I have blogged a lot durng my time on the Race. I have told about big happenings and small happenings and random thoughts that would pop into my head. And slowly over the course of the Race, my blogging has slowed down a little bit. Well maybe a large bit. But I have come to a point where this
"World Race Lifestyle" is normal.
Where vying for your life while crossing the street is a daily routine.
Trying to figure out public transportation in a foreign country is another thing on the agenda.
Bringing some form of toilet paper whenever you go out, not knowing what or where a toilet will be.
Where you are ready to bust out a skit or a testimony whenever your contact asks.
And places with free wi-fi are where we flock for meals and free times.
(a family we had dinner with our first week in Malaysia)
316 days ago-- anythng new and foreign was interesting and blog worthy. But now a lot doesn't even cross my radar. It is simply normal and a part of my every day life. I guess I have become accustomed to life overseas and the unexpected is not so much of a surprise any longer. Now in 18 days I may have more to blog about when I once again touch American soil. But we will cross that bridge when it comes.
(enjoying a fun team activity at the bowling alley)
Until then my goal is to enjoy as much as I can. Enjoy living overseas. Enjoy Family Force 6 and most importantly, enjoy The World Race. Because once it is over....
That's it!
18 more days and it's over!
It's tough being on the field for 316 days. It's tough to be away from home and 'normalcy' for 11 months. It's tough to pack up your stuff once a month (sometimes more) and move to where you will be living for a set amount of time. It's tough to not have your own bed or shower (or a bed or a shower at all) for a length of time. It's tough being around the same 5 people all hours of the day (even when sleeping). It's tough always sharing your heart and letting others into your life. It's tough.
(riding a roller coaster at a theme park in Kuala Lumpur)
And I am feeling it. Yes I'm tired most of the time. Yes I desire my bed. Yes I desire my shower. Yes I desire my puppy. Yes I desire choosing foods I like when I want. Yes I desire my family and friends. Yes I desire English (all the time). Yes I desire unlimited internet. Yes I desire home.
And I will get that, when the time comes. But the Lord has called me on an 11 month trip for a reason. Not to back out or quit 18 days early but to make it the complete 334 days and I intend to do just that. And maybe that is easier said than done- but I guess with anything you do in life, it will have to be a daily choice to continue on and knowing that through obedience and faith God will bless you because of it.
(visiting the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur)
**Thanks for letting me rant/process for awhile. Not too much is happening here in Malaysia. Just trying to live life and enjoy these last 18 days!**
Prayer is something I have always wanted to be more ingrained into my daily life. I have always wanted to ‘Pray without ceasing’ but when it comes to stressful situations instead of calling out to God, I tend to forget about Him and attempt to do everything on my own strength.
One night the Pastor called and asked for a late night house visit to pray for a sick friend. I immediately agreed. I know prayer is something I can do and anything helping to meet more believers is exciting for me. We arrive at the house and soon jump into an intense prayer calling out to God for healing. Here we are 3 Americans and 3 Malaysians uniting by crying out to God and lifting up our sister in prayer. We then prayed over a bottle of oil and anointed the sister’s head and at the same time listened to her and her husband confess their sins. We pretty much did everything the Bible says to do in:
James 5: 13-16, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
It really opened my eyes to another aspect of prayer. In Thailand I really gained an appreciation for intercession and making prayer requests known to Him. And my time on the Race since then has been more of that lifestyle. Whether or not I am worshipping alone or with my team, I go in with a mindset of prayer and interceding for whatever or whoever comes to mind. During my time in Malaysia so far—prayer has been more intense and really Spirit filled. I have come to a point of confessing my sins and letting others in my team pray for me so the Lord can heal my heart and my life and make it clean. I’ve learned that without this process the Spirit of the Lord can’t fully work in my life when I am so bogged down with sin and lies of the enemy that come out in my everyday life. Giving myself over and laying myself down at the feet of the cross is exactly what God wants so he can use me to the fullest whether I am at home or on the mission field.
I think prayer and giving everything over to the Lord is probably the biggest lesson I have learned while on the World Race thus far. There are times in my life I wish I would have prayed more-- or even prayed at all. But through those experiences I have learned how to rely on the Lord and to come to Him first.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Only a month until I am home! Then we can celebrate!
