Neglect
Shortly after Gabrielle was born, I stubbed my toe twice at the gas station. It’s just a stubbed toe right? It’ll get better on its own. Well, it didn’t.
I went and got the ingrown toenail removed at the salon, it still didn’t get better. Went to another salon months later, still oozing. Taking antibiotics did not fix it. Finally, after 5 months I went to have it surgically removed. After that the swelling and the part that was tender to the touch stopped being tender and the toenail shard was finally gone.
I’ve always hoped that problems would just go away if we leave them alone, and sometimes it kinda works, but the reality is that we can’t go through life ignoring the issues. I can’t just preach to my church on Sunday and hope that they’ll get it and mature with such little attention. I can’t neglect them by saying, “God will finish the work he started.” God will continue to work, but I have a responsibility to tend to God’s people, to pray for them, to visit them, to teach them one on one, it can’t all be accomplished with just a sermon every Sunday.
So a few weeks ago we started up a small group to be more informal and more personal with the people in our village. We asked aunt Ee to let us meet at her house because she’s very busy and her house is nearby. Aunt Ee’s daughter has been interested in Jesus and she has also started coming to our meetings as well. I think it’s because Aunt Ee’s daughter has seen the positive change in her own daughter that happened since she started following Jesus last year.
We are one body and I can’t let my toe rot, or let my friends or family rot; so I will do what needs to be done in a timely manner.
OMT
Finally we have started Overland’s first Cambodian mission training for local ministers. Charity is leading it, I’m assisting her, both of our spouses are learning along with 8 other Cambodians. Honestly it’s just like the Advanced Missions training that I did in Africa except now I’m one of the ones teaching. Our students are a great collection of people who are great ministers of the gospel already and through this they’ll be fully equipped for a life of service to the Lord bearing fruit and producing many many disciples.
Marlin had Dengue so I had to help teach the Gospel of Identity. It is probably my favorite topic because it is where our confidence comes from. I believe in the finished work of Jesus, I believe that his death and resurrection was enough to restore us to the glory and holiness that Adam had before he fell. We’re either in Adam or in Christ, that is the only thing that matters. What I do doesn’t matter, what you do doesn’t matter, what matters is your faith in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus you are holy, you are set free, you are a child of God, you have the characteristics of God that are limitless, love that is limitless. Because Jesus gives the spirit without measure, in fact God cannot give you anything less than his perfect limitless characteristics.
It is this new life that conquers the old life in every way, it is this new life that causes us to live lives that are holy and obedient. It is only when we forget this new identity that our lives are filled with sin and failure. That’s why we have to renew our minds. I could talk about this for days and days, because it’s the truth and it is through acknowledging it that we see this truth flow from the inside of us to the outside.
Helping One Another
Our whole team has come together to help with the OMT. Darien and Lindsey have been helping teach and lead physical training as well. Different disciples and friends have helped in various ways, the students themselves are always ready to help. We have Marlin and Sreyown coming periodically to give bursts of inspiration and vision, as well as teach various topics. Teaw helped translate various documents and lessons. We have Theara coming to help translate and teach. We had some people from Laos come teach about agriculture ministry. There’s many more people who have been a part of this and it’s just awesome to see it all come together.
We did our first OMT expedition in Kulen and it was a delight to go out with these great Cambodian leaders and see strangers give their lives to Jesus and see God work miracles.
Pray
- Pray for Darien, he had a motorcycle accident and had to go back to the States for shoulder surgery.
- Pray for revival week happening tomorrow!
America
A slot still hasn’t appeared for Lin to take the visa interview yet, and it’s getting closer and closer to the time that I will have to go. We’re ready for whichever outcome, but it would be awesome for all of you to be able to meet Lin and Gabrielle my daughter. But I will come regardless.
God will do a quick work, he’s done it before, he’ll do it again.
For the kingdom, Tommy, Lin, and Gabrielle