#210 - Birthday Celebrations and Covid-19!

Vol.# 210

THANK YOU EVERYONE for your birthday prayers and words either through video, written messages on social media and in person here! 

This was a different kind of a birthday than from previous years. On my birthday I was running around delivering birthday cakes to others who had birthdays on the same day. As usual, I started my day being still before Jesus, asking Him about my personal vision and mission for the upcoming year. Part of my reading for that day was on Mark 16 and when I got to verse 3…,”and they asked each other, who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”, I felt God saying: that is your refined mission for me this upcoming year. You are to help to roll the stone away so that the spiritually blind can see, the poor in heart will be rich in spirit by your acts of servanthood and words. Your warrior prayer heart will be in the midst of the battle to roll away the lies of Satan to my and now your heart country! 

I have read this passage many times but this is the first time this jumped out at me. Of course as in verse 5, I have wanted to be the young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side! I wanted to be sitting and guiding others but Jesus said, “No, your role is very different, my daughter!” SO, here I am recharged and excited to see the different ways I can help ‘to roll away the stone’! 

As I was reading about this in the coffee shop, the Wi-Fi went, so I told the waiter, “Hey, it is my birthday, bro, and I chose to come in here to begin it, but no Wi-Fi!” He apologized and then 5 minutes later he came back and said, “Bong Srey(older sister), we would like to give you something free for your birthday.” So I got a free hot cafe latte! God reminded me in this small way that He delighted in me! 

In between my birthday song from my parents and greetings from my siblings and then ALL of you out there, I had to help in planning a surprise party for one of our worship leaders who turned 40. His wife had asked me to help plan it as she had booked a room at a Khmer restaurant for a small number of their friends. As it turned out, there was another person at the party who also had the same birthday. So later in the evening we celebrated Bro. Pisit’s surprise birthday with delicious food, laughter, karaoke singing and dancing! 

3 of us share same birthday - Surprising Bro. Pisit!

I also got a chance to deliver the birthday cake (one of 3 I had ordered) to the owner of the salon. For the first time the manager of the girls there had also bought me a cake, so we celebrated with the 2 cakes and guess what? I got a free mani/pedi/ haircut as my gifts from them as well! 

At Salon

The day before had been bittersweet as I said goodbye to a fellow teacher and her husband who were returning to Australia after serving here since 2011. At the airport we had pre-birthday ice cream for one of the other ‘shared birthday’ persons, Kimreach, a Khmer young man who has a heart of gold and love for Jesus. 

Pre-Birthday Ice Cream with Kimreach at Airport (Birthdays on same day!)

Ironically, I never even tasted any of the cakes because I was running from one place to another! Then at church last Sunday, my information desk team surprised me with a slice of cake and birthday song. Just 10 minutes earlier I was surprised by a group of dear Khmer sisters with another slice of cake and birthday song!  Then, on Monday my students surprised me with a birthday cake as well. They put their money together to buy and surprise me! I had surprised them a couple of days before my birthday by buying them baked goods, and they, not having much, saved and put money together for my cake! What was notable about the giving of the 2 cakes from my non-church groups was that at the salon they waited for me to do a blessing for them before I blew out the candles, and it was the same for my students. They closed their eyes and waited for me to pray a blessing! 

Cake from Students

Then my ‘community’ of D and L and Chloe took me out for dinner a couple of days ago! 

My Perspective: 

C.O.V.I.D. 19: Christ Over Viruses and Infectious Diseases: Joshua 1:9: 

As a church we prayed, and last Sunday we screened anyone coming in with the digital thermometer and sprayed hands. 

Screening At Church

Vidya taking sanitizing to a whole new level!

Our spiritual leader preached on how to physically prepare ourselves by hand washing and social distancing etc. and then preached on the GOD Who is in control amidst the fears that were coming to the surface. We obeyed the government‘s order to close down classes and then church services. Gatherings, if it happened, were under 30 people. What has arisen is the small group or cell group meetings, even if online with each other! My connections with the students are now on Telegram chat. Most of them had gone home to the countryside since universities and high schools were shut down, and parents wanted their kids to be at home. However the risks of infection are greater back in the countryside with no good medical care and following of precautions to stop any possible infections. Many families live in communal homes, so social distancing would be at a very low percent and if someone were sick they would have to travel to the city, thereby spreading the disease to others! So through social media, the church’s leaders have been encouraging and cautioning the people on C.O.V.I.D.-19!

On a personal note, when Prime Minister Trudeau urged Canadians to return home, I prayed and then talked to spiritual mentors. We thought it wiser to stay here. Many have tried to leave, but with borders closing on many of the ‘transit’ countries, flights being cancelled and so many stranded in airports and other places, the wisest thing is to stay here. I know that a state of emergency has been declared in Toronto with many advised to stay at home, especially the elderly and those at risk.

I have been praying for all of you. 

I am praising God for:

 - Time to deliberately spend with Him in prayer and fasting, seeking Him and His news first before reading the news from all over the world about COVID. In Numbers where the people had to specifically do cleansing rituals, I suddenly realized that God had instituted such practices SO THAT there would be no spreading of diseases. I thought, WAIT! God was the FIRST one Who wisely put in certain ways of doing things to protect the Israelites! HE was the original WHO before the World Health Organization (W.H.O.)! The Bible is so current with what is going on presently. This just excites me even more as I read it each day!

- The creativity introduced by my spiritual leaders and at school for online teaching. (Yes, even I will learn to do this!)

- The relationships that have become stronger as we enter the first stage here of COVID.

Prayer Requests:
  

- Please pray how to wisely be His angel to others as the country shuts down certain services.

- How to show God’s love and to allay the fears of those in my neighborhood that do not know Him.

I want to thank you all for your sacrifice of funds and prayers during these uncertain times when there are financial losses due to work shutdowns. Thank you for continuing to dance with me in spite of visible circumstances. We will storm the heavens together and praise His name! 

Please continue to send your stories and creative ways of sharing His love!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 

Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 

Your sister, Vidya