My guest blogger is a dear, dear friend of mine, Claire. She and I met last year when we went on a mission trip to Cambodia, but my soul feels like I’ve known her longer. We share a love of the Lumineers, songs that make you stomp and clap, God, traveling and bearded men who look like they just came in from camping.

Claire and I also day dream of hiking the Camino de Santiago…

As a kid, I  never pretended that my dolls were orphaned babies.  I never acted my Barbies out in a storyline that had them in a foreign country.  When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never once said ‘missionary.’  I was a typical kid that played, ran, imagined, and dreamed, but no one would have ever guessed I would end up almost half way around the world, living in a country that most people don’t even know where to find it on a map.
My name is Claire Humphreys and I live in Cambodia.  How the heck did I end up there??? Well, God likes to throw curve balls in my perfectly good plans. Just kidding.  God knew since the beginning of time that I would be in Cambodia, and it only took me 26 years to figure that out.

I fell in love with this amazing country a few years back on my first trip with Global X, the missions ministry through my church.  We spent 10 days with the most extraordinary children I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  We sang, we danced, we laughed, and most of all we loved.  I knew at the end of my time there, it wouldn’t be long until I returned.  And that’s exactly what I did the following year.  During that time, I felt God calling me to something more than just a couple of weeks each summer.  So, less than 5 months later, I made Cambodia my home.

Over the last 7 months of living in Cambodia, I have seen many things.  The beautiful country, the blossoming of great friendships, the faces of a people so eager to hear about Christ and the peace He alone can bring.  I have also seen many hardships, the loneliness of these people, despair, slavery, drug abuse, death.  It has been hard feeling so much for this little country I now call home.  Feeling so small and inadequate to do anything that will make a difference.  But then I think back on my first trips here and remember all I could do was love.  That’s all we are called to do.   My scenery may look different than yours, but love transcends all people, all languages, all differences.  Love is ALL.  

Keep on lovin’, sister!
ab