“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.” Acts 9:6-9 (NLT)

And here we are, only days from our trip to Cambodia! Pastor Kim and I have our luggage packed, immunizations up to date, and we (at least I do) have enough medicine to be declared a personal pharmacy. Phnom Penh here we come!

About a month ago, I wasn’t so sure whether this was the trip for me…

I was sitting in my living room talking to Kent Sellers about his advice for trip preparations and he proceeded to tell me about the various medicines I might take with me depending on whether “it” was coming out one end or the other, or whether “it” created noxious burps or…I think I’ll stop there. Needless to say, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to enjoy such a trip that had such joyous gifts to offer. And yet, the humor of the moment came as Kent told me these things before following up immediately with his passionate plea that he was so happy for me and wished he could go too.

What!?! Did he not understand his own description to me of how messy things could get!?!

That’s just it. He and I both know that like Saul’s (later to be known as the Apostle Paul) conversion to faith in Christ, life might get a bit ugly, dark or sickening- but the joy comes when the scales fall off and it all makes perfect sense as God shows the radical, miraculous movements of His love in this world. Don’t get me wrong, I pray that such digestive chaos avoids me, but I can tell you that when I look back on this trip there will be something that will stand out to me more than how I felt physically. I don’t know exactly what that will be, but I have a sense that it will have to do with something amazing that God is going to teach us through our Cambodian Christian Sisters and Brothers!

To be fair, the last time I went on a trip my physical condition did become a prominent memory. I regularly remember how sick I became and how much I longed for home. But that’s what I find the most interesting…this time around I know how sick I could potentially get and yet I cannot wait to see what God is doing in Cambodia and thus what God wants to do in Lowell! Honestly, my interest is not in somehow redeeming my ability to travel abroad, it is completely in God’s redemption of me. You see, it makes sense that Pastor Kim and I should take this trip. For the very fact that he and I pastor congregations in a community that has over 40,000 Cambodians, this trip makes sense. But each and every day that I wake up, I am amazed that God would allow me the grace to be a part of Christ’s Mission with you. While I may not live antagonistic to the Gospel, I know that I am a far cry from being a perfect witness of its truth. And yet, even me and even in this trip…you and I get a chance to be a part of something that God has orchestrated. Doesn’t that get you excited!?!

So until we return, pray for our well-being…That is, only after you have prayed that God graces us all with a vision of what He is up to among our Family around the globe!

Digesting God’s Goodness,

John