One for the Other...

Terrace quickly became one of my favorite places here in Cambodia...not only because they serve REAL coffee (not NesCafe), but more so because it became the house of prayer and scripture reading for Dani and I. We have been going through Romans together, just reading it, out loud, cross-referencing, and discussing what we don't understand or what really stands out to us.

While we were going through Romans 4-7 on Sunday, one thing in particular stuck out to me:

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey it's evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, BUT RATHER, offer yourselves to God; as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." Rom. 6:11-14

In general, I feel like the LORD has been showing HOW MUCH He is ALL ABOUT redemption!!! In all He does, He is working toward redeeming everything for His glory, back to what it was created for, to glorify Him. I really like how God is always giving us a way out. He doesn't just give us a list of do's and don'ts, but He gives us replacements, something ELSE, something BETTER!! In this passage, it is better desires, and a DIFFERENT, BETTER way to use our bodies as instruments (not for wickedness, but righteousness). He knows that He has created us with these desires, to serve a master, to use our bodies as instruments. He knows also that because of the fall, we want to follow evil desires, and use it for OUR good, and this is why He has given us a way out. He wants to REDEEM those desires. So, His commands are not just empty commands, but He gives us a better alternative. He gives us Himself, namely what that desire was meant to lead us to originally, before the fall. We also pulled this from Eph. 5:18 and 1 Cor. 10:13.....It has been INCREDIBLE though how much I have been getting to know the heart of God, and how the more I know that, the more what He does makes sense! He is just SOOOO loving!!! His plan of redemption is all over the place!!! (On this trip alone, He has brought me to Hosea and Ps. 107 too to show me His character of redemption!)...

Since the last time I wrote, Dani and I went on the Logos staff retreat in Koh Kong. This was such a great experience for me, but at times, I did feel very out of place, because the purpose of this retreat is to create unity within the staff, to get everyone on the same page, with the same goal, namely, to know Christ and make Him known. Obviously, not being a staff member, I tried to stay out of the way of Dani bonding with the other staff members. It was really hard, because I love being in the midst of God unifying His body. I did, however, attend the first and last session. The first session was on spiritual warfare. It was quite powerful and eye opening. The speaker, Jamie reminded us about the seriousness of this battle going on around us. He told a story (which I am trying to recall as best I can)of how his boss fell sick and he went to go visit and take care of him. All the people in the community knew Jamie was a Christian and began thinking that Jamie was making him sick with his prayers to God. Because of their spiritual awareness(despite the fact it was twisted), they came to the gate of the house, time and time again, holding their hands up and praying against Jamie, and Jamie would go out on the porch and hold his hands up, praying the spirits would stay OUT of his property, that they would stop at the gate. The people in the community would tie strings on posts representing prayers to their gods and set up spirit houses outside his gate, and Jamie would go cut the strings and knock down the spirit houses. Talk about LITERALLY fighting a spiritual battle...He also said, "We have got to be ACTIVE in this battle-the enemy is trying to blind those who we are fighting for to know the LORD." Then, he shared a story about sharing a verse with an unbeliever, but whenever he showed him the Bible, the man just responded that the pages were blank. He even held out the Word and pointed to the verse, and the man said, "All, I see is a blank page", and upon flipping through the rest of the Book, he could see no words on the pages...we are in a WAR, and we need to be ready, with our armor on, fighting back!

On the second day, we traveled to a waterfall. It was a bit of a let down, because the waterfall, was so small, but the boat ride there was fun, and just the sound of the waterfall and the jungle surrounding it made the trip worth it!!! Oh, and also, Dani and I climbed down the rocks to get closer to the waterfall, and got in trouble by the boat drivers, because we were too close. They also wouldn't let us climb the rocks UP the mountain...boo! On the last day, Dani and I rode home on the blue van. I am SUPER glad that we did, because Lyle knew of some hidden waterfalls off this dirt road, so we decided to check them out. They were WAY better than the ones we had originally seen, and this time, we could jump off the cliff into the water. It wasn't that high, but it was still TONS of fun!!!....It was a great day to be wearing a skirt, but that didn't stop me! :)

These last few days have been so precious to me, but also quite difficult. I long to be home, with family, friends, and my sweet boyfriend, but also, I know that I still have to finish strong here! Good thing we serve a Mighty God with inconceivable amounts of strength to give! Today is my last full day, and I am praying I can squeeze all the glory for the LORD I can out of it!

On the last day of the retreat, God spoke something so sweet to my heart, "Most of these people will probably forget who you are, but they won't forget what I have done through you." I think that is one of the BEST conclusions that anyone can have to any mission the LORD sends them on!!

This is how it was meant to be, "He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30

Time Flies when You're Having Fun...

It is crazy how fast a week can fly by, with so much happening everyday!...then again, that's one of the reasons the time flies...

