English classes take place every day in the little red treehouse. We each have a whiteboard, pencil sharper, paper, and the most important thing-stickers!!! The stickers are rewards the students earn by answering questions and being good in class. Everyone LOVES collecting stickers, and when given a sticker they carefully stick them in perfect straight rows at the back of their notebooks. These stickers will be used at the end of the the week to buy things at the “school market.” That we will set up for the kids.
Well today at the start of school, drama broke out. We found out that one of the kids had stolen several sticker pages from the class and gave them out to his friends so everyone had extra stickers in the back of their books. This is no little thing-stickers here are a HUGE DEAL and valuable.
Where this sticker drama took place-is a “only in Cambodia” moment.
There are about 20 crocodile farms (pens made out of sticks, basically) enclosing about 15+ crocs, surrounding our treehouse. There is a pen with large crocs that, (for some reason) the villagers won’t let us Americans go to.
So naturally,these smart children all met up at the crocodile pen that they knew the teachers wouldn’t find them at. The “forbidden croc pit,” As we call it. There, the stickers handout took place. In the midst the large crocodiles, they handed out the Stickers and then threw the blank sticker page into the crocodiles pen. The crocs devoured the evidence, and theybthought this would hide their sin.
While hearing this, I couldn’t help but find it humorous. The whole situation-the croc pit, the fact that they all met up to share the stolen stickers. The fact that someone tattled. Now I’m looking at 8 kids sitting on the floor, Eyes closed, and hands raised-admitting they were part of taking stickers at the croc pit…terrified of their punishment for stealing.
But this was a perfect opportunity to share with the kids about sin, grace and forgiveness! Completely on their level, where they are at. We forgave the little sticker thieves and gave them another chance. We shared how Jesus forgives us, and how he loves us even though we sin.
Isn’t it great that Jesus reaches us, and forgives us where we are at. Nothing is to small or to large for Him to hear and forgive. Sin is sin. For the kids stealing stickers in a croc pit in Cambodia, or the thief on the cross thousands of years ago…God judges us ALL by the same law, He loves us each the same and forgives us and meets us exactly where we are at. The amazing love of Christ!
The next day happened to be Easter. We had the kids come back to the treehouse and showed them the “Jesus” film. Over half of our kids wanted to receive Jesus into their lives!
Please be in prayer for our hosts Joyner and Mrs. Chey as they continue to go into this village weekly and disciple and teach these children more. I have moved to another country, and another ministry, but these dedicated ladies travel four hours every weekend to return to this village to teach and disciple the families. I was so blessed to be able to work with them and be a part of there ministry this month and will miss them so much. The little red treehouse in the floating village, and the children we got to teach, will always be a part of my heart.
