Yo, Yo, Yo, How is it going all the way from Cambodia?!!

Can you believe I`ve already been in Cambodia for a month in a half now?

WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! I`ve posted a few times on my Facebook, but this will be

my first official blog post . . . (about time Lacey). I only get Internet once a week and to be honest I haven’t wanted to write any blog post because it takes a good amount of time, and you only get so much time in a day. BUT, God has been doing a lot of amazing things here and there has been some great stories and I think it`s about time I write some of them (finally).

SO here we go. My team and I just got back from our debrief a few hours ago. Our debrief was in a larger village about an hour away. We stayed at the hostel for 3 nights. A hostel is like a hotel but they have larger rooms to fit more people. Hostels are mainly for travelers. This place alone had great opportunities to share the Love of Christ with people.

The first night we had dinner at our hostel. My team & I ordered pizza (them pizza-holics). Our waitress (who is beautiful, always smiling & full of joy) came up to us and asked if we were Christians because she saw us pray before we ate. We told her yes, she told us she was Christian too. My team & I instantly clicked with her and we all began to talk. We got to pray and encourage her in her walk with the Lord. She and her boyfriend are the only Christians in their families and it`s hard for them, but Jesus is worth it all and hopefully their family will come to know Jesus. Anyways, she invited us to go to her church today.

Next part, are you ready? Don`t be confused (just wait… you will see how it connects). This morning I went to get some coffee from the café and I saw Tiffany (debrief leader) sitting and talking with this young man. I joined in. Then as Tiff and I were leaving, I told him while he is in Cambodia he should check out a village, and go to a church. Then as my team & I were planning to leave for church, The Lord put it on my heart to ask to see if he wanted to go with us. He said YES! We sat next to each other in church. I was able to share (some) of my testimony with him. When the worship began, I started thinking about the body of Christ and how God doesn`t just use one of us, but he uses all of us in different ways to accomplish His will. Meeting our friend at the hostel, and going to her church, and taking our new friend did not just happen by one person. The Lord used every one of us differently to accomplish His will. I was thinking my team & I should do a bible study about how God calls His children the body of Christ, and He is the head. He gives all the believers different gifts and talents. He uses some of us to plant and others to water seeds. (To plant seeds: to share the word of God, to water: to encourage others in the word of God). Right when I got done thinking that, the Pastor said turn to Ephesians 4. WOW. God is funny! Out of EVERYTHING in the BIBLE, it was exactly what I was just thinking about. (Ephesians 4:14-16) says, “Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head- Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the power working of each individual part.”

During church, the Lord put on my heart to give him my Bible. If any knows me…. My bible is pretty much my life. I have only had this bible for a year, and it is covered with writing, notes, memories and highlighting. I was like God… I know where everything is in my Bible, and I have put in so much work into it. It`s going to be very hard getting a new bible, and highlighting all the verses that God was speaking to me. I just felt like God was saying, “do you trust me”? I will provide you with a new Bible, and it will be a season for you to dive deeper into my Word and to seek me harder. I was like okay God… but I am sure he already has a Bible. I finally relented, and said okay God I am ready to trust you. During the service I wrote in the front of my Bible a note for Him because I knew I would give it to him. After church on our way back to the Hostile, God put different things on my team’s heart to share with him. God used us to encourage and speak truth to him. Then I asked if he had a bible, and guess what he said… (Your right!) He said no. God is good. I was able to give him my Bible. I did mention more than once to him, “This Bible is pretty much my life so put it to use, and read the highlighted parts”. It was such an honor and a blessing to give him by Bible. I pray He would draw close to God and seek Him with all of his heart and I can`t wait to see how God completely transforms His life. God not only has a great plan for his life, but your life as well. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) says, “For I know the plans I have for you” – this is the LORD`S declaration- “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Is there something in your life God is asking you to give up? When we choose to follow Jesus, we are choosing to give up our life for His names sake, and daily die to ourselves. Die to our desires, plans, how we think our life should go and follow Jesus, and obey Him in what He calls us to do in this life. Gods plan for our life is far greater than any plan we could have chosen for ourselves. Is God asking you to give up something so He can replace it with something greater? It doesn’t just have to be material things. God could be asking you to give up a relationship, your dreams, control, all the questions you have concerning your future. Why does God ask us to give up things and surrender them to Him? Is it just to make us struggle? NO. Elisabeth Elliot explains it well; “The only reason why God will not give you the desires of your heart is because He has something greater for you”. God says He will give you the desires of your heart (as long as they glorify Him). But if we surrender our life and our desires to God, He will give us His best, which may look differently than what we would have thought was best. “Search me, God, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (PSALMS 139:23-24.) Let this be your prayer. Pray and ask God if there is anything you’re holding onto, and ask Him to show you how to let go and trust Him. He will be faithful to answer you, and will be faithful to replace what you give up, for something greater, trust Him! I want to encourage us to continue to walk by faith, not by sight. Walking by sight, is having everything planned out, trusting in your own plans and having faith in only what you see in front of you, and directing your own steps. Walking by faith is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understandings but in all of your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Man plans his way, but the Lord will direct your steps. It`s good to have dreams and visions for your future, but walking by faith is just doing the next step. God will give you the next in your life, just trust God and take the next step, and stop questioning what all the other steps look like, and when God will give them to you. As you obey God, and walk by faith, He will be faithful to give you the next step in His timing. God is not a God of confusion, but of clarity. Depend fully on Him and trust Him will ALL your heart, and He will show you which path to take!

God Bless you,

LOVE LACEY OLSON.