Jungle Living, Mission Swinging

Going into the thick of the jungle in a nation you are fairly unfamiliar with is a mental game. There is no room for fear when taking risks for God. Missions is not a fleshly lifestyle. Rather, it is a spiritual life lived only by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the natural, our recent expedition may have seemed erratic to an outsider, as if we were just randomly grabbing whichever vine appeared first. On the contrary, this trip was planned strategically with precision. It was a mission with the goal to glorify King Jesus.

It all began two years ago when three Overland missionaries jumped on their dirt bikes and rode into the jungles of Cambodia. They traveled under the canopy of trees, through muddy roads, and over highly unstable bridges. Their bodies felt numb from hours of constant rumbling from their dirt bike engines. Their hands were burnt from baking in the sun due to a lack of gloves, and they were filthy from the dust and mud that their wheels kicked up. However, these were only momentary inconveniences that were of no comparison to their ultimate discovery. On their reconnaissance, they found seven villages currently unengaged with the Gospel and disconnected with most of the world. The three men spent a few days and nights in the jungle getting to know the locals and searched extensively for ANY Christians. Out of the seven villages of 200 or more families each, they found one Christian. Her name was Sophany. She was young in age and young in faith, with no community, no church. When the three men greeted her, she wept because they came so far to share the Gospel with her people and to encourage her.

Since then, it has been the mission of Team Asia to get the Gospel to these people. There have been many strategic conversations of how and when. One of the three men on the bikes was our Cambodia Country Director, Marlin Petersheim. In January of this year, Marlin assigned JJ and I to the task of taking a team to the jungle to spearhead his ministry in these villages. South Eastern University contacted JJ and I through their student Ruthie N. and committed a team, and not only that, they committed to the jungle.

Ball was rolling and I was amped. As JJ and I prepared the team with our co-leaders, Tony and Jenn Simpson, Marlin and his wife Sreyown discipled Sophany. They did a bible study with her to strengthen her faith and knowledge of the word, and also readied her for the harvest to come. (When June comes, the rainy season begins. The rainy season will make the roads impassable, meaning Sophany will have to shepard the flock of new believers).

JJ and I went to the village weeks before the team came. We first met with the maypoon, the village leader. Marlin shared about a recent tragedy in the province. Two brother were killed by their third brother over money. He then shared the Gospel. He gave no connection between the two. After sharing the maypoon told us, "if those brothers knew about this Gospel, they would all be alive. Please bring this message to my people." Boom! We had local approval. Next step, logistics. We found a place to hang our hammocks. We knew where the team will shower and use the bathroom. We pre-purchased meat and produce from the village. The door is wide open for us to go, and we were ready.

The day the team arrived, JJ and I were worshipping and praying in our hotel room. I heard the Holy Spirit say, "success is me glorified." Then I had a vision of a indigo sweater being zipped up. I knew in the spirit the sweater represented logistics, and that the logistics of the trip were zipped up and sealed. Then all the sudden, from the bottom of the sweater, it began to unravel at the sides. I was immediately encouraged that it is not the logistics of the trip that made it successful but it was Him glorified. Then, I thought...oh no...What is about to happen? What is about to unravel? I took a deep breath, trusted God, and mentally readied myself for the ride we were about to go on.

In the next few days, many interesting things happened. We lost a team member due to passport issues. The airport lost a team member's luggage. Lastly, the most unforeseen change, first night in the jungle and first time in Overland's expedition history in Cambodia, we got kicked out of the village.

Sweater is unraveling. Logistics are now broken.

Then we remember...wait, it is not about the team. It is not about our works. It is not even about the village. It is about Jesus and Him glorified.

Watch our video to see what happened next!

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Thank you to all of our financial partners who makes our mission possible! Please know, as you partner with us you are partnering with the other missionaries and indigenous people we sow into. You are partnering with the team of Overland. You are partnering with God. It is not about a salary, it is about making an eternal difference with our lives. You make an eternal difference and we are so thankful for you!

Shout out to the team who was part of this mission. Marlin and Sambath Petersheim. Danny and Logan Ortwerth. "Beam Team." Thanak and Amy. Tony and Jenn Simpson. Ruthie N. Caleb. Andrew. Alexa. Lauren. Paige. Hayden. Bong Ra. Ousa. Vorlek. Thankful to have served with you!