Where In The World Are We Now?

One of the questions we are most frequently asked by friends and family is simple but often leads to a surprising answer. The question:  “So where are ya’ll now?”.  Quite frankly it’s a good question seeing that it’s often easier to find "Where's Waldo" in a book than it is to figure out where we are currently located on planet earth. 

If I had to describe the last six or seven years of our life in one word it would be: "whirlwind".   Whirlwind romance turned to whirlwind wedding all while simultaneously attending two schools and living cross country. Over the past several years Ward and I have collectively traveled to six different countries and lived in eight locations each time changing addresses, phone numbers, banks, etc.  We've started jobs and have had to end them just as quickly. We've helped develop ministries, and led outreaches both in America and overseas. It has been an accelerated time of learning and equipping, but to be honest it’s been quite exhausting! This year has been no exception.

Every moment you invest into an area, a people, a ministry, an organization you are giving pieces of your heart, your love, and your life. No matter how much we travel, no matter where we go or how long we stay there Ward and I always leave a piece of ourselves behind. No matter where we are, as the plane leaves the runway we feel like we are leaving "home". 

Mexico, Thailand, South Africa, Cambodia... America. We have never found a people group that we don’t love and that’s why we are so passionate about bringing God’s love to the nations. Living in Cambodia was one of the greatest experiences of my life but I can also honestly say that it was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done. Though it may not be for the reasons you think. Yes living in a chaotic city with no traffic laws, government regulations, and over 2 million people takes it’s toll (especially if you’re accustomed to living in Wallace). Yes, being immersed in a new culture and a new language has it’s disadvantages; and yes, trying to hunt down food that won’t give you a bacterial infection does get a little old. But all of that becomes "normal" when you are there long enough. You grow in relationship with the people, you learn to like the food, you get used to being hot every waking hour of the day. It doesn't take long for you to assimilate into the culture, but what IS hard is seeing the people that you love suffer, and not being able to do a thing about it. 

Cambodia is a broken nation in many ways and Ward and I are only two people. Day in and day out we devoted our time, love, and energy to those around us in great need. But the thought “we can’t save them all” is a heavy weight and it wore me down and overwhelmed me. When you love a nation and long to see God's love and salvation touch every heart and life how do you choose which ones to share hope and salvation with and which ones do you just walk past? 

".... He does not want anyone to perish but for everyone to come to repentance."

-2 Peter 3:9

To be real with you, this summer I was not in a good place. I was tired, and feeling empty emotionally, physically and spiritually. We had poured out all of our love and in Cambodia it is difficult to find a place to get refilled. Over the past year I had become very attached to the Khmer people, especially the children I had been caring for on a daily basis. We became great friends, and I loved each one deeply, I felt like they were my very own. My heart broke for all of them, and I wanted nothing more than to scoop them up and bring them home with me. As I came to the realization that this wouldn't be possible I was deeply grieved. What do you do when you love someone so much but have no way to help them? I didn't know what to do, loving on them daily and watching them go home with empty bellies and no bed to sleep in broke my heart in ways I can never put into words. I started breaking down and I desperately needed a break. I needed some time to rest my burden that I had been carrying for the Cambodian people. That’s when we decided to come back to the U.S. for a visit and I attended Living Waters Ministry’s “Healing the Heart” retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. To be honest with you, I had very little expectation that this would make any impact at all. I felt like I was at my breaking point and had little hope that this would soothe the pain I was feeling and the grief I felt for "my kids". All I could think of was the people we would daily pass on the street, the kids and women in the slums, the old man on the side of the road... and I was overcome once again by the thoughts of "how are the two of us supposed to help an entire nation?". I felt defeated, but knew that I couldn't give up.

When God shows you His heart for His people it doesn't matter how difficult the situation is, His love drives you on. His love and passion keeps you going even when the task seems impossible. He gives you just a glimpse at how deeply He loves each one of us, and how passionate He is that each one of us become part of His family. That every.... single... one..... has infinite value and worth, and you just know that you can't possibly give up.

I came into the retreat with a heavy burden, and a very empty heart. All I wanted was a glimmer of hope, not just for them but for me too. I needed something that could keep me going. Often times in our darkest hour, when we come to the end of ourselves, God not only meets us there but begins knitting together something that is extraordinary. That is exactly where I was, at the end of my rope, the end of myself, and I had given up on hope.....

 I cannot begin to explain the way that God loved on and encountered me during that retreat. I found a renewed hope and healing for my burdened heart. The words and teachings led by Pastor Lee and Pastor Denise spoke directly to me and began bringing revelation to questions that I had been searching for for years. I began to feel alive again. As the weekend came to a close Pastor's Lee and Denise saw our need for rest as well as our passion and our desperation for more of what God was doing. They invited us to continue our journey and to stay with them as we found rest for our souls. 

"Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. "

-Matthew 11:28

For those of you who are not familiar with Living Waters, this is a retreat ministry located in the foothills of North Carolina. Their focus is "healing the heart and restoring families".  They share keys on how pain from the past can prevent us from receiving the fullness of God's unfailing love. Their focus is on leading individuals through healing so that they can contain a greater measure of God's unending love which not only brings freedom to the individual but also brings restoration to the family. 

Initially I thought we were just visiting Living Waters so that we could be refreshed and be able to go back to the mission field and continue sharing God's love with the Khmer people. But God always has a bigger plan that begins to unfold when you least expect it.  He has continuously reminded me in this season of how He orders our steps and how He works all things together so that we can fulfill our God given purposes. Pastor's Lee and Denise have been in ministry for more than thirty years, have ministered to thousands of people, and yet they felt impressed by the Lord for us to be here. So I began to ask God the question: "why us?" knowing that there was more to this relationship than I understood. 

