Cambodia - July 21, 2013 (Part 1)

[The following post is an excerpt from my journal as I traveled to Cambodia. The inconsistency in the entry title and datestamp is due to limited internet access while I was on the trip. These experiences were documented in real time, and I am posting photoblogs now that I have returned. In order to protect all those involved with the organization that rescues children from sex slavery and works to prevent others from being trafficked, I have intentionally omitted specific names and locations.]

Sunday, July 21, 2013 - Somewhere in Cambodia

"You have searched me, Lord,

    and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

    you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

    you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

    you, Lord, know it completely."

Psalm 139:1-4

This morning I went to church, just like any other Sunday. But, this Sunday, I did not understand much of the service. It wasn't for lack of comprehension- it was because the service was in a different language!

It was incredible to be forced to observe and react based solely upon what I saw rather than what I heard. When one sense is compromised, the others become heightened! I could feel the Holy Spirit in that place. I did not know what was being said, but I knew God was being praised. I could see the joy in the faces of those surrounding me!

This particular church is where several of the girls who live at the safe house attend, so after the service was over, I noticed one of the older teenage girls I had met was standing across the aisle. I addressed her by name to say hi and give her a hug. Then something wonderful happened.

She was SO excited that I remembered her name. She was in awe of this particular memory. Her face lit up, and I could tell she felt incredibly special. She felt cared about. She felt important. A small memory had made a large impact.

It's so easy to forget the excitement in the fact that God knows my name. He knows every ounce of my being- every thought in my mind, every hair on my head, every cell in my flesh, even every nucleus within those cells! He knows every single detail of my being. He cares for me that much! It blows my mind to think about the depth of His love for me.

My human mind my fail. My memories may fade. I may forget this girl's name. I may fail to remember her beautiful face. I may even forget the special interaction we had this morning.

But God will always remember my name! He will remember every detail of my life. I hope that He remembers me as someone who loved Him with every ounce of this being that He knows through and through.