In the country of Cambodia there is a town called Preah Vihear. In this town, there is an Orphanage through the organization New Hope for Orphans that houses twenty five precious children. These children wake up around 4am every morning to roosters crowing and get ready to go to school. They slip on white shirts, and dark blue shorts (for boys) or skirts (girls), eat a bunch of rice, comb their hair into place, and pile 2-3 on a bike to ride off to school.
They arrive home in the afternoon, they sit at a big wooden table and learn english from our team. After class, they run around laughing, playing soccer, making up games, and capturing the hearts of us all.
Among these twenty five children, there is a five year old girl who’s jubilation is contagious. She has a heart for people that manifests itself through peaks of running from American to American passing out kisses, hugs, and the “sassy face” we taught her.
(The sassy face can be defined as looking at someone through the corner of your eyes with a serious/sharp expression for a few seconds before laughter takes over).
The girl’s name is Nika. (I’m not 100% sure how to spell her name, if it contains one k or two. But getting to spend three weeks with this cool cat, I am confident her name has to be as funky and hip as she. Therefore, Nika with one K it is.)
Her voice is unique; a high pitch tone calling out whatever nickname she gave to each girl on our team. I went from “Cha” (girl), to “Matha”, and ended with “Masha”. She used my named after the words “I LUB”.
You can say she knows the art of melting hearts.
I was blessed to have the opportunity to rock Nika to sleep some nights, as I sat on the front step of the church, talking to my team or singing softly in her ear. Most mornings we would sit on that same step and share the sunrise together as she inched her way into my oversized cardigan to ward of the chill. Mornings quickly became my favorite part of the day.
The way Nika pursues people is inspiring to me. She walks around confidently, as if she owns the place. She knows where she belongs. She knows where her home is and who her friends are. Her self assured posture on life is one I can’t say I have ever fully walked in.
Nika challenged me to step up my game in carrying the spirit of hospitality. It is something I want to chase after. When I see people walk away from interactions with Nika feeling happier and more loved, I realize the importance of a warm spirit.
Jesus did the same thing. People felt comfortable with Him. He provided a safe space for others to just be. To be seen. Heard. Loved.
I don’t believe it was his posture on politics, religion, or cultural expectations that drew people to Jesus, but his very stance towards humanity, and people as individuals.
Jesus pursued others simply based on his viewpoint and desire that everyone was important.
No one was seen as less than, unapproachable, or unworthy. In fact, it was the exact opposite with Him. He went out of his way to talk to those who were poor and outcast from society. He talked to the outliers and those that where shamed in society for their economic status or destitute health.
He wanted humanity to know they were being pursued by the King of the universe. The very King that created them loves them and wants nothing more than to interact on a daily basis.
I want to walk around in the wealth that Jesus walked in, and in the wealth that Nika walks in. I believe Nika knows she is a daughter of the King. She knows who God is, and that He calls her His own.
She does not walk around with a second hand worth. She walks around with the worth our Father imparts. I deep knowledge that she is a daughter of the king.
When we worship at night with the kids, Nika lifts up her arms, closes her eyes and sings praise of to God. She may not have an earthly father that kisses her on the forehead and calls her beautiful, but you can sure be she has a kingdom Father that does.
Nika stole my heart and will forever hold a peace of it. I am thankful for the impact she had on my life, and for the way she calls me into a higher level of community, more than she will ever know.
I look forward to the day I get to see her again, hopefully soon. Cambodia is not a place I feel like I can stay away for for very long.
In the meantime, my zeal for people and the spirit of hospitality has been ramped up.
Because when we delight in the children of God, we delight in the Kingdom.
