Not For Sale

This video is made by the two lovely ladies heading up XP Missions in Southeast Asia. Malina is currently based in Thailand, and Ward and I will be partnering with Andrea in Cambodia. This video is a great representation of what is going on in Southeast Asia, and what XP Missions is doing to help. 

Far Far Away

 Before God opened up this door for us I really knew nothing about Cambodia, and I feel it's safe to assume that few people in our community do. I wanted to take the time to tell you the in depth experience of our trip. Although we have had the opportunity to meet with some of you to talk about our experience, being able to meet with absolutely everyone in the short time we have left in the U.S. would be nearly impossible. We hope that you will enjoy hearing about our trip, and that it will be as life changing for you as it was for us. 

October 6th we departed from Raleigh, North Carolina with the intentions of visiting Cambodia, little did we know that it would hold our future. It was a short hour and a half flight from Raleigh to NYC. I had always wanted to see New York so I was excited to be able to gaze upon the skyline as we flew over the city. After landing we took a taxi to another airport in New York where we soon realized our flight had a five hour delay. Knowing phone service would not be available once we left the country, we took this time to say goodbye to our family and friends (again). Around midnight we were finally allowed to board our flight from NYC to Taipei Taiwan. As soon as we sat down on the plane I knew we were in trouble. It was an Asian airline, which wasn't designed with American people in mind. Ward and I could barely squeeze into our seats, his arm and shoulder hanging hazardously into the aisle way. We looked at each other as if to communicate "oh boy... this is going to be a long flight"....and it was. Seventeen hours later we landed in Taipei. Due to our plane's delay we were actually an hour late to our connecting flight. We soon found out they had held the plane for us, and we were quickly rushed from one side of the airport to the other trying to get us on the plane before it departed. We made it. Another three hour flight and we would arrive in Phnom Penh. 

We arrived at the airport in Cambodia and were immediately herded into an area designated for filing out papers and buying passports. After a bit of confusion, we figured it out and with our paperwork in hand we headed out of the airport. The first thing I noticed was the blistering heat. I had dressed in my warmest of clothes in preparation for the flight because airplanes can be quite cold (ladies I know you know what I am talking about). So dressed in two layers of sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt we headed out into the 90°F weather. To my delight I spotted a young man holding a sign with our names on it (I'm not going to lie, I felt like a movie star. I have always wanted to try that). Since our plane had been delayed he had been standing there for five hours. I felt so bad, it was so hot! He showed us to his van and we loaded up. 

It was about an hour drive from the airport, and we rode the entire time in silence (which, if you know me, is a rare occasion). I had heard people talk about culture shock before, but I had never personally experienced it, until now. I sat in the car the full hour staring out of the window with my mouth hanging open in complete amazement! I've never experienced such an array of emotions, not to mention complete exhaustion. Cars, and mopeds zoomed by us as they wove in and out of traffic. It wasn't long before I realized that there was no apparent driving rules here at all! Everyone ebbs and flows the way a school of fish would in the ocean, paying no attention to stop lights, or lines on the road. I was in total disbelief. In addition to the incomprehensible traffic there were no side walks, or at least none that you could see. Every side walk and curb were covered in shops and businesses that people had started in front of their homes. Not an inch of sidewalk was available which means yes, if you want to walk down the street you really have to walk in the street with all the unpredictable traffic. 

When we arrived at our hotel I immediately noticed incense and offerings lining the stairs and the rooms. Cambodia is a predominately Buddhist country and offerings like these are quite common. Driving through the street you can find bright red structures looking similar to a large bird house, these are designed for families to give offerings to their ancestors every morning. I felt like I had landed on another planet. It took me about two days of hiding in the hotel before I was willing to try to walk down the street. Luckily, culture shock wears off, and soon I was meandering the streets and navigating traffic like a true tourist. 

For us this was not just a missions trip, for us this was a scouting trip because we knew the Lord was calling us to relocate to Cambodia. We wanted to come and see the country, as well as spend time with the XP Missions team to talk about partnering with them.

