My uncle once told me how hard it was for him when my parents took our family to Cambodia as missionaries, taking his young nieces and nephew far away. I didn’t understand until I was tucking in my five-year-old niece Ashley for the last time. When she woke up, we would be gone. She couldn’t stop hugging me. She said she wanted to buy a ticket to come visit us now even though it won’t be for a year or two. She just wants to have a countdown, no matter how long. I blew her one last kiss, closed her door and had a long cry into a pillow.

Emma’s mom said, “Even if I don’t see you again till heaven, I’m still proud of you, and I love you, and I wouldn’t ask you to change a thing.”

Over and over, people kneeled around us, placed their hands on us and prayed for God’s blessing. Then at last our dreams took flight. Thank you to everyone who is praying for us. We have felt it even as high as planes fly. Delta checked our extra bag for free, we had no problems at immigration, and we were welcomed at our destination with flowers and hugs. My dad had a fully furnished apartment ready for us at the Adventist Mission headquarters. Stephanie has already put up pictures of family, and I know she has a stash of Christmas decorations and other treasures that will make this feel like home while we are in the Capital for several months of language school.

We have only been here one day, but God has already helped us get cell phone cards, shop for essentials and arrange meetings with the Adventist Mission staff. God has blessed in so many small details, and we know He is answering your prayers. We even had a beautiful welcome dinner prepared by a Great River People friend from my childhood.

The missionaries already in the country have been experiencing culture shock, personal and family struggles, puzzling health problems and persecution. They have also seen God’s hand moving.
We are refreshed from God’s continuous blessings right now, but we ask that our intercessors would keep praying as we enter the heat of spiritual battle.

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