This month was spent in a brand new country with a brand new new team. We came in blindly to our ministry, not knowing what to expect. We traveled down long, one-way dirt roads, with our bus driver honking every three seconds, and finally arrived at our site: New Hope for Orphans in Kampot.
My new team (David, Mike, Parker, Jill, Reya and I, along with one other team had an incredible month here. Although none of it was expected, all of it was good. I know I was supposed to be in this place at this time with these people, and God taught me a lot through it.
This month, we were without wifi, showered with brown lake water that didn’t always agree with our skin, sweated ourselves to sleep nightly in our tents, and had no electricity after 6pm (if it had lasted that long throughout the day). The simplicity of it all was actually kind of refreshing.
Life in Cambodia really was life lived in its simplest form. We were in the middle of nowhere. Some days seemed to go on forever, and we had nothing but time. We were on a moment by moment schedule. The noise of my normal world was silenced here so that I could hear The Lord’s voice. Here, He has shown me more of what it really means to be still and know.
We lived with 22 orphans. They constantly wanted to sit on laps or play games or listen to me play guitar or hang out in an eno. Most days were simply spent hanging out with the kids while they were not at school. Besides that, we taught separate English classes for the younger and older kids twice a day.
Many of these kids do not understand the love of earthly parents, but they have experienced the love of their heavenly Father. Some of my favorite moments here were on Saturday nights when 13 Americans got to worship together with a bunch of Cambodian orphans. Together, we danced around, praising the One True King together. They worshipped with such passion and abandon, and it was beautiful. I want more and more child-like faith like theirs.
I really felt the love of God through these kids. They love unconditionally and constantly. I want to love others like that more. The truth is, as believers, we are called children of God (1 John 3:1). Walking in that, we are called to love one another in response to The Lord first loving us (1 John 4:9). My prayer this month constantly became “Lord, fill me up so much with Your love that it overflows out of me.” Our mission is to love God and to love others. In His strength, we can love to the fullest.
I am thankful for my unexpected adventure in Cambodia that passed all too quickly. I am thankful for stargazing at night, going on bike rides, jumping off bridges, watching nightly soccer games, and watching the sun set behind miles of rice fields before dinner.
Now, it is on to the next adventure. I will be staying with my new team and two others near Cape Town, South Africa! Please pray for safe travel to our new location, for the new ministry we will have, and for my awesome new team! God bless.
Team LLPT! (top: David, Parker Mike) (bottom: Reya, Claudia, Jillian)
Thanksgiving: we had mashed potatoes and pork and good community 🙂
Nang running in front of our humble abode.
Mae, one of my favorite little girls! She spoke my language: sass
Two of the sweetest twins ever: Tered and Tara