Think for a minute. If I gave you some wood, some nails, and a pillow and told you to build a table what would you do? You can try hitting the nails with the pillow for as long and as hard as you would like, but the goal that you were given would never be accomplished. The only result would be complete and utter exhaustion. It works the same way in life, God gave us a vision, but we lacked the proper tools to accomplish it and we were exhausted from trying. One of our greatest frustrations and heart aches in Cambodia was "what do we have to give these people?".  Walking the streets we could see that every single person needs some kind of  extreme miracle in their life. What did we have to give? Money can help but it is only a quick fix that doesn't last, it doesn't give hope and it doesn't restore lives. Ministry of course is the goal, but how many can the two of us minister to? Can we touch every soul in the nation and not burn out in the process? And while the gospel is ultimately the greatest gift you can give, we found ourselves lacking the tools to help people break past their protective walls in order to gain understanding and experience God's unfailing love. 

  

So why did we go to Cambodia in the first place? 

Did we misinterpret what God was saying? No, absolutely not. Our time in Cambodia this year was necessary in order to gain understanding of the needs in the nation and we have experienced much fruit from our time there. Being able to go and experience first hand the life, the culture, and the people not only gave us insight to their needs but also set a passion in our hearts to see them healed.  We were able to see the hopelessness and burdens that the people live with daily.  Going there and experiencing the extent of this hurt first hand was heartbreaking and overwhelming but God knew exactly what was needed in order to ignite a passion inside of us to find solutions. Coming to Living Waters was exactly where God wanted us to go in order to be equipped with the tools to heal the pain  they have experienced and it is the key to setting the captives free among the nations. 

As we spent time at Living Waters God began renewing our passion and started birthing a vision and dream in us that far exceeded any of our expectations. We realized that there was far more to this adventure than just our own personal ministry and refilling.  God was aligning our steps in a way that only He can accomplish and it is all a necessary preparation for our next season. 

As you know, every person is different. Each individual's circumstances are never the same as someone else. There isn't a one size fits all statement that can minister to the pain of every individual, especially when you are dealing with such extreme cases like genocide and trafficking. Learning to minister to this level of pain is going to take time and a lot of intensive training. Living Waters has given us the opportunity to intern with them at their retreat center so that over a period of time we will be able to learn how to minister to people in these deep places of brokenness. We feel so blessed to have this opportunity and are incredibly excited for how God is going to use it. 

What's Happening in Cambodia Now?

Ward and I are still maintaining connections with our friends and contacts in Cambodia.  Ward is continuing to mentor the young man (Lahn) that we have mentioned in our previous blogs. Lahn is growing quickly in his relationship with the Lord. He is passionate about learning more and going deeper in His walk with Christ, and he is growing bolder with each passing day.  Lahn has been hired full time to continue ministering to the Cambodian people. Ward is able to talk to him online almost daily and we have set up curriculum and accountability for him so that he can continue in his spiritual walk. He is on fire for God and has been preaching the gospel in the schools, slums, and even in the prisons! We are continuously amazed at his boldness and willingness to follow the Lord at all costs. We are extremely proud and will continue to keep you updated on what is happening on ground in Cambodia. 

Lahn with the children in the slums

Since we are not currently on ground in Cambodia we are no longer working directly with XP Missions but we are maintaining our relationships with those we know and love on ground and are so excited to hear of all the wonderful things that they are accomplishing for the Kingdom. We look forward to partnering in outreach with them in the future. If you would like to stay involved in intercession for the XP Missions team you can sign up to receive weekly prayer emails on their website.

What Are We Doing Now?

Ward and I are living and interning with Living Waters Ministry in Hiddenite N.C. helping and growing in every way that we can. I've heard that teaching is more easily "caught" than "taught", so we are spending every moment we can trying to absorb what the Lord is doing here through their ministry. We are planning to visit Cambodia in 2016 to check in with Lahn and begin putting to action what we are learning here.  Most importantly we have finally gotten an answer to our most important questions:

1) How can just the two of us impact a nation?

2) What do we have that we can give to others?

The answer is.... we can't! No matter how deep our burden is for Cambodia we can't do it on our own. So what's the plan? God has given us a vision to take the Healing the Hearts curriculum and materials to church leaders among the nations, starting with Cambodia. The church we attend in Cambodia has over three hundred church plants throughout the nation. God has placed a dream inside of us to connect with these churches and to teach and equip their leaders in ministering the "Healing the Heart" materials. We are passionate to see an army of healthy and whole people who are filled with God's love spreading it from nation to nation. We firmly believe that God has called us to this ministry for such a time as this, and is broadening our vision and giving us the tools to see "on earth as it is in heaven". 

We are still in full time ministry as we are continuously working through the Living Waters Materials by attending retreats, schools, working on and editing new books and materials, as well as maintaining and growing in relationship with the Pastors here. God is  expanding our vision each day and we are gaining more understanding as to why God has allowed us to be here. We are taking this time very seriously and know that is essential to be able to impact those in ministry in our future.

We are still in partnership with Kingdom Builders church and are still on staff as the church's missionaries. We are on one accord with Pastor Brad and we feel that this is exactly what God is doing in this season to bring about our vision of spreading the gospel and raising up leaders in Cambodia as well as other nations. We are working together on strategies to better partner with Living Waters as well as how to continue our impact in Cambodia.

For those of you who have partnered with us in prayer and in finances during this journey we want to extend a deep appreciation. It has been an extremely stretching and challenging year in many areas of our life and without you we would not have been able to make it through. We ask that you continue to pray for us as we are learning and growing in how to equip others with this vision. Pray for our continued breakthrough and understanding of the Living Waters materials and how we can apply it to missions. Please also be in prayer for Lahn and our friends in Cambodia as they continue pressing forward and bringing light into the darkness there. 

