At first glance, he appears to be a tall, thin, and somewhat shy guy. But after 3 weeks of one-on-one interaction, I learned that there was so much more to him.
Neng is a wonderful friend that I made in Cambodia. He is a university student in Phnom Penh but he comes from another province. He is there on scholarship right now because his family cannot afford to send him there. In fact, the last night that we were in Phnom Penh, Seth and I took a group of guys out for fast food and it was his first time ever having it. He also later informed us that he hadn’t eaten in about 3 days because money was tight.
Every day for about an hour and a half in the morning and an hour in the afternoon we studied the Bible and english together. Neng had expressed a desire to study the Bible with me when he realized that I enjoyed teaching. Although the language barrier was tough, we began discussing more intimate things like past struggles and hopes and aspirations. We began to joke around with each other. We laughed. We prayed together. We had a true friendship.
I spent a day with Neng toward the end of our time in Cambodia. I went with him to his university, I sat in on a class with him and didn’t understand a word. But it was so meaningful for me to be there. It didn’t matter that I didn’t understand the class, I understood Neng. I realized that the time invested in this relationship was so crucial for both of us. In Khmer (Cambodian) culture, it is normal to see guys walking with their arm around another guy. It signifies a real friendship. So Neng walked around the whole campus with his arm on my shoulder…and it didn’t bother me one bit. You see, I learned more about brotherly love than I ever have before. I learned that it meant more to him that I was there, and it meant more to me that he wanted me to be there.
Neng has aspirations of being Prime Minister of Cambodia one day. He wants to be a difference-maker in his country. It is young people like him who will shape the future of Cambodia. Pray that the Lord continues to use him in his university and community. Pray for leaders to rise up from his generation who are ready to serve the Lord. Pray that Neng and others like him will be able to complete school by having scholarships available to them. Pray for Cambodia.
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Romans 12:10
Also, check out the Angkor Wat photos under “Check out the sweet pics”!! That place was amazing!
