Now that we're back home.

Besides the crazy sleep schedules that most of our bodies are on & going from with-drawls from not seeing any of my teammates being home has been really good for the most part.  It is awesome to share with so many people all of the amazing things that God did through us while we were over in Cambodia & Thailand.  It is awesome to process through the things that God taught us & to be reminded of how He showed up in our lives in such powerful ways.  I have loved sharing stories about our time in Southeast Asia but through doing that it has caused me to miss being over there so much more.  My heart truly aches when I think about not knowing when the time will come for when I'm suppose to go back.  I know that there is so much that God wants to teach me here, but I also know that being here is only temporal, which is hard to process.  But one huge thing that I learned on my trip was when you vision and purpose line up with Christ, then nothing can get in the way of the things that He is going to use you for.  I fully believe that as long as Christ makes my vision, as long as He is the one who is placing these desires on my heart, then I do not have anything to worry about because in the end my goal is to bring glory to God through everything that I do.  So, I don't know what these next few weeks, months, years will teach me but I've learned that with a God centered vision that I have nothing to fear.
I ask each of you to continue to pour your prayers out onto our team as many of us are having a difficult time adjusting back to American culture.  That you would continue to pray for the boys center that is opening up for services in September.  I know that God is going to use that building to bring light to His name.  Please be praying for the staff that we worked with in Cambodia and Thailand, that God would daily remind them that they are there doing His work & that they are being used daily.  And to be praying for funds to be raised for those who feel called to go back.  I know that from having to raise support for this trip that God will provide, but it is difficult sometimes to have to rely on God moving through others in order for you to go where you are called to go.
Thank-you each so much for your prayers, that is how we made it through our five weeks.  I know that God is going to continue to work through these prayers to bring glory to His name in such a broken area.   Here are a few pictures of some of the kids that we were able to work with & one of the towns that we spent time in...

Love, Kristen

Hello Thailand!!!

We have finally arrived to our final destination of our Lil southeast Asia trip. I can't believe how quickly that the time has gone and at the same time, I can't believe how much that I've learned these past four weeks! I'm so excited to take home so much knowledge and information that I've gained while being over here!
Leaving Cambodia was one of he hardest things that I've ever had to do. It was so much fun to be in siem reap for a few days and visit all of the temples, but so much of me just wanted to jump back on a bus back to phnom penh...
I fully believe that God is going to use Our time in Thailand to glorify Him but we won't be working with he ministry until Sunday, so we have the next few days to explore Bangkok!! We are going to be working with a college out reach ministry call grape vine. So it is going to be so amazing to work with other students our age who love God so much that they are willing to believe in Him when no one else around them does. I love that we are going to had his opportunity to learn and see what it truly means to be bold in your faith!! What an amazing thing for us to experience.
As I've continued to reflect on my time in Cambodia, I am so gratefully for the passions that God has places upon my heart and learn the things that he has been trying to teach me for so long now. I'm learning so much on opening up my heart to hose around me and trusting that god will give me the wisdom to share parts of my life with people who I can trust. I'm so thankful for God revealing to me that there was still so much that I was holding back from him just because I've been hurt or let down in the past. By me finally realizing this God has helped me line up my vision with his cause for my life! I'm so excited to see where it is that God wants to take me in the future, but I'm learning that there is a good chance that I will end up here. God is so faithful. Thank you so mug for all of your prayers. This trip wouldn't be the same without god speaking throuh so many of you into my life. I will forest be so grateful! But here we go, ready to start our last six days!!!! Let's SE what God has in store for us next!!!

Phnom Pehn---

This city has changed my life. 
Through everything that we've done God has shown up in such powerful ways.  We have seen the power of the Holy Spirit transform peoples lives.  Our lil theme song for our trip is "Greater things have yet to come, greater things have still to be done in this city" & through singing that and pouring prayer into the city of Phnom Pehn we are able to see how God has such greater things for this city. 
The conversations that we get to have have taught me about what it means to truly disciple someone. 
The unconditional love that these beautiful kids show us have taught me to not let past situations that have hurt me affect my future.
The amount of time that I've been able to spend with God has shown me that when you are constantly seeking out the Lord, He will show up in powerful ways.
The staff of the organization that we've been working with (Hard Places Community) have shown me what it means to live a bold radical lifestyle.
I've never felt the Holy Spirit move through conversations or the compassion that has been placed inside of my heart.
I've had the experience to wash kids who have probably never recieved a bath from someone, I've been able to see how a year long relationship with families have turned into giving their life to Christ, I've experienced what it truly means to have a VISON that is God centered and how He will do everything in His plan to make sure that His cause lines up with your plan. 
Phnom Pehn, I will be back, there is no way that after saying good-bye to you today that I could ever leave this place for long... I guess that means that God is changing my vision...more to come :)
Thank-you so much for all of your prayers.

