Post Cambodia - Days 1-5

It's hard to sum up into words what the past 12 days have been for me. God has grown me and taught me more than I could have ever imagined in just 12 days. If you want to read some detail of all the days we were on the mission field - check out our team blog http://battambang2011.wordpress.com/. I am breaking my week into days 1-5 and 6-12. Below is the first half of my trip. Enjoy!

I will try to sum up my experience through pictures since I think that's the best way.

Day 1 and 2: We arrive in Phnom Penh after over 24 hours of traveling. Personally, I was very tired since I hadn't slept yet.

Day 3: We tour the city, see the church, and attend a wedding! Seeing the Khmer Rouge again was rough. This time it was much harder for me because of how deeply I love the Cambodian people.

 Me and Vanna snuggling on the bus ride!

 Sweet baby Na Na sleeping in the hammock

Phillip braiding Jill's hair

Day 4: We head to the BEACH with the kids!!! Had so much fun playing in the water, braiding each others hair, and building sand castles.

 Getting my hair braided by Phillip

 Beautiful shells!

 As a team we all tried the fresh caught and cooked squid. Look at me being adventurous!

Cheers!

Day 5: We spent the morning at the beach playing with the kids. It was such a fun time to all be together. After lunch we loaded up the buses and headed to Battambang. Because of bad weather it took us 10 1/2 hours. So this was a very tiring day!

To be continued....

Wordless Wednesday

7/21-8/1 in Cambodia

Starting today I will be in Cambodia with an amazing team. For the next 12 days I'd love for you to be praying for me and my team. Below is all the details of our trip. It's long, but just wanted you to know where we were. Also, please follow along with our team blog - http://battambang2011.wordpress.com Thanks in advance! Love, RW

Thursday July 21 – Friday, July 22:
10:00 AM - Meeting at Airport, saying good bye to family
1:00 PM – Leave Atlanta
4:20 PM (Friday) – Arrive in Seoul, South Korea
6:30 PM – Depart for Phnom Penh, Cambodia
9:55 PM – Arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Prayers for these 2 days:
    o    Safe travel
    o    connecting as a team during our flights
    o    Ease in adjusting to the new time zone (when we arrive, our bodies will feel like it is 8:55 AM)

Saturday, July 23:

• Orientation in the morning with Pastor Vek (The Pastor of New Life Churches and Orphanages)
• Tour the city and learn about Cambodia’s history
• See the kids for the first time in the afternoon!
• Prayers for Today:
• To gain a better understanding of the people and culture we are here to serve
• For the children to feel God’s love through us as we spend time with them

Sunday, July 24:

• Church with the kids and other teams we are traveling with and then leave for the beach
• Spend the afternoon at the beach
• Prayers or Today:
• Safe travel
• That we would continue to build our relationships with all of the kids

Monday, July 25:

• Spend the morning at the beach
• In the afternoon, we will drive to Battambang.
• Safe travel as this will be about an 8 hour drive
• For fun and lots of love to be shared on the trip back between our team and the kids

Tuesday through Friday will all be at the orphanage in Battambang.  We have chosen a beach theme and will be focusing on different aspects of the beach each day along with a key verse to guide us.  For these days, we will have a morning routine of music/worship time, curriculum, and crafts.  When we return in the afternoon, we will have more time for singing  followed by games and other activities.

Tuesday, July 26 –  WATER DAY
          John 4:10 – Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

• Special Events – 7 PM Business Dinner in the Community
• Prayers for Today
• That the children’s hearts would be open to the message of the day and that we would clearly communicate that with them
• Clarity as Jon shares about the love of Christ with men and women at the dinner
• For each team member to be able to share God’s Truth with the business men and women that surround us

Wednesday, July 27 – SUN DAY
     Matthew 5:14 -- You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
·         Special Events – Taking all of the kids out to dinner
·         Prayers for Today
    o    That the children’s hearts would be open to the message of the day and that we would clearly communicate that with them

Thursday, July 28 – SAND DAY
       Psalm 139:14 -- I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
·         Special Events – Afternoon Carnival
    o    Families from the surrounding community will be invited
    o    Each family will be given a bag of rice with a verse in it and an invitation to come to church
    o    Upon attending a church service, they will receive another bag of rice and an opportunity to connect with the members of the church
·         Special Event #2 – Movie Night with the Kids
·         Prayers for Today
    o    That the children’s hearts would be open to the message of the day and that we would clearly communicate that with them
    o    For the families in the surrounding community.  May they feel the love of Christ through us and the people at the orphanage.  May their hearts be open to hearing more about        the Christian faith and the way that it can transform their lives.

Friday, July 29 – WIND DAY
     Matthew Mark 4:39 -- He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

• Special Events – Leaving the orphanage for the final time
• Prayers for Today
• That the children’s hearts would be open to the message of the day and that we would clearly communicate that with them
• For each member of our team and all the children at the orphanage, please pray for strength during the sadness of leaving one another.