But until then, I have just celebrated Mother’s Day here in Malaysia. I didn’t really know they celebrated it but today during church, Mothers were honored. The sermon was about different Mothers in the Bible. Jesus’ Mom, Mary displayed Obedience (Luke 1). Moses’ Mom displayed the knowledge and Wisdom of God (Exodus 2). Timothy’s Mom, Eunice (and Grandmother, Lois) displayed Faith (2 Tim. 1). Samuel’s Mom, Hannah displayed a life of prayer (1 Sam 1&2). These women were bold and courageous in the name of the Lord. The Faith and lives of women, especially Mothers, have been important in the unfolding of God’s love story to us.
Today during church I had the opportunity to share my testimony with the congregation. The Pastor wanted it to relate to Mother’s Day and I told him, “Don’t worry – I’ve got it covered.” And I truly did. Even though a major part of my testimony has been my Dad passing away, the other part of it has been the relationship with my Mom. While sharing my testimony I was able to share about how my relationship with my Mom has changed from after my Dad passed away and even how it has changed while I have been on the Race and how I know it will continue to change and grow once I return home. If I can quote myself from my testimony, “Our Mom’s love us more than anyone else in the world.” Can I get an Amen? (Okay… I know I wasn’t preaching.)
After I shared my testimony, the Pastor called all the Moms to the front of the church so we could pray for them. Each one of us got a Mom just to pour out prayer and blessing over. It was a really moving time for me just to be able to pray and speak life into these women. We have noticed that the women here seem oppressed. Whether it is from culture or life, the women here are different. I loved being able to pray and prophesy over a woman just calling out beauty and worth that she may not find from her community or culture but will always find from God. She couldn’t understand probably any of my prayer but I know that God has His arms around her and He is going to use her and bless her in great ways. I won’t see her again until heaven, but I will definitely continue to pray for my sister in Christ here in Malaysia.
Here is a Mother’s Day video made for you, Mom straight from Cambodia! While we were teaching English one afternoon- we decided to make story books and have our English Students read them. Subtitles were needed simply for pronunciation but I don’t think they did too shabby. My storybook is about the good ole times we have at home during lazy days where we watch Lifetime movies all day. (And yes- the whole world now knows my guilty pleasure of Lifetime movies).
I’ve never been in jail. I don’t ever plan to be in jail. And I can’t imagine being in jail. That is a scary place. Usually people are put in jail for breaking a law such as robbery, speeding too many times, or murder. These are all things we would find deserving of jail time. But what if you were put in jail for being a Christian? But more so, what if you were put into jail for being a Christian and following the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and sharing your faith?
We have arrived in Malaysia and are full swing into ministry. Malaysia is a Muslim country and as we walk around that is very evident. During our orientation our contact said one statement that has really stuck with me and is somewhere along these lines: “Be careful when preaching the Gospel- only share if asked or invited to share the Gospel. I don’t want to get a call saying someone complained and then your pastor is in jail.” The pastor of the church we are working with could be put in jail if I push the Gospel on someone- or share without being invited? Seriously? That’ insane. I don’t want someone to go to jail on my behalf. For my whole life this has been so far from me, but here in Malaysia- it’s a reality. Malaysia supports freedom of religion, but for those that are Muslim, if they convert to any other religion (Christianity included) they will be breaking the law.
It makes me go back to the Bible and remember that Paul spent a large amount of time in prison. He wrote a number of letters to churches while he was being sentenced in prison. Life in prison was part of his life. Prison was no match for him. (Considering the walls crumbled and jail doors opened one time). But all that was important was sharing the name of Jesus. And though I don’t want the Pastor we are working with this week to go to jail, we are here to share the love and name of Jesus.
It’s not that easy of a ministry- when we want so badly to share the truth- but we have to know that what we do God is working through. We are enjoying going around, smiling and making friends and planting seeds for future teams and opportunities for this community to come and know Christ.
This is it. Family Force 6 has made it to Month 11 of The World Race! Can you believe it? 33 more days on the field. When we signed up for the Race, we all thought month 11 would be in Vietnam, but midway through our journey around the world, our last stop was changed to Malaysia. To be honest, I didn’t even know Malaysia was a country. I was super bummed about not going to Vietnam, but I know God wants us in Malaysia.
As usual, I have done some research to learn more about the place we will be living in for the next month.
Here are my random facts about Malaysia:
· The King is an elected monarch
· Malaysia is made of two land bodies. A main peninsula off of Thailand and then another body of land attached to Indonesia.
· Islam is the state religion and freedom of religion is granted.
