There's No Place Like Home...But Cambodia is Close

Randy --

To be honest I was not 100% eager to come on this trip.  It was hard to leave my family the day after Christmas.  You combine my desire to be home with my family for Christmas with some of the tensions I've been feeling about our partnerships here, and the result was less than my normal enthusiasm and passion. That was a weird feeling!  The tensions I'm talking about are a normal part of cross-cultural ministry. If you didn't know this - missions isn't all flowers and smiley faces!  It can be hard.  I'm confident in our strategy, but at times you ask questions - are we doing the right thing? - will we ever truly understand each other? - do I have the answers to our problems?  You add all that up together and I found myself in somewhat of a funk.

We landed in Phnom Penh and the funk began clearing.  The sights, the smells, the faces of a people I love served instantly as a reminder of why I am so passionate about this to begin with.

And today the funk went away! We stepped off of the ferry on to the soil of Lveasor, and walked on to the property of Hope for Cambodia Orphanage and Lveasor Bible Baptist Church, where literally hundreds of familiar faces were waiting to greet us, to worship alongside us, and to do incredible ministry in (messy) partnership.

I spent face time talking with my friend that I love and respect - a man that I admire deeply.
I saw the children that we love and adore - and reflected on the difference that is being made in their lives because of this partnership.
I shared a special moment with one of the orphans that is transitioning from teenager to adult.

Cambodia may not be home, but it is close.  I'm so grateful to be here!  And I am so grateful to our big God to be serving and leading a church that is so committed to this - even though it is hard sometimes.  Brazos Pointe - God has been good to us, I pray that he will continue to inspire our hearts toward even greater things.  I believe our best days are ahead - in Cambodia and in Southern Brazoria County.  It's good to be here - but I'm just as excited about being back home with you after a few more days - and pressing in to all that God has for us in 2013!