Greetings from Kampong Cham, Cambodia! We are in our second week of ministry at the Youth Development Center in the city. Our entire squad is once again partnering with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) and their established ministries throughout Cambodia. This month we added another member to our team, Michael Clevenger. I am so excited to have him on Team Ascend the Hill. His love for Jesus is so pure and He brings a lot of wisdom and personality to our team. I am very thankful for him!
I realize this is my first post in a while. I’m sorry it has taken so long to get everyone updated. The truth is I have written two blog posts in the past couple of weeks that have gone unpublished. Both posts talk about what God taught me during the end of Month 4, and what He is continuing to teach me now. However, writing and finalizing these blogs was a struggle, and I didn’t have a peace when it came to posting them. As I was writing, it was hard to qualify and really explain what the Lord is doing in my heart. But He knows where I am in the process, even when I am unsure. So I trust Him that it is not the time to share because He has not accomplished all that He desires with this season. One lesson I will share is this:
Abandonment >>> Brokenness >>> Intimacy
Now this is not an absolute pattern or formula, the Lord can, of course, move however and whenever He wants. But this has been confirmed for me over and over. I find myself coming out of brokenness and on the verge of greater intimacy with the Lord. All that to say, would you pray that God and I would experience greater intimacy than ever before? Pray that I would learn to wait patiently on the Lord, to hear God’s voice, and to rest in the security of Jesus. Thank you SO much!
Anyway, Kampong Cham, Cambodia 🙂 I cannot believe that this is my fifth month living in Asia and that next month will be my last! It is easy to say that this month feels more like the World Race than the previous. Kampong Cham is a city of about 63,000 people, bordering the Mekong River. While Cambodia is primarily Buddhist, the word “Cham” in Khmer (the Cambodian language) refers to the Muslim population. Therefore, Kampong Cham is made up of many Muslims.
Cambodia is still affected by the genocide that took place nearly 40 years ago. 80% of the population is under the age of 30, and some parents do not send their children to school out of fear because the educated were the primary targets during the genocide. There is such a stark contrast in Cambodia between the hopelessness of the unemployed, poor, and vulnerable and the striving, earning spirit rooted in the Buddhist faith. The government has implemented several programs to revitalize this area, but limited job opportunities, corruption within the education and police system, and laziness (for some, not all) have paralyzed this city. I realize that my perspective may be somewhat biased since I spend a lot of my time working in the villages and slum areas. But these factors seem to be pretty consistent in many stories from my Cambodian friends, regardless of position or background.
Our ministry consists of a variety of activities. In the mornings, we either “prayer-cycle” through villages or play with the children in the slums. Most of the Cambodian population has never heard of Jesus. This is hard to fathom especially when you are from a nation where everyone has some response to the name Jesus. Some of my favorite moments in Cambodia thus far, have been cycling through these villages declaring that Jesus is here and Jesus is alive! We have stopped many times at Buddhist temples to declare freedom from works and striving in order to earn freedom from sin. This month more than ever, I am aware of and confident in the presence we carry as the children of God. I am confident that as I speak out the name of Jesus, darkness has to flee and things are shifting in the spiritual world. There are so many spiritual strongholds on the nation of Cambodia; so while we may not see many physical changes immediately, speaking out freedom and the redemptive name of Jesus, changes things. I believe that 100%.
After “prayer-cycling” or playing in the slums, we break for lunch and enjoy some rest time. We are so thankful for this time because it is super HOT here and even simple activities can be draining. My team prepares our own lunches and somehow I have become the team butcher. It was a rude awakening to realize that not all countries have the luxury of “skinned and boneless” meat. Part of me thinks this is revenge for making animal sounds as a child when my sisters would consume meat, eventually turning one of them vegetarian 🙂
In the afternoon we teach several classes including Bible, English (beginner and advanced), and computer. I primarily teach two hours of beginner English everyday from 4-6 pm. Many of these students attend school during the morning and then come to the Youth Development Center (YDC) for additional education. As I mentioned in the beginning, YDC is a ministry of YWAM, therefore they are a Christian organization. They are also registered with the Cambodian Department of Education as a certified educational institution. YDC leverages their English, Bible, and computer classes to build relationships with the students and eventually share the love of Jesus. In anyway we can, we capitalize on opportunities to talk about Jesus and share the gospel. Just last week, I shared the goodness of Jesus with the class when explaining the difference between “good” and “bad”. Another example is using the days of the week to explain the creation story.
Our ministry contact is actually a former YDC student who came to know the Lord through her English class. Praise God! She is a Christian and works full-time at YDC, trusting God to reveal Himself to more students. She leads our prayer walks and ministries in the morning and will be attending Discipleship Training School through YWAM in January. Everyday she is a constant reminder of the real opportunity we have to share the love of Jesus and His gospel with the students.
There is a lot more I could say and share, but I will stop here for now. Feel free to email me or comment with any questions you have. Thanks for your love and support! Even in the middle of the Race, I feel so loved, remembered, and prayed for which is a HUGE blessing. Much love from Cambodia 🙂