· 61.3 % practice Islam. 19.8% practice Buddhism. 9.2% practice Christianity. 6.3% practice Hinduism and 1.3% practice traditional Chinese religions.
· Thunderstorms/monsoon rains are common daily.
· The 2nd and 3rd tallest buildings in the world are in Kuala Lumpur.
· The country is very ethnically diverse both culture and language.
Family Force 6 is going to be working in/around Kuala Lumpur. I am excited to finally be in a capital city. We will be working at 3 different locations during our time in Malaysia.
Ministry this month: working with churches and youth in the communities. I am excited about what this month holds and I know it will be a good ending to this 11 month journey.
Month 10 in Cambodia is coming to an end. We have passed the day 300 mark. I know I didn't blog a lot this month- but I felt there wasn't that much to blog about. Having internet seldomly probably played a part in that as well. This month went by really fast- having only 16 days of ministry did not help that any. But nonetheless, I loved the ministry this month. Getting in the back of the oversized tuk tuk, not really sure where we are going. Between English classes, kids programs and Bibly studies/cell groups, we met a lot of people, we played a lot of games and sang silly songs and we repeated many simple phrases in English.
Here are some of my highlights of my month in Cambodia:
sitting in a Bible Study in the middle of a rice paddy in Cambodia and a cell phone goes off and the owner of the house doesn't know what to do with it. She unplugs it from charging, not knowing that does nothing. The phone then goes off again.
Going to a preschool and playing with the kids, before we leave we find out we will help out with bathtime. Next thing we know there are naked little kids running around everywhere.
helping to teach little kids how to brush their teeth and then being able to wash their hair with lice shampoo.
Eating delicious food every day- never had to worry about what we would eat or if it would be enough.
Going to a waterpark in Phnom Penh with our contacts and some youth from the community. This water park literally had one pool and a few slides, but it was definitely a blast.
Becoming really good at badmitten and then playing random games during youth group where I understood nothing of what is going on.
listening to a Bible Study sing 'How Great Thou Art' in Khmer
Meeting and experiencing the genocide that took place 37 years ago.
Having the opportunity to get a weekend at the beach which included a boat tour and snorkeling. A great way to end a month in Cambodia and refresh us for one more month in Malaysia.
(Learning to brush our teeth)
(Washing hair for lice)
(Hanging out with the girls in the youth group)
(Saying goodbye to our contacts for the month. Seth and Sam-ole)
(Family Force 6 hanging out at the beach in the Gulf of Thailand)
**Random Note: I still need a little bit of support to be fully funded. There were a couple issues with monthly donors- but don't worry we can recover. It is only a couple hundred I will be short. Pray and spread the word! **
Here is my concluding video of the month! Enjoy!
(the title of my blog is also the title of the song in the video)
In the past 40 years or so, Cambodians have been suffering. Through Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge, Cambodians have suffered greatly—many to the point of death. The ones who survived were left in a country that was devastated: physically, economically and emotionally.
Any Cambodian aged 37 or older now was alive during this time period. When we go to cell groups to have Bible study with believers, many of them are of an older generation. All I can do is look at them, and think about all they have experienced in their life. Their eyes have seen so much tragedy, but when you look into them, all I see is hope. A belief in the one true God has changed their life around to be a life of hope and faith instead of one of despair and suffering.
But as Jesus said when he was on earth—being a follower of him wouldn’t be easy. (Matthew 10:22a, ‘All men will hate you because of me…’) And believers in Cambodia are experiencing that first hand. Cambodia supports freedom of religion. 97% of the population is Buddhist, but not even really knowing what that means, but rather just keeping the family religion intact. Around 0.5% of the population is Christian. The Christians I have met in Cambodia are some of the most faith-filled people I have met since traveling the world. For the most part the Buddhists are tolerant of the Christians. But that is not always the case.