Our first day with our team we traveled to the Killing Fields. The Killing Fields is where millions of people were executed during the rule of the Khmer Rouge genocide. (If you would like more information about the Khmer Rouge or the Cambodian genocide I really encourage you to look to check out my post here: Genocide because it is vital to understanding the country). We also visited one of the main torture prisons that was in operation during the Khmer Rouge. This day was very heavy for me and it was very hard to see and listen to the stories of people who had been affected by this horrendous event. My heart was broken for what had happened to these people and their families. The more you think about it, thirty years was not that long ago. Almost everyone we met in Cambodia was affected by this event in one way or another. Either they themselves and their families survived it, or their family was killed in it. If you read my previous post about the Khmer Rouge you understand that the purpose of this genocide was to "purify" the country and return it to it's Asian roots. The leaders targeted doctors, teachers, anyone with an education, missionaries, businessmen  and all of their families. Imagine having a country of nothing but farmers, and anyone you know who was anything but a farmer is dead. That's what happened to Cambodia. 

Because of this horrible event the country has spent the last thirty years trying to rebuild. Imagine trying to rebuild a country from nothing. How do you create teachers if there is no one to teach? How do you create doctors if there are no doctors? How do you build your family if you never had one? These are the questions that the Cambodian people are having to face everyday. Because of this mass destruction of education and structure there is much corruption within the country and government. Poverty is very high and people are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. This is the reason that human trafficking, prostitution, and child slavery is so rampant in this area. People are willing to sell their children for a few dollars so that they can buy food. Women prostitute themselves just so they can feed their children. That's where organizations like XP Missions come in, making it their goal to rehabilitate the country and to give people hope found in Jesus Christ. 

During our stay we were able to be a part of many of the outreaches that XP Missions has started. One of these outreaches we went to the slum communities. These communities house some of the most impoverished people in Cambodia. They are considered "at risk", which means they are a prime target for traffickers to come and buy children to sell into begging rings or prostitution. XP leads several outreaches here. One day we came and did children's ministry. We gathered up all the children and had them sit down. We started by singing several songs and then we told them the story about Jesus leaving the ninety-nine sheep to go and find the one. At the end we played games and had a water balloon toss. The kids loved every minute! XP is involved in this ministry on a weekly basis in several slums, this allows them to build relationship with the kids as well as monitor their safety. 

Later in the week we visited another slum where we set up a foot washing and shoe station. Many of the children and families here cannot afford shoes and daily walk the glass and trash covered slums with bare feet. It was a very humbling experience to wash the dirt away from these beautiful feet and be able to give them a brand new pair of shoes. You have never seen children so grateful for a pair of shoes in your whole life. The way their little faces lit up, and said "thank you, thank you" humbled me to a new level. Never again will I complain about not having the "right pair of shoes" to wear with my outfit. Then we went door to door to pray with families. We prayed with anyone and everyone that would allow us. It amazed me how little all of these people had, some not even clothes for their children, but how willing they were to give you what they had. As I left a house, a little boy ran up to me and handed me two pieces of paper. They were drawings that he and his sister had done. This was the greatest gift in all of Cambodia, and I will never forget their precious faces. When we loaded back up in the vans, two little boys ran down the street wearing their new shoes waving happily as we drove away. 

XP Missions also takes time every week to do individual women's and men's ministry within the slum communities. They do amazing things like wash the women's hair and give them hair cuts, minister the gospel, and build relationships. It is a beautiful thing seeing men and women in their communities growing in faith and in self confidence. 

I did save my favorite outreach for last. The most impactful experience to me was visiting the safe houses that XP Misssions runs. These houses are designed for children that they have rescued out of various forms of human trafficking. You can read more about some of these children and their individual stories of restoration here:  

Children's Testimonies





 

These wonderful children absolutely amazed me. When you hear their stories you would think it would be impossible for them to ever lead a normal life. However, when we got out of the vans we were greeted with warm hugs and smiles. The children were happy, healthy, and on the road to complete restoration. This is where our heart is. Ward and I are passionate to see children removed from these horrible situations and through the love of God, and a loving family environment see them totally transformed so they can walk in the destiny God has for them. This is where we realized that even if you can change just one life, everything is worth it. 

