Where's Our Dock?

I became the pastor of our church about two years ago.  And the first thing I was asked to do was to meet with the team that'd just returned from Cambodia.  And what struck me from those conversations was just how profoundly significant the experience was for them, how much they had to stretch, and how much God enlarged their faith and compassion.  And how, as their new pastor, I was entering into something that I did not create, I did not plan or participate in, but was now given the privilege of seeing play out in their stories and their lives.  And that was the first big clue I received:  that our church's participation in Cambodia as well as Cambodia's participation in us needed to be a significant part of our future.  For the last two years, we've been praying for the opportunity to go back.  And tonight, we finally leave!

In spite of this sense of calling, in truth, we go with very little pretense.  I hope you will not see any pictures of us standing messianically tall over a fawning village of impoverished children.  Because we aren't going out of our own strength, vision, or initiative; we go as people who are being sent.  And not only that, but the need of any nation, and Cambodia, no less, is daunting.  It isn't easy to rebuild a country whose ruling, educated, and business class was clubbed to death.  It's hard to even pretend to be the savior of thousands of women and children who are prostituted and even trafficked around.  Or to extricate corruption that is so embedded into a nation's bureaucracy.  Or to imagine how reconciliation can be brought about after an internal holocaust of 1/3 of the nation.

But we aren't going to rebuild, to save, or even to be the ones imagining.  Because we can't pretend our plans, abilities, or dreams are better than those of the Cambodians themselves, and certainly not better than God's.  Instead, we go in the manner of Jesus, who once said: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19).  And so we are going to be present, to serve, and to go where God leads us and to join in on what God is already doing.

And so within that context, we believe that God has a role for us to play.  I once heard it said that big docks receive big ships, but small docks can only receive small ships - different docks, different ships.  And so the question that we'll be prayerfully asking is:  Where's our dock?  How does God want us to fit into his beautiful future for Cambodia?  I'm excited because Vision for Cambodia has asked us to join them in:

• Building up village church leaders - through teaching and encouragement
• Seeking reconciliation at the village level - reaching out to even former Khmer Rouge
• Helping the poor - distributing aid to village churches and those in prison
• Ameliorating injustice - ministering amid the sex trade

But it's going to be relationships, experience, and prayer that will help us discern if this is how God is leading us to partner in Cambodia (and them with us!).  And so while our whole team goes to serve, I have the weighty responsibility of discerning which dock God leads us into.

So please pray that we - and especially I will:  

• Humbly listen and observe what is being said and done - not simply what fits within our own schemes.
• Form good relationships with the various leaders.
• Fall in love with this country that most of us are committed to, but haven't yet visited.
• Catch God's vision for our church's role in Cambodia's beautiful future.

Many, many thanks for your prayers.

In Christ,

-Brian

Leaving Tomorrow

Our first team

5 years ago, GRX Fremont made a decision to go to Cambodia. I have to be honest... I was not thrilled about the decision. I remember thinking, "Cambodia?! What the heck is in Cambodia?!" My assumption was that I'd visit this random country once and never go back...

Tomorrow will be the 6th time I've flown from SFO to Phnom Penh. Safe to say, God did some unexpected work in my heart... I fell in love with this country. What was random became beautiful. I've had the opportunity to meet some amazing people (who I now have the privilege of calling friends), get involve in some great ministry opportunities, and be overwhelmed with some crazy experiences. Most of all, God has always used Cambodia to do some serious soul work: a deepened awareness of my inability to listen, a sense of cultural superiority, consumerism, pride, and lack of faith/belief that God is big enough to carry out His good will as promised. In light of all of the above, I am grateful for what seemed like a random decision and the opportunity to go back. 

What this means for GRX...
I am also excited for what this trip means for the GRX Fremont community. As we begin on our trip, we are also asking some questions that has serious implications for our future in Cambodia: 

• What is our long term involvement in Cambodia? (This question speaks to heart of this trip.  It's taken us 5 years of listening, learning, and experience to get to this point of seriously asking this question.)
• What do we believe an overseas partnership should look like? 
• What is God already doing in Cambodia and how can GRX join in with our specific gifts/assets?

Chamron Phal @ our team retreat

Also, for the first time, we will be spending most of our time with Vision for Cambodia, a local ministry in Cambodia that focuses on empowering and equipping local church leaders in the Battambang province. The ministry is overseen by Chamron Phal, a survivor of the killing fields, and an associate pastor at First Covenant Church Oakland. 

Some of the things we will be doing...

• Serving prisoners in Battambang province
• Meeting and serving former Khmer Rouge Soldiers
• Training/Teaching adults & children at local churches
• Meeting local leaders
• Distributing medical supplies & aid
• Visiting NGO's (Sex Trafficking, Social Enterprise)
• Red Light District Ministry

Needless to say, it's going to be a busy trip! 

Recent Team Hike (minus Brian)

Your Prayers...  

