On Sundays the students at ITCS (International Theological College and Seminary) go in small groups to villages outside of Phnom Penh and lead church services and Sunday school for children. Robyn and I tagged along with Sarran, Avitso, Sokhchea, and Nak and helped with the kids, which included the delightful task of keeping a puppy that one of them brought out of the adults’ service. After the service was out, the adults sat around a table and ate French bread topped with condensed milk while we took turns fanning flies away with a tree branch.
Then we got into the truck to head back to school. The truck, a pickup with benches installed on the sides and a tarp over the top, drove back the way we came and picked up all the other students we’d dropped off. The benches slowly filled up again until all 17 of us were seated, pressed against each other’s sweaty, sticky arms.
It was hot, yes, but more than that, it was humid. As the day drew to a close and the sky darkened, cool breezes would find their way under the tarp, giving us all some relief and reminding us how clammy we were.
But then, that kind of thing isn’t really an issue anymore. I was handed a cold bottle half full of Coke and told to enjoy the rest of it. There were two guitars in the truck that groups had used for the church services, and PC and Arden played them and we made a racket. The truck bumped down village dirt paths and half completed toll roads and we sang song after song at the top of our lungs. We sang “Every Move I Make” and “Country Roads” and “You Raise Me Up” and “Jingle Bells.”
Since the back of the truck was open, we had an excellent view of the people staring at us. I guess a truck packed with 17 students rocking out on guitars would catch your attention. Motorcyclists, shopkeepers, and pedestrians stared blankly at us as we rumbled down the road. A man on a motorcycle had a baseball hat that said “I [heart] Cap” and he peered under our tarp as he passed us. And the students who are quickly becoming our friends made no effort to quiet down. We just kept singing.
These are the people I’m serving this month: 35 brilliant, passionate, talented, funny students from all over Asia who are pursuing degrees in Religion, Theology, and Divinity. During the school week, Team Twelve (our final team change of the year) teaches English and other subjects to the students. For me, those other subjects are geography, and world religions.
If you know me, you’ll have guessed that I’m very happy to be in an academic environment. I love being around people who are studying and learning. I love blocking out time in my day to plan lessons about things I care about. I love hanging out with the students, who are mostly in their 20s. This ministry is a joy to be a part of, and it’s so different than anything I’ve done yet on the Race, and it is very challenging. It is wonderful.
Team Twelve is the other wonderful thing about this month. In fact, when the Race is over, I’ll look back on Team Twelve’s formation as one of the most beautiful surprises of the whole year.
Almost exactly one year ago, I went to training camp and was put on a team that we named Crisco: you can see a picture of us here. But when I stepped up as a team leader for Brazen Hearts before Launch and a Crisco member, David, suffered a back injury that kept him from leaving in January, Crisco was split up and our group never had a chance to be together.
Until a week ago, that is, when it was time to change teams for the last time. Tony, our original team leader who stepped down from leadership at the beginning, was made a leader and he called out some names… Michelle… Robyn…. Kori… Chelsea… Arden! Team Crisco, the second version, was back together! Instead of David, Arden’s with us, who is now my longest-running teammate. We have spent six months together now!
I’m so excited to be on this team, and I love that even if we didn’t start our Race together, we get to end it together. We’re a very diverse group with a lot of different interests and skills, and I know we’ll do a great job of pushing each other to be more like Christ every day. Our team name, Twelve, hints at the fact that life after “11 in 11” is quickly approaching, and when we embark on our 12 month in North America, the adventure won’t be over. So be praying for us all, that we serve each other and our last two countries with excellence, and that we make the most of every minute!
