Asia was always the continent that scared me growing up. From what I heard of it, everything was super foreign and different from our comfortable American culture, but cheap! To be honest, I never had a desire to visit Asia, however, God brought me to Asia and grew me immensely. Five months in this continent has broadened my view of the world and the ways in which God works. Here’s a recap of Asia! Enjoy a look into my experience in each country and what the Lord taught me:
India: A total 180 in culture. India was an awesome country to begin the race because we dived headfirst into a completely opposite culture than ours back home. Head bobbles, tuk tuk rides, authentic chai, and curtas were foreign cultural experiences that welcomed us upon arrival. Ministry in India consisted of visiting a different village each night, praying over the people, and giving a sermon at the local village church. India was a month of intense spiritual darkness as we saw so many people burdened by evil spirits and the oppression of darkness. However, India was a month where I tangibly saw God’s light. In houses, churches, and people’s lives, I got to see God fighting for his people. I met God on a rooftop in India each morning and watched the sunrise and him whisper promises into my heart about the rest of the race, life, and the promises he had for his people in India. India oddly enough was a month of resting with the Lord and praising Him for finishing the last season of college well. My word for India is REST. God calls us to rest in Him regularly.
Nepal: Leaving India was rough. I was sad to leave behind a culture that I truly fell in love with and deep friendships that had been formed. Nepal was all squad month so all 54 of us lived in the same house and worked alongside each other. Ministry in Nepal varied daily. We went on prayer walks, treasure hunts, hikes, played soccer, went to the slums, went to the dance bars, and spent time pouring into each other. Nepal was a month where I personally experienced a lot of spiritual warfare and had a tough time sleeping at night. My team really supported me during this time and it was so cool to see what an Acts 2 community looks like. Nepal was a challenging month, but the immense growth that came out of this month makes it such a special month. Nepal is gorgeous and we were blessed to see the sun rise over the Himalayas, which is one of my fondest memories from this month. My word for Nepal is: Authenticity. God calls us to live in authenticity with others and we can do this by not holding back the final 2% of our stories.
Vietnam: Vietnam was an incredible month! We spent our month teaching English and pouring into the poorest children of the city as well as the most affluenct children. We learned how to creatively share Christ’s love and Kingdom in a country that didn’t allow evangelism. Vietnam was a month of independence. We were free to adventure through out the city, tour historical landmarks from the Vietnam War, join a gym, and eat really good Pho. Vietnam was a month of intensely growing in prayer with the Lord and growing in seeking Him daily. This was a month where God broke my heart for the orphans, but then also showed me where there was infinite hope in Him and how He was working in each one of the 350 orphans we met. We had an incredible ministry host this month who poured into us and showed us what it looked like to serve Christ in missions. My word for Vietnam is: Direction. God knows the direction of my life and all I’m called to do is pursue him wholeheartedly each day and He will provide the rest. (P.S. Vietnam was the month I became FULLY FUNDED…SHOUTOUT to everyone who helped me raise 17k…YOU ALL ARE ANGELS!! Thank You so much for making this year possible!!!!)
Cambodia: Oh Cambodia, you were hot and miserable at times, but so good. Cambodia was a month of intense character building. Sadly, I was pushed way out of my comfort zone, which isn’t really saying much. The heat, cockroaches, busy schedule, and burn out was beginning to wear on me and I wasn’t feeling as jazzed about the race. God really grew me in finding joy in every sweaty and difficult situation or circumstance we encountered. Our ministry was awesome and we were blessed with another incredible ministry host, who was actually from my home state, Washington! Our ministry consisted of odd jobs, teaching English, and pouring into the staff of CGC. Cambodia was a month of pursuing God in every moment and leaning on him for wisdom and guidance. Some of the highlights from this month were: getting my phone stolen, spending Easter Sunday at the beach with Ahava Chara, getting baptized at the Awakening, and spending really good time with the Lord daily. Cambodia was a month of exponential growth. My word for Cambodia is: Discomfort. God pushes us outside of our comfort zone constantly to grow and prune us to be better equipped for serving others for the kingdom.
Thailand: Thailand looked very different than the previous four months because it was a month of training. I spent the month getting to know my new team and learning what squad leading would entail. Thailand was a month of remembrance. God asked me daily to come to the table and commune with him. As we shared a meal, we would talk about the past seasons he had brought me through to get me to where He had me in the present. I grew in such deep intimacy with the Lord in this month. God showed me that I needed to stop relying on my past experiences of how I led and truly surrender and give him each day. I learned what it means to truly pursue God daily and allow our relationship to overflow into the way I serve others. Thailand was a month of fun adventures, bonding with my new Sojos family, spending quality time with our wise alumni squad leaders, and pursuing God daily. Thailand was a whirlwind of a month as I got to see four different parts of the country, serve in two different ministries, and love on several squad mates. My word for Thailand is: Remembrance. God calls us to commune with him regularly and remember our purpose in Him.
So there you have it! A recap of Asia! I could share SO MUCH MORE, but this blog is already way too long. Asia was a beast to be conquered and I’m grateful to have conquered it with so many amazing memories and life lessons learned.
Thank you so much for supporting me through out this epic kingdom journey! God really is working through out the world and it is an absolute blessing to see it first hand as I journey through these 11 countries. I am beyond blessed to be where God has me, THANK YOU for making it possible and continually lifting my squad up in prayer!
Until Next Time,
Michelle
(P.S. I compiled a few photos from each month into one slideshow!Enjoy!)
