My first moment of really feeling like I was on the world race also came this month (it took a while, I know, just work with me). I had fully recognized the crayziness of this life, but I think this is when a pre-concieved picture in my head actually met up with reality and took me by surprise. It was one of our first days in the slums and I was sitting cross-legged on the porch of a little house on stilts, surrounded by five elderly Cambodian woman, singing songs and talking about the Bible in Khami, eating mentos. And past the trash and right in the middle of everything there was a really pretty view of a field. Despite the fact that I didn't understand anything that was being said, we were all on the same page. I had a bond and a unity with these women that transends language. They are my sisters in Christ. Nothing else mattered. I was on the world race sitting in a hut in the middle of nowhere, chickens running around everywhere, having morning tea with Cambodian woman and our Thai translators. I finally realized how far from home I was.
Cambodia has been my favorite country on the race so far. Month four began with a lot of changes. The usual changes in country, culture, environment, food, and living conditions, but we also had a mini-debrief where all of our teams changed as well.This month my team had the priviledge of going to the slum village outside of town everyday and working with Children at Risk. This is a ministry that goes into the slums and invests in the lives of the children, teens, and adults of the community. Four days a week they hold different programs for various age groups such as preschool, kids club, soccer club, and cell group for the adults. We helped with these by doing skits (for the little kids and the adults. My favorite was when we portrayed our characters as elephants…for both the little kids and the adults), we led songs and shared about Christmas, we played games, got jumped on a lot, led excersises and taught about the importance of good hygiene. Every week we also had a day spent washing the children's hair and trying to kill the previlant lice that most of them have. The kids are covered in a combination of dirt and sweat. They wear clothes that are too big or too small for them because it's all they have. Sometimes they arrive in sets of siblines because the older one is taking care of the little ones. A six-year-old looking after her four and one-year-old little sisters is normal. These kids are also some of the most joyful people that I've ever met. If you smile at them, you get a beaming light of response. A lot of them cling to you because they know that you'll give them love, attention, affection, or a hug. Sitting barefoot on the floor you were usually surrounded because they just want to be close to you. When a tiny child just wants to lay on your chest and be held by you…that's when my heart is at peace.
