This month is our first ATL (Ask The Lord) Month. Team Logos is back in Siem Reap, Cambodia for a second month of ministry! I really love it here. We have met some incredible people that we have been able to form real relationships with so it is really nice to be able to come back for another month.
Originally, our team had felt through our ATL that God was leading us to a different country and Courtney and I in particular felt really strongly about it. The contact in that country ended up not working out and not every team that had wanted to go was able to, so we were asked to choose a second option. In spite of the fact that I really loved our time in Siem Reap, it took me a long time to be okay with the fact that we were coming back. I’m still wrestling with why God spoke (in my opinion) so strongly about one place and yet He brought us back to Siem Reap.
So, to be honest, coming into this month I made a few requests. I told God that I wanted to be busy every day. I wanted to be able to sleep this month. I wanted divine appointments and I didn’t want to feel directionless again. And the crazy thing is that even though I feel like my attitude was honestly a bit childish, God still gave me those things.
During debrief I prayed about what ministry I was supposed to do this month and the two things I felt God say were that:
a) I needed to go back to village simply because it’s too easy for me to buy into ministry knowing I’m only there 3-4 weeks. I think God knows I need to be challenged in that. And yeah, I am completely in love with those kids, but I did find myself feeling relieved that we were leaving near the end of the month because it was getting to the point of my comfort zone getting stepped on a little bit.
b) That He just wanted me to fill needs this month and be a blessing.
Before we even got back, our contact, Lara, e-mailed to ask if I would teach an English class four times a week at the student centre we stay at (I substituted for this class a few times last month and it’s now grown big enough for two classes, so they are splitting it).
Then when we got back to Siem Reap, Amy, Courtney and I talked to the lady that runs the coffee shop that we love. She is seriously an incredible woman and has ten million things going on at all times. So, we basically told her we just wanted to help her in whatever way we could. So, now for the next two weeks we are closing the coffee shop in the evening (the regular closer is away in Thailand – I am really excited about this for some reason). Courtney and Amy are also teaching a keyboarding class in the student centre above the coffee shop and we are planning to go and spend time hanging out with students and building relationships as well. It’s nothing too dramatic, but they are needs that are now filled. So, for the next three weeks I will be going to the village three times a week, teaching English at the student centre, closing at the coffee shop and hopefully also building relationships with university students.
So, even if I’m still wrestling a bit with why we ended up back in Siem Reap, God is faithful and answering my (more than slightly whiney) demands. And I am realizing I need to learn a bit about being child-like rather than child-ish.
Also: The kids in the village are doing MUCH better, most are back to their usual selves! Srey-On was still really sick on Monday. On Tuesday, she seemed like a different kid. Hopefully she’s on the way to getting better now!
