4:00 PM 01/30/16
Upon leaving the storage container city to embark eastward, I realized how much I was going to miss Chiang Mai. In the beginning it was different than anything I’d ever experienced – food, hostel, traffic, air pollution, etc. Sooner than I realized, it became like home. Signs with pretty, squiggly lines tapped into my artistic side and were mere city decor. Street food and street markets warped into dinner and shopping instead of my homey comfort of dinner and a movie. I had just settled in and knew my way around the block when I climbed up the stairs of the double-decker bus to Siem Reap, Cambodia with my squad.
…22 HOURS LATER…
2:00 PM 01/31/16
Small shops, dirt/sandy roads, ant armies, and sticky air welcomed me. Upon our arrival, the host of Teen Missions International met us at the gas station not far from the school and walked us to our new “home” for the next 27 days. Thankfully this time “my” room (shared by 5 girls at first) was only on the 2nd floor verses the 4th, and our windows had screens to let the clammy breeze in and keep most of the bugs out. After a few days of sweaty days and sticky nights, my team split 3-and-3 in order to minister to an additional host. While this made living conditions in the room much easier, I hadn’t realized how much those 3 girls had become my dear sisters already. I missed them immediately.
5:00 AM – 8:00 PM 02/02/16 – 02/07/16
One week into ministry here, I’ve experienced nausea, homesickness, laughter, stress, confusion, happiness, comfort, and excitement. These teens (3 girls and 10 boys) long to serve the Lord, and it’s such a heart-warming blessing to be able to assist in guiding them in that direction. Sarah, Kristen and I have taught English, chapel, American action songs, etc on the fly. We’ve been to the market – which made me quite queezy – that sells veggies and fruit in baskets while raw meats hang from hooks with blood running through the streets. (Not to mention all the flys and the smell.) Sunday morning, we accompanied our host and the teens to church. I had forgotten what it was like to experience it all in a foreign language. Quite interesting and surreal. That afternoon, we went to the villages to teach Sunday School to the little boys and girls. Such an enlightening to what a simple and poor life people live in, yet the kids were so happy. Talk about humbling!
5:00 AM Weekdays
Ding-a-ling-a-ling!! Waking to a high pitch ringing of a bell that you can not turn off at five every morning is daunting every night before bed. After a week of it, I’ve learned to appreciate the little sleep I get in my hours between ministry during the day. Laying in bed trying to sleep until my 5:50 AM alarm goes off on my phone doesn’t do anything but agitate my attitude more. While quite literally rolling out of bed, I pray for a better attitude considering my wake-up call and non-early riser personality doesn’t fit me well. Every morning, I can feel God chiseling away at that part of me molding me into an “anytime I call you” personality. That’s a wake-up call in and of itself.
The school is a real blessing! The teens are great! And most of all, I appreciate the roof over my head. While I attempt to teach the teens and interns English, they try to teach me Khmer (language in Cambodia). This is hilarious considering it’s a tonal language, and for some reason I just can’t get it right. The boys actually speak to me in Khmer to laugh at my response. I’m just glad to bring a smile and provide a laugh. I am working on it though. I might have it down pat before I have to pack up and move to another country with another language next month. At least I hope so.
8:30 PM 02/08/16
All in all, it’s been a good week. The hard moments have been covered by the fun moments, and I’ve learned more than I thought possible in a week’s time. Here I thought I was teaching them, and they are actually teaching me. Crazy what being in a new place surrounded by new people among a new culture will challenge you to do. If you’ve never put yourself in that type of situation – you should! You learn an unimaginable amount about yourself and who you are. You grow when you’re not even realizing it. Go get lost somewhere new…see what happens.
