So I am in Cambodia…I had no idea what to expect coming here besides hearing that it is somewhat like Africa. I have never been to Africa, but this is some of what I would expect. We are staying at a hotel in Banteay Meanchey, it is a mirage in the middle of nothing. You know the zombie movies where the people walk in deserted cities while the zombies are sleeping? That is what it felt like the first day we were here. It was like walking in a desert trying to find food, but there was nothing but gas stations with freezer burnt ice cream and awful cardboard/permanent marker tasting rainbow cookies.
Ok now time to visualize what I am doing here. We either have an early morning or a late night, but the days will look pretty similar during the time we are out. So we cram seven people into a six person tuk-tuk and drive on paved road for a bit then we turn onto a dirt road where we are dodging giant holes and rocks, bouncing around for a good 20-25 minutes while dust is sticking to our sweat (your pants are damp just from sitting). All the while we are passing by all different kinds of houses from developed homes to little huts where the people stop, stare, and wave to the white people in the tuk-tuk. My favorite is the little kids practicing their English as they yell “HELLO! GOODBYE!”
We finally arrive at one of the schools in the village that also has a church on the property. To do ministry requires flexibility. You are told one thing, but it usually doesn’t match what is actually going to happen. So we show up with a few things planned, but the teacher will tell us something else to do. For example, the first day she tells us to teach the kids to draw animals. I said I would do it. So imagine this, 27 kids, 3 pieces of paper, nothing to write with. We literally saw the miracle of Jesus feeding 5000 with a few loaves of bread and fish. Luckily I carried crayons with me (thanks Brin and Tina!) and we scrounged up paper and cut it up until all could participate. These things have been happening every day.
This is the prechool class we teach for about 3 hours. It is a wooden building and it resembles and feels like a sauna. We have breaks every few minutes to catch a warm breeze outside:
We plan a few things and improvise so much more as we go. We have planned at least 4 dramas just minutes before doing them, taught English on the spot, sang ‘God is so good’ until we could dream about it, taught Bible stories, and led devotions. We are with pre-schoolers one minute, with older kids the next, and three nights a week with teens. This has all happened in the first few days being here, we still have the rest of the month to go to keep our creative juices flowing.
Something you should know about these adorable kids is that most do not see their parents often. One or both of their parents go over the border to Thailand to make a better living for their kids, like the people in Mexico do with the States. So many are living with one parent or with their grandparents, but these are by far the cutest kids I have ever seen in my life. They are so giggly, climb all over you and pull you every which way. You cannot help but be in awe of them!
