Hugging Jesus

Hello everyone,

Recently, God has been teaching me to be open and available for His Holy Spirit to use. When I pray for God to lead me and open up opportunities to talk to and love on people as I walk through my day with him , he answers.

For example, on Thursday, my team went to the Four Square orphanage in which we organize church services every Sunday to play games with the children. It was very energizing to play with the kids and give them the love they probably don't always receive. We had a blast doing three-legged races, a tug-of-war, and a water balloon toss. The kids love holding our hands and just being with us, even if we can't speak very much Khmer and they can't speak very much English. Near the end of the water balloon game, a middle-aged Khmer man who appeared to have dried mud all over his clothing stumbled towards us through the field. When I spotted him, I knew that he needed God's love. So I approached him with open arms and hugged him full on. He hugged me back with everything he had, and I was so close to him that I could detect the alcohol on his breath. We just stood there holding one another for a while, and I told him "Preya Yesu Sral Line Nyuk," which means "Jesus loves you." After our long embrace, I kept one arm around his shoulder to keep him from losing his balance in his drunken state. He gazed deep into my eyes, like he was looking into my soul, and I stared right back with the same intensity. I continued to pray for him out loud and speak truth into his life, and I believe the Holy Spirit destroyed the language barrier and spoke to his heart. It was as if this man was drawn to the love of Jesus in me and my compatriots and was hungry for it. He saw Jesus in my eyes, and I felt like I had just hugged Jesus. I don't know what this man's situation is, but I feel that he is one of "the least of these" that Jesus talked about, and it was my joy to do whatever I could for him, small as it was, with great love.

So Jesus is challenging me to walk with eyes open, looking for opportunities to love. And as Mother Teresa said, "We can do no great things, just small things with great love. It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it."

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I look forward to seeing you in less than a month.

Love, Dan

(Tree)