Hey family and friends!
Please forgive me for seeming M.I.A.! Here is my long over due update about what’s been going on the past few months! It’s a long one, so buckle in!
My first three months in Cambodia were absolutely amazing and extremely difficult at the same time! While spiritual warfare was at an all time high, but the Lord never failed to show up every day. Cambodia was full of new friends, beautiful sunrises, delicious curry, very very hot weather, and lots of growth. There’s something that happens when you’re walking in the will that God has for you, and for me it seems to be exponential growth in every area of my heart! I’m so thankful for my time in Battambang!
If you’ve been able to keep up with my blogs, you know that I taught ESL to five beautiful children (LiMing, Vatey, Jam, Tanen & YaHoung) the entire time as well as volunteering at a trauma hospital nearby as an aid in the crafts department. I never considered being a teacher, nor my ability to teach, but doing it in Cambodia revealed to me more gifts and talents that God’s given me! My time at the hospital looked like making cards, and playing games with patients and caregivers and keeping them company!
Cambodia was so much fun! My team and I found so many cute shops, and areas to hang out together and some pretty delicious restaurants too. For me personally, riding our bikes (our transportation for our time there) around town and passing our friends everyday at the same time was my favorite. Throughout the three months we were able to build so many relationships with people and cultivate them! Mr. Sam, our incredibly funny, kind and irreplaceable tuk tuk driver. Sophia, a homeless woman who rode her bike past our home every day to stop and chat with us. Angie, an adorable 9 year old girl who always hung out with us after our afternoon ministry. There are many more friends, and all of them welcomed us into their lives so lovingly!
I became friends with a young lady named Maria, a 15 year old, beautiful inside and out. I first met Maria when I was sick month one; my squad leader and I walked to her family’s store to buy a green coconut (miracle juice) and Maria happened to be working! I decided then, to stop and see her everyday until we left so I could get to know her more and more. I soon found out that she’s a follower of Jesus; so she and her brother Zachary joined my squad for worship every Sunday evening. It was there that I was able to get Maria her own bible! She has such an amazing desire to know more about the Father and her strength is inspiring. She’s walked through so much at such a young age and the way she points everything that to a Jesus is amazing! Maria and I are still able to stay in contact and I’m so thankful for our friendship!
Our beautiful ministry hosts, Stefan and Sharelle, were truly amazing! Ezra ministries is impacting so many families, and each family has a unique story. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to teach at their learning center.
Saying goodbye to Cambodia was more difficult than I anticipated but God was so faithful to show me the beauty in my time there and He gave me the closure I needed. Who knows, maybe there will be a Cambodia part 2 in the future!
Fast forward to mid-January/a month & a half later; I am living in the middle of Ethiopia! This time around, my entire squad is living together! That’s right, all 47 of us! We are working with HOPEthiopia; an incredible organization whose vision is to provide an environment of love and security to children who have been rejected by parents and relative due to the AIDS epidemic and/or other social conditions in Ethiopia. We live on the Hope Ethiopia compound with the children and house mothers that care for them.
At the moment, my teammate Victoria and I get to teach some of the children english, and other basic skills such as reading and math. In the afternoons, we get to spend time with the children as well! Myself and a few other of my squad mates have been given the opportunity to walk to nearby villages, with our ministry host as a translator, to get to know the families! I’ll be posting a blog with more information about this ministry specifically, so if you’d like to know more it will be up soon! Christmas and New Years was a great time with my squad. We celebrated and ate lots of food and rang in the new year with a 24 hour worship session! God spoke so clearly to me, as well as many others, during that time and I’m so thankful for His love and His peace!
Africa is a dream! There’s land and mountains as far as my eyes can see. With being in a village 3ish hours away from the city, wifi is essentially non-existent. Hence why I’m sending this 1 1/2 months in!
None of these things would be a part of my testimony had I have been without your support; financially and prayerfully. I feel limited with words to express how thankful I am and how much fruit I am seeing in my life because you’ve chosen to sow into what God is doing over here.
With that, I am still fundraising. My final deadline was 2 days ago but I have been extended grace! To stay on the field I must continue to raise the $2,500 left. I’ve come to realize that there is nothing more humbling then asking friends and family to support you. So I am humbly asking you to continue to partner with me in any way you are able, whether that be financially or prayerfully. Some ways to help would be; giving financially, praying in agreement for the Lord’s will to be done in my life and in my fundraising, or sharing my blog/story with a friend who may want to partner with my ministry. Below I’ll place a few links and ways to give.
Again, I can’t thank you enough for your love and support! I love you, but more importantly the Father loves you and I hope you are able to cling to that! Please feel free to reply to this email with any prayer requests or comments or questions!
shelbyhollowell.theworldrace.org
PayPal: PayPal.me/shelbyhollowell
Venmo: @shelbyhollowell
You may mail a check written out to “Adventures in Missions” with “Shelby Hollowell” in the memo to:
Adventure in Missions
6000 Wellspring Trail
Gainesville, GA 30506
Love,
Shelby Hollowell