Saturday, July 30 – Sunday, July 31:

• Drive to Siem Reap to sight see and reflect on our time with the kids.
• Attend Church in Siem Reap (Sunday)
• 11:30 PM (Sunday) – Leave on our flight to Seoul, South Korea
• Prayers for these 2 days:
• For each of us to reflect on the lessons that God would like to teach us through this experience
• Safe travel

Monday, August 1:

•  6:40 AM – Arrive in Seoul, South Korea
• 10:30 AM – Depart for Atlanta, GA
• Prayers for Today
• Safe travel
• For our adjustment back into our routines
• For continued time processing all that God wants us to take away from this trip

Additional General Areas of Prayer:
·         To show God’s light and love to all that we come in contact with
·         Health and endurance each day
·         Strength and encouragement for our families while we are gone
·         Flexibility
·         Team cohesiveness

While we are in Cambodia, please follow along with us each day through our blog.  You will find updates at http://battambang2011.wordpress.com.

Thank you again for your incredible support through donations, prayers, and letting me share my excitement about Cambodia with you!  I truly feel so blessed! And thank you in advance for praying for us while we are gone!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

Wordless Wednesday

I Will Follow

Every time I hear this song - it moves me. Lord, I will follow you. How you serve, I'll serve. Cambodia, here I come!

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

**Bonus, here's a video for you to hear the song.**

Book review: "The Red Sea Rules" by Robert Morgan

My mentor, Regina, recommended I read this 112 page book. And i'm so glad. It was a quick and easy read but had tons of encouragement and advice in it. The book is great for anyone who is going through a difficult time. In life, we naturally have mountain highs and valley lows. Personally, I felt this book was good for either. It's great to be reminded that the same God that led me in will lead me out of whatever I am going through. Specifically this book was really good for me because I've been having anxiety and worry issues.

The author takes you through 10 rules. I have listed them out below, but you'll have to read the book to get more details. Just so i'm clear - I recommend this book!

1. Realize that God means for you to be where you are.
2. Be more concerned for God's glory than for your relief.
3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.
4. Pray!
5. Stay calm and confident, and guve God time to work.
6. When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.
7. Envision God's enveloping presence.
8. Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.
9. View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.
10. Don't forget to praise Him.

And below were a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Life is hard - especially for Christians"

"Sometimes we can't find the answers to our dilemmas because we're asking the wrong questions. Try asking "How can God be glorified in this situation?"

"Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord"

"Whenever we chose character over convenience, faithfulness over ease, or honesty over deceit, we bring honor to the Lord himself"

"God wants His children's emotions under control"

"Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still.  We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts. It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still - to wait upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us."

"For His children, He serves as both Guard and Guide. He both precedes us and protects us."

"Our faith grows when we chose to apply God's promises to today's problems and use the experiences to mature us for tomorrow's challenges."

Wordless Wednesday

Makeover

I won a makeover a month ago and just hadn't had a chance to post a before/after pic. It was so much fun and the salon was so awesome - I highly recommend them.


880 Holcomb Bridge Road
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 642-7811
Open Tue,Thu 9am-8pm; Wed,Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm
Website: www.defforgesalon.com/
Stylist: Michelle was awesome!!

Also, I won the makeover from a newsletter that i'm subscribed to. In this newsletter, Erin updates with everything going on for kids in the Alpharetta/Roswell area. If you aren't subscribed you should definitely check it out.

www.alpharetta.macaronikid.com/

And last but not least - here's the before and after picture...

Balance Beam

Some people may have wondered why I'm going to the other side of the world and leaving my son and husband to go to Cambodia. My co-leader, Jon, sent out this video to the team. And it really spoke to me. What Francis Chan is saying is the reason I'm going. I don't want to live a safe, boring life clung to the balance beam. I want to take chances and share the love of Jesus!

Watch the video and let me know your thoughts.

Wordless Wednesday

Lessons Learned

"When you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself" -Robert J. Morgan

For the last few months, I have been feeling a lot of spiritual warfare. I know it's because of the mission trip - I remember this from last time I went. But I was starting to get a bad attitude when things didn't go my way. Even last week, I got really upset when our dog ended up sick and we couldn't take Finn to Botanical Gardens like we planned. Gregory always seems to put things in perspective - he said "maybe we are supposed to stay home today and rest."

After the day was over, I realized he was right. While Finn was napping I started a book called The Red Sea Rules. Quotes began popping off the page to me. Which I always know is God speaking to me through the book. The first chapter talks about worry. And we all know I've been struggling there. Below are the quotes I highlighted in my book.

"Someone defined worry as a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind, cutting a channel into which all other thoughts flow."

"John R. Rice said, "Worry is putting question marks where God has put periods."'

"Bishop Fulton J. Sheen called worry "a form of atheism for it betrays a lack of faith and trust in God."

So lesson learned - TRUST GOD! God has a plan even in the valleys of life. Easier said than done.

I'd love to hear some of your lessons learned. Open your eyes and look at what God is teaching you each week - then share with me!

Surprises

I'm working through reading through the whole Bible in one year. I'm following a chronological plan. It's been great so far. As I was reading through Job verse 9 really popped out at me. So I looked at it in several different translations.

"After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises." Job 5:9 MSG
 
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." Job 5:9 NIV

"He does great things that we cannot understand and miracles that we cannot count." Job 5:9 GW


 "Doing great things, and there is no searching. Wonderful, till there is no numbering." Job 5:9 YLT

What I really saw through these verse was that God does things all the time for us. But we need to take the time to see them. I have missed seeing God. Have you?

Today, I chose to be surprised by God. And to see Him in the little things that I typically miss and give Him all the glory. What will you chose today? Try to see His surprises for a week. He will show you - maybe in a sun set or in the eyes of a child.

If anything remember this - "After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises." Job 5:9 MSG