My first few days in Cambodia was spent living in a remote village. I woke up to the crowing of roosters, barking dogs, and children peeking through the church window to get a glimpse of the new faces in town. I got up, walked outside with my bible in hand ready to spend some time with my Father. My gaze became focused on the incredible view right in front of me – the sun rising over a rice field with palm trees and of course my lovely water buffalo neighbors. I thought to myself ahhh this is going to be an awesome month!
Within a few days the excitement began to wore off. I realized the 3 minute hike to the squattie-pottie (aka toilet – pretty much a hole in the ground) was not really all that exciting anymore. Neither was the locusts of crickets and other little flying creatures that plagued us at night. I was literally reminded of Exodus and the Egyptians. On Hannah’s birthday we learned some of our belongings had been stolen; a camera, Hannah’s wallet, and a cell phone. Sparing some details, rest assured that everything was returned within 3 hours as our Pastor diligently sent out her children ninjas to find the culprit of the THEFT.
Then came SICKNESS. Within a week my team of six shrunk down to two. At some point Hannah and myself were the only two healthy one at ministry. I’m sure us not being in the most sanitary conditions did not help our plight. All this followed by numerous trips to the hospital. The icing on the cake was us living up to our name. During a movie night intended for a team bonding experience, a spark ignited in the electrical circuit the computer was being charged by. Minutes later there was a full blown FIRE with Hannah’s tent as the first potential victim. (Yea – this wasn’t the most glamorous birthday month for our girl Hannah if you’ve been following). The fire was put out by James and Hannah’s tent was spared. We will now like to be called Team “Caught Fire.”
What did I learn through all of this?
1. God is more worried about our character than our comfort. The Lord allowed us to go through difficulties in order to refine us. I’m sure when metal is going through fire it’s hot and it not particularly happy but in the end Mr. Metal will say “Oh look at me I’m such a beautiful piece of sword. Likewise when God takes us through difficulties it’s tough but the final product is something beautiful – a deeper intimacy with the Lord.
2. The way we respond to things determines the outcome of the situation. Despite the challenges of this month, I know God has brought me and my team together to accomplish His specific purpose. I would like to link our experience with the analogy of building a fire. (Thanks Amanda/Erin for this vision) The logs are the experiences and the things we went through and the fire, our perseverance, burns through them and uses them to grow higher and burn hotter. We did not allow theft, sickness, or fire to affect our relationships. We loved whole heartedly and served well.
God has been teaching me to look at situations from a different perspective. Separating the circumstances from the experience. Rather than dwelling on the negatives of this month, I chose to remember Cambodia as the country where 80-year olds rode bikes and carried two pails of water like it’s nothing. Where little kids ran around naked at the sound of the ice-cream truck, which in fact is not a ice-cream truck but a cart that is filled with clams. Where I had the chance to share my testimony and share a message the Lord placed on my heart for the church community. Where I met the most beautiful people with the most beautiful heart. If you know the history of Cambodia and anything about the genocide that took place less than 40 years ago, you know there should be a feeling of sadness and hopelessness. But as I said goodbyes to the village church community and my new friends at New Hope Living Center, my heart was filled with joy to know that even through their challenges they remained joyful. I pray that as my team and I face more challenges in our journey on this race, we will continue to keep the fire going…
Naked Babies Eating Clams (haha)…you have to watch the rap video.
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Up Next: Attraction
With Love,
