It was everything. I can’t pin point to just one thing but rather give credit to everything and everyone that made my heart just fall so completely in love with this country.
It was the land. The endless rice fields that stretched beyond the house. The dirt roads that made us cringe as the tuk tuks would hit a bump, I mean pot hole. It was the mountains in the distance and the clouds that would occupy the edges of the sky giving the illusion that maybe later in the day they would provide momentary shade from the sun and it’s heat. It was the alley way that led in and out of the orphanage and the shield of beautiful yellow and pink flowers that guarded the metal gate of the entrance. The ever present fine layer of dust on my feet.
It was the church turned into a school and the 400 students that attended. The row after row of bicycles and motos the kids would drive to school. The clapping of Yong, Own, and Vanack as they led worship, on their faces the image of pure love for their Papa. It was the beauty of the simplicity of the daily routines I watched; the woman making rugs out of scrapes of old clothes to sell, the maintenance man watering the gravel, the fried banana woman selling her goodies to the school children, Sedoung the English teacher as she says good morning to her classes, and the 38 children in the orphanage doing their chores at 5:20 pm sharp. How beautiful are these simple tasks that I otherwise took for granted, the beauty is in the simplicity of them. The older woman with no teeth and the naked child waving to us as we walked,drove, and ran by captured my heart. The herder attending to his cows in the fields as they grazed. Giving free high fives the students on their bikes as we drove by. Dancing and making jokes with the fifth and seventh grade classes I had the honor of teaching English to this month.
It was Samnang twirling just like any six year old would. Tong’s smile as he looked up at me from playing the key board. Jon’s loud and extravagant hand gestures and her always wanting to hold your hand to show you how much she cares about you. It was Borin’s screech for a laugh and attempts at trying to keep a straight face as I raise my eye brows at him. I loved making Naiput, Sitha, Sam, Sanh, and Ngyt giggle in class as I played games with their grade. Man I loved seeing Sitha take his time as he tried to pronounce each letter correct to get the word right, and the smile on his face as he succeed, he’s smarter than he gives himself credit for. Roth’s and Tee’s reluctancy to dance with me after finishing their homework, only for it to become a nightly thing; the tango, waltz, soulja boy, and the dougie were just a few we danced together. It was Yong’s growing up, I feel like I got to meet this young man at a age when he is starting to come into his own and starting to take on bigger responsibilities and I am so stoked to see where the Father takes him and how the Spirit moves him. It was watching Own, Vanack, and Wut translate for us during devos, Sunday messages, and house visits, and seeing their desperation for the Lord to renew their country and their awe as the Spirit led. It was Nop and Rothana, brother and sister, walk with some serious swag- “Saved With Amazing Grace”. Sweet sister pair Soyra and Chantrea, who are two beautiful girls with beautiful hearts. The quite reserve of Engly, Thong, Long, SengHo, and SengHi. Weed’s humor and Rota’s and mines hand shakes we would exchange before the meal prayer . Watching Sambath crush it at volleyball, but still humble and caring enough to teach the younger ones. Pow and Kyo, the two grade 12 girls, mother and nurture their siblings. It was being greeted in the morning with Dara’s hugs and him letting me just hold him before he ran off somewhere.
It was the Father’s love, joy, excitement, peace, willingness, that these kids displayed for each of us this month. It was Kit’s and Rem’s heart for this beautiful country and to their 41 children. It was feeling and seeing so much of Papa all around me that made me just fall in love with no regard of bug bites, constant sweat, possible lice, tummy issues, countless bowls of rice, or the ever present fine layer of dust on my feet. When you fall in love with someone, do you not overlook the “considerable” things and love past them?? Is that not what our Papa does with us after all??
I offered my heart to this ministry early on, and my heart was overjoyed in every way.
