I’m back! Sorry for no updates this past month but I spent my time in Cambodia fasting from all electronics and communication back home. But no worries, here’s an update on what God’s been doing (sorry it’s a little long).
Cambodia was a big surprise that my squad and I didn’t see coming. It was like a present, a present we defiantly weren’t expecting and one we hadn’t prepared for… but we accepted it with open arms. We were told that we would be spending our third month in Cambodia instead of Thailand, and soon found ourselves on a 13-hour bus ride to a completely unknown place. Then on top of that, on our first day in Phnom Penh, all us team leaders were surprised with to find out that there would be team changes. My new team is a mixture of new and old. Alyssa, Lucas, Jake, and I are all still together, with awesome new additions of Hannah and Noah.
Driving to our ministry site the day after getting this new team was filled with the unknown. We were uncertain of what our ministry was going to look like, unsure of who we were as a team, and unaware of why exactly God had brought us here. From the moment I learned we would be coming to Cambodia I was beyond pumped and I was excited to be working with an orphanage, but I had no idea what to expect.
Our ministry this past month has been an orphanage called New Hope for Orphans in Kampot, Cambodia. It sits in the middle of a small village with the closest market a decent bike ride away. Pastor Kimeng and his wife Srey Bon run the orphanage together. They are a young couple in their late twenties who have fully committed their lives to the plans God has for them. They started this orphanage two years ago and now care for 22 of the most joyful kids I’ve had the pleasure of living with.
Living in an orphanage with children always around has been an interesting experience. I will miss waking up to their little voices running around outside and falling asleep to them yelling goodnight after dinner. The kids quickly became like our little siblings. I fell in love with them and loved being with them! However, after a few hours of playing the same unknown card game with no real rules, you were ready for a moment of quiet time and rest.
Rest… something God gave us a lot of this month. We had no real set schedule or ministry, just time to love on the kids. While the kids were at school for a few hours or in the English class we held for them once a day, there was some quiet time. God showed me a lot during those sweet times this month. He taught me about his grace. It is nothing I will ever deserve, but something he beautifully has given to me as a gift (Ephesians 1:7-8). He showed me what it means to love people the same way he does, seeing them through his eyes (1 John 4:7-13). And probably the sweetest of these, he showed me once again what it means to have faith and love like a child (Matthew 18:3-5).
These kids here were so filled with God’s love and joy. You could see it, especially in their worship. It wasn’t to long after we got here that we got to have a surprise worship service with pastor and the children and see their way of worship. All I have to say is WOW. As I stood there in the back of the room, with the loud electric guitar worship playing, I watched this group of children worship more intensely than some churches I have seen at home. It was absolutely breathtaking, and I stood there watching them all in awe. These small children with no parents were standing with their arms in the air, eyes closed, singing on the top of their lungs, focused on nothing but the presence of Christ. It has challenged me to be more childlike… in my worship, in my faith, and in my joy. Like a child, I want to not over think things or worry, but to place all I have in God and know he will be there working.
Days here were simple. They usually looked like spending time with the children, riding bikes though the village, discovering Cambodia’s beauty, and teaching English to the younger and older kids once a day. These were some of the sweetest times, spent in much laughter and lots of smiles. I can’t believe my month here is already over.
There is a lot I am going to miss…. like watching the sunset over the mountains, biking though the rice fields, having no electricity at night so you only option is to sit and stare at the amazing stars, having praise and worship with the children, going places with all 30 something of us, and of course seeing the smiling faces of these sweet kids each day.
Saying goodbye tomorrow is not going to be easy… in fact it is going to be one of the hardest goodbyes. I will be saying goodbye not knowing if I’ll ever be able to return. The sweet thing that I can hold onto, however, is that one day in heaven I’ll see these crazy little ones and be able to love on them and play as much “ya ya stop” (a game they love where you freeze and the first person who moves looses- so fun right?) as they want without getting tired.
Cambodia was a present we weren’t expecting, one we opened up carefully and suspiciously… but one that truly has changed my life and blessed me in so many ways.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” -Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)
