That Christmas Feeling?

t's almost midnight and I'm in my room here in Cambodia surrounded by suitcases and backpacks as I (attempt) to finish packing so I can get on a plane headed to India10 hours from now! There is SO MUCH to be said about the whole India journey from the very beginning up until right now but it'll just have to wait for another blog because I have something else on my mind tonight....

I live in Cambodia, I've been here for 19 months now and this is my second consecutive Christmas season spent outside the United States.  And, tonight, as I'm sweating, wearing shorts, enjoying ripe mangoes...I've been thinking about what Christmas looks like in America and how very different it is from here.

Don't get me wrong, I've watched Elf, listened to Christmas music and even had a few hot chocolates this month but, that didn't make it 'feel' like Christmas.

Tonight my good friend Sara in Missouri called me so I could see the snow that had fallen overnight, we talked about Christmas gifts she and her roommates had exchanged and she told me about the new "Ninjabread" cookies she'll be making this week. But, still, it didn't "feel" like Christmas...

I keep needing to remind myself that next Tuesday is actually Christmas day. That one of the main reasons this team is going to India now is because it is Christmas and we want to share that with orphans and lepers! And then, I remember.

Christmas is not only about climate, food or traditions.  These are all certainly wonderful parts of the season (whether your food of choice is mangoes or candy canes) but they are not what any of us should be looking to in order for us to know that it is Christmas.

It is Christmas because Jesus came to the earth to show us His Father's great love for us!

It is Christmas because God is still alive and active today!

It is Christmas because His life has transformed mine!

It is Christmas because God has made a way for all mankind to be reconciled with Him, brought back into good relationship with Him!

It is Christmas because His presence will never leave us!

It is Christmas because of Him..... And that is more than enough for me to "feel" like it is Christmas.

I'm so grateful that He has led me to a place where I can so clearly why we celebrate, a place where all the noise and clutter of what we so often confuse to be Christmas is gone and I simply be with Him and know it is time to celebrate who He is.

2010-I celebrated Him with the Bailey family in Kansas City, we watched the Polar Express, ate Christmas cookies, drank hot chocolate, feasted on yummy food and exchanged gifts.... It was one of the sweetest days I've ever spent and I know Jesus loved it!

2011-I celebrated Him with two amazing families who had left the comforts of their homes in America and Singapore to come love on some Khmer kiddos! We watched Elf, ate Kentucky Fried Chicken, went on a boat ride with 25 orphans and ended up at giant church service (which we were all very under-dressed for after our boat ride!).  One of the most fun and spontaneous days I've ever spent and I know Jesus was laughing with us!

2012-I will be in India! A country I've never been to with a few people I know and many others I'll meet so soon! We will worship with some orphans, share a meal of chicken biriyani and spend many hours traveling to and from the orphanage in a van.  Jesus will be celebrated.

Whatever your Christmas looks or feels like this year be sure to take some time to celebrate Jesus, who he is and what He's done.....

America--->Cambodia--->India!

I am SO EXCITED about what I have to share with you in this post!!!

I would like to tell you about a very unique experience I will be part of this coming December.  You may know that I have been living in Cambodia for over a year and a half and have been working with the Hard Places Community here since May 2010.  During my time here I have met and been able to work with some amazing people who are bringing the Kingdom of God to their nation in very tangible ways.

The church in Cambodia is in the process of being resurrected as many people are coming to know the freedom, healing and redemption offered through the cross.  And, I am convinced, I work with some of the most passionate Khmer people who long to see transformation in their people.  Not only that, but they long to see transformation and the name of Jesus glorified throughout the world. 

This is where you and I come in: we can help a few of them bring His love and truth not only to other Khmer people but to people in India.

The H.P.C. western staff who have been living in Cambodia are planning to take five of our Khmer friends on their very first mission trip with us to India.  We will be there for 10 days and we will do two main things.  First, we will put on a Christmas program for 25 children who live in an orphanage that the H.P.C. started in 2007.  We will also spend some time in a leper colony encouraging and praying with the people there. 

The total cost for each person’s trip is $1,500-this includes air travel, transportation in India, ministry expenses, meals and lodging.  If you would like to contribute financially towards this trip you may do so through the "DONATE" button located on the right side of this blog page, be sure to include a note that says who it is for or leave a comment on the blog! We are so grateful for your prayers for each of us as well! 