All the happenings of this week have somewhat blurred together. Some of the highlights were getting to play more with the kids at PE, pulling two HUGE brown, leaflike crabs out of the pool, coming up with last minute games for the kids to play when their swimming times gets "thundered and lightening-ed" out (we still swim if it's only raining), teaching one of the morning devotions to the 7th graders (I got to teach them SOAP! How fun is that?!?!), playing soccer with the HS boys and blocking a few passes, going to chapel with the middle school and HS and watching them praying with one another, hanging out at the home of 5 of the Logos teachers, going to the Russian market (it's on Russian street, so that's how it got its name. It has nothing to do with Russia), hanging out on the town with some more teacher friends and friends of friends, watching Top Gun, thoroughly enjoying one of the 5th grade students named Daniel do an impression of the youtube "Ouch Charlie", and TRULY taking a Sabbath today (Sunday)-just relaxing and resting in the LORD...not to mention, classes on top of all of that (which Dani has OBVIOUSLY more to do with that than I do...most of the time I am just reading during class or helping with small projects)!

Now you can see a little better what I mean when I said, "so much happening"! :) I can see that it is taking a lot out of Dani, and she made a REALLY great point last night when we were talking about being tired! We were talking with our friend, Erin, about how it's not that they are necessarily more busy here in Cambodia than they would be at home, but they are just more emotionally invested in everything going on here...with the kids, with praying for the school, with the holidays that are just so spiritually heavy for the whole country (like Pchumben). I can TOTALLY see what they mean, and I have only been here for 3 weeks...but what a greater witness to the truth of 2 Cor. 12:10, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.".....AMEN!!!

Hanging out with the girls was such a FUN night!! I have had to realize that I cannot steal Dani away from all these people, because I am only here for a short period of time, and when I'm gone, I don't want her to feel like she has pushed away other relationships in this month so that she could hang out with me and cater to me! It was never my intention to do so, but it is only normal to gravitate toward the familiar in the midst of somewhat unfamiliar. I am SOOO blessed the more I am reminded of what a great friend I have in her and that the LORD has given me this time with her as a gift!! That being said, it is just lovely to see her relationships she has created with these awesome women with the same heart to serve and make Him known!! I LOVED being able to see the hearts that these women have for all the students! With such a high turnover rate of teachers, I can see how it would be difficult to have any sort of consistency, because with every new teacher, come new ideas. Watching them come together on certain issues concerning the students was such a beautiful picture of the body of Christ working together in the unity of the Spirit! Regardless of our backgrounds, our theologies, our age, the Spirit was binding us together, giving us one-mindedness, the mind of Christ. Just one more awe-striking moment of how INCREDIBLY INTRICATE our precious Jesus works for His Name's sake!

Like I said, we are going on the staff retreat this week from Weds-Fri, and I am excited to have the privilege of tagging along! After the retreat, Dani and I are planning on going to Takeo, where they have planted a church. I'm not positive on all that we will be doing when we get there, but I am always up for an adventure, and where Dani and Reed are gathered, there is sure to be an adventure close behind soon to be had!!! :)

So, please be praying for the staff and for Christ to unite them on this retreat, for the church in Takeo, for safe travel, and for God to continue to use me for His glory on the last bit of this trip! Pray I stay focused on the work He has for me here, and not to dwell on home and being there just yet! I miss you all, and love you immensely, but I am still here, because this is where Christ has me for the rest of this month! :) I CANNOT wait to see all of you when I get home, though!

Peace and blessins! :)

Proclaiming the LORD's death until He comes...WHEREVER we go!...

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LORD’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26)

Such sweet fellowship Dani and I shared, right in the middle of one of the seven wonders of the world, the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap, where we traveled last weekend!!! A beautiful red-stoned temple was our spot of choice to share communion together! We had planned earlier that morning to have our quiet times in one of the temples, but, not even thinking of it, D had brought some crackers, as a snack, and we both had water, so we decided what better way to start our time with the LORD than proclaiming His death RIGHT THERE! I mean, it was almost unreal that we were sitting on the grounds of temples, built to worship OTHER gods, filled with people who STILL are trusting in these powerless idols...SUCH a glorious picture of how GOD CANNOT BE CONTAINED...there is no where that He cannot be proclaimed and praised by His children...His presence, so evident...this battle being fought, every day, claiming truth with every step we take, every breath we take, regardless of where we are, who we are amongst!!!!.....Goodness, I just LOVE it!! I am just so overwhelmed with how much He loves us and delights in us loving Him!!!

