#118 - His Glory Manifested and Thank you!

Thank you for your words of encouragement and for also sending me your prayer requests. 

Here I am, surrounded by piles of notes, but this time I am not discouraged but challenged! 

I was listening to a sermon on the breaking down of the walls of Jericho. The march was not for 4 days or 5 days, but God told them to march for 7 days, and even then, they did not know what was going to happen. 

However, these steps of obedience and perseverance led to the breakthrough or breaking down of the walls. Funny how this sermon just happened to pop up on my phone, eh? 

I love God's timing! 

Then as I listened to Pastor Wade's message, I did ask along with you all for God to show His glory. 

How was this manifested? 

All of a sudden, a switch happened in my brain and I was able to decipher a difficult word. It was as if I was seeing the word with a new understanding! 

YES, HE showed His glory!

Praise: 

Even though it is still difficult and I am the slowest in the class, it is a joy to learn because that is how I praise Him. I think that this season in my time here should be filled with joy as I learn! I thank Him for showing Himself through you and His Words and yes, His glory! 

Thank you, Pastor Wade, for your challenge to us, to me, to call upon the Great I AM!

Praise: 

As I was leaving school on Friday singing in the tuk tuk (because let us face it, it was the week end!), I saw someone with whom I just started to connect and I asked if I could take her somewhere since she was walking. We ended up spending a couple of hours together laughing, talking about our faith, and living here in Cambodia as His servants! She is in a higher level and can speak Khmer well! She lives with Khmer folks, so even though it was difficult to understand, she is adapting! 

I was able to return your generosity to me of your prayers and encouragement to extend to her that day! I just felt God saying to me to show her how much HE loves her by being a 'sister/sista'!

Prayer requests: 

- For perseverance and creative ways of deciphering and learning His language here for my heart country!

- a new place to live that will be between the new location of my church here and school! Safe, and on an upper floor!

Thank you!

Please keep your requests coming! It is an honour to go before Him on your behalf. 
It gets me out of myself to pray for others!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya

#117 - I need His creativity!

As sweat pours down my back and I am looking back at today, I feel as if I have taken not one, not two, but three steps backward in my language classes! 

For the first time I am feeling overwhelmed. 

I was so blank on some of the words yesterday as I was reading, and when I was listening to my former students talk in Khmer with each other, I understood very little.

Prayer request: 

With my assignments mounting up, I am feeling overwhelmed. Please pray that I would not let this feeling stop me from doing them well! I need His creativity to unlock my lack of understanding, or however the LORD leads you to pray. Thank you!

Praise: 

I did get together with my former students, and it was a delight to talk one on one with them (half in Khmer and half in English). I praise God for this next generation of up and coming future leaders of Cambodia!

Got to get back to my studying now! 
Thank you for holding me up in your prayers! 
How can I hold you up as well?

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya

#116 - Prayer for study rhythm, new community and re-adjustment

Many of you have written to ask me how my first week back at school was going.
School started on a Thursday, so it has not been one week yet! 
However, the first day back we had to read a comprehension exercise, and I was able to read it all except for 5 words! I understood my teachers when they spoke. We have 2 of them during the three hour morning class, but my listening skills when more than one person is talking is very weak.

Prayer requests: 

- That this week I would be focused on my studies and get into a healthy rhythm of study! 

- That He would give me discernment as to how to set up my extra tutoring time for 2 days a week in the afternoon. I prayed and already He gave me Mondays as one day to get extra help, since we are learning new things on first day of the week, and Wednesday as well! (Before it was random!)

- I had such a condensed quality community time with my family and you my other family, that being back here where I am more alone is making the readjustment a bit more difficult than I thought! Please pray that I would be able to adjust and have His wisdom on finding my community.

- On finding my new home! Strangely enough, everyone here in neighbourhood was so excited to see me back. My school Tuk Tuk driver wants to speak only English in the morning so he can work on his skills! We made an agreement: I learn how to pronounce two words from him each morning, and I will help him with his English as we drive to school and talk! Liep, whom I mentioned before who goes to my church here, wisely noted that our church, New Life, would be moving soon, so maybe my new place should be closer to it (and school, of course!). So prayer is for that geographical location! 

Praise:

My former students have invited me to watch them play football and I love going to watch them and in the in-between times, I get to hear what is on their hearts! Now they come to pick me up on their motos! I am seeing the fruit of the two years spent at Rescue teaching them! They are all my former translators! 

