This month was a shorter month of ministry, with debrief taking up the first week, and switching continents in just a few short days. (Africa, we’re comin’ for ya!)
But the 2 ½ weeks we’ve been here have been amazing. Despite having a cold/sinus infection for most of the month, this has been my favorite month so far on the Race.
Cambodia is beautiful beyond words! My team is staying in a village this month, about 30min outside of Siem Reap. We ride bikes (the old school kind with baskets in the front) wherever we go, and we’re always surrounded by rows of palm trees and rice fields. We dodge cows and chickens on a regular basis, and the local kids always yell “Hello!” as we ride by. The school we’ve been living at even has a huge front yard/garden and behind it are rice fields for days!
Our ministry this month is teaching Computer and English. I help out with 3 classes—2 Computer and 1 English—with kids ranging from 7-16 years old. Most of them speak enough English to understand everything, but the language barrier definitely makes it a challenge. I love it though; the kids call me Teacher Aleisa, and it kind of melts my heart sometimes (a lot of times, actually). While it doesn’t always seem like I’m contributing much to the ministry here, as they already have teachers for each class, I know it means a lot to the kids (and the staff) having us here…and gives the students an opportunity to learn more about the English language from those who actually speak it fluently.
We have also been having Bible studies at another village with the Chief and some of his villagers. It’s about a 30min bike ride to the village, and the views along the way are simply breathtaking…add in the right music and it’s a great way to momentarily disconnect from the world and just ride in awe of God’s creation.
I can’t believe our time here has come to an end so soon. While I’m sad about leaving, and will certainly miss seeing all the kids every day, I’m excited to see what God has in store for us all in Africa. Please keep us all in your prayers as we travel to Phnom Penh this weekend to join together as a squad, and then make our way to Swaziland! There are also a lot of changes coming soon within the squad, so please also pray that we would all have peace about what may be in store for us.
