Congratulations to Weston Belkot for winning the “Blogger of the Month” award for January. Here are some of his top blogs:
Put Me In Coach
Life is like playing in a basketball game. If you’re in the game, you’ll have the opportunity to have opportunities, but you still have to take the shot. If you’re on the bench you’ll merely watch others partake in what could be yours.
I’m not much of a risk taker. Last month I won the honors of “Most likely to follow the rules.” Yet, I am learning to recognize when an opportunity presents itself to snatch it up like the last piece of bacon at breakfast-vegetarians insert a more desirable food. Being on the World Race allows for many opportunities. Some are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and others are less than ideal, but they all open my mind, horizons, and world view of what it means to be a Christian. Let’s take a quick glance at some opportunities over the last few days. Read more here…
The Boy Who Wouldn’t Smile
Every time they welcome a stranger into their world, they must also eventually say goodbye, yet they never stop saying hello. They never stop offering their piece of banana, hanging on human limbs, inviting us into their games, learning English words at a faster rate than we learn Khmer, or putting their hearts out for us to love. They never stop smiling. This is Sopath. He is the boy who wouldn’t smile.
During our first day or two I noticed that he wasn’t like the rest of the other children. He was a creature of isolation amidst a world of cohabitation. He didn’t seem to notice our arrival or our departure. The orphanage director informed us that before Sopath came to the orphanage a couple months ago he was adopted by a man and a woman several hours away near the Thailand border. They would leave Sopath and his brother and sister for weeks at a time without enough food or provisions. Out of hunger the children would wander over to the neighbor’s house and wait for leftovers or eat weeds. Anything for nourishment. Read more here…
A Cambodian Rollercoaster
A Cambodian RollercoasterSit down. Buckle up. Enjoy the ride. Nobody told me that during my first day with Team Increase, although they should have. I soon realized that this community center is really the embodiment of the “church.” They are a group of people, a wall-less church, that drive to and visit the members of their community every day.
While visiting orphans and members of the church in the community we rode a motor bike to our first stop where a woman with arthritis lived.
“She loves attending church, but it’s difficult for her to walk the 200 yards to get there.” “What? Just seeing me come to pray brightens her day.” “That Operation Christmas shoebox really does make a lasting impression of love. Mental note: Send at least one of those every year for the rest of my life.” Read more here…
“She loves attending church, but it’s difficult for her to walk the 200 yards to get there.” “What? Just seeing me come to pray brightens her day.” “That Operation Christmas shoebox really does make a lasting impression of love. Mental note: Send at least one of those every year for the rest of my life.” Read more here…
