I was five years old and thoroughly engrossed in the stories of Muslims coming to know Christ. A missionary couple was presenting to a small gathering of adults during an Abundant Life missions conference about their work in the Middle East. My eyes took in everything, from the traditional burkas on display to the depiction of ways to share the gospel with Muslims. One thing stood out to me above everything else, and that was the missionary couple’s faith to leave behind the life they knew to lead people to Christ. I had only been following Jesus for two years and was still learning who this God was that would inspire people to go all the way around the world to tell more people about Him. My little hand shot up when they asked if anyone had questions. I remember asking the couple, “What made you decide to give your lives to this?”
I’ll never forget the answer to that question. The next day the missionaries handed me a photo album titled “1,000 Reasons Why.” Inside were pictures of people from the Middle East they had befriended, shared the gospel with, and were discipling. After that day, John 3:16 took on new meaning for me, that God loved all the people in the world to the extent of dying in their place. Since that moment, I knew I needed to go on a mission trip to be a witness of Jesus to those not near me or like me, and the perfect opportunity came 16 years later.
The Country
The bus jostled down the highway as the missions team rode from Cambodia’s capital to Life International School (LIS) in the coastal city of Sihanoukville. With every mile, the landscape changed. Through the window, flat rice paddies tended by farmers turned into palm tree-covered mountains cloaked in misting clouds. Then, the first glimpse of Sihanoukville. Evidence of this city’s development was seen through the many skyscrapers undergoing construction and the growing places of commerce. These modern developments, however, did not overshadow the marks of Cambodia’s history. Ancient stone temples, decorated with ornately engraved cobras, lions, and idols were prominent reminders of Cambodia’s long-held practice of Buddhism.
For countless generations, this religion has been believed and passed down. No matter where you go, city or rural village, most Khmer households erect shrines in front of or inside their homes. Many of the ones I saw were shaped like miniature temples painted gold. Plates with little mounds of rice were placed before the shrines as whisps of smoke rose from the burning incense. Food offerings and incense burning were common worship rituals to honor ancestors and gods. To Cambodia, Buddhism is not just a tradition; it is embedded into the culture. A student at LIS even said he would feel less Khmer if he stopped practicing Buddhism.
This was the common sentiment the teachers and administrators at LIS were fighting against. LIS is a Christian school providing excellent academics along with biblical teaching. Many parents send their children to LIS to receive a good education and learn English. However, students are told to listen to what their teachers tell them but not believe it since their family is Buddhist. This leads students to question what the truth is. They are confused about what to believe due to the conflicting messages they hear between school and home. Many of them are experts about the accounts recorded in Scripture, but the truth has not been received in their hearts yet. The role of the missions team was to build relationships with the LIS students through a leadership camp that would open up gospel conversations with them and help answer their questions about who the Truth is.
The Mission Trip
Twelve students sat in a half circle around me in our classroom decked out in green bandanas representing their team pride. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Every day brought lessons focused on a specific characteristic that godly leaders should have, and every day, the students came ready to learn and have fun. But even the best-laid lessons could not substitute for genuine conversations with the students throughout the day. One such conversation happened with an 11-year-old girl named Seav In. During lunch break, another student offended her, and Seav In wanted justice. She was one of the most respectful, kind, and intelligent students in my class. Her eyes, normally warm and welcoming, were now a cold black.
I consoled her by saying, “I promise to talk to the other student about this but there is something I need you to do.”
Being the kind of student who always wanted to please her teachers she asked what that job was.
“You need to forgive,” I replied.
“That’s going to be really hard because I don’t feel like forgiving,” said Seav In through a frustrated sigh.
“I understand that, but Jesus chose to forgive us of all the offenses we caused Him even when it was not easy. Right now, you have such a beautiful heart, and if you choose not to forgive, it will grow hard and bitter. I really don’t want to see that happen to you, Seav In.”
After that conversation, Seav In walked away with a new attitude, and I pray that discussion helps spur her on to a deeper relationship with Jesus. God truly used that moment to influence the heart of this young girl with eternal truth and reminded me that He can use any situation for His glory.
Another aspect of the mission trip was serving at an activity day in a rural village school. In this village, English was not spoken as commonly as in Sihanoukville. The missions team led all kinds of games on the school’s porch, from card games to ball games. After playing with the children and not a word being spoken to each other in a common language, the group of children I interacted with formed a bond. I had no deep spiritual conversations with any of them, but I saw how love does not always need words for it to be expressed. It is something that can be understood just by seeing it in action.
The Mission Never Ends
A few days later my airplane landed back in Kansas City. Even though I left behind the smiling children in the village and the inquisitive students at LIS, the mission did not end. Upon returning home, God continued using the lessons He taught me in Cambodia of trusting Him in all situations and putting love into action to grow my faith and the faith of others. My own Khmer family wanted to know why my father, sister, and I went back to Cambodia after so many years, especially since that was the place they fled during the Khmer Rouge. God used the Cambodia mission trip to open up conversations with my unbelieving family members to share with them that Christ alone changes lives, heals what is broken, and makes a way for all to have life in Him.
You are Called to Go
The mission to make Jesus known is never over. Once you have been face to face with what Satan does to humanity, you cannot unsee it or look away any longer; it doesn’t matter what part of the world it is. More than that, if you have experienced the power of Christ transforming who you once were to the new creation you are today you can’t deny that everyone needs this Good News.
So, if you are asking yourself whether you should go on a mission trip, the answer is YES! Why? Because Jesus commands us to share Him with all people (Matthew 28:18-20), He has equipped us for the task (Acts 1:8), and He has already gone before us to make a way (John 14:6). I saw God demonstrate His faithfulness as I stepped out in faith to go on this mission trip. God shows His faithfulness and power when you are in a position to see it on display. Now, this is just my story of how God worked in my life to show me His love for the nations. He has a story in store for you, too, if you just say yes!
If God is stirring your heart to go on a mission trip, don’t wait! Learn more about the global serve team trips Abundant Life is offering in 2025.