Hello again!!
Last week I talked about how prayer is the best and, sometimes, the only thing to do. I thought I only had two options when facing the conditions some Khmer people have to live in, I could either allow my heart to grow numb or allow it to hopelessly crumble to pieces. As I was in prayer about this, I realized “this is the answer”. The answer is prayer. In prayer, I allow my heart to break for what breaks the heart of God, but also trust that God will provide tangible opportunities of salvation and trust that this prayer is a part of God’s greater plan for the nations. Prayer is powerful.
You know what else is powerful? Evangelism and discipleship. As I mentioned before, New Day New Life has been working with villages on the outskirts of Siem Reap, Cambodia for four years. They’ve been tending to the people’s needs, teaching children English, having Bible studies with the “Grandmas”/older women, and taking time to build relationships. This week I got to witness the fruit of their labor. My team and I had the honor to pray with 6 women as they accepted Jesus into their hearts. Two days later, we watched as they made their faith public in baptism. One woman took a step further to cut off the string around her waist signifying her faith in Buddhism. She cut it off and threw it into the water with so much excitement. That same day, our team walked through rice fields to a man New Day New Life has been witnessing to. He’s been listening to Bible with his wife and inching towards faith in Jesus. When we were there, our ministry leaders prayed the prayer of salvation with him and he accepted Jesus into his heart. Faith in Jesus, for him, puts him at risk of losing his job as a teacher and being unable to provide for his family. We had several wins for the Kingdom of God that day! However, the man admitted that now he has faith in Jesus but he also has faith in Buddha. I was a little frustrated, but this is where that prayer I talked about earlier comes in!! And also, discipleship! We had a Khmer pastor come with us and now he will be discipling the man as he begins this walk with Jesus. We all come to the feet of Jesus with baggage and sometimes it takes a process to fully surrender it. Over an over, the Lord brings things to light in myself that I have to surrender. So letting go of his past and faith in Buddha will be a process for him. Pray with me for his full surrender to Jesus.
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Psalm 34:8
OKAY! I love you! Bye!
See you next week!
~Sarah
