When serving in cross cultural ministry escape can become a necessity. It had been 12 weeks since my accident and even though my foot is not yet fully recovered it has been improved gradually. It had recovered enough that I could retreat to a tropical paradise.
That tropical paradise is known as Langkawi, a cluster of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea (part of the Indian Ocean) in the North West section of Malaysia nearing the Thai boarder. It had quiet, stillness, serenity and tranquil water topped off with blue skies. It was an oasis compared to the bustle, noise and stress of Phnom Penh and the perfect place to just find rest and regain strength that has been lost while dealing with the day to day life of living in Cambodia.
Armed with a walking stick and reservations at a resort on the south end of the main island I flew into Malaysia with great anticipation. My 5 days were quickly filled with reading and taking in the beauty that surrounded me. Sometimes it can be easy to forget the treasures God has placed in creation when you are amidst so much dust and chaos. I miss the ocean, hearing the gentle lapping of water and the joy of admiring a sunset, things I don’t often get a chance to do in Cambodia.
I think it is a necessity to retreat. It is even healthy. I found I could spend some much needed quality time with God, sorting through some details and getting some perspective on a few things. These last three months especially have been incredibly tough and at time I felt lacking of the strength to get through. I don’t know what will happen next or why He has positioned me here, but I trust that He knows what He is doing and trust in Him to strengthen and renew me in various ways so that I may achieve what His will is for me here. This holiday wasn’t just about me; it was about discovering more of Him. To seek Him and listen to His voice away from the storms that life has thrown at me.
I step back into my last month and a half of this school year feeling more ready to continue on. Though I do not have all the answers I seek, nor do I understand why things have happened I do feel this new closeness with Him that I pray will continue to grow. I long for it to develop into a strong flame that cannot be snuffed out by any trails, challenges or hardships that still lay before me.