This is the really fun part-I get to introduce you to my very dear friends who will be joining us on this adventure....

Veasna is 20 years old and has  been working with the H.P.C. for almost 4 years. He is one of our lead counselors who works one on one with abused and traumatized children in our programs.  Veasna is excited to be the hands and feet of Jesus as he shows orphans that they have a True Father who cares for them and will never abandon them.  Veasna has a desire to see those who have been rejected by so many in this world know that Jesus welcomes them and has good plans for their lives.  He has faith that runs very deep and probably could move mountains if need be, I can’t wait to tell you stories of his prayers bringing freedom and transformation! 

Panha is 19 years old and has been working with the H.P.C. for almost 4 years.  He is our lead social worker and helps many families who live in extreme poverty.  He is looking forward to being able to show the orphans in India that they have a God who loves them so much that He sends people all the way from Cambodia to tell them!  He knows that although he does not come from a financially wealthy country he has much to offer the people he’ll encounter in India because he knows God’s love for them.  Panha speaks truth in a very powerful way and it will be fun to watch the Lord speak through him into the lives of people in another country!

Borey has worked with H.P.C. for the past year and a half and we are so glad to have him as part of our team! He is brilliant with people of all ages, he leads one of our Kids Club programs, heads up an outreach team, teaches Khmer to foreigners and is very active in a small group on the weekends.  He has been given a spirit that makes all around him feel welcomed and valued and I’m excited to watch the Lord use this to draw others closer to Him.

Sineath has been working with us for 3 years now.  She is also a counselor working with children one on one.  She brings the compassion of the Holy Spirit in a very powerful and tangible way to the children she works with.  I can't wait to watch as the Spirit leads her to love on the orphaned and hurting in India, I believe He is going to do some pretty amazing things through her....

Who am I kidding? I believe He is going to do some pretty amazing, even miraculous, things through each of them!!!

Thank you in advance for the ways in which you’ll join us on this journey.  Please let me know if you’d like to receive updates as we prepare and when we return!

Participate in Punlok Thmey!

One of our tuktuks

This is a very practical post to update you about what we have going on at Punlok Thmey Boys Center here in Cambodia.  Many people have asked for some specific information and I'm glad to provide it for you, the better you are informed, the more able you are to spread the word about how others can get involved too!

Showing off his
soccer uniform!

Each week we have about 65 boys from the ages of 3 to 18 come to any of the activities that we offer.  In the mornings the boys can be in English classes, a computer class or a play therapy type of room called the playroom.  In the afternoons there is a Kids Club program every day where kids play games, sing songs, eat a snack, do a craft and learn about Jesus.  There is also a weekly soccer program as well as guitar classes.

It is such a privilege to be able to give these boys a positive alternative to spending their days on the streets trying to avoid trouble.  We do not force boys to come to our center yet, every day you can find them here! To me this speaks volumes about how our Khmer staff build relationships and care for each of them.  In our center, there is an environment of love, compassion, mercy, respect and honesty that is difficult for a young boy to find in many other places in this city.  And, it takes quite a bit to be able to provide this.....

Here are some of the numbers behind the needs:

Guitar Lessons

• $60-In one month we use 180 gallons of purified water to supply the boys and our staff with safe, healthy drinking water.
• $90-One month of water and electricity for our four story building.
• $50-one month of first aid supplies.
• $90-One month for our 24/7 hotline to be operational and answered by a Khmer staff member.
• $45-One month of cleaning supplies-toilet paper, trash bags, dish soap, floor cleaner, etc.
• $75-One month of office and craft supplies.
• $80-One month of snack for our Kids Club program
• $30-One month of small prizes to give out as students progress in English classes.
• $150-one month of gas for our tuktuk driver who takes boys to the doctor, pays our utility bills, picks up and drops off a boy who cannot walk and runs many other errands on any given day!
• $1,700-One month of rent for our building.
• $3,150-one month to pay fair, honest salaries to our 16 amazing Khmer staff members who make this whole thing possible!

Each month there are also miscellaneous expenses related to social work, staff medical insurance and staff training and care.

