When this international girl met the cool kids of Eli International School it was a match! My last month of ministry was exciting, full of favorite things to do with the added blessing of fantastic people to do them with. The children of the school came from all over the world, their parents are missionaries and expats. My team lived with Principal Fe and her family on the school property. Much like last month, we were surrounded by kiddos from morning till evening. I loved every moment of it! Not only were we helping at the school but spent time assisting Fe and her family with the other ministries they are a part of.
Our first day of ministry was at Road 60 village where the children received us warmly. Each Sunday we sang songs, taught English, and played games with them. Sweet and simple joys, time they were allowed to be kids free from chores or the hardships of the impoverished neighborhood. They came with open hearts and wore big smiles, most of the time…our last day there a fight broke out between two of the boys. Hard to see such little ones acting out in that way. Please pray for the children of this village, that they will know a life outside the norm of their community.
WOW Cambodia, a program for the Women of Worth from Road 60 village. Now this was a ministry that really spoke to my heart! Founded by a missionary from Australia the program was designed to equip the women of the village with skills to create their own businesses. They were provided with equipment and material to sew and taught to make bags and jewelry to sell at the market, all profits benefit the children of the village who are desperately in need of food and clothing. I spent each Thursday and Friday working a shift at the market, this provided the women with more time to create new products. I love market shopping and so it was fun to be on the other side of the booth, sharing with the tourists information about the program while brushing up on my sales tactics.
Noel, Fe’s husband is very much a part of discipling the men and women of a large drug rehabilitation center. I had the opportunity to present a teaching, sang a solo for them and enjoyed some other worship with teammate Danielle, who shared her testimony for them. They were a great group, very attentive and I pray they received what the Lord prepared in us to share with them that day.
Every other moment of ministry was dedicated to the kids of the school. In the mornings, I lead a devotion for half of the kids in the learning center I was assigned to. I quickly realized that they were the ones who had everything to teach me. The perspective of a child is always refreshing. Motivated by the change in my season from missionary to ? I shared with them scriptures I’d been studying about visions, dreams and callings. When I asked these 8, 9 and 10 year olds what their dreams of the future were these were the responses I received and I only wish I had it as together as they do. “I want to be an industrial designer, to make fuel efficient cars to benefit the earth” “I want to be a worship pastor” “I want to own a restaurant so that not only can I cook great food but have nights when I feed the poor for free” “I want to be a builder, a craftsman like my Papan and Jesus.” Wow! I said that word a lot this month.
Our arrival at the school was perfectly timed with the students preparing for a national convention. Four of them worked with me every day to complete artworks for the convention competition. I taught them new techniques, showed them examples and guided them through problem solving when faced with the tricky parts in their works. The result, masterpieces! I am believing they will all win and go on to the international convention.
Most evenings I spent with Noel and Fe’s two sons, Paul and Joshua. We watched movies, played cards and laughed. Paul helped me put together a Hocus Pocus Party in honor of Halloween. A time set aside from the busy schedule for my team to come together for snacks and a movie played on a bigger screen than the tablets and laptops we have grown accustomed to watching things on. Good times! I felt like an extension of the family, they all gave me such a great last month.
When I look back at how I finished the race I know in my heart that I gave everything of my time, talents and resources to each aspect of this ministry. That is such a feeling of accomplishment as it took intentionality to be fully present in the final month when it’s always in the back of the mind of a racer that you’re going home soon. Thanks to everyone at Eli International School! Love to you all, all the kids who brightened my days with the light of the Lord, to all my family and friends back home who supported me from a distance and to all my supporters who made this possible.
