Greetings from Cambodia; where the air is thick and the sweat never ends.
Our ministry schedule this month has been very light, and to be honest, sometimes I wonder if what we are doing actually makes a difference. Last week part of our ministry included sitting in during meetings with our main contact. As he was presenting his proposal and gathering data, we sat, completely clueless as to what was actually happening. Why were we there? I still don’t know.
At this point, I have two options; I can sit in my frustration, or make the best of the situation.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
-Matthew 5:14
Half way through the meeting I started making faces at the children around me. As usual they laughed and tried to copy my every move. When that got old, I started whistling by blowing air into my clasped hands. I laughed as the children tried to duplicate my noises without success for a few minutes before I noticed the man behind me also trying to whistle.
I made attempts to have a conversation with him, but the language barrier proved to be too much. Instead we focused on teaching each other new whistles. I know, it sounds crazy. I couldn’t help but laugh on several occasions. Here I am, in Cambodia, trying to teach a 47 year old man (I know this only because when I asked his name, he wrote 47 on his hand) how to whistle. These are the moments I want to remember forever.
As the meeting came to an end, I sang a couple quick songs for the children (I think the grandmothers enjoyed it more than the kids) and began gathering my things. By the time we were finished, the man, whom I only know as 47, had a very simple message for me.
He quickly tapped me on the shoulder, pointed at me, and said ‘happy’.
In the chaos of gathering our things and waving goodbye, 47 disappeared. I don’t know his name, if he has a family, or if he knows Jesus. All I know about this man is that he is 47 years old, and he saw a bit of the joy Jesus has for everyone.
Ministry looks different every day on the World Race. Some days it is easy, and other days you have to choose to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It can be easy to go through the motions, but God calls us higher. I don’t want to look back on the World Race with regrets or missed opportunities. This year is a gift, and I choose to be a light.