Christians here are persecuted. (John 15:20, ’If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”) Maybe not persecuted in a way of killings and martyrdom, but persecuted in a way to try to bring them down. When we hear testimonies of believers, persecution is usually a part of it. Instead of running in fear and holding on to the family religion of Buddhism, these Christians are strong and hold their ground and their belief in God.(1 Corinthians 4:12, “When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted we endure it.”) Many people we meet are the only Christian in their family. Many people we meet are put on the outs of their community because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Everyone we meet stands strong in the faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:22, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”)
There is one older man that stuck out to me. His name is Fou. Every Thursday we go to his house for Children’s club. Every Thursday around 100 kids come to his house to hear Bible stories, play games and sing songs. Once a month there is a basics health clinic where the kids learn to brush their teeth and get their hair washed with lice shampoo. Fou has opened his house for this and is constantly refilling our buckets as we dump water on numerous childrens’ heads. He always has a big smile on his face that represents the joy of the Lord. Last time we were there we prayed before we left his house. This is when we learned that because of these Thursday gatherings, Fou is persecuted. Fou is put on the outs of his community because of his faith. Fou is looked down upon because he associates with these American Christians. But does that stop him? Of course not. Fou’s continuance to serve and open his house shows how evident God is in his life. Random fact I learned about Fou, he is a ex-Khmer Rouge solider. I am sure that adds to the persecution as well. But for us, it also shows how much God has worked in Fou’s heart. Fou knows the world may not like him, but it doesn’t matter because he is taking up his cross daily and following the Lord.(Luke 9:23-24, “Then Jesus said to them all: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever want to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”)
I don’t think I have been as encouraged by Christian believers in a country than I have been here in Cambodia. With Christianity being a minority, I was unsure what to expect, but the believers here are so strong in their faith. The believers here know without a doubt that Jesus is the one who saves. Jesus is the one who heals. And God is the one true God that they need to pray to. The other day during a prayer time at a bible study, I was praying for an older woman and, but right after the prayer began she moved my hand up to her head where she really wanted to focus the prayer. I think at that moment her faith was stronger than mine.(James 5:15, “And the prayer offered up in faith will make the sick person well.”)
Cambodians have suffered immensely. More than I will ever know or understand. Cambodians are still suffering today—through persecution. And through all this their faith stands strong. Their faith is unwavering as they rely on the Lord for their strength. They trust God with their lives and desire to know and love Him more every day.(Matthew 10:22b ‘…but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”)
**I used so many Bible verses in this blog to show how these brothers and sisters in Cambodia are living out a Biblical lifestyle every day.**
April 17, 1975 is the day that Pol Pot took his Khmer Rouge army into Phnom Penh. The Khmer Rouge went in with no vengeance for city dwellers. The city was completely emptied within 3 days time. Everything was closed. People misplaced. Possessions destroyed. City people were sent out into the country and forced to work on collective farms for the majority of the day with little food in return.
Anyone seen as an enemy of the ‘glorious state’ that Pol Pot had his eye on was killed. This included teachers (or anyone educated), if one had soft hands, if one wore glasses, if they were a monk/nun, etc. Within a time frame of 3 years, 8 months and 20 days- 2 million people were killed. 1 out of every 4 in the country of Cambodia was murdered.
On Saturday my team and I had the opportunity to visit a killing field from the Cambodian genocide. We took an audio tour which walked us through different areas of the killing field and told us information about what took place here 37 years previously. This is a time in history that has permanently scarred the people of Cambodia. Currently, only 3% of the population is over the age of 65, while 80% of the population is under the age of 30. 80% of the population did not even experience the horrendous killings of Pol Pot and his army. Our contact is 38 years old. He was 1 when the genocide began. Thankfully he survived.
At the killing fields, we learned facts about this place and time period such as:
· The Khmer Rouge took names of everyone they killed. People signed their own death warrant.
· Music played to cover up the screams during the murders.
· Bullets were too expensive and so agriculture tools were used for beatings and killings.
· Mass graves were common (we saw one that contained 450 people).
· Survivors that were physically okay were emotionally broken.
· Pol Pot was paranoid and secretive- killing many of his own men by beheadings.
· Bones and clothing fragments are still being uncovered today.
· Over 9,000 people were killed at this particular killing field (the skulls were on display in the center).
· In 2011 there were 300 known killing fields throughout Cambodia.
Thankfully Pol Pot was overthrown and the army fled to the Vietnam border and stayed there for a significant amount of time. In 1997 the Khmer Rouge split and finally lost power. Pol Pot died in 1998.
I sort of knew about the Cambodian genocide. I read a book titled First they Killed my Father by Loung Ung (if you have not read it—you need to) which was inspiration for my high school to raise money to clear landmines in Mozambique. (Odd connection, I know). I had read this story and I had even met the author, a survivor of the Cambodian genocide. She was 5 when the genocide began. Preparing for the Race and so far throughout the Race, Cambodia was just there; just another stop on the list of countries. But then I started to realize that I had a special spot for Cambodia in my heart. And now being here makes it all the more real.
