Hey friends!
My team and I have been in Cambodia for two weeks now, and we have two weeks left until we head to Thailand! These two weeks have already been full of precious Khmer people, loaded with bugs, and saturated with the beautiful simplicity of village life. Jesus is moving mightily in this nation and in this village, so being a small part of that has been such a joy!
Our team is serving at an orphanage where we simply get to do life with the people here. I so clearly experience God’s love shining through the children, the sunsets, the conversations, and the smiles from our elderly neighbors. Primarily, we do church twice a week with the kids, teach English, complete projects around the orphanage, and evangelize with our neighbors in the village.
One of my favorite days was this past Saturday. Our team took a spontaneous trip to town to try weird bugs and experience the local Cambodian foods. This adventure turned into an even better adventure through a conversation and some time spent with two little buddies selling fruit at the market.
We woke up that morning expecting to plan church for the night and hang with the kiddos, when our host told us he wanted to take us to town and show us around with the new van that was just donated to the orphanage!
He said, “Let’s go to the Spider Village.” Hmm… what…??
He told us that it’s just a market (whew) and that we could try tarantulas, scorpions, etc. So, some of us tried tarantulas that morning! (I only ate the legs, yikes.)
But first, I met Hoylee and Cho. They walked up to me trying to sell me fruit and we became quick friends as we circled around the market together. We laughed at how badly I pronounced their names and they explained to me what their different Cambodian foods were. They wore cute little bucket hats and told me about their jobs selling fruit on the weekends. They encouraged me and giggled as I freaked out about trying a spider. Honestly, I just loved them right away. As we were about to leave I felt the Holy Spirit telling me to pray for them.
I asked them if they have heard of Jesus and they shook their heads no. I then told them about the one, true God that is ALIVE. Not a Buddhist god sitting in a temple, but rather a Savior that loves them personally. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to open their hearts and for more people to come along to continue planting seeds; while also declaring that one day these children will come to know the one, true God.
We hugged and blew kisses to each other as we parted ways and although I don’t speak Khmer and can’t convey every piece of the Gospel to them because of it, I am trusting that more people who love Jesus will encounter these two.
Thank you Jesus that you tell the little children to come to you; that you see them and that the kingdom belongs to them. Thank you Jesus that you’re trustworthy. Thank you Jesus that you hear our prayers for the lost and you love them SO deeply. Jesus, thank you for sweet little friends that made my day and showed me Your heart all by trying to sell me some pineapple and mangoes. Life is truly such a sweet adventure with You.
“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” -Matthew 19:13-14
Until next time!
xoxo,
Court