We ended our week with a group dinner on a boat that took us along the river. It was a great time to talk about the week and to say goodbye to all the friends you had made. People ask me a lot "Did you have fun on your trip?" To be honest I don't know how to answer that question. It was devastating, emotional, heartbreaking, exciting, scary, and inspirational all at the same time. It's not a vacation, it was a realization that there is more in this world than just me. There is more to this world than iPads, flat screen TV's, black friday or Christmas. I'm not saying those things are bad, but they can be bad if it is not in proper perspective. If we are upset because we can't afford the latest trend, or because we don't have the latest and greatest kitchen appliance, we need to look around and figure out what's really important in life. Before this trip I was consumed with having new clothes and I wanted my house to look like it came out of a magazine (even though it was no where close), but now I am just glad to have some clothes and a home to sleep in. Something changed in my heart when I was in Cambodia, and it's never been the same. I can no longer live my life knowing that I can make a difference in someone's life there. That's why I thank you, because our friends like you, believe in us. Without you believing in us we couldn't do this. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting us with your prayers and your financial support because you are allowing us to literally change lives. 

If you would like to support us financially or become a part of our prayer team please follow the directions on the link below. 

Prayer and Support

Thank You

Why We Said Yes

Even as a kid it has always been a dream of mine to become a missionary overseas. I figured we would have kids and raise them in America. When our kids were all grown up we would settle down in some village in Africa to take care of orphans. I never thought it could happen this quickly! I had my plans, but God knows the desires of our heart and He is divinely orchestrating our destiny!

I remember just a few months ago I was frustrated with where I was in life. I was wanting more. I have always been a dreamer and when I dream, I dream BIG. I had it set in my heart to make a difference and to partner with God to change the world! To be honest I never thought I would graduate Bethel School of Ministry and move across the United States to become a part time bartender just to make ends meet. I wanted to be holding conferences, seeing people healed and saved, and changing the world! Although God was using me where I was,  I wanted more and I felt like I was stuck. As I drove to work one day, I was listening to a Jake Hamilton song in my car while singing the words to the top of my lungs. The words went: "Here I am... Lord send me. I'm ready and willing God.... here I am...Lord send me". I had sung this song so many times before but this time it was more than a declaration, it was the cry of my heart. I would have never dreamed that less than a month later my entire life would be flipped upside down and I would be preparing to move to another country.

When we tell someone we are moving one of the most frequently asked questions is: "Why?". People are dumbfounded that in a month we could be ready to sell everything and move to a country most people have never heard of. So here is the answer you have all been waiting for... here is why we said yes. 

First of all, and most importantly, we felt a strong call of the Lord for us to go and visit Cambodia. This alone is enough reason to do anything! When we say yes to Him we are saying yes to His plan for our lives, no matter where that takes us. 

Four months ago I had not even heard the word Cambodia more than three or four times in my life and I knew absolutely nothing about the country. In October God began opening up doors for us to go on a two week trip to visit Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. You know it's God when everything works out so well you couldn't have planned it better yourself! There seemed to be a "parting of the red sea" to make a way for us to go on this trip. Money came in from friends we hadn't seen in years, we were able to buy plane tickets for half the cost of a normal ticket, and people from everywhere were coming up and sharing how they felt God was about to turn a page in our lives. 

We quit both of our jobs and spent most of our savings to embark on this journey. It was a crazy season of faith and testing. We were holding on to the promises of the Lord and hoped we hadn't totally lost our minds!


I think that God gives you a supernatural grace in seasons of faith and transition. I was so excited for what He was doing in our lives I didn't even process what was happening! It wasn't until I boarded the plane in New York that I thought "Oh.... my.... gosh... What are we doing!" of course by then it was too late. 

