HARVEST FORCE 2023 ISSUE 3
JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION:
EMBRACING INADEQUACIES FOR EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH As Lydia, my wife, and I stepped off the plane in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we were filled with eagerness. Leading up to this three to four-month mission trip, we were guided by a verse from James 2:26 (NKJV): “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Little did we know that the path ahead was not as we envisioned; it was destined to be so much more.
Cez Krol
A globetrotter from Poland with 71 countries under his belt, Cez shares a transformative tale of faith in Cambodia, alongside his equally well-travelled wife, Lydia Yang. From conferences in Ireland to Everest Base Camp, their shared mission led them to serve. Their first date started in France and ended in Portugal. You can read more about them on their travel blogs: lydiascapes.com and etramping.com.
I arrived with a plan but left with an inner transformation.
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We came to Cambodia with the idea of using our professional skills in the area of digital marketing, to equip local people with digital tools and skillset to grow their business or personal online presence. But the business and digital landscape here in Cambodia was different. Our expertise in helping businesses with online awareness, specifically Search Engine Optimization (SEO), did not fit
the needs of the Khmers here that relied little on websites but more on social media to promote their businesses. Lydia, with her vast experience in teaching digitisation and personal development skills, quickly adapted, moulding her training to focus on personal branding, content creation, and resume writing. She also got herself involved in the Girls Brigade in the Methodist School of Cambodia, a Christian uniform group and club that helps to equip young ladies with team building, leadership and personal development skills through activities, education and camps. I, however, was left grappling with a void. My SEO and web design skills seemed irrelevant here in Cambodia. But then, a moment of divine guidance struck me.
