(Kaydan Writing)
Today was our first day at the B.C.I. International School in Cambodia. Starting tomorrow morning, we will be the primary English teachers at this school (for about the next three weeks or so). To be honest, I’m not really sure what to expect. Katherine and I will be teaching a class in the mornings which I am really excited about! It’s going to be really unique to work alongside just her and not our entire team. Don’t get me wrong, I love working on projects and doing ministry with our team, but I think there will be something unique about teaching alongside my amazing wife and seeing her interact with the children. What’s also really cool about this school is that we won’t just be teaching English, but we get to teach the Bible! Although most of the children come from Buddhist backgrounds, the school we are teaching at is a Christian school, so we can proclaim the Gospel loud and proud without the fear of persecution or backlash from the community.
In stark contrast to last month (see my previous blog “Persecution in Laos”), God has placed us somewhere where we are openly welcomed to teach His Word and love others in His name, and that is a HUGE blessing. Maybe God allowed me to have that eye opening experience last month so that I would truly appreciate the opportunity that we have at the B.C.I. International School! I don’t know what this month holds, but I know He is in control and I am expecting GREAT THINGS!
(Katherine Writing)
Week one of teaching is over! Here are my observations so far:
- Based on the first day there, I thought I would have to fight to stay awake. However, time with the Lord in the morning, a little more coffee, and teaching rather than observing has helped tremendously. While I feel tired once we get home, I have plenty of energy to engage the kids at school.
- We learned that most of the children attending the school come from Buddhist families, and the parents send their kids to an international Christian school solely because they can learn English for cheap. Therefore, we have a cool way to not only share Jesus with these kids, but also impact the families through the kids.
- Kids think it is really funny when they find out that Teacher Kaydan and Teacher Katherine are married!
- Teaching kids can be really fun, especially when you color & play games to help motivate the them to want to learn.
- It has been really cool to watch Kaydan step into teaching our 11 year olds. While he would say he isn’t naturally gifted with kids, I know he is naturally gifted in his ablility to teach. So it has been fun to see him excel at teaching and watching him enjoy the kids he is teaching too.
- It has also been nice to dance and sing and be goofy with the kids— a reminder that God likes to have fun and adventure with us, His children. It is okay to look silly while you love Him and praise Him.
- Walking the mile to school, the mile back for lunch, and the mile back to school, and finally the mile back home is a blessing— a time for conversation with God, with Kaydan, and with my friend Courtney about what God is doing. Or its’ a good time to worship and reorient my heart to the Father and to the Kingdom of God.
- I’m looking forward to the next two weeks!
(Kaydan Writing)
Today is our last day at the school. Everything you have read so far in this blog post was written earlier this month. In fact, the past two blogs that we have posted have been written this month as well (they just explain experiences that happened before stepping foot in Cambodia). During our time in Cambodia we have had the opportunity to really stop and reflect on what God has been doing in the past, which is why we appropriately named our last blog “It’s Time to Rewind”. It only seemed fitting to label this one “Back to the Future”. We have spent time recounting the past, but now we want to focus on what we are thinking and feeling RIGHT NOW!
Our final day at the school here comes along with a lot of emotions. If I’m honest, this is the first ministry we have participated in on the World Race that is really hard to leave. I have enjoyed our ministry opportunities in the past, but have never been too sad at the thought of leaving and moving on because that was the plan all along.
But this month has been different. Although I knew from the beginning that we would have to leave today, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for saying goodbye to these children. Being their teacher everyday for the month has given me a chance to get to know them, love them, and afforded me relationships that hurt my heart to say goodbye to.
I’ve enjoyed standing by my wife everyday and teaching them how to spell words like “rescue” and “follow”, and showing them how to listen to a story and take away new words and ideas. The best days were the ones where I got to share the plain, simple Gospel with them. Talking about Jesus healing a blind man, and loving people in the world. Telling them that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them and wants a relationship with them. A God who will never let them down.
I guess that’s the one comforting thing about leaving them here: they will continue to be exposed to God’s Word and the truth that lies within. Matthew 24:35 says that God’s word will NEVER pass away.
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11
It’s been an honor and a privilege to wear the hat of “Teacher Kaydan” in the classroom this month, and although it’s not fun to leave, I’m trusting in God’s Word and the hope that these children will grow up learning about the God who loves them. They will probably forget me in the years to come, but I pray they never forget Jesus!
If you’d like to see the videos from Cambodia, here they are!
(This is a video that shows us at the school)
(This is a video about us stealing bikes and celebrating Courtney’s birthday!)
Thanks for reading, thanks for watching the videos, and most of all thanks for supporting us and participating in our journey! Feel free to leave comments or questions below!
– Kaydan & Katherine