Our 17 hour international flight from NYC to Taipei Taiwan. 

Often I hear people say things like "I could never do what you guys did." Im not sharing this to make us look like we are some kind of super heroes because we are not. We are just ordinary people, leading ordinary lives. There is one thing that sets us apart, and every believer has the ability to obtain it. We have completely dedicated our lives to Him, and we have committed ourselves to following His lead wherever it may take us (no matter how crazy our friends and family think we are)! Ward and I have established in our hearts that His plan is always better than our plan, and no matter what it looks like we will follow His voice. We've tried living our way, we've tried preparing our own path. When it comes down to it, nothing compares to the peace of knowing that you're in His perfect will for your life, and that is why we said yes. 

Just because you know you are following His voice doesn't mean it's always easy. Like I mentioned above, that moment for me on the plane was sheer, absolute, panic. I literally had to fight from running off the plane! I suddenly became painfully aware of every choice we had made over the last few weeks. Quitting our jobs, spending our savings, giving away family pets... We had burned every bridge that we had! There was nothing to come home to, no turning back. But I sat there and told myself "No, I will follow the Lord. If He has called us to go, I will go." I want to share that because often times when we follow the Lord, it does seem crazy, and you really do have to take every thought captive and choose not to listen to your flesh. Even though it may look like someone walking in faith has it all together on the outside, know that everyday they have to purposely choose to listen to the voice of God instead of the voice of reason. That's why it's called faith!

Faith is defined as:

Wikipedia- 

    -Faith is confidence or trust. It can also be belief that is not based on proof. 

Webster's-  

    -allegiance to duty or a person :  loyalty

 -fidelity to one's promises 

   -belief and trust in and loyalty to God 

   -belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion

-firm belief in something for which there is no proof   complete trust

-something that is believed especially with strong conviction without question 

We use the word faith a lot, it's a small word that truly has the power to change our lives. If we really lived by faith (true allegiance to God, firmly trusting Him with no question even when there is no proof) we would be an unstoppable people that can change the world!

My prayer for you today (and I hope you will pray for us as well) is that we would be able to walk in true faith in every area that God has called us. I pray that we would be able to walk out our God given destiny no matter what it looks like, or what others think. That we would be ready and willing to follow Him without question wherever He leads us. That He would give us the grace and the strength to listen to His voice above our own, and that we would have the faith to say yes. 

Letters for Cambodia

Friends!

We have been working non-stop for the last several days in order to finish some informational brochures and letters about our upcoming move to Cambodia! We are so excited to partner with all of you on this incredible journey! All the letters should be mailed out tomorrow!

 If you haven't sent me your home address yet, and you would like more information about our trip, please make sure that you private message me your mailing address so we can send you one. Thank you all for your kindness, your spiritual and your emotional support. We love you all!

P.S. Keep checking out our blog for new updates! I will be posting some pictures from our trip, and some information about XP Missions within the next few days.

Welcome To Our Blog

Seasons Greetings!
 

 Welcome to our page! I am feeling really excited as I write my very first blog post ever!

We hope this will become a place that you can frequent in order to see what we are up to and how we are doing all the way around the world. Our plan is to be able to post on here at least once a month about our outreaches, victories, and areas in which we are praying for breakthrough. We truly want to stay connected with all of you, because without your prayers and support this wouldn't be possible. We want you to see first hand what you are investing your thoughts prayers and finances into, and what a difference you are making in the lives of God's precious people! The goal of this blog is not for us to show off what we are doing, but it is to genuinely invite you to pray and partner with us in the season  that God has set before us. It is a core value of our family to believe that prayer changes things! This is the biggest step of faith that we have ever experienced in our lives! Not only do the people of Cambodia need your prayer, but we do to! Thank you for choosing to be a part of this wonderful movement that God is doing in Cambodia!

Thank you for your friendship, prayers, and support. We are so thankful for each and every one of you! 

Blessings and joy to you in this holiday season!