Cambodia already seems like a lifetime ago.
The Land of sweat, humidity, barking dogs, beautiful smiles, dusty roads, ancient ruins, flowy pants and hordes of expats. The tuk-tuk rides sometimes meant long nights without sleep because of back pain. It was beautiful. It was challenging. I want to be real with you all about what I experienced, but sometimes I am hesitant because I feel so much of my journey has been about what’s happening inside of me rather than what is going on around me. I don’t want anyone to be offended by how little I reference my surroundings, but you should know that God is still moving one way or the other.
Cambodia challenged me. I have encountered poverty in many places along the race already but being out in the actual villages and seeing our students’ families walk out of their thatch branch huts with naked babies covered in dirt running around… well that was a different poverty than I’ve lived around. The students seemed happy and in general ignorant of life outside the village, which bewildered me because of how close the village really was to the city (Angkor Wat). We took a tuk-tuk (seating cart attached to a moto) about an hour from Angkor Wat, which is more like a large town, and many people in their village had never been to Angkor Wat and their views on life are literally limited to the village itself.
We had students who were hungry (for food, which we provided to kids who participated) and students hungry for an education and understanding! They wanted to understand English better! It was February in Cambodia that finally opened up my eyes to the reality of how much knowing English is an advantage in the larger world! Vietnam helped me see what a difference English could make in people’s career and how far they get in life; but in Cambodia I saw it was the defining character line between poverty and poor. It opened my eyes to truly appreciate how good we have it in the West, especially the USA.
I want to post pictures, but most of my pictures have the kiddos faces and we were not told until after leaving Cambodia that we were not legally allowed to post photos with their faces unless they’re old enough to be adults. I’m sorry there are so few available images from our ministry time, but next time I will try to take faceless photos.
My word for the month in Cambodia was health, and daughter. I feel like this was the first month on the race so far that I was able to actually be proactive with my health! That helped me from head-to-toe inside and out. Our hostel had a swimming pool the first few weeks so I would spend at least 20 minutes swimming each day, I ate little meals (we really had no choice there) and drank liters and liters of water because of the heat. I was able to sleep despite the suffocating heat and rampant bug bites and honestly had a decent routine. I was able to make my quiet time with God a priority! I reaped harvest in my heart from my time with God and in His word. I was able to finally walk out from under the shadow of gloom that has followed me for so long. I truly felt Him call me His daughter, and finally understood being His daughter meant “being” with Him more than ‘doing’ for Him. That is the real reason I loved Cambodia, because there is where I learned how to just be present with God, to see Him around me, to be sensitive to Him.
We worked with YWAM, U of N and taught English and Bible classes in remote Siem Reap. I heard the students sing a loving song to us in Khmer (their language) as a thank you to us, and I discovered the reality of my own relationship with my heavenly Father. It was a heck of a month. I’m ready for more. Take me deeper Lord.
****************UPDATE!!!*****************
So I still need to raise $4,200 to be fully funded! It looks like I have one month before my grace period is up and they can send me home. I feel called to be here, so would you pray about donating to see me stay out here for the whole 11 months? I’m on month 6 out of 11 now. 5 more to go! Please support if you feel led. God is moving here in Albania!
ONE OF OUR STUDENTS I MET WITH GAVE HER HEART AND LIFE TO JESUS YESTERDAY AND SHE SAID SHE IS SO HAPPY, SHE NEVER KNEW THIS WAS POSSIBLE! I’m so proud and happy for her. Keep our students here in Vlore, Albania in your prayers as well as our staff! Its taxing work, but the hearts are hungry for truth; so lets send truth out.
