When our team leader told us what we would be doing for the month of December, I naturally assumed we would be staying in the city in Cambodia. She told us we would be teaching English to kids in Kampot, Cambodia. So what do I do? I look up Kampot and see that it is a nice town about 2 kilometers from the Gulf of Thailand. Little did I know that Kampot is the main town in the province of Kampot. Needless to say I was a little caught off guard when our van pulled off the main road in the middle of nowhere. We went down a tiny dirt road and pulled onto a quaint little property in the middle of these vast rice fields. Two huts that were built for English classes were the first things that caught my eye as we drove in…what did I get myself into? When I think of the World Race and what I expected before I left, this type of environment is what I envisioned, so I don’t know why it came as such a surprise to me. So we got out of the car, placed our packs in our bedroom, put up our mosquito nets over our beds, and checked out our bathroom situation…more squatty potty practice this month. To most Americans, we are definitely ‘roughing it’ this month, but it’s been so much fun to experience the lifestyle that a good chunk of the world lives out every day.
It’s been awesome to have the opportunity to teach English to the kids in the Cambodian public schools and to the kids in the huts on the property this month. Quick history lesson on Cambodia for those who don’t know: Cambodia was under the rule of the Khmer Regime after the Vietnam War. The population of 3 million was cut in half to 1.5 million people during their reign. There are still killing fields throughout Cambodia from where the Cambodian people would be slaughtered by the regime. Due to this, 80 percent of the population is under 30 years old. Since this is such a young and impressionable country, we’re excited that we get to help teach such a valuable tool to them and help disciple them along the way. I love teaching English again and I love being surrounded by such a great community and an awesome contact who loves the Lord so much. It’s been such a great thing to see the way he ministers to the people God places in front of him and I’m so excited to see Cambodia 10 years from now.
