Hi! Its been a while. Sorry about that. We got to Vietnam and everything just went by sooo fast. Honestly a blur.
I can’t say it was the easiest month. Which is odd because Asia is a lot more developed (depending on where you are located) than Africa is. There is a lot more comfort and luxuries that are affordable and you better believe I took advantage of that after four months in Africa. Every place we stayed in had AC, beds, showers, working toilets, and constant electricity. The heat was bearable (after Zambia I think I’m invisible) and I was about 2 miles from the beach. Every other building was either a spa or a nail place. So naturally I treated myself.
Ministry in Vietnam looked like teaching English at a cafe in Da Nang city. Of course if you know me, coffee and getting to know someone are two of my favorite things! This didn’t really seem like ministry but since Vietnam is a closed country we had to be careful with what we said and did. Talking about Christianity lots of times was a no go.
This month we got to make good friends, enjoy great local food, treat ourselves to a day at the beach or a massage, many of us got to shop and replace some raggedy clothes (hate shopping so you’ll keep seeing pics of me in my stretched out clothes), and some of us (cough cough) spent way too much money on coffee that could be found at every corner.
Sounds great right? It definitely was! So why did I struggle so much?
Everything was different. New teammates, new continent, new way of life. I had gotten used to the simple life in Africa. Where 16-hour power cuts, and opening cans with a pocket knife were normal. Where profuse sweating and bucket showers were something you had to deal with. Where people with so so little praised and thanked the Lord non-stop for his goodness.
Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually I hit the floor. I think a lot of what it had to do with is all the STUFF. The clutter. And it’s so sad how easy it was to fall into this lifestyle. The lifestyle of knowing that I will sleep good that night because I have AC and a bed. The lifestyle of WIFI found everywhere and food delivery is a thing. The lifestyle of quick and easy. The lifestyle of convenience.
The minute I stepped foot in Asia, I dove right in. I didn’t make time for the Word or spending it with the Lord because there was just so much to do! I didn’t take a Sabbath as everything was go go go. But after a couple days I was over it. I was craving that time with the Lord, that rest, that simplicity of life I had in Africa. Don’t get me wrong, Africa was a struggle bus too. But isn’t it more worth it to indulge in the abundance of the Lord vs the abundance of luxuries the world offers?
I am now in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and my team is has an ATL month. This means an “Ask the Lord” month. We don’t have a host or a certain ministry we are paired to. This month will resemble what it would be like to do ministry back home. Its living everyday life and listening to what the Lord has for us that day. Its probably not going to look pretty at first. But I trust that the Lord is going to work through us this month and open more doors than we even have time to enter. I am excited to see the growth myself and my team will go through this month.
Thank you for your constant prayers and support!
Miss you all,
ITR
