The Rumors Are True!

You may have heard that I’m returning to Cambodia, for like an entire year to teach English…. the rumors are true. That I am. And here’s the story. 

Back at good ol’ training camp, we had done an exercise where we asked the Holy Spirit to give us a word or a vision, either for ourselves or for someone else. My teammate came up to me later and told me the Holy Spirit gave her the word “fellowship” for me.

On Friday of the second week, we took an unexpected trip to Siem Reap to take a teammate to the hospital, and only half of our team was able to return and be present Sunday. Someone needed to preach and since we only had half of our team, I volunteered to. While I was praying in preparation, God led me to Matthew 16:24-26.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for His soul?”

I studied this verse when I made the decision to transfer to a passport trip instead of doing world race gap year. I had reflected on that and how God has fulfilled many promises since that day. As I was sitting in the pavilion and reflecting, God very suddenly told me I would be teaching English in another country and that I should share that at church. I was very confused, so I began to worship. I didn’t know what else to do. Being an English teacher was very hard and it was out of my comfort zone for sure, but I grew to love it. I had started spending extra time outside of teaching class teaching some of the people who really wanted to learn more. It made sense that the time I had spent teaching was so special to me — it was a glimpse of how God was going to use me for an even longer time in the future.

The next day, the rest of the team returned. The weekend had been overwhelming, so we took the evening to rest. After spending a few hours with the team, I started to miss the kids. I decided to join them for devotions, and my teammate that gave me the word “fellowship” came with me. As we sat in a circle with these beautiful people that we had grown close to, listening to them praise God in their language, I opened my eyes and looked up, and written on the wall was the name of the church, which I had not known until this point. “Fellowship Word of Life”

I tried to shake it as coincidental. Maybe the Holy Spirit had just wanted to confirm that I was supposed to be on this trip. But then Wednesday came around and our team time was a 20 minute listening prayer. For the first 15 minutes, I didn’t hear anything. Then all of the sudden I had a vision. I started to sob, and I tried to convince myself it wasn’t what I knew it was. After the 20 minutes was done, we all gathered at the table to talk. One of my teammates shares her vision, and it’s a vision of me — the same vision I had but I didn’t share yet. I started weeping and then shared what I had seen. That was when I knew I was supposed to teach English at NHO in Cambodia.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to come back to teach English. I thought it would be too expensive or that they couldn’t have visitors for a long time. So the next morning during my quiet time I decided to ask God “if you want me to be an English teacher at NHO, can you please give me a way to do that? Because I don’t think I can do it myself.” Then I ate breakfast and sat in a class my teammates were teaching. During this class, it was obvious that not all of my team needed to be there. My friends Sila and Soknin came to the door and my teammate asked if I wanted to go hang out with them. We sat with Sila, Soknin, Malaky, and Joseph in a pavilion and talked for a while. They showed us how to write their names in khmer. Then I noticed they were all wearing button downs. I asked why they were all so handsome today, and they said “we have visitors”

Half an hour later, a van came down the driveway. People started getting out of the van — 3 Americans and 3 Cambodians. Two of the Cambodians were my friends Piseth and Oudom. I introduced myself to the people I didn’t know and then I helped the Americans unload the equipment from the van. I sat down with my friends during the program, but my teammate came in and told me my team leader, Jenna, wanted to see me. I asked where she was and my teammate pointed across the playground. I walked out to see her standing with the third Cambodian, the one I didn’t know. I walked over and she explained that he had asked if anyone from our team was possibly interested in volunteering for a year to teach English at NHO.

I asked God to give me a way to teach English at NHO, and in less than 24 hours, He did. When I started looking at flights, the flights in February were much cheaper. So I have booked my flight for February 7, 2018. First I will fly to LA, then I will fly to China, then I will fly to Cambodia. I will arrive at the childrens home February 10. I am very nervous but I know that this is what God has for me. So join me in prayer!! (Also can I just take a minute to say — what?? is this real life?? did this all really happen? Is this really happening? God is so so good)