One day Jesus said to his disciples,"Let us go over to the other side of he lake." So they got into a boat and set out. Luke 8:22
This last year ended in an extremely unexpected and emotionally taxing way. Our month-long stay in Cambodia was cut short by unforeseen and tragic circumstances occurring at the orphanage we were working with. In a nutshell, the contact we were working with was exposed in a web of deception. As a result we were caught in the whirlwind of great and tragic upheaval in the lives of these innocent orphans.
In the aftermath, I worked through a wild sea of questions and emotions:
A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. Luke 8:23
With the help of our squad mentor, Carly, our squad leader, Erin, and a wonderful AIM counselor, Leslie, my team was able to accept what happened and take steps to continue moving forward.
After a week of praying and processing in Phnom Penh, the decision was made to head to Thailand, as there was ministry available there. I was excited to "start over" in Thailand and I felt like I was finally in a good place. However, when the YWAM director told me our contact for the month was one YWAM had never worked with and all he knew about them was they were a local church, I was forced to step back and reevaluate my feelings. I was immediately awash in fear and anxiety. In a choked voice I explained to him that I must know more about our new contact, that our last one turned so rotten and how could we know. I realized that I still harbored distrust and fear, and the mountain of working with a new, unknown contact felt insurmountable.
The disciples went and woke him, saying,"Master, Master, we're going to drown!" Luke 8:24
This anxiety was weighing on my mind like 400lb elephant as we pulled up to the church in Pattananikom, so much so that the wave of enthusiasm and joy that met us really confused me. I was prepared to tough it through the end of the month, through Christmas, sitting in my sadness and anxiety, counting down they days until we left. However Pastor, his wife Nom, our translator Lah and her husband, Kao, could not let that happen. Their love for The Lord shone so brightly that by the simple act of being, they dispelled the darkness I had resigned myself to.
They fed us amazing Thai food.
They shared their inspiring stories.
They empowered us to share the account of virgin birth and silent night with children who have no concept of grace or forgiveness.
They took us to magical places of sunflowers and waterfalls.
They noticed us.
They went out of their way for us.
They loved us.
And all the while they consistently thanked us for the blessing we were to them.
These beautiful people, who had dedicated their lives to being a part of bringing light to this dark country, welcomed us in like family, welcomed us into healing. And they thanked us for the privilege.
God used Pastor, Nom, Lah, Kao and all the others we met in Pattananikom to soothe my wounded heart and remind me that He is sovereign and He sees me.
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" He asked his disciples. Luke 8:24
In fact, He sees me so well that He blessed me with a Thai grandfather. You see, Pastor, reminded me so much of my late grandfather, who we called Papa, that I even found myself many times almost calling him that. Through tears, I shared that with Pastor on the day we left and he just hugged me and said he would miss me.
What a sweet man.
Where is the storm in your life? Sometimes the worst ones are those on the inside. I challenge you to be on the lookout for the ways He will calm the storm. Because He can and will. It might not look the way you imagined but it will be just what you needed.
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. Psalm 139:4
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Pastor has been shepherding this flock in Pattananikom for 10 years and in that time the church has moved six different times. Blessings of Pattananikom Church is a "city on a hill" in an overwhelmingly Buddhist country (only 1% of the population are Christians) and richly blesses the community around it. They were graciously gifted a plot of land on which to build their very own church, but unfortunately they do not have the funds to complete the building. They only need under $160,000. I am almost fully funded and even if I wasn't, I would love for you to prayerfully consider blessing this church. They have blessed me so immensely and God is using them mightily to bring hope to this dark land. If The Lord puts it on your heart, you can donate by simply transferring your donation to savings account no. 149-0-20362-1, account name: Blessing of Pattananikom Church, Krungthai Bank, Pattananikom branch.
