I have found myself to be nothing less than a friend with the monks. This past week two of my students asked if they could take me to Angkor Wat. They told me everything would be taken care of. “We will pay and arrange for the motto taxi,” one monk told me. All I had to do was pay for my entrance ticket. Monk’s paying for my taxi? Usually people are giving them money. They even 
bought me water for the day. I agreed and went with my two friends Bok and Sit! I spent hours with them walking through the temple walls, learning more about the history and the beliefs behind Angkor Wat. They had a great time practicing there English, and I had a great time listening.
One thing I learned is Angkor Wat is not a Buddhist temple. Monks don’t go there to worship. More than anything it has become a tourist attraction. 90% of Cambodians are Buddhist, and 10% follow an old religion that’s associated with Angkor Wat. Buddhists go to neighboring temples for worship.
On one fine morning I decided to bring in my I-pod and speakers to class. I did a rough lesson on the music of America. I played various songs from many different genres of music. When I reached the genre of blues and began to play BB. King, the class immediately perked up. They seemed to really like this style of music. I told them this is the type of music I grew up on, hearing my father play and dance to it with my mother. I spent the rest of class talking about music; love, life, and passion. Eventually the conversation somehow led to God. They had more questions, and I answered them as they came. Class quickly came to an end, and many asked if we could finish the discussion the next day. Of course I said yes.
During class the following day, two of my students asked for a Bible, Praise God. They said, “teacher, I have heard your testimony and the things you have seen, I want to read and compare, could you get me a bible.” Monks are allowed to compare religion in the temples. So I am now on a mission to find two bibles in the native Cambodian language.
I found that many of the monks I teach became monks for the same reason. It wasn’t because of a life call to Monk-hood. Many became monks because of free education, food, and housing; much like a Christian boarding school in the states except the government pays the monks tuition. In a country as poor as Cambodia it’s not a bad deal. I’m not saying all monks are this way, but many of my students are and have spoken this freely to me. The monks believe in Buddha, but most will leave monk-hood when they receive their education. Almost all want a traditional way of life with a “beautiful bride.”
1 Corithians 2:13
13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
