Cambodia is filled with unmet needs. Too many for any one person, team, or organization to fulfill. The current government is weak, unstable & corrupted. The popular religion is at best apathetic toward the needy & more commonly openly despises them. So, what do one young man & one middle-aged homemaker think they might accomplish in Cambodia? It is God's intention to use us to "show & tell" His love & grand purpose in Jesus Christ. By the grace of God we will supply the needy we meet with as much affection, hope, happiness, medical supplies & daily living necessities as we can afford.
During part of our stay we will be working with a small local charity called CHOICE. With this team we will visit an HIV/AIDS orphanage & "roadside villages" made up of small groups of homeless people living in makeshift shelters literally on the side of the road. CHOICE is not a Christian organization, so we hope God will use us to minister Jesus to the volunteers as well.
We also intend to visit a garbage dump where hundreds of people, mostly children, live. They scavenge whatever they can find of value to sell or use. We will supply food, water, shoes & minor medical attention (i.e. clean & bandage small wounds). We hope to be an encouragement to the small group of Believers in the country too. Finally, we plan to spend the last few days of our stay at the orphanage Isaac worked with during his first visit. There we will do whatever needs done & supply as much as possible to the orphans.
In addition, we will do all God enables us to do for children trapped in begging on the streets. They are often "employed" by adults or are abandoned altogether. They live in constant danger, especially from those involved in the sex slave trade which is rampant in Cambodia.
Following the advice my friend Karen Burger offered years ago (the best advice I've ever received, by the way), we have a plan & it is written in pencil. We have no day-to-day itinerary, but are depending on God to guide us step by step thru His agenda.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Interdependence
Fellowship, by definition, is active participation based on mutual interest. In regard to christian fellowship it means "sharing one another's joys & bearing one another's burdens." In other words, living interdependently. I thought I knew this facet of Christianity. I've been a grateful giver & a joyful receiver from the start. Nonetheless, I recently had to learn (by means of practice) that part of God's design for such fellowship includes asking of others when He desires to use them as vessels of His provision.
Case in point: God directed me to set up a blog for the purpose of communication with team members (eg. prayer supporters, encouragers, advisors, financial supporters, people who may be going to Cambodia with us at a later date) & made sure I had the perfect laptop to do so. He also brought forth a treasured sister to help manage the blog. I failed to reveal to "treasured sister" that I was having problems setting up & maintaining the blog. My concealment, I reasoned, was justified because I didn't want to burden her, she was too busy for this, I could figure it out on my own, if God wanted her to help He would've had her call me by now. I had several excuses, but not one reason for not calling for help. It wasn't until I was at my wits' end, totally frustrated, feeling very stupid & ready to give up that I learned I must be humble enough to ask for help. (Truth be told, I think God was jacking with the website to thwart my efforts. He's that loving, you know.)
The interdependence God desires of His people is designed to reflect the character of Jesus Christ.
If I'm really going to be like my Lord Jesus Christ, one thing I'm going to have to be is humble. Jesus is the epitomy of humility. God became a man. The King of the universe became a servant to the world. The Lion of Judah was made the Lamb of sacrifice. The Great Physician was the Broken Body. Life drank death to the dregs. The Greatest became the Least.
I'm certainly not perfected in this yet, but thru practice I am learning. If you can help, I'd sure appreciate it.
Case in point: God directed me to set up a blog for the purpose of communication with team members (eg. prayer supporters, encouragers, advisors, financial supporters, people who may be going to Cambodia with us at a later date) & made sure I had the perfect laptop to do so. He also brought forth a treasured sister to help manage the blog. I failed to reveal to "treasured sister" that I was having problems setting up & maintaining the blog. My concealment, I reasoned, was justified because I didn't want to burden her, she was too busy for this, I could figure it out on my own, if God wanted her to help He would've had her call me by now. I had several excuses, but not one reason for not calling for help. It wasn't until I was at my wits' end, totally frustrated, feeling very stupid & ready to give up that I learned I must be humble enough to ask for help. (Truth be told, I think God was jacking with the website to thwart my efforts. He's that loving, you know.)
The interdependence God desires of His people is designed to reflect the character of Jesus Christ.
If I'm really going to be like my Lord Jesus Christ, one thing I'm going to have to be is humble. Jesus is the epitomy of humility. God became a man. The King of the universe became a servant to the world. The Lion of Judah was made the Lamb of sacrifice. The Great Physician was the Broken Body. Life drank death to the dregs. The Greatest became the Least.
I'm certainly not perfected in this yet, but thru practice I am learning. If you can help, I'd sure appreciate it.
Tape me to Jesus
Since August I have been praying God would display His glory & make His Presence known in Cambodia by performing signs & wonders while we're there. I've meditated on Bible passages such as Mark 11:23-26 & I've prayed Habakkuk 3:2 religiously. Recently God brought Acts 4:29,30 to my attention for meditation & prayer. "Now, Lord, consider their threats & enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal & perform miraculous signs & wonders thru the name of Your holy servant Jesus." (NIV) Precisely what my heart's been hoping for! I've begun praying this little passage as well.
