A week ago, we arrived at our new ministry site in Chhuk Village, in the southern province of Kampot, Cambodia. After a month at a developed, touristy site (Phuket), returning to a rural community was a bit of an adjustment. Still, I have fallen in love with our stilted wooden hut that stands in the middle of a rice paddy, about a two minute walk away from our contact’s house. Our outdoor shower stands under a large mango tree, and we have a generator that runs for three hours each night with enough electricity to recharge our computers. Our indoor squatty potty is a luxury that we are indeed thankful for.
This month, we are partnering with a man named Vuthy (pronounced “Voo-Tee”), who has established a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) ministry base in his hometown of Chhuk. This base serves the community by providing nine different English classes to children ages 3 to 19 each day. There is a small soccer/volleyball field, as well as three classroom areas. The Light of Hope church also resides on the property, and many of the children who attend English classes during the week attend the church on Sunday.
Five years ago, Vuthy was a tuk-tuk (motorcycle-pulled-cart) driver in Phnom Penh. He wasn’t a Christian, but he was often hired out to drive YWAM’s visiting teams around the capitol. Through conversations with the YWAM students, Vuthy began to realize his hunger for God. He came to the Lord in 2006, and began attending a YWAM DTS (Discipleship Training School in 2008). During that time, God gave him a vision of establishing a ministry that would draw thousands and thousands of people. Through God’s provision, he returned to his home province to begin laying the foundations for the ministry that now exists there.
Our first week in Chhuk Village, we were working alongside another YWAM team from Kona, Hawaii. They had been working there for five weeks, and it was amazing to see the close bond they shared with all of the students. As we began teaching English classes, we were able to build upon the foundation they had already established.
This week, we will continue teaching English classes every day, as well as continue construction for the new Mercy Home orphanage and youth center that Vuthy is building. I have enjoyed being back in the classroom and I am excited to continue to build relationships with the students here.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering about the title of this post, there IS a story behind it. Last week, during one of our English classes, our translator, Jamie, wrote the word “fart” up on the board. I was a bit surprised, but then asked what the Khmer word for fart was. The students started giggling, and Jamie explained there were many different words for fart. I then explained that we also have many words or terms in English, such as ‘fart,’ ‘flatulence,’ and ‘pass gas.’
One of the students then promptly asked me, “Are you pass gas?” To which I corrected him, saying, “Did you pass gas?” He then said, “No, I have excrement.”
Oh goodness.
