It’s a phrase that one of our Cambodian brothers says often.  It’s simple, but it’s one of those Cambodian things that we find ourselves saying every day.

Team Cambodia has had some emotional goodbyes in the last week.  We said goodbye to Vuthy, our ministry leader.  We had a tearful goodbye with our Cambodian brothers and sisters on Sunday.  Now it is the end of debrief and we are faced with our own team goodbyes.  We have already said goodbye to our leaders and the rest of us fly out tomorrow (well I guess it’s actually today considering that it is after midnight).

We met 92 days ago.  We left America for Cambodia 87 days 6 hours and 59 minutes ago.  We left Cambodia 3 days ago.

The beautiful thing is this: when I look back over these last 3 months, I see the Lord’s hand clearly at work.  We have seen healings.  The Lord has spoken to us and through us.  He has shown us the vastness of who he is by bringing more into his kingdom.  He has challenged us. The Lord has poured out goodness.  He allowed us to take part in the harvest and baptize students.  He humbled us.  He restored us.  He gave us a family in Cambodia that we would have never known if we did not go.

My team is awesome, but we are no more awesome than the Cambodian believers.  God’s heart for us burns with the same fervent love for them. The truth is that God did not need us to do what he did in those 3 months, but he willingly used us.  He called our Cambodian brothers and sisters to greatness and gave us a chance to witness a small bit of the kingdom he wants to release through them.

In this 3 months, Veasna has gone to do his DTS.  Dara has written and sang an amazing song about the love of Christ.  Vannith has walked in boldness and helped lead a girl to Christ.  Lea has gotten vision from the Lord for outreach and ministry.  These are just a few of the amazing things that the Lord is calling our brothers and sisters to walk into.

He has taught Amber to surrender her plans and expectations. He grew Lacey in her confidence with public speaking and showed her how he can use her wisdom of the word.  He showed Emily in a dirt field how her prayers bring the Lord’s presence to those around her. He has been faithful.

I have learned what it means to live a life fully surrendered to the will of God.  We are to surrender our gifts, our talents, and even our own thoughts of ourselves in order to be in his will.  Our team surrendered and followed Jesus to Cambodia.  Our brothers and sisters have walked into greater things because of their own surrender.  It is not about us, but about the glory and the greatness of the God we serve.  We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good.  We believe in the power of Jesus Christ. 

We acknowledge the wonderful works that the Lord has done in this short time.  It is his character to continue to show more of himself, his goodness, his mercy, and his love.  We can trust in who he is.  We can trust that he is not finished yet.

And for this, Americans and Cambodians alike, and all the children of God can proclaim,

“WE APPRECIATE YOU GOD!”

Psalm 48:8–As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever. Selah