I also was thinking about how INCREDIBLE communion is! Eating a cracker and drinking fluid...this seems so simple, something we do everyday, but God has used this act to put motions to what we are proclaiming!!...to make it know to the world! Also, while it seems so simple and ordinary, it is still completely OUT of the ordinary to see someone holding a small piece of cracker, and a small cup of fluid, praying over it, and participating in it, together with others....it is INTRIGUING, is it not?!?!?....it can SOOO easily be used to draw people to ask questions, therefore, opening the door to share!...

After communion, we were approached by two beggar girls, trying to persuade us to buy postcards or bracelets, very typical in well known tourist areas in Cambodia!...It was hard for us, because we kept saying, "No, thank you", in english and Khmai(sp?), and finally they ended up leaving. So, once they left, we began praying together, and one thing placed so heavily on my heart was pleading with God to show us how to respond to these beggars! Sadly enough, it has become very normal for us to just say, "No, thank you" and then sort of ignore them, but my heart was pricked with pain, because I was trying to picture Jesus responding to them, and I could NEVER see Him responding that way! I was thinking about this in Calcutta, and the story I was reminded of was in Acts 3:1-10. I was thinking, I could just respond, "Silver and gold I have not, but what I have I give you, in the Name of Jesus, walk"...however, if I said this, would it not be a lie, because I do have "silver and gold"?!?!...Dani had come to the same verse when she was reading through Acts on Monday morning, but I told her my thought on it as well. So, we were both confused, and I still don't have an exact answer, but I do know that in Luke 12;12, it says that when you are brought before synagogues...the Holy Spirt will teach you at that time what to say", and in Ex. 4:12, the LORD tells Moses, "Now, go; I will HELP you speak AND TEACH you what to say." Anyways, we are just praying and trusting that God CAN and WILL do this!!! After prayer, we just sang aloud, praises to our awesome God!!!...It was interesting how a place FILLED with tourists going in and out of every temple, we were not even disturbed at all during this time.

All in all, this whole trip to SIem Reap was just breathtaking. Every place we came upon, I was just in awe of this stone creation, built by the hands of men, created by such an artistic and beautiful God, who then also created all the GREEN vegetation throughout the grounds of this place! We took SOOO many pictures, but they, of course, cannot do what our eyes beheld justice!!!....On that note, I would like you to know that Dani and I have become self-timer PROS!! And, if you know D, you know that she is QUITE the adventurer...I'm not as much as her, but I would say I still contain a thirst for adventure as well. Angkor Wat had NO IDEA what was hitting it that day! In short, we climbed a little and took some INSANE pictures, and then sort of got told by an officer it was too dangerous and we should come down! It wouldn't be a successful trip, I guess, though, if we didn't get approached by a guard and told NOT to do something!! :)

My heart is becoming more and more filled with a love for the people of Cambodia, but even more than that for the LOST in general!!! I just desire SOOO badly for salvation to come and reign down on them!!! I want to see a revival, a spirit-filled movement sweep the nations, and ALL for the SAKE OF THE NAME OF JESUS!!!!....God knew EXACTLY the fire He was going to create when He placed Dani and I in each other's lives!!...And, He knows that we will be able to encourage and pass this fire to those around us, so they can join in this joy, this longing, this love, OVERWHELMING, to have the same heart for the world that God has!!!...however that may look in each individual's life!!!!

The kids at school are also starting to learn my name and I am being able to play with them during PE! I am also benefitting from the swim and ballet classes Dani teaches! I am learning all the different strokes, and I joined the girls in ballet yesterday, which was SOO fun! They definitely enjoyed laughing at my PK turns, which I though were not THAT bad, but of course, they just think it's funny that I'm joining them!! I love to seem them light up with joy!! Also, in PE, for the 3rd and 4th graders, we had Amazing Race-Cambodia, and they LOVED it!!! Dani is really creative, once again, another confirmation that this is EXACTLY where the LORD wants her and how He has equipped her with EVERYTHING she needs to serve Him, right where she is!! :)

Continue to pray for the kids here, for Dani and I, for the rest of the staff, and for the nation of Cambodia. It is CRAZY to see these kids and how INCREDIBLE their faith is for the LORD. They think SO much, and have SO many GREAT questions. Many of them, unlike a lot Americans, do not go home to believing parents; they don't receive doctrine or godly direction at home, they learn about God at school, and through the staff, and then GOD speaks straight to their hearts! Their genuine faith for God is so refreshing! Once again, amazed at God's hand at work! NOTHING holds Him back!!!

SO, one last note, if you feel like you are not getting to read enough about my trip (haha!), I would like to suggest to you to read Dani's blog as well! It's at http://danibutschek.wordpress.com/ Also, there are some pictures on it as well! :)

Prayers of the Pleading Heart...

