The Weight of the Gospel/Ministry Update

Hello!! I’m in Cambodia!! 

I am already in love with this country and its people and culture and food!! 

But first let’s back up about 11 days. It’s October 14th, (we love travel day birthdays hehe), it’s 2pm, and we’re leaving the Adventures in Missions base, where we’ve called home for the past two months. We pile in the vans and all our packs are put into the trailer! There are so many emotions: excitement for the new adventure, nervousness for leading my team, sadness leaving Dawson, passion ready to bring the GOOD NEWS to the nations, etc. Soon, we arrive at the airport and all 48 of us, the full squad and leaders, take all our belongings upon our back that we have for the next 8 months and say goodbye to America. Our first flight was 11 hours to Istanbul, Turkey (a favorite airport for me for sure), there a 2 hour layover, then a 9 and a half flight to Bangkok, Thailand where our layover was 12 hours, and finally a 1 and a half hour flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. From there we took taxis to a hostel for the night, and the next morning, we went off one team south while the rest of the teams headed north. My team got dropped off at our ministry location a couple hours between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, where a couple more teams are located, and the last team along the border with Thailand. So, we arrived at our ministry location midday on the 17th, and spent the rest of the day resting. I think the jet lag was okay, but we were just exhausted in general after a longgg but so smooth travel days! The Lord’s protecting and guiding hand was upon us!

My team is in Kampong Thom Province for the next month and a half where we are partnering with an English school, called Good Seed International School. We are helping teach classes, painting in their new still-being-built school and encouraging and ministering to the staff, students, and our hosts. My team has adapted so well to the work we are doing here! It’s been fun to be back in ministry mode after a couple months training and resting in the States. Excited and expectant for the Lord to use us as His vessels here!

The weight of the gospel hit me at another level a few days ago. I was going back and forth between reading Genesis and Radical by David Platt and listening to Gospel: Galatians 2:20, a sermon by a Upperroom pastor. Christ really died the death we deserve and descended into hell with the weight of ALL our sin upon His shoulders. All the wrath and hatred God has for sin and sinners, Christ felt. He bore all our sin so that we could wear the garment of His righteousness. He defeated death, took back the keys to hell, arose, and now sits back at the right hand of the King. And this is the gospel. Not that Jesus just died on the cross for us, but that we might die with Him and those who trust in Him will be reconciled with Him. Galatians 2:20-21 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” The Gospel demands and enables us to turn from our sin, to take up our cross, to die to ourselves, and to follow Jesus. And it’s all to give Him glory!! Our hearts should be consumed with making the glory of God known in all nations. I’m confident that God saved me so that the nations will know Him. He has blessed me so that the earth will see His glory. And if you are also saved, then you should have the same desire for the nations to see Him and see Him be glorified amongst them. Jesus has invited everyone to join Him in a surprisingly simple journey of spreading the gospel to all nations by spending our lives for the good of others and the glory of God, by showing and sharing the Gospel in our everyday lives. Quite simply, this is done by making disciples who make disciples. Disciple making involves sharing the life of Christ. Jesus is the best example to follow. He lived with 12 men for a couple years teaching them to do all that He did that reflected the Father’s will. I want to be a disciple maker that lives a life making God’s glory known for others to follow to grow closer to God. My goal for leading my team is to be a community of Jesus followers each multiplying the gospel by going, baptizing, and teaching wherever we go. You can bring the GOOD NEWS to the NATIONS TOO by living a life that shows the glory of God and inviting those around you to do the same. For HE IS WORTHY!!

Please pray for soft and ready hearts to hear the GOOD NEWS of Jesus and willing and zealous mouths to share it! 

Also praise God for being fully funded!! It’s always a relief to be fully funded for these trips, but I can honestly say now that I enjoy fundraising because it has grown my faith exponentially. God has provided in ways I never knew possible until it happened to me, so thank you for being faithful to support and give and encourage. 

Thank you!!

Love, Clara Grace

P.s. I post a TON of photos from leader training, training camp, ministry in Florida, and the first few days in Cambodia in the library here on this blog site, if you want to check them out! I also try to post more frequently on instagram, if you want to follow my journey there! My profile is @clleverich.