Saturday, April 16, 2016

Almost time to go back to the U.S.

A short three months to connect with people.

People we have grown to love, it is so awesome to continue to strengthen relationships and God allows us to build new ones too!

There are long term and short term relationships, at the YWAM base some people stay long term, some are here only a few weeks or months. They are people from all over the world. They become part of our hearts.

Then there are the local relationships with those who live in Battambang, those we have taught over the years, or those that work in the local shops, banks, restaurants, coffee shops. They become part of our hearts.

All these people are real and have real life issues good and bad.

Relationships are personal, beautiful, joyful, messy, hard, fragile, warm, loving... the list could go one and on!

But again it is all about people, real people. People that know Jesus, that need to know Jesus and those that are trying to figure out who this Jesus is. A big reason we choose not to post pictures, is because they are real people, and there are many! But we treasure their relationship, them letting us into their lives, they are not trophies! they have souls that our one desire is for each one to know the risen Saviour... and we are just two people who God allows to enter a bit into their journey here on earth!

Are we always the picture they need? Are we a reflection of Jesus in our daily lives? In our relationships?

One young woman we hadn't seen yet this year, we saw at a local stand so we walked over to say Hi! we chatted, for maybe 5 minutes. A couple days later she messaged us thanking us for chatting and sharing a bit of her heart. Every minute counts, every encounter is God ordained! The last few weeks have been so unbelievable only God could have ordained the encounters.

So are we ready to leave to go back to Iowa? Of course because we have family there and are again anxious to be part of their lives. Again we trust God's timing! We struggle daily. Does our coming and going help or hurt? Are we serving God to the fullest?

Can we encourage those we walk beside? Daily we see how God orders this world and the people in it! Yesterday, traveling from Pailin to Battambang an almost 2 hour trip; we stop looking for cold coffee! We step out of the car and someone yells "Hi ED" there coming into her village with a sister is one of our dear girls we have come to know and love!! God let us say "Good bye" to her without us just disappearing. That meant so much, we thank God again for that precious meeting!

It is hard to say goodbye to our Battambang family, so we will say until we meet again!