If you would like to continue to sow financially into our ministry both to help support us here as we are being equipped to go back on the missions field OR to support Lahn's salary as he works full time in Cambodia it is much appreciated. Funds can be sent through: 

Kingdom Builders Church: through the church offering, mail, or via their website. Please make sure any funds are clearly marked for "Missions". These funds go to help support us during our time of training here at Living Waters, it supports Lahn's salary, as well as future travel to/from Cambodia, along with cost for outreaches when we go later this year.

If you would like to support us during our time volunteering funds can also be sent directly to us through the mail or our Paypal account:  

Our address is: 

Living Waters Ministry

4803 Old Vashti Road

Hiddenite NC 28636 

Attention: Ward and Hillary Farrior

 

We firmly believe that this is the key to unlocking breakthrough in not only Cambodia, but also in America and we are very excited to see the fullness of what God has planned as we continue walking in obedience to Him. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We can't wait to see all that God is going to do this coming year.

Love and Blessings,

Hillary and Ward Farrior

  

He is Faithful

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Mark and I had been planning to make a return trip to visit our friend for which we had found a safe place to stay. On this trip we wanted to try and bring supplies to bless him and the organization that took him in. I was not sure what we would bring or where we would even find it.

The morning before we were scheduled to leave, a few situations came up that made it look like we would have to reschedule our visit for another time. As I was about to walk out of morning prayer I was asked by leadership if we were going to visit him that day. The next thing I knew we were offered the opportunity to search the XP storage room to see if there was anything we could bring to the men’s center to bless their organization.

As we looked through the supplies that visitors had so generously donated it dawned on me how God had provided more than I could have ever hoped for. There were bags of men's clothing, children's clothing, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, and even coloring books and crayons to give to the kids. Thank you for all that you have given, it makes a difference!

We loaded up the Tuk-Tuk and there was barely room for Mark and I to sit! As I reflected on the goodness of God in this situation I realized how He had provided more than I had ever hoped to bring them. On my own I would have had only a small bag of goods, but through partnership with everyone who is sowing into what we are doing at XP Missions, there was more than enough!

I want to take this opportunity to encourage any of you reading this that are looking at your circumstances and don’t see the provision that you need. The Lord is faithful. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Search out promises in the Word and declare them over your life right now! Many times I have waited right up to the very last minute before a breakthrough came, but He has never let me down. Even when we least expect it, He is still making a way that’s far more amazing than anything we were previously able to hope, think, or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)

I also want to encourage those of you who have sowed your time, finances, and prayers into our Cambodian missions. Without you we would not be able to do anything that we are so blessed to be a part of. I greatly appreciate all that you do; let us never forget that we are all one body working together towards the same goal of expanding the kingdom.

Thank you all so much,

God bless you!

Ward Farrior

The Grace of Giving

I have been having a daily bible study in the mornings with a young Cambodian man. He is almost eighteen and preparing to graduate from high school. He is on fire for the Lord and has such a beautiful testimony that constantly encourages me. Today we were reading 2 Corinthians chapter 8.  This chapter is about Christian giving and our interaction as we went through it really touched my heart and inspired me to grow right along side of him.

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace God gave the churches in Macedonia. Although they have been tested by great troubles and are very poor, they gave much because of their great joy. I can tell you that they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do it. But they begged and pleaded with us to let them share in this service for God’s people.

2 Corinthians 8:1-4 (Expanded Translation)

As we slowly read and talked about what it meant he simply seemed to “get it.” Even though this is a young man who is currently dreaming about being able to find a job making only $180 a month, his heart was so pure that to accept this teaching just “made sense.” He talked about how Jesus had given everything for him and it was only right for him to give back to the people God loved. He talked about how he wanted to try and help support someone more in need than him through a program being offered at church requiring a pledge of $35 a month. That's almost 20% of his "dream income". He has such a beautiful heart.

You are rich in everything- in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us. In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving. I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true by comparing you with others that really want to help. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor so that by his becoming poor you might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:7-9 (Expanded Translation)

As we read together I felt convicted of the power of this exchange going on between him, Holy Spirit, and myself. As I taught him, the Lord was ministering to me. Just as Paul was speaking to the Corinthians, he was also speaking to me.

If you want to give, your gift will be accepted. It will be judged by what you have, not by what you do not have. We do not want you to have troubles while other people are at ease, but we want everything to be equal. At this time you have plenty and what you have can help others who are in need. Then later, when they have plenty, they can help you when you are in need, and all will be equal. As it is written in the Scriptures, “The person who gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too little.”

2 Corinthians 8:12-15 (Expanded Translation)

My heart is obviously tugging within me to give. I realized that the times I had not given was because my focus was on what I “do not have” rather than what I do. Often I look at my circumstances based on what I was taught growing up in America. But as I read these verses I realize that I easily fall into the category of having plenty and there are millions around the world that are in need of what I have excess of. I know the Lord has spoken to me about specific things that I am to follow through with and I am so excited to partner with him in opening up those doors. This exchange will align me with the agenda of heaven in a way that I keep kingdom finances flowing. The Lord will move upon the hearts of others for my provision if I am ever in need. It’s such a freeing revelation!

If the Lord is speaking to you about specific ways that your abundance could be meeting a need of someone else, would you join me in this journey of growing in the grace of giving? Please pray and ask the Lord how you can partner with Christians around the world that are in need of the very things we have extra of. He is faithful and will direct you accordingly. This is a season that He is preparing us for much bigger and greater things. I look forward to this opportunity to grow with you!

God bless you, you are very loved!

Ward Farrior

Before and After

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It has been two weeks since writing to you about the older gentlemen we had been ministering to on the side of the road. Last time we talked about how we came to know him and how we celebrated his journey to a safe place to recover. This time I get the privilege of updating you on how he is doing as of now!