Last night at a footwashing ceremony the dear sister who washed my feet & blessed me told me that while she was praying for me, she was reminded of an illustration a preacher gave & sensed it was a lesson for me as well. The message was just this: The preacher taped his forearm to his assistant's forearm & explained that just as his "servant's" hand moved with his own, so we too are bound to the hand of God. As God's hand moves, even so His servant's hand - our hand - moves. I believe & receive that message. For we are indeed the Body of Christ, the physical carriers of His Presence, & "as Christ is, so are we in the world."
I'm realizing that as I ask God to "stretch our Your hand," I am asking Him to stretch out my hand.
So, my most earnest prayer has become, "LORD God, tape me to Jesus!"
Thanx Tammy.
Last night at a footwashing ceremony the dear sister who washed my feet & blessed me told me that while she was praying for me, she was reminded of an illustration a preacher gave & sensed it was a lesson for me as well. The message was just this: The preacher taped his forearm to his assistant's forearm & explained that just as his "servant's" hand moved with his own, so we too are bound to the hand of God. As God's hand moves, even so His servant's hand - our hand - moves. I believe & receive that message. For we are indeed the Body of Christ, the physical carriers of His Presence, & "as Christ is, so are we in the world."
I'm realizing that as I ask God to "stretch our Your hand," I am asking Him to stretch out my hand.
So, my most earnest prayer has become, "LORD God, tape me to Jesus!"
Thanx Tammy.
That's God
God had to provide absolutely everything for this trip. Ev-e-ry-thing. He had already miraculously provided the desire to go to Cambodia. I asked God to make me more loving & in His usual over-the-top fashion He gave me "exceeding abundantly above all that I asked or thought." That's God. Definitely God.
God also had to provide all else He instructed me to take along: a free bank account with easy access, a backpack to carry all my belongings in, good walking shoes, a notebook computer for communication purposes & lots of money. My own thinking said that a travelling companion would sure be nice too!
God directed me to a bank that was offering a new special that suited my needs perfectly. I have a free checking account that came with a free international debit card. If that weren't sweet enough, the gift for opening a checking account at that time was a traveler's backpack! Isaac was just opening an account too, so he gave me his backpack for whomever God would send with me. That's God.
God enabled me to purchase a great pair of sneakers that are lightweight, sturdy & easily slip on & off (we will be putting our shoes on & off frequently in Cambodia) at a tremendous bargain. I don't think I've bought shoes at this price since the early 1970s! That's God, for sure.
God also led me to purchase a notebook laptop within our budget limits that is very small in size so that I can easily carry it in my backpack. While picking up a few household necessities at a local department store God told me to go to the computer section. There it was...on sale. That's God, no doubt about it.
The greatest material need has been money. Plane tickets, required immunizations & medicines, passports, visas, room & board-it adds up fast & high. That doesn't even take into account ministry supplies & gifts. The money has been pouring in from the most unsuspected places. If you know God at all, you know that is sooo God.
As for the traveling companion, God truly surprised us. Isaac was a natural choice because he is an experienced missionary, spent about a month in Cambodia last year & would be capable of working with me like nobody else can, but he had other plans. We thought he would be in another mission field by December 2009. "A man makes plans, but the LORD orders his steps." Imagine our grateful thrill & comfort in knowing our son would be my travelling companion! I was (am) willing to go alone with God, happy to go with a friend, but absolutely ecstatic to go with Isaac. That is my God.
The greatest need overall is prayer support. The prayer support God has provided has been astounding. The congregation I'm a part of, Grace & Mercy Ministries, along with a few intimate friends outside the congregation have so thoroughly devoted themselves to pray that we will be steadily prayed for all day every day we're away. And, I'm certain they are already praying daily. That kind of loving committment is none other than God.
God has provided everything for this trip. E-ve-ry-thing. Well He should, for it proves it is His idea to accomplish His plans for His glory. Who else can take credit for what's been provided? None. That's God.
God also had to provide all else He instructed me to take along: a free bank account with easy access, a backpack to carry all my belongings in, good walking shoes, a notebook computer for communication purposes & lots of money. My own thinking said that a travelling companion would sure be nice too!
God directed me to a bank that was offering a new special that suited my needs perfectly. I have a free checking account that came with a free international debit card. If that weren't sweet enough, the gift for opening a checking account at that time was a traveler's backpack! Isaac was just opening an account too, so he gave me his backpack for whomever God would send with me. That's God.
God enabled me to purchase a great pair of sneakers that are lightweight, sturdy & easily slip on & off (we will be putting our shoes on & off frequently in Cambodia) at a tremendous bargain. I don't think I've bought shoes at this price since the early 1970s! That's God, for sure.
