk to you about our ministry this month, as your partnership is incredibly important.
Our team is placed in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia to do Unsung Heroes Ministry. Adventures in Missions (AIM) has partnering ministries all over the globe, and it is these ministries that they send short-term missionaries to. It is these ministries that I have been writing about and working with. As Unsung ministry, our job is to find new ministries for AIM to partner with. It is a very important job, and most teams spend at least one month doing Unsung during their Race.
This ministry is different because we are left to establish where we will go, where we will stay, and what we will do. This frees us up to follow God’s leading as he directs us towards specific people and ministries. It is a month of prayer, of listening to God speak and direct, and of seeing numerous doors opened before us. Even after the few days that we have been in Phnom Penh, we have had so many contacts and leads – both found by references and by merely walking the streets – that it is absolutely unbelievable.
<– Phnom Penh stretching out into the distance from my hotel window. This city is full of people who are hurting and need to hear the truth of Christ, as well as ministries reaching out to them. You can get a feel of both while walking the streets.
This is also an awesome experience to see all of the dynamics of a culture, and the ways that missionaries have felt God calling them to meet the needs around them. Usually, we are partnered with only one ministry, and understand that particular need more than any others. For example, I can talk your ears off about the social problem of street children in the Philippines, while I know far less about human trafficking in the same country. This month we have had, and will continue to have, the opportunity to witness the work addressing the needs of human trafficking, poverty, education, children’s needs, housing needs, and many others.
I guess what I’m trying to say is – this month is going to be incredible.
How can you help?
By praying for us. Definitely. We need prayers that God will open doors, that we will be able to hear him clearly, and that we will be protected against spiritual attacks (many of our team have been struggling with their health since we arrived). In addition, any ministries and missionary contacts in Phnom Penh that you can share with us will be a tremendous blessing. That is how these doors are opened.
So, please share this blog, and help us in this search. Also, please be praying for us as a new team and as we begin to grow and bond together, and that we will be strengthened this month and protected against spiritual attacks.
Love you all so much!
Kayla