Mark and I made our way out of the city to a facility that provides for men of all ages in desperate situations. The last time we saw our friend he was almost unable to walk, extremely malnourished and near death. It was such a relief to know he was going to be in a safe environment where he could regularly get food as well as shelter from the rain.

When we pulled up we were so graciously greeted by many of the men as well as lots of young children that wanted to hold our hands and smother us with hugs. It was a warm welcome but our hearts were so curious how our friend would be doing that we wanted to rush up to his room and check on him. When we turned the corner and entered his room this is who we met…

After seeing him I could hardly contain myself. The empty shell of a man that we walked away from had been completely transformed into a vibrant man that seemed 20 years younger. He was beaming with joy. It took me several minutes to even come to terms with what I was witnessing because when we left he was in such a bad place just weeks ago.

As we talked to him he kept thanking God for blessing him by sending us to help him. He said, “If you had not come help me I would have died right there on the side of the road.”

He was so happy to see us and kept hugging us throughout our visit. Before we left we asked him how he liked it here and if everything was ok. He smiled really big and said, “Yes it is great, now this is my home.”

Even as I write this I am reminded of how great God’s love is for each and everyone one of us. There is no obstacle that He cannot overcome in pursuit of our heart. To see this man transformed by the love of God in such practical ways is inspiring because every little thing we do can be multiplied by the grace of God. Please pray for this man to fully embrace all that God is calling him into. He has an amazing testimony and this is only the beginning for him.

Thank you for all of your support. We love you!

God bless you,

Ward

A Man By The Road

A couple of weeks ago during one of our regular men’s ministry outreaches we noticed an older man that had fallen asleep on a woven mat by the side of the road. I felt led to stop and talk with him. He told us that he had no family, no friends, and had been walking from place to place. He started near the Vietnamese border and was now sleeping beside a concrete wall outside of a slum community in Phnom Penh.

Can you imagine your grandma or grandpa having no where to go except to sleep on the street?

While one of our team members talked to him I felt like I was supposed to go find him something to eat. There was a local Khmer food stand nearby selling rice with a piece of pork, along with a cold drink. When we handed him the food, tears welled up in his eyes and he began crying and thanking us in the most sincere and humble form of appreciation. This moment was earth shattering for me. It rattled my worldview that had been formed in my small, safe, rural town in the states. 

It amazed us that a simple plate of rice could move this man to tears..

We prayed with him and told him that he was such a valuable man. We wanted him to know that he was so important to Jesus and that he carried intrinsic value as a human being, value that could never be taken away by circumstances or situations. As we walked away he waved and smiled constantly until we were out of sight.

We knew that this man had a special place in our hearts and the Lord had forever seared thoughts of him into our minds. Every time we returned for men’s ministry over the last several weeks we would hope he was there so we could spend time with him and provide him with a warm meal.

Each time we met with him the same heart breaking tears and gratitude streamed down his face. As we met him more and more it became even that much more of a burden on my heart throughout the week. I would catch myself complaining about how hungry I was, or how tired, or how hot I was. Then the Lord would remind me of this wonderful older man laying on the side of the road with no way to provide for himself. Then the reality of my situation would instantly be brought into proper perspective. The Lord was using this opportunity to bless this older man as well as to allow me to step into a deeper revelation of humility.

Humility shatters all the shackles of consumerism and entitlement that the world prescribes us. Humility brings clarity that prepares our mind to steward the countless blessings and opportunities the Lord has placed all around us. Humility is freedom.

Humility breaks the chains of our expectations and pride.

During all of this I heard from a XP team member of a possible organization that may be able to help this older man. In Cambodia currently there is very few organizations specifically helping men, so we were not exactly sure how to help him long term. I looked up their contact information about a week ago and kept it on my “to-do list” but didn’t ever get around to it. Last night as I was lying down to sleep the Lord kept talking to me about the older man and how important it was that I went ahead and called several places to acquire more information for him.

This morning when I woke up I called the NGO and within minutes of hearing his situation they asked if I could bring him over around lunchtime! I was so excited and couldn’t believe it! God is so good! So I rushed down the street to find transportation and invited Mark (one of the XP members) to ride with me.

We pulled up to the place he normally is laying and found him trying to seek shelter from the sun under an old blanket. When the translator asked him if he would be interested in coming with us because we had a place he could stay and get meals he didn’t hesitate to ask for help standing up to get into the Tuk Tuk. As we lifted him up it was so encouraging to think about the fact that he will not have to go through the upcoming monsoon season laying on the ground in flooding rain. He was walking when we first met him, and now he was so weak he couldn’t stand. Considering how quickly he was deteriorating it was extremely important that he found help as quick as possible! I am so thankful the Lord allowed us to be a connection point and the organization being willing to open their doors to him.

Here he is in the tuk-tuk on the way to the new facility.

As of lunchtime today, May 29^th this beautiful older man is no longer sleeping on the side of the road. As we drove he kept rubbing our knees and smiling at us and forming his hands in a prayer position saying “thank you”. We encouraged him to keep praying to Jesus and to know that he is so loved.

After arriving to the facility the staff showed us his bed and immediately started preparing him for a shower to get him cleaned up because he was so dirty. Isn’t that like our God? He finds us dirty, broken, and lying by the road. His love pursues us. Refuses to give up on us. Then one day when the right opportunity presents itself we find ourselves scrubbed clean, a banquet spread before us, and feeling peace that we had never known before.

Though this man had no family, no friends, and was all alone on the side of the road, he was not forgotten. God's unfailing love shines through even the darkest of places and I cannot wait to return in a few weeks to visit him and see how he is doing! I believe that he will be completely transformed with a giant beaming smile.

Allow this mans testimony to encourage you through your own personal storms. Allow the great things that are all around you to shine brighter than the storms of life. Allow humility to bring realignment in your own life, sorting out what’s truly a problem and what’s not. We have so many things to be thankful for and we serve a God that is able to turn things around in the least likely of ways. 

