To say Cambodia was one of my favorite countries on the World Race would be an understatement. I will forever treasure the memories I have from the time I was there.
Team RAD stayed in a small village in Kampong Speu, about an hour away from the capital city, Phnom Penh. As we arrived to the village, I was instantly excited to get unplugged from the rest of the world. When preparing for the race, I expected “village life” every single month along with bucket showers and terribly uncomfortable accommodations. Though we have experienced those things on occasion, it certainly doesn’t happen all the time. There have been several months in which we served in big cities with great setups and were blessed with lots of western comforts.
Believe it or not, I was ready to finally have a month of what I thought the entire 11 months would look like. Dirt roads, cattle, rice fields and naked babies surrounded us. It seemed as if everyone in the community was somehow related to one another. We were welcomed into their lives with open arms and treated like a part of their big family.
Our job for the month was to teach English. Everyday, students from the area came by to get some extra tutoring with us after school. I had the privilege of teaching a group of older students with my teammate Paul. Our students were pretty advanced in English so we got to know them well. We built relationships with them, their kids, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends. Like I said, we became part of their really BIG family.
Some days were hard. It’s one thing to know you are thousands of miles away from home. It’s another to feel that far away. The lifestyle we had during our time in Kampong Speu was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I loved the community and the simplicity of everything, but I was challenged. I had to step out of my American comfort zone of taking a shower everyday and using a toilet to relieve myself. God stretched me in keeping my chin up and serving with a smile, regardless of how I felt about the personal hygiene. Looking back, I’m beyond grateful that personal hygiene was my biggest issue. It seems so insignificant now. He’s teaching me there are bigger fish to fry in this world! All in all, the experience with that was very humbling, to say the least.
All the amazing times we had there with our new friends and within our team made those tough times all so worth it. It was incredibly rewarding to have a strong bond with the people of Kampong Speu. To see their smiling faces every morning and give them hugs every chance I got was priceless. I wouldn’t trade the world for that month and I am thankful God placed us there. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. And that, my friends is how Cambodia captured my heart.
p.s. Check out the video created by my teammate DeAnna to take a better look at our month!