"Pray Continually" 1 Thess. 5:17

I don't know if I have ever experienced the reality of this Word from the LORD more than I have on this journey! From the very beginning, my prayer was, LORD use me, show me the purpose of this journey, keep my heart undivided, go before me and show me the way, and may my life bring You glory! From there, I have added prayers for strength, perseverance, other people, contentment, surrender, and the like! When I arrived in Kalighat, my prayers were for even specifically for friends, where I would get food and clean drinking water, where I would stay, HOW IN THE WORLD can my compassionate little heart pass a beggar and not feel compelled to give them something (side note, I learned that I was able to give them something, it just wasn't material...I prayed for them!)...When I reached my final destination in Cambodia, my prayers have been for a revealed purpose, for a revival to start in Cambodia, for these FREEDOM seekers to find release of their chains in the ONLY Person who offers true salvation, for Logos International and their mission, for the kids, the staff, and ESPECIALLY for one of my best friends and sister, Dani-D!!!

One of the best things about my friendship with Dani is that we are both completely captivated by the love of Jesus!!!!!! For those of you who don't know, we were roommates a while back in college, and easily became close, but I think this past week, I have gotten to know her heart on a level I never experienced in my time while I was living with her. God has also so obviously matured and brought her nearer to Him while she has been able to live here!!! It is just incredible!!! While I have been here, God has given us so much precious time to talk about Him, life, deep questions, ourselves and how we work, Cambodia, and the school in general! Also, Dani is just a praying machine! That has probably been the BIGGEST blessing of my time here so far is praying with her!! We pray so much, out loud, for specifics, for Cambodia, whatever is on our hearts! I love it, the openness, seeing the necessity to cry out to God!....

Attending Dani's classes has been more fun than I could have imagined! The kids are so cute! My favorite class was the 2nd grade, becaue when D introduced me and said I would be there for 3 weeks, they all screamed and went crazy like they thought having me here was the best thing to happen to them since steamed rice!!!!....Dani teaches all grades, except 6th. The classes are P.E., swimming, ballet, pre-algebra, and health!...I have been able to help her out as much as I can, but more than anything, I have been able to see God's hand at work, in having her here, exactly where God wants her, teaching these kids!...

We normally just leave for the school at around 7 in the morning, ride through the Cambodian traffic on our bikes(praying the whole time for safety! :) ), have class until 3:30 (sometimes having break periods where we get to go to the staff room and talk), stay at the school until 4-ish, ride back, and then we just sort of hang out, which includes reading, writing, talking, or watching a movie, and then typically try and go to bed at a decent hour! It is sooo great!!!...Today was a little different, though. D had an off period, so we got to stay in the staff room a little longer than normal, and just talked and talked about life, about some hard stuff, and then we just prayed over it!!!!....Then, after school, we went a different way home, and stopped in at the coffee shop (The Terrace Coffee-Cambodian Starbucks...LITERALLY, it has the same logo as Starbucks, but with some other god in the middle...haha!) We got to just sit there, hang out, and talk, about Jesus, her life after Cambodia...then, she opened my Bible to one of her favorite stories, 2 Chronicles 20 and read it to me...if you know D, you know she LOVES stories-to tell and be told...We were both just getting fired up hearing of the faithfulness and POWER of the LORD, and how these people were ON THEIR FACES praising Him, even BEFORE He did what He said He was going to do!!!...You should read it, but the story basically is about King Jehoshaphat and Jerusalem and Judah being afraid to fight against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, so they were crying out to the LORD, His response:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Oh Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you." (20:15-17)...then, it goes on to say they did what the LORD said, He told them once again to have faith, they praised Him, and the LORD had them men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir TURN ON EACH OTHER AND LITERALLY FIGHT THEMSELVES!!!! When the men of Judah and Jerusalem approached the place of battle, all they saw were dead bodies, because God had fulfilled what He said He would...duh!!!....from this Dani said, "I mean, He can do that, but we still question if He can tell us specifically where He wants us to go and what He wants us to do. I mean, He is so powerful that He could TELEPORT us there, if He wanted. Why do we even worry or doubt?".....I said fist that's crazy that she said that, because I HAVE been praying for teleportation, b/c I REALLY do not like flying (hahaha!), but I understand it would take away the opportunities to talk to people on the journey!...Then, she wanted me to tell one of my favorite stories, and since we had been talking about David earlier, I had already shared the story of David and Bathsheba and how God had blessed them after His punishment...Only recently when I was going through Beth Moore's book, "A Heart Like His" did I realize that after David had sinned with Bathsheba, gotten her pregnant, killed her husband, the LORD killed that son, but provided a new child right after and that child was SOLOMON....are you KIDDING ME, God!!! How LEGIT are You?!?!?!?!...talk about blessing us when we don't deserve it! So, I decided to turn to 1 Sam. 5 and talk about Samuel for a little bit! One of my favorite stories is of when the Philistines stole the Ark of the LORD and they brought it to the temple of Dagon(a statue...it's found in 1 Sam. 5:1-6-12, if ya wanna read it!!). Let me just write this story out, because that is how FYE it is!!!...