God bless you all!

Ward Farrior

Fairy-tales and Jesus

Something has been stirring inside me lately. A revelation that has the potential to step on a few toes, but also has the potential to shift mindsets and open doors in your life. I encourage you to read on with an open mind and open heart, and I pray you would take all of these thoughts before the Lord and seek Him for wisdom and revelation.

I have been reading a lot lately in the four gospels and in Acts. There are stories of great men, of valiant heroes that not only died for Christ but also lived their lives for His glory. Growing up I so often found these stories feeling distant, almost like fairy-tales. I had heard these stories from the Bible hundreds of times before. I believed they were true and I enjoyed hearing them but they meant nothing more to me than a cool bedtime story.

I accepted Jesus at the age of four, and it's safe to say that I have been an "active church member" since the day I was born. Growing up my parents read me every Bible story known to man. I spent my time watching VeggieTales, going to VBS, spent every year at Christian summer camps, starred in church performances, and attended a Christian school. I was considered "extreme" by my school friends, and "weird" by my high school classmates. I was the prime example of what any parent would be proud of. I knew tons of Bible verses, could quote every line to every Christian song and movie ever created. But I wasn't complete, I always felt something missing deep within my soul.

As a kid and even in my teen years I would crawl in bed at night and I would cry out that God would talk to me, but I wouldn't hear His voice. Nothing can explain the deep sorrow I felt and the yearnings of my heart to have relationship with Him. I would repeatedly repent for every sin that I could have possibly committed, thinking God wouldn't talk to me because of my sins. God felt distant and unreal to me. I didn't know how to reach Him, I didn't know how to talk to Him, I didn't know how to hear His voice, and most importantly I didn't know how to have a relationship with Him. All I knew was that I wanted Him to fill the void in my heart more than anything.

I remember as a child I would go to church and someone would begin to talk about Jesus on the cross or about the healing of the leper and I would just tune them out. It wasn't that I didn't love Jesus, because I did. But I had heard it all before, these "stories" were so "normal" to me that they lost their significance. There were a whole lot of people telling stories but there was no one in my life living it out. The only thing separating fairy-tales and Bible stories is reality, and life application. If you don't live out the teachings in your own life, and it doesn't impact how you live, it becomes nothing more than a fairy-tale.

It's normal for your child to see you go and buy groceries but is it normal for them to see you pray for the sick?

It's normal for your child to see you drink your morning cup of coffee but is it normal for them to see you praising the Lord every morning?

 It's normal for your child to see you frustrated in traffic but is it normal for them to see you thanking God for your blessings?

It's normal for your child to see you shopping at Wal-Mart but is it normal for them to see you stop and feed the poor?

 

A friend of ours and his beautiful daughter praising God in the morning.

 

When was the last time that these stories left the page and became real life in your home? In our modern day society we take our children to visit Disney World to meet Mickey, Cinderella, and every character ever created.... but do we teach our children how to meet with God? If Queen Elsa is more of a reality to your child than their heavenly Father is...there might be a problem.

Being a children's pastor, I am obviously a big advocate for children being raised in church. But, being raised in church myself I have found that it adds it's challenges. When you hear the story of David and Goliath, the stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo, the story of Daniel in the lion's den, these stories get lost somewhere among the stories of Cinderella, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and Snow White. Somewhere (for me at least) these stories became exactly that... just stories. I can only imagine what my life would have looked like growing up if I had known how to commune with the Father from the age of four... Can you imagine the impact an entire generation would have if they were taught that the reality of God is greater than the realities of this world? My passion is to see a generation that understands our need for a Savior, a generation that looks beyond their smart phones to find an all-knowing, all-powerful God that is just waiting for them to make time for Him. A generation that turns those Bible stories from fairy-tales into their normal everyday routine. A generation that slays giants, raises up warriors, and sees their King glorified. This can only be accomplished through amazing parents and leaders teaching our children how to have relationship with God. We have to make Him part of their everyday lives, not by telling stories ABOUT Him but by spending time with Him and allowing our children to actually encounter His presence! Every person has a God shaped void in their lives that only He can fill, let's teach our children how to fill this spot from a young age and they will never have to experience life not knowing how to communicate with our loving Father.

Let's raise up powerful children that become the heroes of their generation. 

Will you join me in this challenge to make fairy-tales become a reality? To raise up a generation who knows the words of God more than they know their favorite Disney song? Who's reality of their Father is greater than any Disney character that has been created? Will you join in with me and see this generation grow up to bring heaven to earth?

Four Years of Hell at Sea

I found this article this morning and thought it would be a good one to share. It is very common that people in Southeast Asia are kidnapped and forced to work hard labor on fishing boats. These jobs are extremely dangerous and many people lose their lives. Almost all fish that comes from Thailand has been caught by people who are forced to work on these boats, even from very young ages. 

I wanted to post this article to bring awareness about this industry. How can you help? When you buy fish from Thailand you are supporting this slave trade, please look at where your food is coming from and choose to not buy any seafood from Thailand or Southeast Asia. By doing this you are decreasing the demand and therefore are helping to put an end to this form of human trafficking. 

*** I did not write the post below. I do not take any credit for any of the pictures or written material in the below article. All credit goes to the Phnom Penh Post. 

Hundreds of rescued foreign fisherman are gathered by Indonesia’s illegal fishing task force during an operation earlier this month on Benjina island. AFP

Four years of hell at sea

Fri, 24 April 2015

Ethan Harfenist and Cheang Sokha

Like many Cambodians before him, Sopheap*, 29, moved away from his home country in search of work and a better life in neighbouring Thailand. His brother was working in construction and suggested he come join him. Sopheap agreed, and left his home in Kampong Cham’s Prey Chhor district.

