I’ve had the opportunity to spend the last two weeks in Siem Reap, Cambodia with Team Shabach. This is the ministry and city that I feel in love with when I was here in March 2009, and I can honestly say my heart has not changed one bit. Once again I’ve been able to build relationships with my students and a lot of them remember me from the last time I was here. I teach two intermediate English classes with Leslie Redman and we’re so blessed to be sharing our lives with them.On Wednesdays we get to teach “Christian Values.” This is an optional class for the students since many of them are Buddhist, but surprisingly, the majority comes. Last week Leslie and I taught on the Fruits of the Spirit. We gave them a homework assignment to exercise one of those fruits and share their story with the class. Hearing their stories broke my heart.
One of my 16 year-old students said: “teacher, sometimes I have to exercise patience because I see people eating and I don’t have any food and I have to be patient.” She is one of the most devoted, diligent, loving girls I know and it broke my heart to hear her struggles when I know I can go home to a hot meal.One of the guys in my class told us his story. He has nine siblings and both of his parents are dead. His two oldest brothers moved to Phnom Penh (the capital city) to find work and send money home for his family. He said he shows them love because he knows how hard they work for the family.
I’m humbled by their lives. Their commitment to their studies and the Lord amazes me. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you have become so dear to us.” That is what we’ve been doing this month. Some of them have never heard the name Jesus before coming to our class and they have become our friends.
**I have a busy week of traveling coming up. Monday I will travel to Kampong Thom Provience to spend time with the Liberators, then to Phnom Penh to see Agape and United and then Tim and I will head back up to Siem Reap to get things ready for debrief.
