It’s been a full month with unique challenges. We have spent this month in Cambodia and I have experienced new things, both physical and spiritually. Here is a letter I sent to my squad the other day that gives a little taste of what I’ve been walking through and learning so far this month:
Hey Squad!
I don’t think it would come as a surprise to anyone if I said there is a lot of darkness in this country. I’ve seen the pictures many of you have posted from the Killing Fields or the Killing Caves. I am currently reading a book called ‘First They Killed My Father’ in which Loung Ung gives her account of witnessing the genocide as a 5 year old. Cambodia is a country whose history is plagued with evil.
I also don’t think anyone would argue with me if I said this month has been challenging for us as a squad. Between scooter accidents, electrocutions, relocations, repeated hospitalizations, fevers, diarrheas, parasites, bacterial infections and I’m sure there’s more, we’ve been dealing with a lot! And that’s just the physical stuff.
I know for me personally, this has been a ‘dryer’ month, spiritually. It’s been harder to hear the Lord. It’s been a lot of work to pull things out of the Scripture on a daily basis.I haven’t been neglecting time with the Lord, it’s just been harder to see fruit from it.
Yesterday morning I was praying – again – for the sickness to be healed and I had to stop myself. I changed it to asking the Lord to show me why I (and everyone else) was sick. The more time I spent in prayer, the clearer it became.
I haven’t been fighting.
Yeah, it’s been really busy and I’ve been really tired and I could make excuses all day long, but it boils down to the fact that I haven’t made my relationship with the Lord, the relationship that everything else needs to flow from, a priority worth fighting for. Yeah, I spend time in the Word and in worshipping and in prayer, but when those things felt empty, did I push to figure out why? Not necessarily.
More than once I have heard someone compare our squad to an army, and that we are. We are a spiritual army – Warriors. We are in a battle and it’s not with the people we rub shoulders with. (Eph. 6:12) We have walked into this dark country carrying a lot of light and Satan would like nothing more than to see us incapacitated. Now, what good is an injured warrior? Yeah, we can serve some purpose and hobble around accomplishing a little, but that’s not why we were called to this country.
I’m convinced there’s more to all that’s going on in this crazy month than meets the eye. We need to seek it out. We need to move beyond defense to be proactive in our Faith, in our Health, in our relationship with the Father.
We need to gear up, but I think our most important resource this month is found in Eph 6:18-20.
“PRAYING at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end keep alert with all perseverance,
making supplication for all the saints, (pray for each other)
and also for me, (pray for yourself)
that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly
to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an
ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Guys, we only have one week left in this country. Let’s not settle for surviving. Let’s make it a week of Victory!
Please don’t hear that if you are sick or in the hospital that you’re doing something wrong. I don’t think that at all! I just want to see us all walking in the victory that is ours.
Get on your knees. Spend some time before the Father’s throne. Ask Him why you and those around you are walking through what you are. Seek His face and don’t stop until you find it!
I love y’all more than you know, but only a small fraction of what the Father does. Run to Him!
By the way. …ever since my little prayer session yesterday morning, I’ve felt healthier than I have all month.
I am so excited for one more week in Cambodia. I’ve seen God at work in really cool ways and I expect more great things as we leave here and head into South America. Your prayers are needed, coveted and appreciated!
