From Honduras to Cambodia

  Today began just like
any other day here in Cambodia. At 4:30am, the sound of Buddhist chanting came
over the megaphone down the street. The deafening blare pierced through my
earplugs, and in my state of delirium, I was convinced they were chanting right
outside of my window. I sat straight up on the tile floor of the church,
rearranged my mosquito net, and rested with my thoughts until it was time to
get up.

      At breakfast, the
Pastor told us we would be doing house visits for the morning. After spending
over a week in Cambodia, the inescapable heat, mosquitoes, and restless nights
were really catching up with us. We were exhausted, but I was looking forward
to seeing the kids and spending time at some of their homes.

      Many of the
students from English class met up with us and we began walking around the
village. After several visits, we came to the home of an older woman named
Sokrem. She was a widow with 5 children, all whom were too young to help work
for food. She had no income and was forced to rely on the generosity and
support of her neighbors. The Pastor had previously made many visits to her
home, and the church brought the family some food when they could.

      When we arrived,
two of her children were resting in hammocks under the house to escape the
heat. They were so young. So fragile. There was no shade in front of the home,
so the sweat poured down my face as I forced out a smile to hide my exhaustion.
Like many other families, several of the children were bare for lack of money
to purchase clothing. I wondered what it must have been like for her, knowing
that she had five young mouths to feed, and no way to provide for them on her
own. They couldn’t afford education, clothing, and heaven only knew when they
would receive their next meal.

The Pastor looked up
at us and said: “I want you to speak with her about Jesus.”

We
stood there for a few minutes – speechless. It’s funny how we can take this
journey around the World to tell people about the love of Christ, but when
someone asks us point blank what to say, we stumble for words.

      He had told her
of Christ several times before, but she was Buddhist. Her neighbors were
Buddhist. Their support for her family had already began to dwindle, and if
they found out she chose to follow Christ, she would not only be alone, but she
would suffer the persecution of all those around her. She was alone, and
choosing Christ simply looked like the lonelier choice of the two – or so she
thought.

      As we stood there
speechless, the Lord put a story on my heart, so I spoke up. I told her my
name, where I was from, and who this God was that I served. I told her the
story of God’s provision in Honduras. I told her of our loving Creator and
Heavenly Father who answered when His children called. I told her of the
village of La Laguna and how just a few years ago the Lord provided food for
the entire village, right before my eyes. For those of you who haven’t heard
it, it’s the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, but through answering
the prayers of a young team of high school students in a small, humble village
in Honduras.

      Her eyes widened
with hope as I told her about this God who longed to provide for her in the
same way. In that moment, I realized that she could connect with the Pech
Indians of Honduras in a deeper way than I could ever grasp. Standing
face-to-face with her, seeing her pain, I could feel her heartache, but as I
told her of these people she had never met, she understood their desperation. She
knew their despair.

      The Pastor spoke
with her for a while, and then he looked up with a huge smile on his face.

“She
wants to accept Christ into her heart!”

My
heart leapt with joy, and our team surrounded her and prayed over her as she
proclaimed her desire to know the King. The same God who revealed Himself and
provided for His children in Honduras was present today, touching the heart of
His distressed daughter in Cambodia.

I
pray that as our Pastor continues to visit Sokrem, her faith in Christ will be
strengthened. I pray that the Lord will provide for her – that He will feed her
family and her soul as she fights against the oppression and persecution. I
pray for her neighbors, that they will see a change in her heart and long for
the same freedom and peace that she receives from the Lord.