This last month in Cambodia has been transformational. It has been a sweet month filled with laughter, bike rides, and spontaneous outings. A lot has happened in the past few weeks and I’ve made note of some of those things that my team and I have experienced that stuck out to me.
Though I’m sad to leave, there are a few things I’m ready to say goodbye to:
- Waking up with a questionable film on my face.
- Having to give myself a pep talk just to take a shower over a squatty potty.
- Being attacked by bugs scientists have yet to discover.
- Sweating. All. The. Time.
- Being able to wipe off my dirt tan at the end of the day.
- Convincing myself that my clothes are clean.
- Debating if the meat I’m eating is chicken, dog, or pork.
- Listening to the war between lizards and mice in my ceiling every night as a fall asleep.
- Waking up with a dead bird in my room.
- Playing the game “what’s running down my neck: bug or sweat?”
While I’m excited to leave behind all of those things, there are so many aspects of this sweet place that I will miss.
- Getting giant hugs from the kids every evening after prayers.
- Our amazing ministry host, Vandy, and his family.
- Teaching English to the teens and getting to know their stories.
- Biking to the store to get the infamous “green drink” from a local woman.
- Having the older boys lead everyone from the orphanage in worship every weekend.
- The fresh fruit at dinner including but not limited to: jackfruit, mango, dragon fruit, and watermelon.
- Waking up to our translator, Courtney, playing one of his original songs.
- Starting and whacking out fire with leaves to fuel my inner pyro.
- Getting to spend intentional time with the Lord every morning in my hammock.
- Realizing that it’s sweat and not a giant bug running down my neck.
I’ve loved my time here in Cambodia and I will deeply miss this place, but ultimately I’m excited for this next chapter in my journey. Please pray for rest and safe travels for my team as we head to Bangkok for midway debrief!