He went through the motions: He arranged to be brought to Thailand with a broker, and planned to join his brother working in construction. But his pursuit of happiness abruptly ended once he was in the Land of Smiles. After losing contact with his brother, Sopheap was offered work on a fishing boat, instead. He accepted, despite never having worked as a fisherman before.

“I was then taken to work as a fisherman on a Thai boat,” Sopheap said in an interview yesterday from Tual, Indonesia.

“I was told that in only 15 days I would be able to return.” 

But 15 days turned into more than four years of nonstop work, hellish conditions and threats from both his captors and fellow fishermen. 

Sopheap was among the more than 300 Thai, Myanmar, Laotian and Cambodian fishermen freed by Indonesian authorities earlier this month from Benjina, a remote island village in the east of the archipelago, following a devastating report by the Associated Press. The investigation exposed the slave-like conditions for those forcefully kept on Benjina and working on mostly Thai-owned trawlers: living on little more than daily nibbles of rice and curry and being caged up lest they tried to escape.

“On the boat, there were 17 workers – among those, five were Cambodian, and the rest were Thai,” Sopheap said. “We were sometimes threatened by the Thai workers . . . We lived in fear on the boat, but we had no choice . . . We had to be patient and keep working hard.”

On Tual, 58 Cambodians – many of them likely trafficked – are waiting in limbo to return home. Officials from the Cambodian Embassy in Jakarta have visited twice, said Sopheap, and promised the fishermen that they would be home by early May. 

Joe Lowry, a spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), confirmed Wednesday that embassy staff have “visited all the Cambodians [on Tual] . . . They’ve started to verify citizens and issue travel documents.” 

However, the IOM recently discovered that among 210 men still left on Benjina, there are 36 Cambodians. They have yet to be paid a visit from their government. 

A spokesperson at Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment.

US-based NGO Freedom House on Wednesday presented written testimony to a congressional hearing on “Tier Rankings in the Fight Against Human Trafficking”, skewering the Cambodian government’s response to the issue, but adding that the country is taking baby steps toward tackling it.

“High levels of corruption and poor rule of law in Cambodia continue to foster a thriving environment for internal and cross-border trafficking,” wrote Freedom House president Mark Lagon.

He added, however, that while Cambodia has restructured its National Committee for Counter-Trafficking and it is “encouraging to see the government of Cambodia take more steps to address trafficking”, more pressure must be applied.

Government spokesperson Phay Siphan dismissed Freedom House’s claims, saying he “didn’t trust them because they work for someone else”. He cited Cambodia’s reformed trafficking laws as proof that the government was trying to combat the practice.

But for those who have spent years living as virtual slaves, all they can think about is getting home. 

Taing*, 27, another Cambodian from Siem Reap’s Chi Kraeng district, slaved away on a separate boat for six years. 

“On the boat, I worked very hard and there was no time to relax,” he said. “For one or two months, we went to shore for a few days. But then we went back to sea for further fishing.”

“I want to go back to Cambodia . . . I want to work and help my parents,” he added, maintaining that he never planned on trying to work abroad again. 

For Sopheap, his return can’t come soon enough. 

“This experience has been so painful for me,” he said. “I will never go back [abroad].”

*Names of victims have been changed to protect identities.

Six Years and Counting

This past week has been so beautiful and inspiring. I am going to share with you the story of how I met Lahn and the great things God has birthed out of it! Prepare yourself, because this week has been phenomenal!

Two weeks ago I decided I wanted to start getting back into shape. Along with lifting weights at the local gym I have been eating nothing but clean and healthy foods. I have always enjoyed the gym and really thought I was going just for me but God had much bigger plans than I could have ever imagined.

One day as I was working out, the Lord impressed upon my heart that I was not coming to the gym just to get into shape. He shared that rather than to use my time just to focus on me to get big and lean, instead He wanted me to use my influence in the gym to expand His Kingdom. I had no idea what that would look like practically but I was encouraged to see what He had in store.

On Friday April 10th I was in the middle of a workout when I saw a young man on the other side of the room that the Lord highlighted to me. I immediately knew that I needed to tell him that Jesus loves him (Preah Yesu srolaun neak) before I left. After I finished up I walked over to him and told him what God had said. He gave me a smile, shook my hand, and then I went home not thinking much more about it.

Around the same time the next day I went back to the gym to workout. Near the end of my workout I did the same routine, walked around the gym saying bye to "the guys". I wanted to tell some big guy in the corner that Jesus loves him too, but I felt the Lord say no. Instead He led me to the same young man I had talked to the day before and I felt led to tell him once again, "Jesus loves you!" He was sitting down talking with a friend and I unconsciously sat down on the floor and started talking to both of them. I asked him if he was going to church tomorrow and his eyes got really big! He was so excited and told me that he had just been talking to his friend about how he wished he would one day be able to attend a Christian church but how he didn't think it would ever be possible. He told me that for the last six years he has prayed that he would one day be able to go to a Christian church and begin a new life with "his God". He said he had heard about Jesus from a small pamphlet someone gave him across the street from his middle school six years earlier and he said that even though he grew up in a Buddhist world he knew Jesus was the only true God.

It was so hard to process what I was hearing as I sat there talking to him. Was I really hearing this young man say that at 17 years old, he had spent the last six years dreaming that he would be able to go to church? and this felt like an impossible dream to him?

I immediately invited him to come with us to New Life Church the next morning. He got so excited, in ways I could never do justice by describing, and eagerly said yes that he would meet us outside the gym in the morning if I would pick him up and take him. After heading home I told Hillary the whole story and we couldn't believe what was unfolding before us.

The next morning as I approached the gym he came running out in a nice polo shirt and dress pants ready for church! On the way in the Tuk-Tuk he repeatedly told us he couldn't believe God had done all this for him! That God would send someone from America to help him find a church that he had been hoping to go to for so long. He kept thanking us over and over saying that he was so happy and acting like we had given this kid the greatest gift in the world. Hillary noticed that he was looking around very intently and asked what was going on to which he said: " I am trying to memorize the way to this church so I can come by myself every day!" We had to inform him the church services were just on Sunday morning!

