On our first full day in Kampong Speu, I went for a walk with Kyle and Jake. We stumbled across a Buddhist temple and decided to go in, cool off and check out the paintings of Buddha's life.
A few minutes after we left our shoes at the door and stepped inside the temple, a sweet little monk greeted us and we started chatting. We learned that his name is Vichet, he's been a monk for eight years and his English is a little broken. He had been visited by the team before us and had a been given a Bible by them last month.
Vichet told us a little bit about Buddha's life and we asked him a few questions about the parts of the Bible he had been reading, but our conversation was limited by his basic knowledge of English and our zero knowledge of Khemer. So after about an hour of chatting, we said goodbye to Vichet and told him we'd come back to visit.
Two weeks later, I visited Vichet two more times with other teammates. Again, conversation was basic, but he was excited to see us and spent time answering our questions about his family and food in Cambodia. We couldn't talk about spiritual things, but we could laugh, joke and smile.
The second time we visited Vichet, he told us right when we got there that he had a headache. After talking and laughing for about an hour with him, right before we left, Rachel asked if she could pray for his headache to our God later on her own. Vichet smiled and told us that she didn't have to; that after smiling and talking with us, his headache had gone away. And we told him that was Jesus who healed him.
Walking home from visiting Vichet, I felt both encouraged and frustrated. I praised God for healing Vichet's headache, but I wanted to explain more to him. I wanted so desperately to tell him how much I love Jesus and how much Jesus loves him. I wanted to tell him that Jesus is pursuing him like the Hound of Heaven through the multiple World Race teams that have come to visit him. I wanted to tell him that Jesus must have incredible plans for him.
But I couldn't. Our language barrier won't allow it.
So instead, I'll try my best to "preach the gospel at all times, and when necessarily, use words." I'll love Vichet through making time for him, bringing him Cokes and asking him about his life.
And I'll thank God for allowing me to be a part of the bigger picture of Vichet's salvation. I'm merely continuing a relationship that was started by a team before me. And even though I probably won't be the one to see Vichet give his life to Christ, I'm honored to know that God has included me in the incredible story I just know is happening with this man.
Please pray for Vichet. It'll be a big, life-changing decision for him whenever he decides to accept Jesus, but I just know that God has a special place for him in His kingdom. He wouldn't have brought Vichet to a temple close to a ministry location for World Race teams and opened the door for a relationship otherwise.
