The Village People

Another aspect of ministry we do is going and visiting
families in our village as well as the villages where we do children’s
outreach.  We just go talk to the parents
of the kids that are either in our English classes at school or the parents of
the kids at the children’s outreach.  We
may have deep conversations or just small talk, but every time we go visit
someone they are so happy we came.  These
people love Westerners to visit them. 
They love to ask us questions about America or talk about how lazy
Americans are since we have air conditioning and don’t work all day in the hot
field just to make ends meat.  

I’ve heard way too many times, “We just don’t have enough
money to eat� or “We can’t afford to send our child to school� or “I can’t
afford to get that medicine because I have to feed my 5 childrenâ€�.  It doesn’t get any easier each time you hear
it.  It doesn’t get any easier to hear
anyone’s story.  These are stories of
poverty and despair. 

One woman shared with us how she can’t read or write because
they closed all the schools when she was little during the Khmer Rouge.  One woman cares for 6 children, but not one
of them is her own.  She is in her late
forties, not married, and she takes care of children whose parents have left
them.  She does all the work of a man
including working the field and building a house all by herself just to support
her “familyâ€�.  One woman has TB and can’t
afford medicine to get better.  She
doesn’t know how much longer she’ll live-she’s been sick for 3 years.  She said she wouldn’t mind dying if she was
alone, but she has 4 young children she has to care for.  One woman shared that her son bakes his own
bread every night and sells it to make money to send himself to school.  One mother shared her gratitude for letting
her daughter come to her our English school. 
Her daughter has down syndrome, and the regular school will not let her
come.  She told us how loved her daughter
feels here and how blessed she is that we care so much about her.

We pray that relationships will continue to be built with
these people and that trust will be formed. 
That the Lord will open doors for the Gospel to be shared.  The Gospel is the only thing that will
provide the hope, joy, peace, and comfort these people so desperately need.

   

*Photos courtesy of Chelsea Brunts