Once we got inside he was grinning from ear to ear. He tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Look brother, look at all these people. Everyone here is so happy! Everyone here smiles and laughs, they are so happy. This is so great, I have never seen people like this, I want to come here every day!"

Getting excited before church starts.

Wow... The things I realized I had taken for granted were such refreshing and overwhelming experiences for him! Then he tapped me on the shoulder again and said, "I feel like I want to cry, this is so wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here." And he couldn't help but to tell everyone around him that it was his first time and that he had waited six years for this.

At the start of the service the pastor opened up the service in prayer. I felt another tap on my shoulder as Lahn said "brother I don't know how to pray, how do I hold my hands? Do I close my eyes?". I told him that it doesn't matter what you do with your eyes or hands, but you talk to God from your heart. 

As worship slowed down, the preacher asked if all the missionaries who had come to Cambodia would please raise their hands. Hillary and I raised our hands and he called for the congregation to pray for the missionaries around them that had come to bless their country. That's when the whole experience hit me hardest and I almost wanted to cry too. I looked over and here is this young man praying for me after his biggest dream of coming to church was fulfilled. We serve such a good God!

After service I was able to connect him with the senior pastor of the church as well as the regional pastor over the area that we live in. They gave him a Cambodian translation of the New Testament so that he would have something to study. What a blessing!

Timothy* getting prayer after service

As we were riding home Lahn asked us if we were hungry, it was around noon and my reply was, "Oh yes! I'm very hungry!" He laughed, telling us "Today was such a great day. I am too happy to be hungry."

Later that afternoon (just a few hours after church) I saw him at the gym. He came right up to me to show me that he had read the first six chapters of Matthew and had a page of notes he wanted to discuss! I was blown away by how hungry he was, especially the level of dedication he was putting towards studying. We talked about so many things after working out, I had to explain to him how a Bible works. He had no understanding of how to use the numbers for chapters and verses. I had told him that he should start with the first four books in the New Testament, and he said well I need three more books then! He thought that the entire Bible he had was only one book and he was looking for the other four! We were amazed at his hunger to read and to study so we decided that we would meet at eight o' clock every morning to read the Bible and discuss the questions he had.

In Cambodia it is very taboo to convert to Christianity, it would be the equivalent of an American Christian converting to be a Muslim.  He started coming to Bible study looking very tired. When asked if he was tired he said yes and informed us that his parents would be very upset to find out he was a Christian so he waits for them to go to sleep every night and then reads the Bible until 1:00 AM or later. By Tuesday he had read all of Matthew and part of Mark. Everyday I was blown away by his hunger and eagerness to learn. He came to us and asked me if he could be baptized because he had read that it was important! We talked about the meaning of baptism and what it symbolically stands for. After seeing that he clearly understood I told him that he could definitely be baptized and we set up a time.

All this week he has been reading through the gospels and when we would meet up we would read through Genesis together. It is amazing the things as a Christian culture we just grow up knowing about, but here there is absolutely no foundational knowledge of anything in Scripture. So we read about creation, Adam and Eve, the fall, sin, on up through Noah and the flood. As we read he would ask questions, take notes on all the English words he didn't know and try so hard to understand everything. By the end of the week we had read through Genesis chapter ten.

Today after church exactly one week from his first time at church, I had the great pleasure of taking him to a local club and baptized him in the pool. It was such an amazing opportunity on so many levels. He was so excited just like he always is, he couldn't wait to be baptized and to start his new life with Jesus. On top of that, it was the first time he ever had an opportunity to swim and play in the pool! At first he was terrified of the water (which was quite deep for a baptism and he had no clue how to swim)  and he was clinging on to me for dear life. He kept saying that he was praying to his God that he wouldn't drown, which we found funny. His desire for baptism was greater than his fear of drowning and we had the great opportunity to pray with him right there in the middle of the pool, and baptize him in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  He was so thankful and constantly reminded us how grateful he was.

As I look back over this week it is so amazing that God can do such great things when we least expect it. I was just saying Jesus loves you, to a random stranger in the gym because the Lord put it on my heart and in only one week his life was radically transformed. It's so easy to walk past these opportunities the Lord places all around us, but because I stopped for the one God has blessed both of us in ways I never would have imagined!

Please pray for this young man. Pray for strength and maturity. Pray that his roots go deep and that the Lord will guide him in everything he does. Pray that he does well in his last four months of high-school. Pray for his future here in Cambodia because I know that he is going to touch the lives of so many people, he loves his country and the people who live here. Most of all pray that his family will have open hearts towards his walk with Christ and pray that he would have the strength to stand strong in his new faith. He has the heart of Christ and I am so blessed to be able to learn from him as we share our journey.

What an amazing example of how ripe Cambodia is for a spiritual harvest! We can't wait to continue our time of study and discipleship with this amazing young man. Please continue praying for this country!  Pray that God would continue putting people in our path that are ready to experience his love and pray that our eyes and ears would be open to His plans.

God bless you all!
Ward and Hillary Farrior

The Tipping Point

Have you ever felt like you were in a season where you continuously poured yourself out and persistently pressed in for breakthrough but weren't seeing any results? I think we have all experienced the frustrations of being in a season where you press in for something only to be disappointed by not seeing the results you were looking for. Although I am no expert on the subject God gave me some insight on this subject last week and I wanted to share... I want to talk to you about plants!

