Let me take you back with me to month 4 in Nepal. My team was hiking around a mountain range for 3 days and during the 1st day we climbed uphill for 9hrs. It was the most physically challenging thing I've done in my life. The second nigth we were hiking into a little village where we would sleep in a school library and dance with adorable Nepalese kiddos around a bonfire. Each step that I took I literally had to pray asking God to give me the strength to take the next step. My attitude wasn't always the greatest during this trek. We still had about half an hour before we would reach the village and the sun was starting to go down. I stared at my feet taking careful steps to make sure I wouldn't slip. Then I heard God's whisper "Don't miss this!" Immediately, I turned to my right and saw a gogeous sunset over the mountains we had been climbing all day. It took my breath away (what breath I had left anyway).
Here I am at month 10 and these words keep coming back to me. "Don't miss this, Sarah! I know you are tired and weary. I know you are broken. I know you want rest and you want to go home. But I have more for you. This World Race isn't over and The Race I have for you certainly isn't over. Don't miss what I have for you in this season."
As we drove out to our ministry site, I decided to look at things with fresh eyes. After being away from the States for 9 months, certain things become the norm that I originally thought were so interesting, cool, or strange. That guy with hundreds of bananas on the back of his motorcycle, that's not "normal". That cow blocking traffic, that's not "normal". So I took my camera out and stated snapping away with a huge grin on my face as I thanked God for bringing me to Cambodia. I smiled and waved to the people we drove by on our jam-packed tuk tuk and received smiles and waves in return. I love this country. I love these people. I love the craziness.
Ministry this month is super-sweet working with Teen Challenge. My team has had to re-adjust to sleeping under mosquito nets, still sweating. There have been challenges in "roughing it" but by God's grace I've remained thankful. We're out of the city, praise the Lord! We get to hang out with some pretty incredible women, girls, kiddos, and even a 2 month old baby for the next 3 weeks. We get the opportunity to pour into these girls and women, sharing with them the love, hope, and healing that Christ offers. What a priviledge! We are so stinking blessed! My prayer for myself and the rest of my team is that we won't take this all for granted and that we won't miss this, letting ourselve get distracted by the giant bugs and constant sweating. I have a feeling that God has some HUGE, sweet stuff for us these last 2 months.
My prayer for you is the same. Wherever you're at, God has something for you in it. Don't miss this!