A teammate pointed out that we left Phnom Penh for ministry on April 17, 2012. When were the people evacuated from Phnom Penh at the beginning on the genocide? April 17, 1975. Weird huh? They walked for days in the heat with little to no food or water, looking for refuge. Today the electricity was out. I experienced that heat. I was debilitated by the heat and wanted nothing more than to lay flat and not move, but the 17th of April people in 1975 had to keep moving if they were going to find safety. They had to walk through this heat if they wanted any chance at survival. And here I am complaining about the fans not working.
3 of my teammates are currently reading First they Killed my Father. They are reading Luong’s story while in the place where it happened. And now for me, it is more than story. It’s reality. 2 million people died. A quarter of the country was massacred. The country is full of young generations looking for more. The country is a nation looking for hope. The country is full of people needing Jesus.
No internet this month means little contact with home. Sorry Mom. And for some reason, I have entered a bloggers block. I just don’t know what to blog about. But I’m sure it will come to me. But since it has been awhile since I have updated, and who knows when I will be able to update again, I thought I would write about my time in Cambodia so far. The Holiday is finished and it is time to work. Or just live life being a missionary in Takeo, Cambodia.
We came into this month not really knowing much about anything involving our time in Cambodia. We could only wait and see what it would be like once we pulled into our ministry site. We arrive in Takeo Province (not the city like we originally thought), only 45 minutes or so out of Phnom Penh. Our contact came to us with a schedule full of 16 days of ministry and even opportunities for our off days. At first I was a little overwhelmed, but deep down, this is the ministry I love (random things at all times of the day) and was excited to jump right in alongside of the ministry that is already taking place here.
This month will be full of village visits, children’s activities, Bible studies and English classes. Our contacts this month are Seth and Sam-ole who are a Cambodian couple with a heart for the people of Cambodia. Sam-ole cooks our meals and she is a fantastic cook. We are very blessed this month in the food area. Seth is a laid back and easy going guy. Just yesterday I jumped on the back of a motorbike with him in order to go to a church to teach an English class. He was surprised it was my first time on a motorbike, but I was excited and showed it by taking video (Look! No Hands!). There is also Ted and Janeth. Ted is an American who has been overseas for 8 years now and he is married to Janeth who is actually Pilipino but could have fooled me with how well she speaks Khmer and looks Cambodian. This month we are jumping into this ministry they have started and hope to strengthen and continue it.
Cambodia is HOT! I knew it would be hot coming into the Race, but it is nothing like actually being here and experiencing it. Fans are best friends and rooms with A/C are rare but welcomed. I think I have succumbed to the fact that: I am going to be hot, sweaty and sticky for the next 50 days. (I don’t expect Malaysia to be any cooler). For the most part it isn’t too terrible… okay wait, maybe that is a lie, but hey! I try to be positive. We set the hammock up today in a shady spot with a nice, almost constant cross breeze. I wonder where I will be spending a lot of my future days here.
Mode of transport this month? An oversized tuk tuk, which is a motorized bike with a wagon type of thing on the back. We have already experienced riding this through bumpy terrain for a max of 45 minutes. Hold on tight and pay attention or you may be falling on your neighbor or hitting your head on a bar. I have also had the opportunity to ride on a motorbike. No not driving, but riding 3 people to a 2 person bike is always fun. But I do enjoy the freedom a moto gives and how it cools your body off after an afternoon of sweating profusely.
“Hello! My name is Jamie. What is your name? I am 22 years old. How old are you?” is common phraseology when teaching English every day. English is definitely an ‘out’ for the youth here. English is what will give them an advantage and hope for a good future rather than going to work in the fabric factory (that makes the clothes we buy from Old Navy). Most of the youth have an energy and passion to learn English and they will earnestly (though sometimes shyly) come up to you asking if they can practice their English. Though it may be repetition of questions with numerous youth, every conversation adds to that hope they have.
Some of the villages we have went to are very remote. Driving to our village site today a teammate looked around and stated, “We really are in the middle of nowhere.” Yes. Yes we are. Wherever you look around you see fields and fields of rice. Houses on stilts made out of wood and cows tied up in the middle of the road. We are in the middle of nowhere. Some of the kids in the villages have had the opportunity to see their first white person! Yes, I do feel like a celebrity, but no autographs please. These kids are precious. They are so humble and polite and just desire to be loved on, and I am excited to be able to be the person to share God’s love with them. Everywhere we go there are kids. Tons of them. The majority of the population in Cambodia (I’m talking 60%+ is under the age of 20). It’s an insane amount. Every time we go somewhere—kids are everywhere always waving, smiling and yelling ‘HELLO!’