Last week Ward and I were asked to water the plants at our organizations new guest house. We filled up a pitcher and started making our rounds. Many of the outside plants are small and don't take much water at all. After watering the outside plants we went inside to water the indoor plants. These plants are a bit larger, and so require more water. On top of that it is very hot and humid inside, so the plants were very dry. Each indoor plant sits on the the small plate that serves as a water reservoir for the plants to pull on when it gets hot. Since it was so hot I told Ward we should water the plants enough so that the water filled up the bottom of the plate. Upon approaching the very last plant Ward poured out a good helping of water leaving the pitcher empty. As we sat there we could actually hear the water being absorbed as air bubbles came up from the soil. Knowing that the extreme heat probably dried out the plant Ward went to refill the pitcher and came back to add more water to the plant. Pouring another helping of water again we could hear the crackling of the soil as it soaked in the water but still no water was filling the plate under the plant.

 "Wow that is a dry plant!" I said "Go and get a little more water!".

So he did. When he returned he poured only the slightest bit of water on the plant and suddenly from the bottom of the plant water started gushing over the edge of the pot and not just a little bit of water either! It came out like a gushing waterfall as it climbed over the edge of the plate and poured out all over the floor. I quickly ran to get a hand towel and began sopping up the water that had now created a giant puddle on the floor.

Later in the week I reflected on that moment as I thought to myself, "Why did it do that? There was no water at all and then all of a sudden it was a river?".

Then I heard the Lord say to me "It's The Tipping Point".

I didn't really understand, but He continued to talk to me, "The plant was dry, the soil around it was cracked and dry. When you watered the plant the soil was so dry it was absorbing all the water that you added. When you came back to water the plant the third time, the soil had reached it's maximum amount of absorbency and so even though you only added a small amount of water on the third pour it was the tipping point and all of the extra water flowed out onto the floor."


I thought, "OK Lord.... thanks... that's a really good lesson in science, but what does it mean?"

I felt him tell me that this was a physical example of what often times happens in the spiritual. He said Cambodia is being prepared for The Tipping Point. As we daily go out and minister the gospel, as we meet for morning prayer, as we worship, as we talk to people in the streets we are watering the soil. We are saturating the dry, dry soil with the love of God, and although the results are not immediate and we may not see the water being absorbed there is a day coming where it will reach full saturation and there will be a tipping point. The tipping point is the complete outpouring of the love of Jesus, the outpouring of His Spirit that will flow across this entire country and overflow even beyond that.

I want to encourage you in your own walk with the Lord. If there is something that you are pressing in for, a move of God that you are waiting to see manifest DON'T GIVE UP.  God hears every prayer, every yearning, and every desire of your heart. Each one is a drop of water that is added to the soil. Some things have small pots, that don't take a lot of water, these are the situations where we see obvious changes and quick breakthrough. There are others that take a lot of water, and these take determination and persistence. Just because the result may not be visible does not mean that your prayers are being wasted! They are filling up those spiritual pots and preparing that  situation for the tipping point. What a privilege it is to "press in towards the goal" and what a sweet reward it will be when those situations finally overflow with the goodness of our God.

 I am amazed all the time at the amount of people who have never even heard about Jesus. These people are looking for something, they are looking for answers, they are looking for love, and they are looking for hope and our God want's to give it to them. Please partner with us in prayer as we press in for the tipping point of this nation.We are believing the Lord for a great overflowing and a revival that will not only sweep across Cambodia but will also overflow to the surrounding nations.
We are believing that a nation can be saved in a day!

Thank you for your continued prayer for us and for this amazing country.
If you would like to contact us you can do so through our email: farriorfamilymissions@gmail.com.

Love and Blessings
Hillary Farrior

Health Update

That moment when you wake up freezing cold but it's actually 100°F inside your house..... 

Waking up early in the morning with severe head pain, stomach cramps, chills and a fever I knew something was very wrong. Immediately all I wanted was to be home, surrounded by cozy blankets, snuggled into a comfortable bed, and surrounded by family and friends. Instead, as I opened my eyes all I could hear was the prayers of the chanting monks praising Bhudda outside my apartment. A sound that dashed my feelings of comfort and reminded me how far away from home I really was.


After several days of trying to let my body fight off sickness on it's own, my symptoms were increasing and I was unable to keep down any food or liquids. My headache had grown from a migraine into something I cannot even put into words. Ward decided to take me to the hospital. Once we arrived Ward started filling out paper work at the registration desk but the hospital staff rushed me to the emergency room before I even had a chance to tell Ward where I was going. They immediately  knew by looking at me that I needed treatment and quickly able to determine what was wrong with me. They began preparing needles and IV's immediately and treated me for severe dehydration and began drawing blood samples to run further tests. I was told I had a very bad bacterial infection in my tummy and that the infection had grown to a point that the toxins were causing the most severe headache I have ever experienced. After the IV was administered I was given antibiotics, and anti-parasitic medications. I have never experienced such severe pain and levels of discomfort in my life.

The sickness was caused by food I had eaten which apparently contained some kind of bacteria. This bacteria can be caused by a number of different things. For example: improper sanitation, lack of refrigeration of meat, or vegetables could have been washed in unsanitary water. There is no way of really knowing for sure, but I will tell you I WILL NOT be eating at that restaurant again anytime soon.

Being sick in a foreign country is not only uncomfortable but can also be scary. I am happy to let everyone know that I am now 100% healthy and back to normal. I want to thank each and every one of you for your kind words and your prayers for me during this time and a special thank you to all of those who helped us make sure we were making good medical choices. We couldn't have done it without you! It was so incredible knowing there was a community of people at home that care about me and were sending their love. I honestly took great comfort in knowing that all of you were there praying and supporting me, I knew that no matter what I would be taken care of. I really appreciate all of you and I thank you for walking with us on this journey! You are such beautiful people and we are so incredibly thankful for you.


I am really excited to be back on my feet and doing the things the Lord is calling me to here.
Can't wait to hear from you all again soon!

Love and Blessings,
Hillary Farrior