As you can imagine, life on the mission field is very different than life
in the west. Not only is your simple everyday life/routine different but
every aspect of you life is different. Holidays are no exception to the
different life style. Since the holidays we celebrate in American are
generally not religious holidays, very few translate to other
cultures/countries even with Christianity. Since being on the field, we
have experience a couple of holidays; Independence day, Labour day,
Halloween and most recently, Thanksgiving. Obviously, the most challenging
holiday thus far has been thanksgiving since thanksgiving is centered
around family/community, love and a lot of good ole American food. Being in
Cambodia, 9000 miles away from home, family isn't the same, community
hasn't changed, love becomes just the universal "christ-like" love we are
expected to show and American food is scarce and expensive. You can see how
this might make a person feel like crap around the holidays. However, I am
going to take this one step further before I get to the actual
thanksgiving. In my recent blogs you can read about my grandfather who has
been ill and in quite poor condition. If any of you know my family, you
already know my grandfather Robert Lee Bloemendaal died on Tuesday evening,
November 20, 2012. Yes, 2 days before thanksgiving. Being in Cambodia,
there wasn't jack I could do especially since I didn't find out until
Thursday evening (yes, thanksgiving day). All these times are written in
USA Central time, not my local time in Cambodia. So add 13 hours to all of
those and it makes everything a little more delayed.
My Grandfather was an amazing man of God and loved the lord very much. He
was hardworking and strong willed. He loved his family unconditionally and
unreservedly. He spent his life farming and raising a family who would be
prepared for Christ second coming. He provided for his family the best way
he knew how and did so with a cheerful heart. He devoted his life to his
work, his family and his community. He fought in a war, he farmed for over
60 years and was married to and loved his wife for over 50 years. He was on
the city school board for at least 30 years and has been my loving
grandfather for over 20 years. After truly retiring from farming just a few
short years ago, God started preparing him for his trip home. Just last
year he sold his farm equipment and just this past summer, only a few
months ago at the age of 80, he sold his remaining farm property. Once God
had seen he was done with his commitment to this world, God called him home
so he could fulfill the commitment he had with God. God blessed him
abundantly and showed him incredible favour and grace. Everything God gave
him, he was always willing to return to the kingdom of God. Robert was not
a very vocal person but his love for the Lord was so apparent in his
actions, you always knew the Spirit lived in him. Though it wasn't
discussed often, his faith is what made much of his family who we are. My
grandfather planted God in my life and with the help of all my family, I am
the person in Christ you see today.
Because of our ministry schedule we could not celebrate thanksgiving on
Thursday which actually made life a lot less complicated. However, our
ministry contact and location was incredibly wonderful and allowed us to
use our day off to do a "traditional" thanksgiving at the school/house
where we live on Saturday. We planned for around 45 people to come; mostly
other missionaries in the area and some of the Cambodian students we teach
every day. We purchased 4 ducks and 2 chickens instead of a $50 turkey. We
also had sweet potatoes, pumpkin, garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and
cheese, green beans, gravy, waffles and cinnamon apples. Saturday morning
comes around and I am up at 3 a.m. like many Americans do, however instead
of putting in the turkey I am starting a fire and killing ducks and
chickens with a clever next to the clothes washing bucket. Around 4:30 a.m.
I get help from Phillip and then one of our Cambodian roommates. About 5
a.m. we get our other Cambodian roommate and Beka. The rest of the team
rolls out of bed through out the next few hours and we are all in full
Thanksgiving cooking mode. The ducks go on the fire about 7 and the
chickens about 11. We planned to eat about 3 p.m. and to all of our
surprise, we all had hot food prepared and on the table at 3 p.m. Quite the
feat with only two burners and a fire when cooking for 45 people.
All of our guest showed up and we had a good time fellow shipping and
eating together as the body of Christ out in the Cambodian rice farming
village of Pouk. No one was blood relatives, but we were all still a
family. After the meal and a little shaved ice dessert from the bamboo
shack on the corner, we had a time of worship together in both languages.
Think of the first thanksgiving, the language barrier there had to be
difficult, and the setting was probably quite similar, however it didn't
stop it from happening; thank God. By 7 p.m., I was dead tired, hot and
in a constant state of perspiration, still a little hungry, missed my family, was irritated with many
things which had happened this month and incredibly sad my grandfather had
just died and didn't seem to have much to be thankful for. Here it comes,
the climatic "but." But no matter how hard I fake smiled and pretended to
laugh, even with all the great food and fun conversations, I just wasn't
ready to be thankful yet. Kind of dark, I know. You all probably expected
this to turn into some great revelation from God. I could say some really
nice and inspirational things, but I'm not there. I guess the revelation
from God is something like; it is OK to grieve and be sad. God created
those emotions in us and expects us to use them. I don't apologize for
being sad or being distant right now because after I grieve with God as my
focus, then I will grieve with people and things of this world.
I may be a missionary who is suppose to be living a life style of ministry
and finding Gods greatness in every situation, but I am still a person too.
Don't ever forget you are a person of Christ made in the image of God
first, then you are an earthly human filled with sin and selfishness. I
know Romans 8:28 applies in all things and I know Robert is in the best
possible place. Although Cambodia has sucked for my earthly self, my
spiritual self is growing leaps and bounds (I think so anyways). I hope you
all had a great thanks giving. Please continue praying for my family and I
as we try to figure out this new family life minus one member.
As He leads me,
Jason
