I'm just waking up from a long night's sleep after an incredible Friday night benefit dinner for us! Some of the best friends I have ever known (seriously!) put a lot of time and planning (and money!!) into this party and made it a beautiful success. I tried to tell them thank you but am sure that I didn't even come close to saying enough. They did an amazing job. Spout Springs Church hosted the event, where Pastor Steve Davis and the staff there have been a source of support, encouragement, and even excitement throughout this journey! We had dozens of volunteers, some of whom I had honestly never met until last night, and they were all serving with a smile and happy to be there.
And the turn out of guests... wow! I have no idea how many people actually made it but it had to be over 300 with their kids and many of them didn't even know us! Volunteers would point them to the food and then say "Kim's over there" and they'd say "who's Kim?" That's AMAZING to me! People came just to support the mission God has laid out for us and we are so grateful.
Others donated items for a raffle that was a big hit! We made extra money for our home in Cambodia and people got to take home some awesome prizes! Among them were prizes such as a quilt, baby items, purses, Scentsy items, a handpainted picture titled "Cambodia," Pampered Chef, Thirty-One, Jewelry, scrapbooking items, Mary Kay, and a bunch of baskets with themes such as movie night, coffee, home accents/jewelry, and cake pop making. These were a huge success. People even put tickets in our "mystery box" we contributed which turned out to be a big prize for the winner... all the stuff the movers won't pack... like liquids, foods, batteries, flammables. HAHA! But some of that is great stuff, really!
On a more serious note, I have to just say that this was a great night of encouragement and excitement. We talked with so many people. I met people who have been to Cambodia, people who have lived as missionaries, people who said they could see & feel the Spirit around us, people who said they pray daily for missions and will pray for us every single day, people who have seen firsthand what this terrible exploitation looks like, and even one or two who may be called to IJM or something like it in the future. All in 5 hours.
I'm in awe.
God is so big. So much bigger than we can even comprehend. And its no surprise that my Bible reading found me in Ephesians today, where Paul prayed to the Ephesians "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." (Eph 3:18)
I'm thankful to Paul for that prayer! He didn't just pray that for the Ephesians but for the whole world. Because seeing how great God's love is makes us want to love others more, too. I want to overflow with His love and pour it out all over Cambodia!!
And God, I pray that this is but a tiny glimpse. I know it is. I know what you have planned for us is HUGE. Stephen has a title, a "job," an office to go to, and that work is a meaningful and important job for your kingdom. But you have something even bigger than that for us both. Help us be a light to the world.
And thank you for providing so much support last night so we can do just that.
Thank you for showing off a little bit of how great you are!
And to all our supporters, friends, and fans... are you excited? Because we are! The big adventure of following God to Cambodia has begun! And you're all coming along!
And the turn out of guests... wow! I have no idea how many people actually made it but it had to be over 300 with their kids and many of them didn't even know us! Volunteers would point them to the food and then say "Kim's over there" and they'd say "who's Kim?" That's AMAZING to me! People came just to support the mission God has laid out for us and we are so grateful.
Others donated items for a raffle that was a big hit! We made extra money for our home in Cambodia and people got to take home some awesome prizes! Among them were prizes such as a quilt, baby items, purses, Scentsy items, a handpainted picture titled "Cambodia," Pampered Chef, Thirty-One, Jewelry, scrapbooking items, Mary Kay, and a bunch of baskets with themes such as movie night, coffee, home accents/jewelry, and cake pop making. These were a huge success. People even put tickets in our "mystery box" we contributed which turned out to be a big prize for the winner... all the stuff the movers won't pack... like liquids, foods, batteries, flammables. HAHA! But some of that is great stuff, really!
On a more serious note, I have to just say that this was a great night of encouragement and excitement. We talked with so many people. I met people who have been to Cambodia, people who have lived as missionaries, people who said they could see & feel the Spirit around us, people who said they pray daily for missions and will pray for us every single day, people who have seen firsthand what this terrible exploitation looks like, and even one or two who may be called to IJM or something like it in the future. All in 5 hours.
I'm in awe.
God is so big. So much bigger than we can even comprehend. And its no surprise that my Bible reading found me in Ephesians today, where Paul prayed to the Ephesians "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." (Eph 3:18)
I'm thankful to Paul for that prayer! He didn't just pray that for the Ephesians but for the whole world. Because seeing how great God's love is makes us want to love others more, too. I want to overflow with His love and pour it out all over Cambodia!!
And God, I pray that this is but a tiny glimpse. I know it is. I know what you have planned for us is HUGE. Stephen has a title, a "job," an office to go to, and that work is a meaningful and important job for your kingdom. But you have something even bigger than that for us both. Help us be a light to the world.
And thank you for providing so much support last night so we can do just that.
Thank you for showing off a little bit of how great you are!
And to all our supporters, friends, and fans... are you excited? Because we are! The big adventure of following God to Cambodia has begun! And you're all coming along!
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