There has always been a strong relationship between missions and prayer. In Ephesians, Paul challenges the church to be "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldy to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." 

As one of the team leaders for this trip, I want to emphasize that we seriously need your prayers. Never have I felt so strongly that our trip as a team is dependent on the prayers of our community. The majority of our team will by flying out of SFO tomorrow with significant burdens on their hearts because of trials at home. There is a sense that forces are at work to hinder what is planned. This is not unexpected but it reinforces the fact that much of what we hope to learn and experience on this trip is out of our control and requires a great deal of spiritual dependency. 

Throughout our trip, we'll keep you posted on how you can pray for us. My hope is that you would commit to keeping up-to-date with our blog so that your prayers could fuel our efforts. Better yet, commit to taking 5 minutes a day to pray for us. It really does make a difference. 

Thanks... 

Lastly, I want to thank all of our supporters. I think I can speak on behalf of the team when I say that this trip is an extension of your love and sacrifice, and we are grateful beyond words. 

Shalom,

Victor 

Here I am...

     The beginnings of this trip start in December 2010 when I traveled to S. Korea and Japan.  I was privileged to visit the site of the 26 Martyrs of Japan in Nagasaki, and learn about the history of Christianity/Catholicism and persecution of the church.  I found myself considering the question, when faced with certain death if I would keep the faith or deny Jesus? 
     I return home struggling with this question and contemplating God's direction in the area of missions for my life.  I attended WCC for this reason to learn and remain open to how God will lead me in the future.  I committed to praying for the nations at the monthly regional prayer meetings, and find a short-term missions trip to gain perspective on life overseas. 
     Should He call me into the harvest field of the world, I would definitely have to pull a modern day Jonah.  However, eventually, I would follow His lead.  My commitment has always been rooted in a home church.  When GrX decided to plan another trip to Cambodia this year, I jumped at the opportunity to serve knowing that I am not prepared for what will come.  But, here I am.  

-stace

Cambodia here I come!

Cambodia was a tough choice for me. There have been several times when I questioned whether I belong on this missions team and wondered if I would be able to contribute anything significant or have a positive impact.  I decided to join the Cambodia team for three reasons: 


1. I want to build stronger relationships within the GRX community 
2. I wanted to serve the people of Cambodia.
3. Because for whatever reason, I know God wants me to be there.

Taking Risks for God

Life has been good since moving to the Bay Area two years ago.  I feel I’ve had a strong relationship with God during this period of tremendous blessing, but I miss taking risks for Him.  This missions trip to Cambodia will put me in a position where I will lean on God completely.  I know our team will experience discomfort and difficulties, but I pray we also witness God working among Cambodians and learn from those of another culture.

-John

Living on the Edge (not Chip Ingram's radio ministry)

To be honest, I'm not sure how to explain how I came to the decision to go to Cambodia with GrX Fremont this year. I haven't even been at GrX Fremont a full year yet, but I know I have fallen in love with this small church that God has used to bless my time transitioning out of college, and I want to grow closer to these people I love through living in faith with them. Sometimes you just know when you have to do something, right? I guess I knew I needed to go to Cambodia. With this church. With this team.

After graduating, the theme of my life has been to look for ways to live on the edge, step out of my comfort zone, stretch my faith, and all that jazz. I've started rock climbing (not like in the picture yet, though), kickboxing, running races, and random other exercise routines to try to physically live on the edge but, so far, nothing has really challenged my faith because I guess I haven't truly tried to take steps of faith outside of my comfort zone. So in similar lines with Vinod, I think this year I'm going to Cambodia because I want to learn to do things out of faith. It'll be my first missions trip to a country where I can't speak the language at all. Whatsoever. Zilch. And it will be with a group of people I've only known for a little over half a year.

So I don't know what's going to happen on this trip (and, given the way our agenda looks, no one else knows what's going to happen on this trip, either). And I don't know what God is going to show us through Vision for Cambodia or the Cambodians themselves. And I most certainly don't know how I'm going to be changed, but I know for sure that I will be changed, and I am most definitely looking forward to expecting the unexpected and, through everything, to be challenged in my faith relying on God's sovereignty and His grace through my team to get through each day. If you can't tell I'm excited beyond comprehension, I am.

-Vicky

Take a chance

My decision-making process in going to Cambodia came down to 2 realizations:

1.  I need to start making more decisions based on faith.  I don't want to let fear dictate my choices since most of the time, fear leads me to not do things.  Fear isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I've realized that by saying no more often than yes, I stifle God's power in my life.  I need to give Him room to work, especially when I'm faced with a situation that I don't have much power in.  I don't want to make reckless decisions, but it's time to get a little risky and this trip is a risk worth taking.

2.  There isn't a reason for me not to go this year.  Nothing is keeping me from being a part of the team this time around.  Friends that have gone on previous Cambodia trips have had life-changing experiences and I'm eager to see how this trip changes me.

Peace, Vinod