I was going to write my blog about spit and trampolines, but today was too touched by the Lord so that story is going to have to wait for another day.
My time in Cambodia has been pleasant, but weary. It is discouraging to feel like I have done nothing to contribute to the kingdom in a month in a half except pray that someone would be sent to follow my steps with the ability to effectively communicate to people how loved they are. My team has tried nearly a dozen outreach opportunities: joining a local volleyball team, holding babies in slums, handing out notes that say “Jesus loves you” in Khmer at a park, trying to connect with baristas, finding street kids to play soccer with, handing out fruit to beggars on street corners, and the list continues. We share smiles and laughs, but not the Gospel. We don’t have money for a translator, and as impressive as I think it is that I can say ‘thank you’ and ‘hello’, the locals seem underwhelmed by my conversational skills.
On Monday our entire squad participated in a day of ministry based on the concept of “Ask The Lord”. After communion time in prayer, our team headed out with the idea that the Lord wanted us to find someone who needed shoes, so off we pedaled. An hour later we had shoes with no recipient, and it was blazing hot. We had meandered into a quaint neighborhood, and were attempting to discuss our next move over the bumping of “Stand By Me” coming from the house adjacent to our little bike gang. We walked into the gated yard, hoping that the person with impeccable music taste also spoke English. We were in for a treat, because not only did our new friend Soviwong speak our language fluently, but he also claimed to be a Christian and accepted our offer to take him to lunch.
I was skeptical of the authenticity of this man’s claim to know Christ, as Cambodians are notorious for being people pleasers who like to tell people what they want to hear. We paid for his meal, walked him home, and thanked him for his hospitality, slightly discouraged that we hadn’t seen God do anything “radical”. This discouragement was compounded when we reunited with our squad and heard stories of God breaking language barriers through the gift of tongues and leading people to things they had seen in visions He had given them.
Well.
We just bought dumplings and listened to 80’s hits.
Might as well quit the Race.
THEN today we were at a lost for what to do for outreach, so we decided to pop in Sorivong’s house for a hot minute. He once again ushered us inside with a smile, and excitedly told us to sit while he grabbed his Bible.
The thing was worn from YEARS of use, had dozens of bookmarks, and an incomprehensible number of highlighted passages. This man lives IN the word. Even better, he whipped out a passage from 1 Corinthians and started talking to us about what it means to walk by the Spirit, AND invited us to Bible study at his house every Tuesday and Thursday.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME GLORY GLORY HALLELUJIAH HE REIGNS!!!!!!!
We may not be able to plant seeds here with our words, but the Lord has ordained us to be in community with Soviwong so that HE can be encouraged to bring Kingdom. In a country that is 95% Buddhist, what are the chances that the one house we find on the one street we happened to turn down housed a man chasing after Jesus?
God is on the move my friends, keep praying! This land will be a land of the living!
-g