God also led me to purchase a notebook laptop within our budget limits that is very small in size so that I can easily carry it in my backpack. While picking up a few household necessities at a local department store God told me to go to the computer section. There it was...on sale. That's God, no doubt about it.
The greatest material need has been money. Plane tickets, required immunizations & medicines, passports, visas, room & board-it adds up fast & high. That doesn't even take into account ministry supplies & gifts. The money has been pouring in from the most unsuspected places. If you know God at all, you know that is sooo God.
As for the traveling companion, God truly surprised us. Isaac was a natural choice because he is an experienced missionary, spent about a month in Cambodia last year & would be capable of working with me like nobody else can, but he had other plans. We thought he would be in another mission field by December 2009. "A man makes plans, but the LORD orders his steps." Imagine our grateful thrill & comfort in knowing our son would be my travelling companion! I was (am) willing to go alone with God, happy to go with a friend, but absolutely ecstatic to go with Isaac. That is my God.
The greatest need overall is prayer support. The prayer support God has provided has been astounding. The congregation I'm a part of, Grace & Mercy Ministries, along with a few intimate friends outside the congregation have so thoroughly devoted themselves to pray that we will be steadily prayed for all day every day we're away. And, I'm certain they are already praying daily. That kind of loving committment is none other than God.
God has provided everything for this trip. E-ve-ry-thing. Well He should, for it proves it is His idea to accomplish His plans for His glory. Who else can take credit for what's been provided? None. That's God.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Introduction
By the grace of the one, true, living God, Isaac & I will be administering the love-power of Jesus Christ to lost & suffering souls in Cambodia February 8-22. This blog has been formed to record some of Christ's intentions toward & activity in Cambodia. It will also keep our supporters (& anyone else curious about Christ or Cambodia) informed of our adventure with Christ & our prayer needs while we're away.
Cambodia is a relatively small nation in Southeast Asia. At one time Cambodia was a country thriving in virtually every way-intellectually, physically, financially with peace on every side. Currently Cambodians are severely straitened in every way as a result of the Vietnam Conflict & the Khmer Rouge Reign which quickly followed. 650,000 tons of U.S. bombs were dropped on Cambodia destroying much of the lush farm ground. Millions of innocents were tortured & killed during the Khmer Rouge reign. The country still holds more unmarked, live landmines than the rest of the world combined. Their unstable government has provided very little help & the Buddhism popular there has certainly brought no relief either. Cambodia remains spiritually oppressed & physically distressed.
I found out about the situation in Cambodia firstly thru Isaac. He was there for a month last year as part of a Youth With A Mission team. My heart went out to these precious souls, but it wasn't until I began praying that God would make me more loving that my heart was truly set ablaze for this ministry. As I prayed, the faces in the photos Isaac brought back with him flooded my mind & again my heart went out to them. I asked God to clear away or clarify these images in my mind. Immediately the images became more vivid & my heart was overwhelmed with compassion for these lost & suffering souls. The infamous verse from Isaiah 6 played & replayed in my mind, "Whom shall I send & who will go for us?" Over the following few days God provided several confirmations of this call & my husband Dave & I began to prayerfully plan my trip.
We prayed, "God, this is Your idea, so we trust You to provide everything necessary to make it happen." He has done exactly that. God has provided financial support, material goods, & most importantly, prayer support from those who love Jesus & love us. More about God's provision in another post.
Cambodia is a relatively small nation in Southeast Asia. At one time Cambodia was a country thriving in virtually every way-intellectually, physically, financially with peace on every side. Currently Cambodians are severely straitened in every way as a result of the Vietnam Conflict & the Khmer Rouge Reign which quickly followed. 650,000 tons of U.S. bombs were dropped on Cambodia destroying much of the lush farm ground. Millions of innocents were tortured & killed during the Khmer Rouge reign. The country still holds more unmarked, live landmines than the rest of the world combined. Their unstable government has provided very little help & the Buddhism popular there has certainly brought no relief either. Cambodia remains spiritually oppressed & physically distressed.
I found out about the situation in Cambodia firstly thru Isaac. He was there for a month last year as part of a Youth With A Mission team. My heart went out to these precious souls, but it wasn't until I began praying that God would make me more loving that my heart was truly set ablaze for this ministry. As I prayed, the faces in the photos Isaac brought back with him flooded my mind & again my heart went out to them. I asked God to clear away or clarify these images in my mind. Immediately the images became more vivid & my heart was overwhelmed with compassion for these lost & suffering souls. The infamous verse from Isaiah 6 played & replayed in my mind, "Whom shall I send & who will go for us?" Over the following few days God provided several confirmations of this call & my husband Dave & I began to prayerfully plan my trip.
We prayed, "God, this is Your idea, so we trust You to provide everything necessary to make it happen." He has done exactly that. God has provided financial support, material goods, & most importantly, prayer support from those who love Jesus & love us. More about God's provision in another post.
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