We just finished our first week here in Cambodia! There have been several things that we have had to get used to; weather, culture, language, time, and ministry. It has been new, but the change has been good. We are in Battambang, Cambodia. The plans for travel days were set in place and we all knew where to be, what was to happen, and excited to spend about a day in the States. We left for a connecting flight through Mexico City, but we were grounded at another airport after staying in pattern for at least 30 minutes. We were on the ground there for another 30 minutes, and then we were finally cleared to the airport. Our time block of 2 hours in Mexico City was almost non-existing. We were told by our airplane that our flight was waiting for us, but when we got through customs, we discovered our plane had left.
The next 6 hours or so were spent in the airport, trying to sleep if that was possible – for the airport security would allow people to lay down on the ground. The whole squad was then split up into 7 different parts with connecting flights to Los Angeles. We all made it in time for our 14 hour flight to China, and then finally our last flight to Cambodia.
Thinking back over this whole time, I was so excited for what lay ahead and didn’t think that our plans could change. I was reminded by what it says in James 4:13-14.
“Come now you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
This was a good reminder how even though we may think we know the plans for our next day, they may instantly change. This calls for dependance on God. Dependance on the one who knows and cares for us.
Our first week of ministry went well. In the morning we have been walking around a Pagoda that we will be teaching and building relationships with monks and others for the next 2 1/2 months. While walking, we have prayed for our hearts and the lives of those we make meet to be ready for what will happen over these next few months. After walking and praying, we have gone to wifi and looked up information on Buddhism and Animism.
We then have nothing until 4-6 when we teach english at a learning center. It has definitely been very new to all of us because before this we had only taught english one time in Guatemala. In all, it has been good.
The temperature each day has been in the high 90’s, and sometimes in the low 100’s. It has been hard to adjust to always have the feeling of sweating, but man this country has been really good already. These next few months may be the most uncomfortable for me, but when times are hard, then there is a true dependance and growth in God.
