BEAUTY FROM ASHES

Our hearts were saddened at the thought of leaving Safe Haven School but God wanted us to move on to the next place. During our month in Safe Haven, we learned valuable lessons everyday. God kept teaching us about trust, faith, hope, joy, and above all…patience. 
This whole time we were learning to wait patiently on God’s will. We finally booked our bus tickets back to the capital Phnom Penh. There were many lessons God wanted us to learn while staying at the capital. 
One of the lessons we learned, during our first week there, was about the blessings we receive when submitting our will to God’s plans. As humans, we find it hard to trust blindly—to move forward without knowing what the next step is. And that’s what faith is all about. Obedience is proof of our love for God and evidence of our faith.

We were blessed to meet an amazing missionary working in the slums of the city. We had the opportunity to see his ministry and the impact he’s had on the different communities. Throughout the years of his ministry, he’s opened multiple water wells which provide clean water for schools and entire villages. As we walked through these villages, we could see the faces of the people light up as soon as they saw him. They had such humble and grateful hearts—simply excited to be greeted by some barangs (term used to describe a foreigner). 
After showing us the wells, he took us to the slums. Many of the people there were just looking for someone to talk to about their problems. Others had health issues. But most importantly, they all needed encouraging words and prayers. Every time we prayed for one of them, their faces would shine with joy and they would embrace us with a hug. Just the fact that we went to talk with them, was more than enough for many. 

This missionary’s testimony taught us that the act of obedience brings blessings and recompense. Many people did not understand why he would spend so much time going to the slums, giving all he had without receiving anything in return. My heart ached as I saw the poor, unsanitary conditions they lived in. This was a place where the city termed the people as “castaways”; a place where these people were barely holding onto life; a place where darkness overwhelmed these precious lives. Nevertheless, this missionary obeyed and submitted his will to God’s.

We may not understand what is God calling us to do. But just the act of taking the next step of faith in obedience to what God has said, unlocks new doors to blessings and promises. We must push aside fear and doubt if we desire to grow in faith. 

N E W D O O R S

#nextstep #followchrist #trust #faith #missions #cambodia #cambodiaslums #bealight #zerotohero #fyp

Was this blog post helpful? Your feedback is always welcomed!