After leaving Chiang Mai our squad spent some time together
and transitioned to Cambodia. Our first stop was Siem Reap. We were not only
going through country transition but team transitions also. We changed teams.
So my new team is Silas Cole, Mandi Lee, Sandi Gaston, Bethany Eason, and Ryan
Hughes. While in Siem Reap we had amazing times of worship and prayer as a
squad. We also had the opportunity to visit Angkor Wat. It was beautiful. After
a few days there we transitioned to Phnom Penh where we would stay for one
might to have an orientation about our ministry site then head out to our
ministry.
My team pilled into a Tok Tok with all of our packs to head
out to an island where we would be spending our month in Cambodia. The island
is about an hour outside Phnom Penh on a Tok Tok and a short bamboo boat ride.
We arrived at the House of Joy where we would be staying and
quickly realized that this place was going to cause all of us to grow a lot
this month. House of Joy is a combination of a church, day school, youth
center, and feeding ministry. We walked into the gate to find ourselves in the
middle of a place none of us have ever been before.
My team and I are all living in one room with our tents set
up to protect us from the mosquitoes. The squatty potties are in outhouses in
front of the pigpen. There is no electricity until the generator comes on at
6:00 pm and there is no privacy. From the time we wake up until we go to sleep
we have a constant audience. The kids are always looking into the semi-indoors
room that we are staying in and watching our every move. We are sleeping inside our tents inside because of the mosquitos and we use our tents as little heavenly sanctuaries to get away, even though everyone can see us it is a way for us to have a bit of down time.
The first few days here, I admit, I didn’t know how to
function. I walked around like I was in a coma. I didn’t know how to live in a
place that was so hot, so dirty, and different then anything I had every
experienced in my life.
We started teaching our English and Bible classes in the
mornings, afternoons and evenings everyday but I remained in my coma. After
about a week here I realized that I was missing out on so much. I was missing out
on the joy that these kids have everyday they come to the center. I was missing
out on the youth’s eagerness to learn English while I sat in my selfishness of
wanted things to be normal.
I started to understand the statement that says, “Your
attitude can change any situation.” I had a horrible attitude. I continued to
pray that God would help me wake up each morning with a better attitude than
the day before. He delivered. I came on the World Race with a longing to be
uncomfortable. I wanted to break away from my normal, spoiled, and steady life
and truly be challenged by being uncomfortable. Until this month I have been
very comfortable so I was able to settle into my normal, spoiled and
comfortable lifestyle. Although this month is difficult I have realized that
this is just what I prayed for. Last month I prayed for a ministry where I
would be in the middle of nowhere with no Internet. So God answered my prayer.
Everyday God is teaching me how to find joy in all the
little things that I was complaining about at the beginning of the month. I
think it is hilarious when I go to shower that I can have a conversation with
the pigs on the other side of the wall. I think I have been given an amazing
opportunity to minister to the kids looking in at me in the mornings by the joy
and attitude I show them. God has blessing me with the joy and smiles from
these kids so that they can feed into the joy that I can draw from this place.
I have to say I don’t mind being sweaty, hot, and dirty anymore. I don’t mind showering
in front of the pigs, not showering for 4 days, and wearing the same clothes 3
days in a row anymore.
Consider it all joy when you are faced with many trials
because God glory will be revealed through your hard times!
