This month has brought so many adventures and a couple of challenges as my team and I have been on the search for “Unsung Heroes” here in Cambodia. At the beginning of the month, my team of six split into pairs to focus on different ministry leads. Taylor was my partner for the month.
We had a great start, and we emailed a number of potential ministries. The other pairs did, as well. However as the month progressed, Taylor and I waited and waited to hear back from the ministries. We even tried calling them with no luck. But the other pairs, Hannah and Samara as well as Lauren and Kayla, had so much success getting in contact with their potential ministries. It was awesome hearing their stories and how the Spirit led them to those “Unsung Heroes.” But it was challenging for Taylor and I to not have the same experiences as they had. What I didn’t know was that Jesus had a totally different plan for me this month, and it was good! As I was waiting on the Lord to work things out with the ministries we had contacted, I purposed to not waste my time and look for ways Jesus wanted to use me in my free time.
For the month, our team lived in a hotel called Lucky Star 2 (oh Asia!), because we didn’t have a ministry contact to live with like in the other countries. Lucky Star 2 is an inexpensive place but has been such a big blessing this month. We had air conditioning and hot showers all month, and it was great! Well in the lobby of the hotel is a small café called Chhouk Café. Every morning, I would go hang out there, drink some coffee, have my quiet times, and use the WIFI.
Well since I was in the café every morning, the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to build relationships with two of the people who work there. The young man named Sopheak and the young woman named Srey nab ended being such a blessing in my life. Through conversations via broken English and Google translate, I learned a lot about them as I drank my coffee every morning. They are both in school. Sopheak studies culinary art, and Srey nab studies accounting. They both work six days a week, with only four days off a month, and that doesn’t include their time in school and studying.
Sopheak and Srey nab are such kind, humble, hard-working people. Every morning, I was greeted by them with their huge smiles and joyful hearts. They are both Buddhist, and when I asked them why, neither could really give me an answer. They said it was because their families were Buddhist, and that was just how things are. As I was praying for them, Jesus asked me to be intentional and love them during my stay at the Lucky Star 2 for the month. That was a fun request. I talked to them each morning and got to build friendships with each of them.
One day, I asked Sopheak to come to church with us, since it was his day off. Unfortunately, he was busy in the morning, but he did have the afternoon free and so did Srey nab. Some of my team and I went with them on that Sunday afternoon to the Olympic swimming pool that is down the street from the hotel. The pool ended up being closed for cleaning, so we just hung out all together at the mall and ate ice cream.
That’s when I realized that was what ministry is. It is just doing life and building relationships with God’s children, loving them without an agenda. Jesus started to really bless my time with Sopheak and Srey nab. I loved being around them and talking with them. I knew that was all Jesus wanted me to do. He was loving them through me. I was building relationships with them, sharing Jesus’ love without any agenda. I just wanted to love them as the beautiful children of God that they are. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to share the Gospel with them, but that wasn’t in God’s plan for me in their lives. He simply had me love them. Love breaks all barriers.
And want to know something so fun?! Last Saturday, Lauren and I got to take Srey nab back to the Olympic swimming pool since it was finally open, just the three of us. When we got there, Srey nab told us that she had never been swimming before in her nineteen years of life. I guess she just forgot to mention that little, yet wildly important detail before we made plans to go swimming. But she decided to be courageous and try out the waters for the first time in her life. Y’all, get this! Jesus blessed me with the opportunity to experience Srey nab’s first time swimming! She put on her life jacket, eased her way into the pool, and doggie-paddled right into my arms with the biggest smile on her face. It is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
That was my ministry for the month. It was absolutely nothing like I expected, but I would not change it for the world. I got to pour my time and love into two amazing people who have become my friends. I don’t get to see the whole picture. I don’t know if they will ever surrender their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I don’t even know if the seeds I helped plant will ever grow, but I do know that I played the part that Jesus had for me here in Cambodia. They were the reason He brought me to Phnom Penh this month in this year in this hotel. He loves them so dearly, and He wants them to experience His life-changing love, so He used me.
Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me with Sopheak’s and Srey nab’s friendship this month. Thank you that my unsung heroes ministry didn’t go as planned. You see all. You know all. Your plans are so much better than mine.
Friends and family, please pray for Sopheak and Srey nab. Pray for more people to come into their life and share Jesus’ love with them. Pray blessings over these two incredible children of God. He is already pursuing them, and I am beyond thankful to have been apart of it!
Well, I am off to Nepal! Next month, my team and I will be working in the Himalayan mountains ministering to local Nepali and Tibetan people with some village churches. I am so excited.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to see more pictures! Instagram name: @lexcoryell
