You have boyfriend? We go to store now. No, I have not this color. How you know this? You call other tuk tuk driver I think bad. You like? You like?
Did someone say English teacher? We hear these phrases almost every day here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Send Team Rhema to the rescue! We’re now officially English teachers, but we’re convinced that most people come to class to see the white people circus in town.
New Life is a mother church here in the capital of Cambodia. They are planting churches all throughout the city and country and are reaching out to the communities with English classes, skills training, and health care. Our job this month is to spend each week with a different church (in the city or the villages) to teach English and to strengthen community relations.
This church, New Life, is absolutely incredible. It knows the meaning of living in community, and I’ve never felt the presence of the Holy Spirit like I do at their services! It’s a Cambodian church. Foreigners are only allowed to be volunteers so that nothing is taken away from Cambodians empowering and ministering to their own people and ministering to US!
For the first week our home was Living Faith Center in the city. We arrived and were promptly told that we’d be teaching 3 English classes for 2 hours each. We were then whisked away to the university and other places to hand out fliers. I spent my first afternoon with a sore throat in my bed for the week. That means I sat on the floor of the girls dorm above the church. (We’ll get to the girls in a minute.)
God is working in incredible ways through English classes here. Not knowing English almost make someone a second class citizen here. Most people in the city speak some basic English. Free English classes always attract a crowd. We had students from 13 to 30. While teaching vacation words, directions and animals we were able to slip in Jonah, the Lost Sheep, Good Samaritan, and lessons on Christmas and Easter. And…
We spent the week living with 10 Cambodian university students. We got pretty close. Really close actually. We slept shoulder to shoulder across the floor and just fit. It was also super hard to leave at the end of the week because we did fall in love with them. They taught us about true community within the body of believers. Most churches here house a number of university students who grew up in villages across the country. The church supports them and gives them housing so that they can attend university in the city. These girls shared everything with us for the week – sleeping space, food, time, Khmer (the language), friendship, and even let us use the shower (which is a big deal…since most Cambodians shower 2-3 times a day, no joke.)
I saw the first church in Acts come to life in this place. It is possible to have such a loving and serving community. I admit, I have doubted before, but now I believe it. Joy and love overflow. Serving is a way of life and is never thought about twice. Giving is a bigger blessing to the giver than to the receiver. Others’ needs and interests are truly put before one’s own without ever considering it. Our team was incredibly blessed to live with these girls. We were also blessed by the opportunity to openly share Jesus in English classes and see people so eager and receptive to everything we had to share – English, culture, and our Savior.
I’ve fallen in love with Cambodia…and it’s only week 1.