I am excited for what this month holds. Yeah it is nearing the end of the Race. (Month 10—already? Wow.) Yeah I can sense myself getting tired. But there are still 2 more months. 2 more countries. 2 more ministries. 2 more places of people. 2 more areas that need the light of God. My desire is to give as much energy to the villages and children in Takeo Province as I did during month 1 in Huaticocha, Ecuador. (Random fact: these two places are scarily similar).
It is going to be a great month.
A great ministry.
A great community (Family Force 6).
Tons of laughter.
Professional English Speaker.
Delicious food.
Fans.
God.
This next month Family Force 6 is heading to Month 10 of the World Race which will be in Cambodia! This is our 2nd country in Asia and our 2nd to last country. I can't believe the countdown is closing down!
Here are my facts about Cambodia:
· It has a population of 14.8 million people and 95% of them practice Theravada Buddhism.
· The current leader (in the monarchy) has been in power for over 25 years.
· In the 1970’s the Khmer Rouge devastated the country, and it is still recovering today.
· It has emerged in the socialist sphere of influence.
· The official language is Khmer.
· There are almost 4,400 Buddhist temples across the country.
· A large percentage (round 75%) of the country is illiterate. Education is struggling.
· The temperature will range from 68.9 and 95°F and monsoons are dominant.
· Temperatures can rise up to 104°F and floods are common in April.
The plan is a follows:
1. Leave for Cambodia on Wednesday April 11, 2012.
2. Go to Siem Reap where the Squad will hang out for a few days.
3. After a few days, Family Force 6 will head out to Month 10 ministry site!
4. Spend 3 weeks-ish doing ministry in Cambodia
Ministry this month:
Family Force 6 will be working at a children's home in Takeo, Cambodia!
Why the few days in Siem Reap? It is the new year(chinese and all that jazz) so everything is like on Holiday- which means we can't even get to our ministry sites sooner.
So... it really will be a Holiday in Cambodia for awhile!
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One night the Pastor called and asked for a late night house visit to pray for a sick friend. I immediately agreed. I know prayer is something I can do and anything helping to meet more believers is exciting for me. We arrive at the house and soon jump into an intense prayer calling out to God for healing. Here we are 3 Americans and 3 Malaysians uniting by crying out to God and lifting up our sister in prayer. We then prayed over a bottle of oil and anointed the sister’s head and at the same time listened to her and her husband confess their sins. We pretty much did everything the Bible says to do in:.jpg)
It really opened my eyes to another aspect of prayer. In Thailand I really gained an appreciation for intercession and making prayer requests known to Him. And my time on the Race since then has been more of that lifestyle. Whether or not I am worshipping alone or with my team, I go in with a mindset of prayer and interceding for whatever or whoever comes to mind. During my time in Malaysia so far—prayer has been more intense and really Spirit filled. I have come to a point of confessing my sins and letting others in my team pray for me so the Lord can heal my heart and my life and make it clean. I’ve learned that without this process the Spirit of the Lord can’t fully work in my life when I am so bogged down with sin and lies of the enemy that come out in my everyday life. Giving myself over and laying myself down at the feet of the cross is exactly what God wants so he can use me to the fullest whether I am at home or on the mission field..jpg)
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Today during church I had the opportunity to share my testimony with the congregation. The Pastor wanted it to relate to Mother’s Day and I told him, “Don’t worry – I’ve got it covered.” And I truly did. Even though a major part of my testimony has been my Dad passing away, the other part of it has been the relationship with my Mom. While sharing my testimony I was able to share about how my relationship with my Mom has changed from after my Dad passed away and even how it has changed while I have been on the Race and how I know it will continue to change and grow once I return home. If I can quote myself from my testimony, .jpg)
After I shared my testimony, the Pastor called all the Moms to the front of the church so we could pray for them. Each one of us got a Mom just to pour out prayer and blessing over. It was a really moving time for me just to be able to pray and speak life into these women. We have noticed that the women here seem oppressed. Whether it is from culture or life, the women here are different. I loved being able to pray and prophesy over a woman just calling out beauty and worth that she may not find from her community or culture but will always find from God. She couldn’t understand probably any of my prayer but I know that God has His arms around her and He is going to use her and bless her in great ways. I won’t see her again until heaven, but I will definitely continue to pray for my sister in Christ here in Malaysia..jpg)
I’ve never been in jail. I don’t ever plan to be in jail. And I can’t imagine being in jail. That is a scary place. Usually people are put in jail for breaking a law such as robbery, speeding too many times, or murder. These are all things we would find deserving of jail time. But what if you were put in jail for being a Christian? But more so, what if you were put into jail for being a Christian and following the Great Commission of Jesus Christ and sharing your faith?