"After the Philistines had captured the Ark of the God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashod. Then, they carried the Ark into Dagon's temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashod rose early the next day, there was Dagon FALLEN ON HIS FACE ON THE GROUND BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, FALLEN ON HIS FACE ON THE GROUND BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD! HIS HEAD AND HANDS HAD BEEN BROKEN OFF AND WERE LYING ON THE THRESHOLD; only his body remained." (1 Sam. 5:5:1-4, emphasis mine)...then, The LORD's hand was so heavy upon the people, they decided to send it back. They put the ark on the back of two cows that have calved and had never been yoked, and took their calves away. For those of you who that makes no difference to you, understand, there are two very important things to know. Because these cows had calves who were there (even though they were not with them), the cows would typically not go down the road, because they wanted to watch over them. Also, if they had never been yoked, that means they don't know the roads, so they would get lost if they did decide to move, going off the roads to graze and such...They had told the people that if the cows made it back, then it was the LORD who had done everything with Dagon and making their hearts heavy, but if the cows did not make it there, then it was just a coincidence, SO BASICALLY, they were trying to rig this "returning" of the Ark of God!...Well, God had different plans, "Then the cows went STRAIGHT UP toward Beth Shemsh, KEEPING ON THE ROAD AND LOWING ALL THE WAY; THEY DID NOT TURN OT THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT" (1 Sam. 5:12, emphasis mine)....ONCE AGAIN, ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEE?!?!?!?!...Can I get an AMEN!!!!!.....Just incredible! When God wants something done, He does it, all for His glory, all for His Name's sake!....

Then, later tonight, we came home and just had a sweet time of praise and worship with the LORD and Kari Jobe...just pure devotion lifted to His listening ears, wrapped up in His arms receiving the praises of His beloved ones....We were so moved, that afterwards, we couldn't help but cry out to the LORD in prayer over so many different things!...Tonight was SUCH a picture of how the body is to be used! We are to bring one another to the light, encourage, cry aloud from our desperate hearts to Him to move, to be glorified in out measly lives, to use disobedient and wayward children like ourselves for His Name's sake!

Anyways, then we made banana chocolate smoothies with her roommate, Elaine!...Today was INCREDIBLE!!!...SUCH a freedom we have been able to walk in, and we know the enemy does not like his enemy (the LORD) providing such freedom! Please be in prayer that God will continue to stir the hearts of His loved ones, that He will continue to work in our lives, in specific ways, that He would speak and show! I also pray in NO WAY that you are giving any of the glory due to the Father to us for our simple response to the beckoning of our Jesus! He EVEN provides the desire to do that!!!!


" NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN ALL WE ASK OR IMAGINE, ACCORDING TO HIS POWER THAT IS AT WORK WITHIN US, TO HIM BE GLORY IN THE CHURCH AND IN CHRIST JESUS THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS, FOREVER AND EVER! AMEN!" Eph. 3:20-21

Honor the Texas Flag....

It is difficult to understand the culture of a people without fully understanding their history, where they have come from...On Saturday, Dani took me to go see the Toul Sleng. It is an old school that was turned into a torture chamber for people whom Pol Pot decided were trying to overthrow him. He was a leader in Cambodia, and somewhat like Hitler, he went insane, and began thinking that people were out to get him. This is quite obvious when you walk through this place, now made into a museum, and just look at the faces of THOUSANDS of innocent people, young and old, male and female. There are paintings of the types of torture they endured, you can touch the VERY beds that these people slept in. I was almost getting nauseas, because the reality of this event was gripping walking through the buildings! I could almost hear these people crying out for mercy! This only went on a little over 30 years ago too. I shook my head in confusion when I go to the portrait of Pol Pot, himself. I wondered how someone could ever, EVER make it right in their mind that torturing another human being is right, that's it is good.

Danielle and I were talking the other day about Hosea, because we are going through it in a Bible Study we are doing with a girl named Michaela, and we started talking about sin. We discussed how we as humans think sin is good, that it is right and better for us, at least in the moment, or otherwise, we wouldn't do it. The enemy is so good at twisting truth, making you think, little by little that what you are doing is right. And if we are not on our guard, seeking the LORD daily, resisting that devil voice whispering in our ear, then we could end up in genocide...never underestimate the power he has been given to manipulate, tempt, lead astray, steal, kill, and destroy, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY ALWAYS REMEMBER, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" 1 John 4:4!

