Matthew 16:23-25
Amplified Bible 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [[c]cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].
25 For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].
Today at church we commissioned Kim Bui as she returns to Cambodia for another 4 years to work with the Vietnamese refugees there. My sister is also in Cambodia but her work at Place of Rescue is 6 hours away. My other friend, Samantha, is also there and will work with Kim Bui. Do we have any idea what they have sacrificed?
--comforts we take for granted:
-----like communicating in a language we can understand.
-----like eating foods that agree with our stomach.
-----like taking a shower with warm water when needed.
-----like having protection against bugs, annoying bugs.
-----like having uninterrupted power that run the fans needed in the heat.
-----like having no A/C.
-----like being lonely and homesick for that which is familiar.
-----like not being here to celebrate family and friends' special days.
-----like not having to face victims of inexpressible horror every day and drink in their despair.
This is just a little. I'm sure many of our missionaries find themselves saying the right thing when they return, not necessarily the 'real' thing. Well, Kim was real with us at the beginning of the year. She did not want to go back.
Today, she showed peace.
Does that mean she will not be subject to the despair she felt earlier?
By no means.
Many times she will feel alone, abandoned, overwhelmed, moments when only the grace of God can break through and fill and cover her.
Times when she knows, "wow, someone just prayed for me."
I know. I have always known when someone has been interceding for me.
And there is great power in corporate prayer, joining in unison as a church, as a body linking hands.
They are there to fulfill God's call on their lives, to spill out the love of Jesus on to a loveless world who needs to know Him.
Listen and watch this video by Leeland, Follow You, filmed in Cambodia.
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