For example, just in the past 3 weeks we have taken one nine-year old boy to a specialist for a brain MRI which confirmed for us that he does not have rabies from the dog that bit him! This cost $180.  Another boy, this one is two-years old, had to have a surgery to drain fluid and it cost $150 for the surgery as well as hospital stay and food while in the hospital. And, we spent $65 for our staff to receive training from a partner NGO about drugs in Cambodia, how to recognize if a person is using them and how to help them.

Phew! All this can seem overwhelming at times, especially when looking at the big picture, but as I break it down it becomes much more manageable.  It has been such a rewarding journey of faith as we continue to trust God with every need and every penny that comes our way.

If you would like to be part of all the excitement that goes on at Punlok Thmey on any given day we gladly welcome your financial partnership as well as your prayers! You may give to any of these specific needs through the “DONATE” button on this page or you can go to our website, learn more and donate there! When you donate, please leave me a comment (so we can say thank you!) and include in your donation a note about where the funds should go.  If you are unable to donate financially right now PLEASE continue to pray for us in specific ways so that our needs will continue to be met!

My next blog is going to be about a missions project that we are doing with some of our staff and I CAN'T WAIT to tell you all about it!!!

Joel 2:25

About once a month I just need to take an entire day to myself to do things that fill me up, leave me feeling at peace and satisfied, today was one of those days.  Life just has a tendency to get busy (as if you didn't already know that) and at times mine is so busy that I miss Jesus.  Not like I miss Him as in we just keep passing by each other but, I miss Him, in my heart I long to be with Him, to talk to Him, to hear His voice.....

Right, so today I spent the whole day with Him.

Throughout the day I consumed a french press full of coffee, made some salad to eat for lunch during the week, answered some long overdue emails, prayed for many things, did some of a Beth Moore study on James that I haven't touched in weeks (months?), wrote in my journal, listened to Rita Springer almost nonstop (a bit old skewl, I know) and listened to two sermons. Now, I'm writing this as I make macaroni and cheese and get ready to go watch the Muppet Movie with a friend.  Such a GOOD, FULL day!!

One of the sermons I listened to was preached by my dear friend Amy, it was from a while ago as most of the sermons I have are on my iPod and have been downloaded, I don't usually delete them.  In this particular sermon she spoke about Joel 2:25, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten...".  This is exactly what I needed to hear today.

I love the promise of redemption.  I've experienced quite a bit of "locusts" eating things.  My first eight years of life were the most "normal" and I have some good memories from them.  I was an only child until I was almost 9.  I had my own room and almost every toy I ever wanted, had extravagant birthday parties, at holidays everyone always came over to our place and my mom was the "cool mom" on school field trips.  When I turned 9 however is when the locusts began eating things that didn't belong to them.  We'll just suffice it to say that the next decade or so of my life was much less than ideal.

As a result I LOVE the promise of redemption and I've been able to see it being fulfilled in my life as an adult.  Not only do I love it about my own life but as I've begun to think about the boys at our center and how much redemption is in store for them....oh my gosh, I get so EXCITED!!!

So, tonight I'm speaking out dreams of life, joy, abundance, victory, peace and SO MUCH MORE for little ones who have had horrendous things happen to them in their very short lives.  I feel so privileged to be part of their stories of redemption.

Who do you get to come alongside and claim the promise of redemption over their life?

Injustice is Injustice But We Can Help

For the past few weeks Wednesdays have been a day for me to catch up on life outside of Cambodia, to send emails to friends, to see photos of new babies, to dream about and plan for a trip to China.... It's been a much needed break from the "normal" things of my life here.  I'm very aware, on a daily basis, of the insane amount of injustice that takes place here in Phnom Penh.  And, most of the time it's injustice that hits on a personal note of some form; a 5-year old who is sold for sex so his family can eat for the next few days, a 13-year old who has been abused and now rapes his 10 year old friends stealing their virginity, a young woman who chooses not to go to school because she has been offered a job making $1/.hour, a 12-year old who has been told to stop going to school so he can stay at home and take care of his mentally unstable mother.....

But wait, it's Wednesday morning here in Cambodia-taking a break, right? Yes.  I've just skyped with some friends who are moving here in about 4 months.  Then I read and replied to a few emails and commented on a Facebook photo of a beautiful new babl boy... And, I was just getting ready to write an update of my own to send out to many of you...