I have to rush off to have breakfast which is my most important meal of the day! (LOL!) 
I love my coffee times with Jesus in the morning! His Word always prepares me for the day. 
Who else but our God speaks to us through His Word? 
Dance with Him today. 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya

#115 - A Breezy Arrival Back in Phnom Penh

My exit from Pearson International Airport started by meeting one of the employees there: Karen. 

She met my parents, and being from the Caribbean culture, immediately called them 'Mom' and 'Dad', respecting their age! 

We discussed the importance of having God in our lives as a grounding factor, because in Him we have a sure foundation with all of the uncertainties in this world.

Yes, pretty deep convo for so early in the morning! 

But I love the 'God encounters!'

Coming into Phnom Penh was a breeze! 

Literally! 

Since I already had a visa which does not expire until November, all I had to do was get my luggage, and then walk out. 

Aha! There lies the twist! 

My luggage was in the last batch to come out. Yup, half an hour later (no exaggeration)! 
And by this time I was beginning to doubt if I recognized my suitcases! There were about 8 of them which kept going around and around and I am thinking, mmm... maybe mine, even though I knew which ones were my own! 

As I approached the Custom officers with my suitcases, one of them tried to lift one up (50.1 lbs exactly!); he looked at his partner as if to ask, should we search them?

Your prayers were answered. The partner just looked at him and motioned for me to go!

My  travelling companions on the second leg of my journey were one lady with her daughter who lived in Virginia Beach, California. She is Khmer and had left Cambodia when she got married 20 years ago. Her daughter, now 16, was visiting for the very first time! It was interesting to hear her story and she thought it was amazing (yup, you heard correctly!) that I was there learning the language so I could be more effective for Jesus the Christ in Cambodia!

And as I walked out (around 11-ish, my flight came in around 10:15 or so!), Channak was there with my students who I taught at Rescue! They had been playing soccer earlier on, and when they found out I was coming in, decided to come to the airport on their motor! 

Sweet! 

So right there and then, we made plans to get together soon! I went on the tuk tuk back to my place and it was so cool with the breeze blowing through, loved it!!!! 

NO worries folks, Channak was there, and the tuk tuk driver was from his house!

Greeting Party At Airport!

This morning as I woke up, I got emails from my RAC family with Scripture, encouraging me as I am about to start school and recommence language learning! 

It was timely since I fell asleep around 2-ish and promptly woke up at 4! 

I also listened to past messages that I missed, one preached by Duncan Reid, and another by Ryan Graham, visiting speaker at Connexion! Both messages made me so thankful that I have access to such resources that provoke me to think and reconsider my walk with God! 

I began immediately to ask God for 'illumination' as Pastor Ryan preached, and to ask God to reveal to me the 'Jekyl and Hyde' in me! (You have to listen to that sermon preached from the heart by Duncan!) 

I went on my first moto ride later to grab some groceries and then spent the time settling in and getting accustomed to the heat! 

I actually had to text Channak to ask him what day it was! I thought it was Thursday but alas, it is Friday! 

He already thinks I am 'nuts' so it is safe to ask him! 

I have already talked to Dong and Johnny and told them that even though my time was short, it was good to spend quality time with my family and RAC family! 

Prayer Request: for a new place to live. 

This one has been a blessing, but it is too far from grocery stores and eating places! When I was recovering from my illness and could not cook for myself, it was difficult to find things to eat. I had to get a moto or tuk tuk to go out! When the temp went up to 100 degrees in the kitchen during the heat wave, it was too hot to cook and again I had to go out to find things to eat in the heat! I just spoke with the landlord and told him what a blessing it has been, but the move has to be done! I have until the end of October to find new place! 

Praise!: I thank God for the safety of this place and for the sweetness of soul of my landlord, his wife and his parents who live here! I want to finish well with them! 

Prayer Request: To know how to review wisely before school starts on the 11th. I need to immerse myself in everything Khmer. I have to admit I was eavesdropping on a convo between these 2 Khmer guys at the airport! I wanted to see if I could understand anything! Do not panic, people, they were speaking loudly sitting across from me, so I just paid extra attention to the convo! 

Prayer Request: for a community here where I can be challenged, grow in Him, and in turn be His servant for Him for them! 

Please keep on sending in your prayer requests! You can respond by sending your story or request to my email address.

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya