Vol.# 270
As I sit listening to the birds and the sounds of laughter coming from the cafe below, (No, I am not on the rooftop. It is too hot with the hottest season coming in April), I am grateful for another birthday year and for all of your comments and video calls!
It began with my sis Sita surprising me with a video call followed with calls from Mom and Dad, my big bro Krish, and messages from Vish and my eldest sis Savi from England, and then a surprising video call from my nephew Darren and his family in England singing Happy Birthday with gusto!
On the Saturday before my birthday, I received an email from Ken and Claire Bradley (prayer letters) and the title jumped out at me, Here I Am! Claire proceeded to reference from the Bible the many times someone responded to God’s call with the answer Here I Am! Claire added that she wanted that response from her and Ken accompanied by joyful expectation and not resignation! That resonated with my spirit, to joyfully surrender to our Master’s leadership and to be directed by the Holy Spirit in all that I do! With this in mind, God began to orchestrate some events in the last few days:
- Women’s Event on International Women’s Day at the church: As this is focused on the Khmer women, there would be no translation of the talks/instructions and I had to think if I should attend since I had no active role. I felt God say to ‘show up’, to be a presence and to say Here I Am, show me what I can do. Well, I was asked if I could help with the offering count and was glad to do so to release others to go back to listen to the discussions going on in the main auditorium. Then there was a game that we all had to participate in a circle, and I joined in to the laughter of others! I thought it was a small thing, but I heard the comments of ‘oh the foreigner sister loves to be with us, enjoying our games!’ Then, as I was about to leave, I noticed one of my younger sisters washing the trays on which we had served snacks, and I knew she was going out for lunch with her mentees to celebrate Women’s Day which, by the way, is an official holiday here. So I suggested that I wash while she went out with her younger sisters. I was there to say yes to God’s direction, releasing others to do what was needed, and felt His affirmation of thank you for surrendering to His nudges in my spirit. By the way, there was a lot of singing off key by me as I washed the dishes to the amusement of others! Can I encourage you, my fellow dancer, to be a presence for Him by saying Here I am Lord in whatever form that may be?
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| SOME ATTENDEES: CAN YOU FIND ME? |
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| PLAYING GAMES |
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| NEW WOMEN'S GROUP LEADERS WITH OUN PISEY, YOUTH LEADER IN FRONT |
- Usually for my birthday, I go to the salon that I have been going to for about 8 years now (going on 12 years I think of being here), and the owner and I celebrate our birthdays together since it is on same day! Well, this year the salon was going to be closed for renovations and Jheri the owner had sent me a message not to worry this year, that we will not do the cake! WELL..If you know me, I thought, no celebration? Hmm! I got an idea, and went to a bakery and had them write HAPPY NOT YET BIRTHDAY in Khmer (that itself was a puzzle to them even though I wrote it in Khmer, they kept trying to correct me! LOL!), and delivered it myself! Jheri just laughed and laughed when he saw the inscription and the girls there were delighted to have cake! I do let them know that I am glad that Jesus the Christ has given me another year and I am grateful for His goodness in the way of their welcoming hearts and excellent service to me as explanation of our celebration!
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| NOT YET BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH SALON OWNER |
- On the day itself, David and Lauren with their kids Chloe and Lily invited me over for a birthday lunch filled with delicious food (chili and scones were divine!) and fun time with the kids. I am so grateful that they are here and not only part of my community, but family as well!
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| CHLOE AT DAVID AND LAUREN'S HOUSE FOR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. NOTICE THE WHIMSICAL DECOR ON MY BEHALF ON THE WALL! |
- On the Tuesday following my birthday, we had a staff meeting and the staff surprised me with a birthday cake! I already received birthday messages on the group chat, so this was genuinely a surprise and I was touched by this gesture!
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| STAFF GIVING ME BIRTHDAY CAKE |
- Thank you to Pastor Wayne and Betty for your video call! Always well timed and even though it was late for you at nighttime, it was a joy to see you and to be prayed over by you both!
Prayer Request:
As there is a transition of leadership of the main campus leader, who is also the leader of the 5Ps group of which I am a part, to another church plant, I ask for His wisdom as I help Lokru Pheaktra and his wife finish well here and then go into a new season in the other church; also, aiding with our own team members as they adapt to the changes and prepare for a new season as well!
Prayer Request:
Pray that I will prepare myself spiritually to listen to and follow His Spirit as I will be sitting in on the devotional times of each sector in the church office: HR combined with Support Services of IT and Financial, Church Planting services, Skills Training Centre and of course 5Ps, which is Soul Care, Worship and Youth and Children’s Ministries combined! Two staff meetings ago, as I stood shoulder to shoulder to pray with one sister, she suddenly turned into a full hug and began to cry, and I realized that she thought she had no one to pray with and turn to. I began to realize that I had FAILED as an Intercessory prayer warrior FOR ALL OF THE OFFICE STAFF. Some of them thought I was only part of the 5Ps and that I only prayed for that group and the main leaders at the church. I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit to go to the leader Lokru Samdy to not only apologize but also to figure out a way to show the staff that I was available to all. The solution was to attend the separate devotional times (which would be 3 separate mornings) when the group is smaller and I would sit with them being available, with a Here I AM presence!
I want to say a special thank you to my friend Maggie who in this season has been showing me how to be present for that one person. Maggie is showing me how to sit and be His Presence one to one, just as I imagine God, the Great I Am, sitting with me and allowing me to be the centre of His attention even for a couple of minutes. Thank you, Maggie, for that gift of your undivided attention!
Thank you for your continued sacrifices of time and resources so that we can dance together here in my heart country of Cambodia! For my Trini folks, I had successfully brought back a small bottle of Peardrax (successfully I say, because it was a glass bottle and could easily break in the transportation process!). So on my birthday as I sat on the hammock on the rooftop, I finally opened it up to have with my Grace plantain chips that Ruby had so generously supplied!
Please continue to send in your prayer requests and stories about your own life! I love going to the Master’s feet on your behalf!
Love, His Warrior and Disciple,
Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,
Your sister, Vedya
