Pieces of Eden

“For the Lord comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song” ~Isaiah 51:3 (ESV)

Our first full week in Cherokee is done, and even though its been a crazy journey, I am glad this is where God put me for the rest of the summer. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains, creeks, creatures, and trees. The leadership team here has embraced us wholeheartedly, and I have already been learning so very much over the past week and a half.

The campground hosts different short-term teams that do various mission projects around the reservation. Every Saturday, old teams go home, and new ones come in. The quick team turn-over is difficult for my sentimental soul, but I’ve really enjoyed soaking up the knowledge and company provided by such diverse fellowship.

This past week, a team came in that has been coming to Cherokee for almost 20 years. They have established some relationships with the Cherokee people and have their ministry down to a pretty consistent routine. There was another team that came in as well that did more outreach work. I really enjoyed bonding with members of both teams and serving with them. I primarily worked with the more experienced team as they hosted “Sonshine Bible Days” at the campground. This consisted of VBS for the younger kids, sewing and crafts for the older girls, and construction ministry for the older guys. I got to be a part of VBS, which is always one of my favorite things! Many of the kids look forward to this week every year, so they are enthusiastic participants and make the week a whole lot of fun. I loved my job as a crafts assistant for the week, and I am now a pro at using a hot glue gun! It was wonderful to have a chance to spend time with the Cherokee kids, many of whom come from broken families and other tough circumstances.

Please pray for all of the families that we ministered to over the week, and especially that the missionaries will be able to create and maintain relationships with them. Pray for us as we get ready for new teams to come in, that we would take time to rest. Pray for the Cherokee nation as we continue to come alongside them, wherever in life they may be.

Today, new teams are about to arrive to minister in a variety of ways around the Qualla boundary. Every day my heart for these people gets a little bigger, and I’m looking forward to what they have to teach me. I think that this journal entry from last Saturday provides a nice picture of the home I’m finding here:

Cherokee, 6/20/15. It’s a new week here in Cherokee. We’re cleaning out the cabins and basically hitting the reset button. The night’s rain has left everything in a fresh coat of dew, as though the campground itself is preparing for the newest team arrivals. I like the mountains in the morning, while the air is still cool and fresh…Soon the sun will make its robust appearance, drying things out and kicking nature into high gear, which is too bad, because I enjoy this moment to breathe, with leftover raindrops for my company. If this is the garden the Lord makes from my wilderness, I sure do feel an itty-bit closer to Eden.

Cambodia to Campground: Big Changes Coming Soon!

Important Internship Announcement!

I sought out this journey to the other side of the world in hopes of an immersive and challenging cross-cultural experience. I had been looking and waiting for this opportunity for God to show me what it looks like to wholly depend on Him, while also desiring a clearer picture of what my future in ministry may hold. During my time in Cambodia, the Lord has certainly challenged me to abide in His love, telling me as He told Martha in John 11: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

And I continue to take the lessons Cambodia has taught me and ponder them in my heart. Yet as with many others before me, God continually whispers that this life to the full is more than I could plan for on my own. Esther never knew she would be a queen; Mary never knew she would be mother of a Savior; Joseph never imagined he’d be more than a carpenter; and Martha never thought she’d see men rise from the dead. And if you’d asked me, I never would have guessed that God would invite me to spend the remainder of my summer serving in Cherokee, NC.

He turned my two months in Cambodia to two weeks, but I am confident that with faith I will catch glimpses of His glory. The rest of my internship time will be spent serving on a Native American reservation right by the border between those two states I call home (TN and NC.) I will be assisting in ministry and meeting various campground needs at one of MTW’s most popular sites for short-term teams. I will have the chance to encourage and build relationships with the staff and mission teams, as well as the Cherokee people. I will also be met with a wide variety of ministry opportunities around the reservation, including everything from retirement homes to children’s ministry.

Thank you for your support and prayers as I make this transition. As you pray, please pray for the Cherokee people and those of us who will be serving them this summer. I am so excited to share these experiences with you! I am looking forward to what this new adventure will bring as I surrender my plans.

In the words of Mary in Luke 1, “Behold, I am a servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.”

Step by Step

“Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.” ~ Haggai 2:4-5

Well my friends, it’s day 6 of my time in Cambodia. I asked the Lord to get me out of my comfort zone, and He sure has provided. Firstly, I wish you all could at some point experience this beautiful country and its merciful people. There is nothing quite like flying over the Mekong River, with surrounding rice fields that create a pattern almost like a hardwood floor. There is nothing quite like fresh papaya newly in season, or the remarkable gecko call sounding you to sleep. The Cambodians are indeed merciful and gracious. They are patient with us as we learn their language, quickly share their fans and umbrellas in the face of extreme heat, and often simply exude kindness.

After a week of orientation, today each of us on the intern team begins our ministry work. There are 5 of us: 2 medical interns that will be traveling, an intern in An’kjeay village, and two of us here in Phnom Penh. Though I am looking forward to beginning ministry, transitioning into a new lifestyle presents challenges, especially seeing as I am set with the task of redefining accessibility everywhere that I go. Here in Cambodia,  accessibility means using my handy-dandy crutches to get around. In the past, I’ve never been a fan of the crutches. I admit I don’t use them as often as I should. I did try to train with them a bit in preparation for this internship by getting a pedometer on my phone and making myself walk a mile when I had the time, but life and finals and papers got in the way. Now that I’m here, I have to be extra intentional about taking care of myself,  even when that means challenging myself physically for the good of these legs that I’ve fought with all my life.

It’s really good for me, but not always easy. Tile floors, inclines, and puddles abound creating one heck of an obstacle course that tests my life motto of “Challenge Accepted!” Earlier this morning, I decided to use my crutches to walk across the street to breakfast, as practice for the greater treks God will give me strength to tackle. The Khmer people that run the guesthouse here are very welcoming and hospitable. And just like every other time I’ve awkwardly shuffled out the door, the guards were ready to carry me anywhere if necessary. Today, motioned with my crutches and told them “No thank you. I am alright.” And one of them using his limited English replied, “Ah. Step by step?” I smiled and said “Yes, step by step!” With that, I kind of realized what this transition thing is all about.

Step by step. Breathe. Fear not. Each step, literally and figuratively, is a victory. And God by his Spirit, takes me step by step. Just keep walking, for I am with you. And as ministry time begins today, I am reminded that the way I will accomplish anything is just that. Step by step.