It makes me go back to the Bible and remember that Paul spent a large amount of time in prison. He wrote a number of letters to churches while he was being sentenced in prison. Life in prison was part of his life. Prison was no match for him. (Considering the walls crumbled and jail doors opened one time). But all that was important was sharing the name of Jesus. And though I don’t want the Pastor we are working with this week to go to jail, we are here to share the love and name of Jesus.
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We came into this month not really knowing much about anything involving our time in Cambodia. We could only wait and see what it would be like once we pulled into our ministry site. We arrive in Takeo Province (not the city like we originally thought), only 45 minutes or so out of Phnom Penh. Our contact came to us with a schedule full of 16 days of ministry and even opportunities for our off days. At first I was a little overwhelmed, but deep down, this is the ministry I love (random things at all times of the day) and was excited to jump right in alongside of the ministry that is already taking place here.
This month will be full of village visits, children’s activities, Bible studies and English classes. Our contacts this month are Seth and Sam-ole who are a Cambodian couple with a heart for the people of Cambodia. Sam-ole cooks our meals and she is a fantastic cook. We are very blessed this month in the food area. Seth is a laid back and easy going guy. Just yesterday I jumped on the back of a motorbike with him in order to go to a church to teach an English class. He was surprised it was my first time on a motorbike, but I was excited and showed it by taking video (Look! No Hands!). There is also Ted and Janeth. Ted is an American who has been overseas for 8 years now and he is married to Janeth who is actually Pilipino but could have fooled me with how well she speaks Khmer and looks Cambodian. This month we are jumping into this ministry they have started and hope to strengthen and continue it.
Mode of transport this month? An oversized tuk tuk, which is a motorized bike with a wagon type of thing on the back. We have already experienced riding this through bumpy terrain for a max of 45 minutes. Hold on tight and pay attention or you may be falling on your neighbor or hitting your head on a bar. I have also had the opportunity to ride on a motorbike. No not driving, but riding 3 people to a 2 person bike is always fun. But I do enjoy the freedom a moto gives and how it cools your body off after an afternoon of sweating profusely.
“Hello! My name is Jamie. What is your name? I am 22 years old. How old are you?” is common phraseology when teaching English every day. English is definitely an ‘out’ for the youth here. English is what will give them an advantage and hope for a good future rather than going to work in the fabric factory (that makes the clothes we buy from Old Navy). Most of the youth have an energy and passion to learn English and they will earnestly (though sometimes shyly) come up to you asking if they can practice their English. Though it may be repetition of questions with numerous youth, every conversation adds to that hope they have.
Some of the villages we have went to are very remote. Driving to our village site today a teammate looked around and stated, “We really are in the middle of nowhere.” Yes. Yes we are. Wherever you look around you see fields and fields of rice. Houses on stilts made out of wood and cows tied up in the middle of the road. We are in the middle of nowhere. Some of the kids in the villages have had the opportunity to see their first white person! Yes, I do feel like a celebrity, but no autographs please. These kids are precious. They are so humble and polite and just desire to be loved on, and I am excited to be able to be the person to share God’s love with them. Everywhere we go there are kids. Tons of them. The majority of the population in Cambodia (I’m talking 60%+ is under the age of 20). It’s an insane amount. Every time we go somewhere—kids are everywhere always waving, smiling and yelling ‘HELLO!’
I am excited for what this month holds. Yeah it is nearing the end of the Race. (Month 10—already? Wow.) Yeah I can sense myself getting tired. But there are still 2 more months. 2 more countries. 2 more ministries. 2 more places of people. 2 more areas that need the light of God. My desire is to give as much energy to the villages and children in Takeo Province as I did during month 1 in Huaticocha, Ecuador. (Random fact: these two places are scarily similar).
