We have spent the past few days relaxing in Sihanoukville, Cambodia before we head into our next month of ministry. (If you’d like to see a recap of our Vietnam experience, please read Shanda Dodd’s blog: Vietnam top 10: Picture Blog.) My team will be staying at the New Life in Christ Fellowship in Phnom Penh. All the teams will be staying in Phnom Penh for the month, staying in various locations. Our team’s ministry will be focused on working with kids in the mornings at the church, teaching English in the afternoons, and working with an orphanage for children with AIDS at various times. We will be staying with the pastor and his family for the month.
Upon entering Cambodia, we were greeted with a celebration of sorts. The last days of September marked a Celebration of the Dead. This celebration is where Cambodians unite to celebrate their ancestors since ancestral worship is the main religion here. There was quite an eerie presence as we entered this place. The cities were quiet as we traveled through. We were told that during the festival, Cambodians go to the Pagodas, or temples, in the daytime to worship their ancestors and the afternoons are spent celebrating. So, as we went to scout out the beach where we have been relaxing for the past few days, we found where all the Cambodians were – celebrating on the beach. The beach was packed with people! Hmmmm …
The more I learn about other cultures, the more I thank my God that I am not bound to mere human thinking. I am struck by how finite humans are. I am also struck with a joy that comes from serving an infinite God. I have the privilege of spending eternity getting to know him. My life here will go on in heaven at the feet of a loving Savior. I get to look up to the heavens and worship my Father! I don’t have to look to the ground and worship the places where my ancestors have died. I get to look up to the heavens and praise him!
Isaiah 40:25-26
