Month 3 – November
My month spent in Cambodia was an eventful one to say the least. My team endured countless hours traveling the country by bus, had a few hospital visits and witnessed poverty and brokenness that surpassed anything we have seen the past three months on the race. Yet through all of it, God was there. His presence and guidance continued to amaze us day in, and day out.
Our ministry in the month of November looked a little different. Instead of being assigned to a specific contact and serving in one location, our job was to search for new ministry contacts that future World Race teams could partner with. We look for the those who dedicate their lives to serving the Lord and are in need of short-term teams to assist their ministries. We call these people Unsung Heroes. Our team took on the challenge joyfully and God led us to places we never expected.
We started out our journey in Siem Reap, which is close to the ancient temple, Angkor Wat, and is therefore one of most touristy cities in Cambodia (they even had an awesome Mexican food restaurant!) Here we found 2 schools started by missionaries.
The first school we visited we found in a completely unexpected way. A few of the girls on my team were searching for a church one Sunday that we had read about online. They were unable to find the church, but literally ended up wandering around and coming across another one. Now this might not seem like a big deal because in most cities in America, it would be inevitable that if you wandered around, you would come across a church. But it’s much different in Cambodia. At church they met an Australian woman who knew a Khmer (Cambodian) man who ran a pre-school. This man had the most amazing testimony, and had truly overcome all odds. He was orphaned, homeless and broken in every way, but that is where he met Jesus. He has now started multiple schools, serves in his community and has a beautiful family of his own. Meeting them was such a blessing, and I know the Lord will use his ministry to change hearts in Siem Reap.
The next city we visited was Battambang. For me, this city was not exactly a highlight. Although my team was able to make some great ministry contacts, I came down with Typhoid Fever and Histolytica (a nasty stomach parasite), so most of my time was spent recovering from that. Going to the hospital in Cambodia is an interesting experience to say the least, and filling prescriptions at the “pharmacy” is even more adventurous! There are literally just buckets filled with unlabeled mystery pills that you can buy for a dollar each. I was fortunate enough though to have an English-speaking doctor who was able to give me detailed instructions on how to find the right antibiotic.
After the madness of Battambang, our team was in need of a few days of rest. So we took a weekend off and went to the beach! The town we visited, Sihanoukville, is really a hidden treasure! Many travelers come through this beach, some of whom end up staying for an extended period of time, but it is not at all touristy. Yes, I have learned that there is apparently a big difference between a “tourist” and a “traveler”. For example, one traveler we met was a man from the Netherlands, and he rode his bicycle from there to Cambodia! He literally got on his bike one day and started riding with no particular destination in mind, and 15 months later he ended up in Cambodia.
We spent our time at the beach relaxing, snorkeling and soaking in the sun. It was exactly what our team needed to recharge before heading off to our next destination.
Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, and was our final stop. It’s a bustling city that has experienced exponential amounts of growth over the past 10 years as western culture has gained influence. There’s a strange contradiction of extreme poverty and tourist filled restaurants just blocks from each other. It is also a hub for missionaries in Southeast Asia, so our schedule was packed with ministry contact meetings.
We were able to meet with some well-known organizations like Daughters of Cambodia and Agape International Missions, which was made famous by the anti-human trafficking documentary, Nefarious (check it out, it will rock your world). But we also met with several smaller organizations and individual missionaries, my favorite of which was Pastor Ezra.
Pastor Ezra was born and raised in Korea, but spent most of his adult life in the states. For the past 8 years he’s been doing full time missions in Cambodia. He’s a brilliant, generous man with big plans for a nation that has so much need. His love for the people of Cambodia is evident, as he has dedicated his life to providing higher education and sharing the gospel through the university he founded.
Meeting Pastor Ezra was definitely a divine appointment. One of my teammates had an ear infection and needed to see a doctor. Some how we ended up at a clinic across town. The clinic wasn’t convenient to our hostel, we had never heard of it before, but yet it’s where we found ourselves. It just so happens that Pastor Ezra owns the clinic and was there at the same time as my teammate. As soon as Pastor Ezra found out about our Unsung Heroes ministry he was overjoyed! Turns out he had been praying for teams of short-term missionaries to partner with his ministry. We were actually an answer to his prayers just as much as he was an answer to ours!
At the end of the month I was blessed to spend a few days, including Thanksgiving, back at the beach with my logistics co-leader, Sharion, and our squad leaders, Zach and Hailey. It’s a special treat to get a break like this after working hard to plan our squad debrief that took place at the beginning of December. Debrief is a time for the squad to rest and reflect, but is typically very busy for logistics and squad leaders. Hanging out at the beach was the perfect way to end the month and get ready for December in Malaysia.
Our month doing the Unsung Heroes ministry was truly incredible. God showed up in the most unexpected places and ways. The way my team and I grew in dependence on Him was so awesome. We opened our hearts and schedules to allow Him to guide us step by step. We learned to see Jesus in every situation – from typhoid fever, broken down buses and creepy hostels, to meeting people who give up all they have to follow the Lord’s calling on their lives. I pray that the contacts we made in Cambodia will be blessed by many World Race teams in the future, as they serve the Lord together!
