This weeks episode is all things encouraging, sweet, and a true testament to following God's call on your life. I got to talk with Shaina Kidd before she and her husband leave for a 2 year long mission trip to Cambodia. Shaina's heart for The Lord shines through every word she speaks, may this episode bless your heart to do the things God is calling you too. Near or far.
About Shiana:
- I have been a wife for almost two years now. I am originally from Ashland, Ohio, which is where my parent’s and brothers still live, but I moved to Phoenix, AZ right after I graduated high school to go to college at Arizona State. I’ve been living here for eight years now! It’s crazy how fast time flies! Within the first couple of weeks of being here, one of my friends randomly met a pastor who had just moved here from Boston to plant a church near ASU. I’ve been a part of Antioch Community Church ever since! Garrett and I served on staff with college ministry for about a year and a half before stepping down to pursue our move to Cambodia!**
How Shaina met her husband!
- This is my favorite story to tell! Back in college, my best friend started dating my husband’s cousin, who actually lived with Garrett. I found myself frequently third wheeling to their house to hang out and he became one of my good friends. I thought so highly of him: he was trustworthy fun, kind, and what seemed to be the perfect catch. But I needed a lot of healing, ultimately allowing God to be my lover, provider, comforter, and Lord over my life, before even thinking about dating anyone. Fast forward to 2016, God was capturing both of our hearts individually, and we surprisingly both decided to do a discipleship school at our church that same year. This year was amazing for us individually and together! We started dating, got engaged, and married within 10 months and the rest is history!
What led you individually when it came to doing missions and then what led you two as a couple to pursue missions together.
Since I was young, I have always wanted to live overseas to share the Gospel with those who have never had the chance to hear. Garrett on the other hand, loved going on short-term trips but didn’t necessarily feel led to long-term missions. When we were engaged, we got the chance to spend almost two months in India & Cambodia, concluding the end of our 9-month discipleship school program. Those two months were life-changing for both us. We saw God move in powerful ways, like the book of Acts came to life in front of us. It was amazing and we couldn’t deny that God was moving in powerful ways at the ends of the earth.
In 2017, we were asked by a couple of our friends to pray and consider moving to Cambodia with them. Of course, I was ready to pack my things up the next day, while Garrett was very hesitant. We had just gotten married when we were asked to consider this, so life was already more intense than normal with all the learning that takes place. This was a very significant time for me, going from super independent to allowing Garrett to lead me. I realized that this dream God had placed on my heart from when I was a little girl, also had be placed at the foot of the cross and held with open hands, even though it was good. Through God showing me this, I got to a point of being okay if we didn’t go, because I knew Gods plans were to give me a hope and a future, even if it meant not going overseas.
We began praying and asking God to give us a sign, give us peace, just anything to confirm if we should go or not. Through an experience I had in Cambodia, God spoke through someone at a conference we attended that could only be connected to my experience and we felt like that was the confirmation we needed.
Who/how will you be serving in Cambodia?
-Some facts about Cambodia:
• 80% of the population lives in villages
• From 1975-1979, the Khmer Rouge took place which killed over 2.5 million people, so the median age right now is 25 years old.
• Buddhism is the largest religion.
• 99% of the country is considered unreached.
- We are going with two other couples from our church, and three kids. We are believing to help end sex trafficking through a church planting movement, which will consist of village house churches. The first year, we will be living in the capital city, Phnom Penh, to attend a language school. Right now, we think the best way to reach people is to stay in the city because each week, lots of people travel into the city for work, and then go back to their villages after. We are believing to find people who are open to us, open to the Gospel, and want to share it!
- There are organizations already helping to fight sex trafficking there, so we hope to partner with and learn from them to help see women and children rescued, rehabilitated and of course, given the chance to chance to hear the Gospel. God is the hope of the world!
How can people be supporting you financially and prayerfully while you're away?
Prayerfully
- God would continue to give us His heart for the Cambodian people.**
- We would be 100% financially supported by August 10th!
- God would prepare the hearts of those we will come across, and the seeds would fall on good soil.
- Matthew 13:23 “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case va hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Financially - We are 93% monthly funded so we are close to being 100% funded, but we are looking for a couple more people to partner with us monthly to see Cambodia reached. We have $354/month left to raise People are called to go, and people who can’t go, are called to give. It’s a beautiful way God designed it in order for all people to be a part of how God is redeeming the world.
- If you would like to partner with us financially, please click the link and steps below:
https://antiochphx.com/give
-Click give to staff
-Under giving type, choose G. & S. Kidd
-If you wish, you can set it up recurring if you would like to be a monthly supporter.
What are you most excited about and what are you most nervous about?
- Excited: loving on the Khmer people, seeing them through God’s lens, and seeing the chains fall and they would find hope and freedom in Him!
- Nervous: learning the language
What were your families reactions when you told them you were pursuing long term missions?
- I get asked this a lot actually! The initial reactions were a mixture of confusion and sadness, but also accompanied by excitement. For our families and lot of other people, it’s hard to understand fully why we made the decision, because they haven’t experienced what we have through seeking God on whether Cambodia is where he wants us or not. When we made the decision to go, we truly experienced Phil 4:7 peace that surpasses all understanding, and also felt like God said that our yes was going to allow even our families to experience his love in a deeper way and we have seen this play out over the past year of preparation.
The Living With Less podcast is all about John 3:30 - living with less of the things getting in the way of who Christ is calling us to be! If someone asked you what they needed to begin living with less of in their lives in regard to becoming who God is calling them to be what would you tell them and why?
- Overcoming the performance mentality, which is normally rooted to shame. I have dealt with having my value and worth being tied up in my accomplishments during numerous seasons over the course of my life. Basically, it’s the belief that through my self-effort and striving, I have to win God’s love.
- Ephesians 3:8-9 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
- It’s crippled me when I lived this way. I was so concerned on what I was doing right or wrong, that I couldn’t see God’s goodness and my joy was completely gone. Praise God that it is by his works that we are saved and not our own. We can free ourselves from the religious mindset and the idea of working to attain his attain his love, and instead rest in him.
- “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
Favorite bible verse and why
- Psalm 139-- When I read this passage, it reminds me how detailed our God is with the way that he created me, and that he is with me always.
Favorite season in AZ and best place to visit if traveling there!
- Spring: it’s the perfect temperature! Sedona is beautiful!
