#184 - "Trust Me, I Got You!"

Vol.# 184

Update on colonoscopy: 

Two of my prayer mentors prayed that I would have a doctor who was funny, and that my appointment would be without stress. Well, I had just come in at midnight from Florida and immediately went into fasting for 24 hours prior to appointment at 11 the next day. I was having visions of roti, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and fruit until the time I entered the doctor’s office. The doctor who did the colonoscopy was so enthusiastic about POOP and about keeping a healthy colon, that I just had to smile! I told him that last week at church the pastor spoke about passions and I could tell he was passionate about his job! Results came back normal so thank you all for your prayers! 

Thank you to Edith Peters who spearheaded the Thursday morning meeting where I shared about what God is doing in Cambodia. I felt taken care of, plus my ‘sisters’ took me out for my fave meal at Golden Asia restaurant afterwards! Ian and Ramona L. plus Corrine Cadinouche, who herself will be going out to Kinshasa with MAF, helped me to gather my thoughts and do the power point slides (You all know that it is my sister Sita who actually puts this letter together right? I just write my heart and she puts it in a format that is easily read! Same for my IT helpers, without them I could not do the presentation!). 

Thank you to Pastor Solange who provided the pens and papers for the game, to Ruby I. who prayed over me as I was about to present, to Dipali and Bea for providing the coffee and treats, and my deep gratitude to those who ventured out on one of the coldest days. 

Thank you! 

When I go through Customs, I am usually pulled out to be searched and checked and questioned, so when I was heading out to Trinidad yesterday, I was surprised that it was my Mom and Dad, who were both in wheelchairs, who were searched by the Custom officers! I am so accustomed to being the one singled out that I was actually feeling left out from being searched and checked! Even when we got to Customs in Trinidad, I noticed that one particular agent was asking questions and really taking a long time with those in her line. I was just thinking 'yay' when the couple in front of me was about to go to her so that I would go to another free agent. Instead, they went to the other free agent and there I was in front of the ‘strict’ agent. However, we began chatting away and I was there for only 3 minutes, and she stamped the form I had and I was finished! 

I can feel God saying, "Oh child, trust me: I got you!" 

Then God provided another angel to take care of my parents and me. We were going to stay at the airport from 1 to 6 in the morning, because it would be too unsafe to travel at that time of the night. When we walked out of Arrivals, my parents’ former neighbour was there to pick us up and take us to her house! Seriously! I am so in awe of the protection and care of our Heavenly Father!

Memories : 

- Meeting with the small group at Bernie Boyd’s house, I felt so blessed to be invited. 

- Sitting in the Krishnans’ home, with Sham making soup in the kitchen; delicious smells wafting through of biscuits and scones; the sight of Pastor Sunder and Pieter Van der H. putting up Christmas decorations as the snow fell outside! It was my first snow day in over 5 years! 

Thank you Pastor Sunder and Sham for staying connected to me and being one of my spiritual accountability partners for so long!



Prayer Requests: 

Pray for safety as I am with my parents in Trinidad for the next 3 weeks, as we travel about here in my birth country. The mosquitoes are already loving me!
Pray that my heart would be opened to what He wants to teach me as I am here. I am a ‘Trini-to-de-bone’ even though Cambodia is my heart country!

As we all prepare to celebrate Advent and Christmas, I am aware that this time can be lonely for some, especially for those who have lost loved ones this year. I pray that His love would just flow over you, warming you and enveloping you in His grace and mercy! 

See you on Dec. 16th! 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vidya 

#183 - A Happy Reunion and a Butterfly!

Vol.# 183

After travelling over one thousand miles by car so far, I have been so blessed to be able to reunite and reconnect with my childhood friends from my birth/home country of Trinidad and Tobago! What an amazing time to sit and listen, to recount our memories together over delicious food and music! Yes, I had to listen and dance to my Trini music!

I was humbled by the fact that even though my childhood friends did not completely know about His mission for me in Cambodia, they were already sacrificing finances and time to pray for me! 

I was able to share how I became involved with the country of Cambodia through Lisa Cheong and Ratanak International. From that point I went on my first mission trip in 2009 which cemented His plan for me to return and work at the orphanage, Place of Rescue, teaching English and work skills to the kids there for 2 years. Then I returned over two years ago to learn the Khmer language so that I can not only share His heart, but also be able to teach English more effectively to my Khmer students. 

I showed them pictures of the students I had from the orphanage who were my translators then; and now as they live in the city, are part of my discipling group that He has given to me here, along with their wives and girlfriends. God allowed our relationships from back then to grow deeper. I showed them present day photos of my students who come from very poor backgrounds to live in the church dorms and attend free English classes at the church. Education is seen as one of the main ways to get out of poverty. Learning English leads to better jobs here in Phnom Penh. Teaching English is one of the skills being taught as well as life skills and leadership skills at the free classes at New Life church. The students always ask me, “Bong Srey (older sister), why would you come all the way here to help us?” Then I get a chance to share how our God came all the way down to earth to help me! Very cool!

At the church service I attended, the visiting pastor spoke from Habakkuk 3:17-19. The theme was similar to what Pastor Sunder preached about weeks ago, “But if not I will praise God" from Daniel. The preacher’s theme was ‘the place of YET or EVEN THOUGH': 'yet' being a place not of denial of reality, but of decision and resting in His divine sovereignty. Sometimes we can get paralyzed by our circumstances yet we can make the decision to give it over to God and to praise Him in spite of visible reality! I was pumped because Habakkuk 3:19 was one of the first life verses given to me back in 2009: ‘The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights’. When I was overwhelmed by the heat, and cultural differences and language barrier, this verse was one of my lifelines to my faith in Jesus!


Then one morning I woke up early at one of my friend’s home in Georgia, and as I watched the mist lift, I saw the pond and the greenery before me, and Psalm 23 came to mind. 

I went to my Khmer Bible and began to read and learn it in Khmer. I love how God was combining my love for His Word with Khmer! I was able to spend at least one hour on this before the rest of the household woke up. Every morning I try to read a couple of verses in Khmer and to learn a couple of new phrases which I can then use in my prayer time. However, without my tutor here to listen to my pronunciation, I may be pronouncing it incorrectly! 

Praise: 

As I spoke of what He is doing in Cambodia and His plan for me for such a time as this, I am still excited about teaching English, being a mentor to a small group, but most of all humbled that HE can use me in spite of my weaknesses!

Just a note: The butterfly motif was given to me years ago and it first reflected the metamorphosis of what the survivor of human trafficking went through, from victim to being alive in Christ, a champion, strong in spirit. Now the butterfly shows the significance that education has on giving the poor a chance to go from struggling to making a living; from being ‘at risk’ to now becoming one that can fly in Him; to have a chance of a better life not only for themselves but for their families! 

But the butterfly symbol was also for me, my transformation in my relationship with Christ, my faith being resurrected and changed to becoming freer and yet deeper and stronger. When my eldest brother took me to the beach a couple of days ago (I did not go in the water because it was too cold!), guess what we saw? A BUTTERFLY! My bro commented that he has never seen a butterfly at the beach, but I felt it was God reminding me of the many blessings He has given to me, and cementing my purpose in life!

I cannot wait when to hear your stories and how I can pray with you, laugh and listen with you! 
 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vidya