Dani has also een telling me about the corruption of the government! Their school had no electricity last year, because the government kept shutting it off...because this is a Christian school!....So, this year, the school raised enough money to buy a generator to keep their electricity on, but the government found out and said that they would not be able to use it unless they provided power for the whole neighborhood or paid them $40,000. They said no, so about once a week it is turned off, but they really can't do much about it!....Persecution, so blatant! They also are trying to rebuild Cambodia, adding new buildings and trying to make it more appealing, which is not a bad idea in itself when gone about rightly, but the government decides to take over people's land, give them $25 and then torch their houses and whatever they cannot carry out with them. Once again, there is not much the people can do about this.

After the museum, we walked along, seeing the palace and many different monuments in the middle of the city. We almost got arrested a couple times too, because Dani decided to have us commit some illegal acts, but did not find it necessary to tell me that they were illegal (very small things, though like walking on the grass in front of the palace...). The funny thing was, we were self-timing all of our pictures, but D was ALWAYS the one to set up the self-timer, so I was ALWAYS the one committing the illegal act for the longest, and therefore the one the police officer would approach and blow their whistle at! It was great, though! We shared lots of laughs, and I learned a lot about this side of Cambodia!

NOT TO MENTION...When we were eating lunch at this little place on the riverside, Dani pointed my attention to the national flags lining the river, and THEN, I EXPERIENCED ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS IN MY LIFE!!!!!....there it was, in the midst of all the National flags....THE TEXAS FLAG!!!!!!!!....the best country ever!! :) It was just incredible! we even made a video of it, because we are just so proud!!!

After the tour of the city, we went home and just rested a little...Sunday we got up and went to the coffee shop to just talk and have our quiet times! One of my favorite things about Dani and being here with her is just getting to talk about God all the time and pray about anything and everything!! She is just SUCH a sweet blessing to me, and I thank God for her love for Him and her obvious obedience to serve the nations in his name, for HIs glory!!! It just fires me up to do the same!

We went to church, then had our bible study with Michaela at another coffee shop. It was just INCREDIBLE!!! We went verse by verse through the first 13 verses of Hosea, just talking about the commentaries we had read over the night before, how it gives God CRAZY amounts of glory, what it means for us, what it is saying about Israel, and how we can apply it to our lives! I was so filled after that! And then, we prayed!!!!...one of my favorite things to do here, in public! :)

Then, Dani decided to get me a bike for my birthday, so we went and got her bike, walked it to the bike shop, IN THE RIVER, got my bike, ate at the Pizza Company, then biked back, through the disease-infested waters....I do have to say though, that Dani and I prayed for protection from the diseases! Then, we made it home, and washed up!!!....AND, I got to SKYPE with my boyfriend!!! It was just the best ending to the day!

God is just opening my eyes to SOOO much here, and to be ablt to share it with one of my best friends is just incredible!!! God is Glorious!! :)

Serving with Stained Hands...

It's so crazy to think that you can get so close to someone in just a short period of time! This has happened more than once in my life, but I am specifically talking about my trio to Kolkata right now. I was unsure how spending my birthday halfway across the world from home with people I had known for less than a week would pan out. Well, I was greeted in the morning on the way to breakfast with a Happy Birthday banner from one of my Mexican friends, and then one of my Japanese friends bought me a present (a bird whistle), then my roommate Marjorie and friend, Ciara bought me a ring of beautiful flowers that apparently people use to place on statues of gods, so I wasn't supposed to wear them! Haha! Then, we spent the whole afternoon together, eating dinner at our favorite place, going to the coffee shop, then getting henna!! It looks really legit!! :)

That morning I traveled to Kalighat on the bus all alone, because I needed to get there earlier than normal to help with wound care! I had some man lead me there after I got off the bus, though, because I was a little lost, but I made it there safely and on time! No worries! Wound care was so great that morning! I mean, they were some of the worst wounds I have seen yet, and the worst part about them was the smell, but it was still a great learning experience for me! I also got to talk to the sister who was the head nurse there, and she was telling me all about the history of Kalighat! I asked her how the patients actually end up at Kalighat. She told me that people from the streets just bring them in when they know they are bad enough to need it, and also government officials will do the same. The whole city just knows the good that this place provides for people. She commented as well on how people who had stayed there and gotten well enough to go back to the streets will now come back every once in a while for a cold or jus to shower, but the sisters are MORE than happy to serve them and have them come in for whatever! I loved hearing that!! This place is like the hospital they WANT to go to, because the other public hospitals are so corrupt! The craziest part about Kalighat is that it is PART OF THE HINDU TEMPLE, but now they are letting Christians serve the poor through it! How great is that?!?!...Right in the middle of Hindu country, God's hand is obviously at work! After wound care, I helped by massaging, brusing teeth, exercise, and washing dishes. Then, I went and had birthday celebration, like I mentioned earlier!!

