[To hear Jonathan's sermon on the Theology of Missions, click here.]
CAMBODIA? FOR REAL?
(Thoughts from Jonathan)
I know, that’s what I thought too! So, in this little bitty box, I’ll try to explain how I went from mid-western ER nurse & youth minister to a Southeast-Asia missionary wannabe. Buckle up.
Life has always seemed short to me, but working in the ER has made it seem much more vaporish. I’ve watched many people die. They come in as a trauma or a medical resuscitation, everything’s chaotic and crazy for a little bit, and then they either go to the ICU or they’re dead. The ER then returns to normal, and we all go about our business.
I’m stopped cold when I remember that that person went somewhere, and it wasn’t just the morgue. If I’m really going to remember the reality of eternity, not only am I going to celebrate heaven, I’m going to be a fanatic about keeping people out of hell. Jesus died for them and he loves them!
I suppose that’s where God more fully comes onto the scene. While really wrestling with these things and praying about the possibility of spreading the good news to folks who’ve never heard, I came across Psalm 63:8. David writes, “I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” It’s not your typical missionary verse, but I knew then and there that God was calling me and my family to follow him to Cambodia. God is on the move, and I want to follow him.
I look out of my window and I see three churches. They all preach Christ. I drive around the capital city of Cambodia and I see Buddhist temples. Everywhere. I see Buddhist priests in bright orange robes. I smell incense from household shrines all around me, including the one in the foyer of my hotel. I see lost people bound for Hell. I see people without even a faint knowledge of Jesus Christ. I love Jesus Christ, and he loves me. Thing is, he loves them too, and he wants them to know of his amazing kindness and wonderful love.
Why in the World?
Thoughts from Elizabeth
“Break my heart for what breaks Yours, Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause.” Hillsong’s Hosanna brought me to tears this week (even before Doug Lucas quoted the words). I listened to the song over and over. That’s because I am in a place where I am indeed giving everything for His Kingdom’s cause. Over the last few years I have been reluctantly following along in this whole missionary future. I knew it was probably the right thing, but I didn’t really want to do it. As a result I didn’t hear much from God, and I felt dry.
After Jonathan traveled to Cambodia for our initial survey trip, I was excited. He did awesome recon work and answered my questions about how we could live as a family in a 4th world country. Then, when we set a departure date I got cold feet – so much so that we considered calling off the whole thing. We went to our elders and parents and those at Team Expansion for prayer and counsel and took time off to re-examine our call. I really listened to God’s voice, not just Jonathan’s voice. I came out of that time knowing positively that yes, going to Cambodia is God’s plan for our family, not just Jonathan’s crazy idea to save the world. Before, I had felt pressure to go, but not any longer. I had peace and knew God would be with me when I left America.
Since that time, I no longer feel God is silent. I have been able to enjoy worship music again. And it was in that personal revival that I heard Hosanna. I resonated with the idea that I was giving everything, my whole life here in America, for His Kingdom’s cause. I may not be the primary evangelist for our team in Southeast Asia, but I will be serving God with everything I have and supporting the cause of Christ wholeheartedly.
Some more thoughts from Elizabeth (July, 2010)
I think over the years of talking about missionary work it has seemed more like Jonathan’s dream than mine . . . and I thought it was good enough to just follow my husband to a country God would show us, just like Sarah following Abraham. But after Jonathan’s trip to Cambodia this February it became clear to me that I needed to have the “call” too, and I didn’t feel like I had it. And so we took a step back to pray and re-evaluate our plans. We talked with the elders here at Red Bridge. They didn’t give us any answers, but they did give excellent counsel in regard to being unified on this issue.
So after praying separately about this, I really felt God calling me to go. I knew I had been given the freedom to stay in America, but when I contemplated that, it just wasn’t right. I knew we were supposed to go, and this time I knew God had told ME, not just Jonathan. I had never doubted Jonathan’s call, but I needed to hear it personally from God.
I just couldn’t seem to get over my fears of leaving the country. The song “Safe in His Arms” by Phil Wickham comforted me during this time – knowing God was going with me to a foreign country. I had forgotten He lived not only in America but elsewhere! After this time I felt sure that God was calling me to go – I no longer felt forced by my husband. So although it was a stressful time I am thankful we took that time to make sure both of us were equally committed to going to a faraway place to serve God.
I see my role overseas as similar to what it is here. I’ll still be the supportive ministry wife and home school mom. (Note to the uninitiated: those are big jobs.) I even see Jonathan’s role as not changing – he’ll still be an evangelist to the unsaved. (I have loved watching him transition to evangelism within Red Bridge’s Kids for Christ ministry.)
Just so you all know, everyday life in Cambodia is not the same as it is here, it being a third world country and all, but it’s not as primitive as you might expect. We’ll have electricity, computers and internet access, air conditioning in our bedrooms, and an in-home helper (who will make up for the fact that there aren’t American conveniences like automatic dishwashers and dryers, who cleans the dusty house, and who makes the daily market trip).
Besides all that normal ministry wife and homeschool mom work, I will be learning the language as full time as possible. This will be a huge task! And of course I’ll try to participate in the Friends of Jesus Club as much as possible. It’s the Khmer equivalent of Kids for Christ and we’ll be privileged to attend it and help however we can.
– Elizabeth
