Where is God calling us to land in this Season?

I have to admit that the next chapter of our story surprised both Chad & I and we had to adjust the sails once again. When we give Jesus our yes, it’s not always our first choice or our perfect plan...but it is so worth it and you WILL see His faithfulness woven in your story! I want to humbly add that we didn’t always get it right and many times I didn’t wait patiently, but in His tender mercy, God guided our steps taking us into uncharted territory and we are so grateful!

So I want to pick up where I left off in our story.  After returning home from the Iris mission school in Mozambique as a family in December of 2011, we spent about two months at home, reconnecting and processing with our family. Then in March of 2012, Chad & I joined our friends who we had connected with at the mission school on a planned scouting trip to Thailand and Cambodia. These friends carried a similar vision that we did and were from different parts of the world including England, Scotland, Australia, Ireland, and the US. Most of these friends did not have kids yet, so they all were spending one month between the two countries, but we didn’t want to leave our kids that long, so we spent a week in Thailand and then a week in Cambodia, trusting Jesus to make it clear where He wanted us to land.

So after flying into Cambodia, our team leaders, Jason & Kellie Holbeche picked us up from the airport in a tuk tuk...a cart pulled behind a moto. It’s so interesting how we saw God moments woven through this journey. When we lived in Mozambique doing the mission school, we got to meet and connect with Jason & Kellie as they were walking through our base. Often, we didn’t have a lot of interaction with speakers who came to share because our school consisted of a lot of people. As Jason & Kellie shared their vision with the team there in Phnom Penh, Chad & I connected to it very much. Little did we know that what God was about to do in our hearts would change our lives forever!

Our time in Cambodia was spent in the capital city of Phnom Penh. Cambodia is in the 1040 window and has a high rate of human trafficking. Many Cambodians are trafficked to Thailand, which is their neighboring country. We spent time learning the culture which included a trip to the Toul Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields. It was gut-wrenching to hear about the mass genocide called the Khmer Rouge that took place there between 1975-1979. The brutality used was horrible! It helped us understand the culture better and that there was still a lot of fear that remained after the chaos subsided. Just an interesting side note, Chad & I were born in the peaceful town of Ephrata, Pennsylvania during those years of the genocide in 1976 & 1978.

One of the places we visited was the riverside which was brimming with tourists and kids. We played with the kids and observed. Currently, our Iris team working in Phnom Penh does regular ministry there which includes a kids Bible club. Families with kids live on the riverfront and children are sold for sex while some are forced to sell things like postcards to support their family. They are put in very vulnerable and dangerous situations on a regular basis at a really young age. Nearby the riverfront are streets that are loaded with bars and nightclubs with so many dear women selling themselves to make a living or being sold by pimps.

We, also, visited a very poor village, stopping to love on the kids and give some treats. These adorable kids are at risk for trafficking, as well. Many of the fathers are alcoholics since beer is nearly as cheap as water over there, and many kids get addicted to sniffing glue. So much poverty and brokenness!

But in the darkness, we are called to bring His light everywhere we go! It was time to go home, but Cambodia had left a huge imprint on our hearts and we sensed this is where God was calling us. He was beckoning us to light up this corner of the world with Jesus’ hope and joy! So we went home, shared with our kids and prayed. When I think back on this now, just 12 years later, I think about how our kids were so brave and willing to say yes if that’s what God was indeed saying! So we prayed and talked with our families and church leaders. We felt led to move forward until God closed the door...but no door was closed. It was a clear path with Him leading every move.

Laying things down that we love can be difficult...especially people. We felt led to move to Cambodia with no strings attached. So Chad sold his share in the family business and our home sold privately in less than a week! Just felt like such an open door, but it was hard letting go at the same time. We loved our home in the woods on Winding Way and having a stable, secure income! And I want to say clearly...those things are not wrong!! It was just how God was leading us in that season.

So to make a long story short, with the help of our team on the ground there in Cambodia who had moved there about 4 months before we arrived, we found a house to rent for a few months. This home was close to our team’s house and we rented it temperarily from a missionary family who was on sabbatical. This was a fully furnished place where we would call home until we got established. In October 2012, with lots of suitcases in tow, our family of six headed for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, not knowing all the adventures that were in store for us! Stay tuned for more details in this journey in the coming weeks!

Jo Sauder