Compassion

I have never felt so much compassion in my heart for anything like I do for these children. We have been so blessed to be working with the most amazing ministry which really is teaching us what discipliship is suppose to look like. It is not necessarly about getting people saved quick but it is about building a relationship with god. The other day I hadthe opportunity to go out into the town and we were able to visit with one of my favorite little girls families. Her name is Srea Lin and as soon as I saw her she ran outside of her house, jumped up on me and wrapped her cute Lil legs around my waste. At that moment I knew that I would be back one day soon. There is just no way that I can say good bye to these kids and this ministry yet, if ever. God has given me compassion that I have never experienced before. I've been learning that vision generates excitement but cause generate power.. This trip is beyond words. I will be back and am so excited to continue to pray for the vision that god has in store for my life. Keep praying for this week as it is our last week in Cambodia. We will be headed to thailand on Monday to begin working with a college ministry. Also be praying for those on our team as leaving his country is bringing a lot of sadness. God is amazing all the glory and praise to him. Love, Kristen

We're here!

What a different world that it is over here.
There are a few things that I am learning to cherish that are the same no matter where you are... a child's laugh will always be the same, they will always have the most precious smile... the kids make this brokenness livable.  I wouldn't be able to wake up every single day to see sex-trafficing take place right before my eyes if I couldn't experience this pure joy that these kids give out.
I've fallen in love with this community.  I might just come home with about 20 kids because I don't know how I am ever going to say good-bye to them. 
God is doing such crazy things in the midst to all of this poverty and hurt.  Until this trip I have never seen homes under water that people live in, I've never experienced so many children begging on the streets for money, I've never done a bible study/kids club in an old brothel where there is still a room that shows where young girls were tied down in order for people to come in and have sex with them.  This trip is showing me so much about unconditional love because that is what I'm seeing from these kids who are being so hurt physically and emotionally. 
Continue to pray for our team as we have to experience seeing these men with these beautiful women and children.  Pray that we are able to be fast workers as we are fixing up the most amazing boys center, continue to pray against satan's attacks as he is trying to work in our minds as much as God is showing us how great He is. 
Your prayers mean everything to us. 
xo Kristen Hoffmeyer

Some troubles

so, due to weather we have missed a few flights.  we know god is with us and he will get us to cambodia when it is time.  nothing is figured out so far but we will keep everyone updated.

jacob hart

19 Days!!

I cannot believe that this adventure is going to start in only 19 short days.
I cannot believe that I am about to travel thousands of miles to a country that I know so little about.
I cannot believe that I have raised every single dollar that I needed.
But... that is where God continues to tell me, "This is not something of your own doing, this is something that I have had set out and planned for you".  This is such comfort to my heart, knowing that this trip wouldn't have come together without God strategic planning. As the number of days until I depart continues to get smaller, I love the passages that God is having me read in order to get ready for this.  Something that I read today was exactly the comfort that I needed...
Romans 9:17 says, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth".  As many times as I have read over this verse it has never hit me like it has today.  It is such a comfort & an honor to know that Our God has raised each of us up for such a specific purpose, for such a specific plan... all to bring glory to His name.  & that is why we're called to GO out and share who Our God is.  This experience will be so much greater then I can even imagine but I know that God is working through every single detail, which is the greatest comfort of all.

I thank each of  you so much for the prayers that you are constantly saying for myself & our team that's going out.
I will continue to update this while I am over in Cambodia & am so excited to share this experience with you.

In Him,
Kristen

The Power of Prayer

Mark 11:24 states, "Whatever we ask for in prayer, believe that we have received it and it shall be ours".  What a powerful statement that this is.  Whenever we come before God we have to believe that He will always supply our needs.  God has really shown this verse true to me as I have been preparing to go to Southeast Asia this summer.  God continues to amaze me as funds continue to come in.  When I found out that I had to raise $3,000 for a mission trip, I never knew how I would do this.  But with the support of family and friends I am now down to my last $550 to raise.  What a blessing that this is.  This experience of raising support has been crazy.  God has shown me to truly rely on Him and trust that He would provide for me.
Also while I've been preparing for this trip I've learned a lot about how we are called to GO.  We are called to go out and bring the gospel to all nations.  I believe that I was born into America, into a Christian family, into a life of comfort because I have been blessed to know the knowledge of God.  Now that I am aware of who God is and what He has done for all of us, it is my job to use my resources that I've been blessed with and GO to the nations and spread the gospel with them.  1 Chronicles 16:24 says, "Declare His glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all people."  It is up to us to share the love of God with others.  One thing that God has really convicted me of lately is, if I am not going to go out and tell others about who God is, then I need to be supporting those who are doing this.  While I go to Cambodia I don't want anything to keep me from telling everyone I meet about who this God is that I love so much.  I don't want to miss the opportunity for others to fall in love with God and to spend eternity with Him.
I know that through prayer that God will move.  I believe that I will have every amount of my fundraising met because this is where God has called me to go.  I thank each of you so much for you support financially and through prayer.  It means more to me then I can express.

If you are interested in donating or would like more information about my mission trip please go to:
http://www.wix.com/hoffm2kr/southeastasia 

I will be updating this blog when I am overseas and the next few months leading up to my trip.  Please be in prayer for:

• Safe travels.  We will be flying out of Detroit June 22nd and returning July 29th.
• The financial needs to be meet for everyone on our trip.
• For the transformation of heart to be made with the people that we will come in contact with.
• For Children to be saved from the sex-trafficing industry.
• That God takes down the language barrier.

Love,
Kristen