My last day of Kalighat was bittersweet! I was sad to say goodbye to everyone, but I still had one whole day with them. So, I tried to do as much as I could, but I could tell that I was getting worn out, and would definitely need a break when I got to phnom Penh. So, I said my goodbyes after the normal routine...Oh, and with wound care tat morning, the sister let me do more of the cleaning by myself, and that was gross, but great all at the same time!! That afternoon, I went with one of the Mexicans to the Dispensory. It is another one of the Missionaries of Charity places, where they do walk-in wound care. I was not able to stay very long, but I got to dress two more wounds, then left to go meet up with Marjorie! We went and had coffee with Ciara and Lorea. We talked all about our college systems and how that all works. Then, we just hung out the rest of the night! I packed up and just said my goodbyes to those I could!

god's grace and provision was very evident the morning I left for Phnom Penh! I got to the airport a little late, because my driver had no idea where it was. Then, he dropped me off at the Domestic one instead of the international one, so I had to run there. Once I got inside, it was a little confusing, but I finally made it to the check in counter. Well, my bags are a little too heavy, because I forgot to factor in that international weights are a lot lighter than domestic in America, but when they were too heavy from my flight from Bangalore to Kolkata, the price was only about $8, so I didn't really worry about paying that. However, this morning the price was $150, because it was a different airlines! I freaked out a little bit, and started to tear up, but I told the woman I needed to call my dad to see what I needed to do. The phone was not working though, so when she got back, I had just decided that I would pay it, and figure out what to do later, because I didn't have much time before my flight left. well, in the time that I was trying to call my dad, she had gone to talk to whom I am guessing is the manager. They came over and started to give me options, but none of them seemed to work out for me, because they all required more complications, and paying in cash, which I didn't have on me at the moment. I started crying, but I was trying to hide it, because I didn't want to make them feel bad that MY bags were overweight. after talking a while in their language, they told me that they were going to send my bags all the way through, and not charge me AT ALL!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!....I said thank you like a million times, and the manager just looked at me and said something like, "It's because we both serve the same God who created us, and it just makes me happy to be abel to make people smile." How great is that! Well, then I rushed through immigration and security, and then they escorted me to the bus that brought me to the plane, because I was running late!

The flight seemed so long, and I had the whole row to myself, so I slept for most of it! Bangkok airport was really big, but I found my way to the check-in, and then my gate, and I took another nap..I was apparently very tired. After my 3 hour layover, I boarded the plane, and in no time I was in Phnom Penh! I waited for Dani outside, and then I saw her running up to me, and I was SO ecstatic!! It was SO great to see a familiar face!!!!! Then, it was tradition to go get blizzards from the DQ in the airport, so we did, and the first thing that she wanted to talk about was Steven...so, we did all the way home! Then, we talked about my previous trips and just what the LORD has taught me, and it was so great!!!!!

I woke up the next morning quite discouraged! Skype hadn't worked the night before, and I was just missing people back home, so I decided that I REALLY needed to get into the Word. I started writing and reading, and it was just like refreshing waters washed over me! I was once again renewed with strength! I had been weary of my purpose here in Cambodia, not really sure why was here! I knew it was good to see Dani, but I knew there had to be something more as well! I was reminded of Is. 61:1-4, from Breaking Free that I had read over and over a long time ago! I read it, and God said to me, "That is your purpose"! So, this weekend, we are planning on taking tour de Phnom Penh, and then I get to go to my first class and meet the kids with Dani on Monday! I am QUITE excited!!!! :)

I cannot believe that I am on my last leg of the trip, but I am pumped to see what the LORD has in store on literally the other side of the world!! :)

Divine Interventioins in the Every Day Things...

Have you ever felt like you needed to do something specific, but you really didn't know why exacxtly?...Well, that happend to me this morning! Last night, I had wrestled with God! I was just so worn out, and He reminded me that I need not rely on my own strength, becauase that was not going to last me! He spoke sweet words of comfort and encouragement over my heart, and gave me such complete and utter rest! I slept SO well last night, not even waking up once (which is a BIG DEAL, because it was the first night I have done that since I have been gone!)!!! I woke up with a Heavenly alarm (my alarm on my phone had not been set, but God woke me up one minute past the time I had planned to get up!)! I got ready, and just felt like I needed to have my quiet time in the "common area", instead of on my bed, as I normally do!...It seemed odd to me, but I responded and did so! I got to read some Psalms, journal and pray for so long, because God had gotten me up on time, and I didn't fight getting up (like I am very prone to do)!!! I was still waking up a little, so after reading Psalm 80, I closed my eyes just to rest for a second, and I heard someone walk by the doorway, so I opened my eyes, and just as I closed my Bible, the man who does our laundry walked in! I was a little caught off guard, because he moves kind of quick, but he said to me, "Oh, so you like to study the Bible?), and I said, "Oh yes very much!" Then, he went on to tell me all about how he likes to study the Bible too, but his father is a Muslim (and he said, time and time again that he was too, which I found interesting ), so he has to hide his Bible in his sheets, and when his dad sees it, he gets mad. But, this man liked to read it!...He was a little difficult to understand, but I could see that he really liked the God of the Bible aand He liked Jesus too, but he was torn between culture and the Christ!

