Hello from Phnom Penh, Cambodia!!!
I have been here for one week now and I already have too many stories to tell! God is moving in amazing ways and this journey has only just begun. I will start this Blog off with telling you about our first three days (traveling).
These are segments of my thoughts on paper from 6/13-6/17
"I am currently sitting in the JFK "Korean Air" terminal and have been since 12:15p.m today. We missed our flight from JFK to Seoul. The last two days of my life have been a battle. The Lord is stretching me and for that I am thankful... Because I know that the me who will leave JFK at 12:50 a.m will be more flexible than the me 4 hours ago, and the me 24 hours from now will be more thankful for sleep than I have ever been in my life! "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, and I shall not be shaken!"-Psalm 16:8 ...True Joy is to make the decision to always know that God is faithful and will never leave us, and that He holds our hand through it all. We will then find His love in everything, we will want to love everyone we encounter, and we will realize that it is only possible through Christ."....."I woke up two hours into our flight to Korea with the flight attendants saying, 'Dinna! Would you like some foo?' If you forgot the time, this is at 3:00 am. I am pretty sure I stared at my food longer than I ate it!" ..."We leave in from Korea in 5 1/2 hours, and I am ready to be in Cambodia." .... "As we fly out of Seoul, Jesus' presence is so strong! 
Seeing His creation on this side of the world and knowing that the same God created the mountains of East Tennessee...WOW. Then I start praying for North Korea and the Lord tells me to pray Philemon 4-7 for the missionaries that are there right now. To see God move puts down every doubt I have of His ability to save to lost! THAN to try to wrap my mind around the fact that I am watching the sun set over the East China Sea... Literally! What a peace I have knowing that my Father has the whole world in his hands."... "I am here. I am exhausted. My luggage is still in Korea. I miss my bed and the Blakeny House... I want to cry over all that has happened the last 53 odd hours.. But God is reminding me of Psalm 34:7, 'the Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.' I choose to believe this and trust the my God has great things at hand!"
So time kept moving and the Lord kept working. Throughout the week we went to a Village for House Visits, to lead bible studies, and to help with a children's program with the Children at Risk department of UofN Cambodia. In this time we got to play with the children, sing songs with them, act out bible stories, dance with them, count to 100 in English with them! Wash there hair, clip there nails, braid there hair, and sometimes let them braid our hair!
The people of Cambodia are so beautiful and like to learn new things. My heart is broken for them but I am thankful because this causes me to let God's love pour out of me, and into them.
Since I have been here I have had two different encounters where God lead me to speak with women that know the Lord. It has been really great to encourage them, knowing that I am walking in obedience to the Lord.
On Wednesday we went to a Museum that was once a Prison during the times of Pol Pot's 'Killing Fields'. It was very hard to see the rooms that thousands of people were tortured in, followed by their death in the Killing Fields about 11 km. away. It was horrific to hear all the things that were done, but an honor to stand on a ground that is in danger no more.
I had the incredible honor to meet Mr. Chum Mey during our tour of the prison. Chum Mey is one of twelve survived prisoners from the S-21 Toul Sung Camp.
How awesome is it to know that someone can not only live through Hell on earth, but come back to the Museum to meet people from around the world! I can strongly say this is only by God's grace...
This was a breaking experience,but I gained from it, because I now have a deeper love for this country than I did before.
The picture to your left is a sign above a grave where over 100 women and children were buried.
My heart aches for the families that are still alive, with the knowledge that some of their family members bones still lie on this ground, unidentified.
I could not thank the God enough for each one of these incredible sons and daughters of Christ. It is an honor to serve along side of them through this journey, to Love through our actions, to cry with one them, and to worship our Lord Jesus Christ together everyday!
I can't wait to tell you all that God does over the next couple weeks of ministry! Thank you for your prayers, from the bottom of my heart. I encourage you to keep praying as I keep walking in the Lord's will on the other side of the world!
Blessing and Peace be with you,
Farewell Friends,
Sarah Sanders
No comments:
Post a Comment