{Border} Asking for the Right Road

Wednesday, August 27th
We asked the Holy Spirit for wisdom as we left the guesthouse, our team of four ready to pray and walk in Pailin our last afternoon there. “Lead us to the right road, the right people”. The young woman from the church in Sompovloun pointed to a muddy side road. “Let’s go that way,” she said.

Being the two Khmer speakers (one native and the other at least functioning), we were to take the lead. “Are you sure?” I wanted to whisper to her and to the Holy Spirit. I have this thing about slipping and sliding in the mud, and getting my feet dirty. Yeah, I guess I need to get over that.

We set off, the road strangely quiet and peaceful. We asked for the peace that can only come from the Heavenly Father, His love raining down in this place.

One of the ladies in our group noticed the building to our left, a simple cross the only sign a group of believers might gather there. Slipping inside the gate, we could see a group of children eagerly reciting the Khmer alphabet, a young man attempting to keep them in line. He saw us coming and met us outside, and we explained our mission. “Here we are, walking and praying, and is there anything we can pray about for you and this church?”

He shared some of the history of the church, how God had worked and their efforts without outside help or dependance on foreigners. He and others were working to start new groups in neighboring villages, their desire to see people loving Jesus evident on his face and in his words.

We walked on just a little bit farther and our young friend, filled with increasing boldness, beckoned to us to follow her inside another gate to speak to a couple of grandmothers tying together banana leaves filled with rice on a wooden platform. “Did you just come from the church?” one of the grandmothers asked. “I believe in Jesus too, but my friend here hasn’t trusted Jesus yet”. She shared her testimony with us, her desire to see all of her children following The Lord.

There are challenges, many things that hold people back from Jesus. “My parents live at the temple because they are old,” the other grandmother told us. “How can I just turn my back on them?” We shared Truth with her, while her believing friend affirmed and joined in.

God is at work. He is using His people in this place to reach their neighbors and those in nearby villages. He guided us specifically down that muddy road so we could get a taste of His glory in this little border town, and He is continuing to lead and guide as we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.