In this book I am reading, "The Christ of the Indian Road", it talks a lot about the religiosity of India. The author states, "The Indian people are an intensely religious people, and when the wealth of this spiritual capacity is placed on the disposal of Jesus, the product will be beautiful indeed"! He also spoke of how India is really good at accepting new things, but they lack the ability to get rid of the old. I saw this so evident in the life of this man! He wanted so badly to believe the God of the Bible, but he was caught up in tradition, and just wanted to add Gos's goodness to it! We had a nice short little conversation, and then he let me pray for him!

I went on to breakfast, and from there I traveled with LOREA (not Lorena...that's a different Mexican) to Kalighat! On the bus, I met another man named, Jaime, from Spain! He told me I need to go visit Spain next year, because of an event called "World Youth Day!" It sounds pretty exciting! When I arrived, I was late again to help with wound care, and they apparently assign people, so I just went to help clean mats, and then make beds and put the mats on them! it was so cute how some of the older sickly women were trying to help, but they were so weak, that they would really just pat the bed! I have found also that clapping is a great universal way to say good job to these women! After bed making, I went and said hello to Krishna! I put my hands on her face and told her that she was looking beautiful this morning, and she made eye contact! She actually seemed to improve a little more today too!!!...no walking yet, but eye contact was huge for me! Then, we gave out medications! some of the women just talk and talk to you, and I just nod and say, "Oh yes!" One precious older woman named, Asha was playing jokes on me! She took her first pill and threw the other two on the floor. I went and picked them up and gave them back to her (I know that sounds gross, but they can't waste here, and they clean the floors every day). She took the next one, showed it to e, and then tried to be sneaky while taking the water to slip the other one under her legs. Then, I told her that I saw that and reached under her legs, and then she pushed it farther and put her hands up, like "I don't know where it went"! So, I just lifted her legs up all the way, and grabbed the pill, and put it back in her hand! She just laughed and laughed and shook her finger at me! That was entertaining! Then, I also gave some medications to a woman there named Sodra! She is missing an ear, but she is SOOOOO beautiful! She has the most precious smile, and I saw her later counting to 30 in English with another volunteer!! She prayed before she took her medications and and kissed my hands!

After medications, I went by a woman and she grabbed my hands and said, "Pray"! I wasn't sure if I understood her so I said, "What?", and she said again, "Pray"! So, I started to pray, and a sister came up in the middle of my prayer and tapped my shoulder giving me lotion to put on her! She has scabies. So, I finished my prayer, and then put the lotion on! then, I put some more lotion on some other woman, and just sat by Laila again! She seemed to be even more cuddly today, laying her head on my shoulder, and pulling my legs closer, then at one point, it was like she was trying to rock me! It made me think of my Granny who used to hae her "babies" that she would take care of!

We had our tea break, and one of the sisters came over with a girl from japan who I had told about me being a nurse and the sister said, "You a nurse? You help with wound care tomorrow and the next day?" I GLADLY accepted!!! I had been able to hold a woman's hand and told her to sqeeze it when she was getting her quite infected wound cleaned out! She was sooo sweet...and quite strong, I might add!!! :) Anyways, after the break, we went to help with lunch, and then I did dishes again! I like the system they have set up! ...I'll try and take a picture of it!

So, after dishes, we left! I am realizing that the more I am there, the more I am getting to know the patients and it is getting easier to talk to them even though we have no idead what the other is saying! In most situations, I would feel silly, but the women here will just carry on a conversation with you and gladly just accept your nods and your input, even if it doen not make sense! I love it!!! :)

I went to lunch with the Spaniards and Takku at Blue Sky again, and the waiters there know me now and call me "Morgan"! Sammy is my favorite! He makes jokes with me all the time, just laughing and smiling, thinking he is SO funny!! After lunch, I headed here to the Web, because once again, all I did was pray and trust the LORD to move to use me, to move me out of the way and for His heart to shine through, and touch and comfort the people whom He created and loves, and He did! My sweet Jesus is blessing ME here far more than I feel He is even using me to bless those around me! What a great God we serve! I can't say it enough!!!!! Two more days at Kalighat, and then I am off to my next destination! Crazy to believe that time has gone so fast!! May I still stay focused, with an undivided heart, and continue to complete with faith and excellency the tasks the LORD places before me! :)

P.S. Sorry for all of the grammatical and spelling errors in these blogs! I don't have time here to read back through! :)