There are fruit trees EVERYWHERE in Cambodia. I have seen more fruit trees in the past 2 weeks than I have in all my 19 years combined. I guess being from South Dakota that isn’t the biggest shock… but still!!! I am amazed. No matter what direction I look I see fruit trees. So far I’ve seen Banana, Mango, Passion Fruit, Jack Fruit, Rambutan, Papaya, Mamut (I think that’s what it’s called??), Palm Trees, Pineapple plants, and about 3 others that don’t have an English name… THAT’S A LOT OF FRUIT.
As I look around at these fruit trees I think about how sweet (haha, get it?) it would be to have as much spiritual fruit in Cambodia as there is physical fruit. 95% of the population classify themselves as Buddhist and 5% as “other” – with about 2-3% of that being Christian. At first, I was taken aback by this statistic; however, Buddhism is an optimistic and peaceful religion. They are very open which means there is a lot of space for the Gospel!!
Although only 3% of Cambodians are considered Christian, the quote “Though they be little, they are fierce” comes to mind:
Our host family holds church at their house every Sunday, with about 15 people in attendance – including our 7 person team. One of the prayer requests this week made my heart burst with joy. 16 year old Srey-nea’s number one prayer was that all people of Cambodia would come to know Jesus and the love He has for them.
One of the projects we have been working on since arriving in Kampong Cham has been to build a school that teaches English and Bible classes. When I say we are building a fence by hand I mean we do everything except physically craft the supplies necessary to build the fence. From hand cutting each wire piece to pouring concrete, it is a tedious project. The family heading this project is so passionate about spreading the love of Christ that they are spending months of their life to build this school from the ground up.
^^ THAT’S A LOT OF FRUIT. And it’s only been 4 days since we’ve arrived. These people are producing the very sweetest of fruits and jumping on every chance to share it. God is doing big things in Cambodia and I feel honored He’s using me as a vessel to shine His light onto such a thirsting people. I am in awe of the love the Cambodian Christians have for Jesus and for one another.
I think as Americans, we can learn a lot from the Cambodians. We sometimes like to fill our branches with pesticides like comparison and material things and our status in society. ( I am guilty of all!!!!). The fruit might be bigger and more “beautiful” on the outside, but it doesn’t always taste the greatest or satisfy us in the way it should, especially when we try to give it to others. They don’t receive the authentic flavor of God’s original creation. For me personally, I’m going to focus on being an organic grower from now on. I want the fruit I produce to be nourished on love, grace, peace and intentional relationships. That’s the stuff that brings people back to home tree (a.k.a. God).
I hope every one of you focuses on being fruitful this day/week/month/year. Think about what you are pumping into your fruit, and whether or not you would like to eat what you’re producing. After that, go eat a fresh apple picked right off a tree because even though I’m enjoying the tropical treats here, I could really go for a crisp apple and a crisp breeze – just for a second though because I am loving this fantastic Cambodian journey God is leading me on!!
You are all in my prayers!!!
Love,
Olivia