However, I came across a video that caught my attention.  It was entitled "KONY 2012".  I clicked play and waited a while as it downloaded.  When I started watching I wasn't aware how long it was but I watched the entire 30 minutes.  This video reminded me of something I became very passionate about back in 2006.  Do you remember the "Invisible Children" campaign? It was a venue to bring awareness about the atrocities happening to children in Uganda.  They were (still are) being abducted by a man named Joseph Kony and forced to kill. This man steals from children their families, their safety, their consciences and ultimately their freedom.  This has been going on for 26 years now. It is injustice.

So, this morning I thought I was going to take a mini break from the injustice happening right outside my apartment.  And, in a way, I did.

But I was reminded that injustice is injustice.  It is not a respecter of...anything.  By its nature injustice attempts to destroy respect, dignity, freedom, hope, joy....it is the ultimate ploy of our enemy.

Yes, I live in Cambodia and I personally know some people who are suffering horrific injustice, even today as I type.  And, there are people in Africa who are also victims of injustice. And in India.  And in Mexico. And in America.  And....all over the world.

I know that it's not my job to fix any of these things.  It's not your job either.  It is our privileged responsibility to ask Him, the One who gave His life to bring justice into our lives, what He wants us to do along side Him.  I'm very passionate about seeing freedom and justice brought to the ones I love here in Cambodia. I am also passionate about seeing justice brought in the way of capture to Joseph Kony.  I am passionate about justice.

So, I will post videos on behalf of Ugandan children.

I will send finances to missionaries in Nepal.

I will sign petitions on behalf of the oppressed in Guatemala.

 I will live in Cambodia with Khmer people.  

I will visit Ukrainian orphans.  

 I will always do whatever Jesus asks of me when He stirs my heart to move towards justice.  

Cambodia is not my "cause", ending human trafficking is not my "goal" but bringing justice- be it to the individual standing in front of me or to the masses on the other side of the world-

in whatever way He asks of me is what I will do.

What is He asking of you today? Watch a video and become more informed? Write a check? Spend some time praying? Call a senator? Perform a random act of kindness? Befriend a foreigner? Speak His words of truth and life to someone who is hurting? Ask Him and He'll tell you how you can help.....

"But let justice roll on like a river, 
   righteousness like a never-failing stream!"-Amos 5:24

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. 
   And what does the LORD require of you? 
To act justly and to love mercy 
   and to walk humbly^[a] with your God." -Micah 6:8

Choosing Gratefulness

For the past few days I've found myself in a bit of a less than great attitude. And, while there are plenty of excuses for this (a headache that lingered way too long, saying goodbye to friends who visited for five weeks, the grocery store all of a sudden not carrying some the things I've become used to buying each week....on and on, blah, blah, blah...) I finally realized that I could choose to see things differently.

After a chat with a friend last night I've decided to intentionally choose gratefulness this morning in hopes of pushing away the unpleasant-ness that's building up.

So, here we go.  I'm blessed and am grateful for:

• The Internet that allows me to communicate with so many friends around the world
• My God who hears my prayers and the prayers of my friends 
• The fact that I can speak enough Khmer to have conversations with the boys at the center without needing a translator
• Knowing two of the best tuktuk drivers in all of Phnom Penh
• The blessing of working with a staff who really enjoy their jobs and want to His Kingdom come in powerful ways to Cambodia
• A water cooler when it is still 93 in my bedroom at 2a.m.
• The tile walls in our kitchen that are an ever changing art gallery of work done by friends with dry erase markers
• The blessing of living in a country where I can freely talk about and worship Jesus
• My iPod
• A cell phone system that allows the transfer of money from one SIM card to another
• This season of God's providing in abundance
• Airplanes so my friends can come to and from Cambodia for visits
• The Boys Center where younger brothers come and know they are safe, known and cared for by Jesus and a staff of older brothers and sisters
• Games of Jenga with Panha
• Tuktuk rides to work with my sweet friend Somphoas that double as great Khmer practice times

Right, tuktuk rides to work, I need to get ready to meet my friend for our ride.  This has been a very helpful activity as I have a smile on my face that I'm sure will stick around as I've opened my heart to be looking for blessings.

Today will be a good day :-)