[Written April 17, 2010.]
[team powerhouse chilling in the jungle/rice fields.]
It’s been another surreal week in my life on the World Race- just a series of experience after experience that leave me wondering how on earth I get to live this out. Our journey to the Kampong Cham province began packed into every inch of a 5 seat pick up along with 13 Cambodians. By the end of the three hour trek we finally arrived to the village of Umpul- tired, hungry, drenched in sweat & our skin a few shades darker from the layers of collected dust. All my irritation subsided, however, as we walked through the jungle path, its oversized leaves parting to expose our lodging for the next few weeks- a elevated treehouse-like structure seemingly straight out of swiss family robinson.
[cambodian food is delicious.]
And it is here amongst the branches that we have made our home and begun to live alongside pastor You E & his family. You E is a thin thirty something year old Cambodian man with the most sincere and inviting smile. You can’t help but warm as his sweet spirit shines through his sentences of fragmented English. All in all, You E is an incredible man of God. He was born & raised in a Buddhist family & into a culture where that was the norm. He found Christian faith through an encounter with a missionary & his life was completely changed. He began to sit under a tree in his community & share the Word with anyone who would listen. All of You E’s family soon became Christians & opened up their home to host English lessons for the community. During the lessons, You E incorporated Bible stories & shared the love of Christ with his students. One by one, the church body began to grow as more students caught glimpse of the Great Love You E radiated.
The community of believers in Umpul is unique. The majority of the church is comprised of young people between the ages of 12 to 20. We have spent our days here fellowshipping with them- studying the bible, worshiping, discussing, & basically just sharing life with one another. Though young in age, these kids posses an inspiring passion far beyond their years. It’s been a blessing to see their desire to know more about the Lord & even more convicting to see them live it out so well even in a society completely inundated with Buddhism.
[ling is the sweetest girl alive.]
I’ve also learned to love the simplistic nature of our days. There is no rush, no agenda. It has been a perfect environment for personal growth & team bonding. Reading my Bible on our treehouse porch has become one of my favorite activities. And nothing compares to our nightly team discussions under our mosquito nets. All in all, this place is wonderful- so peaceful, so refreshing.
