it was....

The common question after coming home from being gone on this exciting journey is "how was it..."

so here it is.

...it was. incredible, stretching, and glorious. I was stretched and grown. i had a few common themes of things that i learned. 

Lecture Phase: the first week of lecture phase us, as staff, had to share our testimonies and talk about who we were and how the Lord so gripped us and completely transformed us. So i shared on the father's heart and how i came to the understanding i was actually a daughter of the king and that i sit at his right hand and get to rule with him forever and ever. and i thought i got this revelation during my DTS but, i got the bigger picture during my DTS. Now the Lord has started to reveal more detail to me during lecture phase this time. He showed me what it looks like to pick up this identity and own it, to no longer put the role of father on other people and put crazy expectations on them that they will never fulfill. I realized that my father's here on earth are here to disciple me and model christ's love for me to the best of their ability. So, i really picked up that identity and wore it as my own and stopped putting all my crap on the fact that i had issues and started laying those issues at the cross and watching the lord so heal those open wounds and bring in people in my life to help me do that. Biggest realization in that.. I am a princess and delighted in and i have a father that is more proud than anyone else could be and loves me more that anything every could. 

i learned how to disciple. I learned that it is not always by what you say but it is what you do behind close doors when your students are watching you that really starts to mold them and refine them. i got the privilege to walk closely with 3 girls and watch their lives get totally wrecked for the Lord and watch them decide that they are all in and they do not want to settle for what society says is "normal" or "correct" but to chase after jesus and his will. I got to watch how my revelations got to get transferred and formed into their own personal revelations and how my ceiling was their floor. The amount of prayer and waring i did was what they got to stand upon. I recognized the power of prayer and worship and adoring who jesus is. At the end of lecture phase i found myself asking "did i learn anything during DTS". i feel like i learned so much more this time around.

Outreach: couple themes of outreach. thanksgiving. humility. prioritizing the presence. life of ministry.

THANKSGIVING. i have understood the importances of thanksgiving and adoration. I came to this realization that literally everything i have is a gift from the lord. That my reality without his grace is hell. What is deserve is death but his goodness and faithfulness is enough to sustain me and keep me going. i don't deserve tomorrow or even my next meal but the lord is good and is who he says he is therefore he provides and gives grace in abundance. i saw the mornings that i woke up and wrote the 10 things i was thankful for, my attitude was crazy different from the days when i woke and did not and complained because it was hot and i smelt and the roommate snored all night. instead i would choose to wake up and say who the lord is and thank him for what he has done for me and watch that simple act completely change my attitude and outlook on the day. 

HUMILITY: i am learning how to separate the confidence and cockiness. also how to be okay with the normal story and not always having to have the most radical sounding story. If it's a jesus story then its radical. Not having to exaggerate stories of outreach or of my life. but to know that the lord is working and all of my stories are glory stories. 

LIFE OF MINISTRY: here in Cambodia we are looked at more because of our skin color and we are thought of as a higher cast. and watching how we don't have to preach the gospel on the street corner to show our faith but to just live life and watch how that open doors. we were very limited with the ministry we were aloud to do because of the long term goal here but, watching how that did not stop our ministry opportunities. Most foreigners that come to Cambodia come here to party so to come and not be in that scene at all. it raised lots of questions and opportunities to share. Also, not conforming to a different attitude or put on a fake face in different environments. yes we were sensitive to the different environments but still stayed who i am and spoke what i believe to be truth. 

that is a broad overview of the things i learned and how i applied them to my time in Cambodia.

Now i will be dripping with the oils of the love. so blessed.