Ministry in Cambodia
I am so excited about this month! My team and I are teaching English! We are split up throughout the day but we’re still making things like team time and meal times happen. Personally, I’m excited for my schedule and for being busy.
My day starts early, in my hammock and bug net. By 7:30AM we are ready to go as kids start showing up to Good Seed School. They’re so smart! This month they’re learning about birds. We learn two a day and they practice writing, spelling, colors and identifying parts of the bird.
After a morning full of learning and playing the kids head home and we wind down for lunch. Our ministry host and the teachers at the school have been preparing lunches for us which is such a blessing. We are able to try local dishes and fruits every day. I can finally say I’ve tried a Jack Fruit! We have also had soup with Morning Glory, different types of stir fry and some very spicy peppers.
This is Wooden Apple fruit common in Cambodia. They eat them fully ripe and unripe. This one was unripe. You dip it in a sugar and chili pepper mixture and enjoy!
I have a small break in the afternoon where I am able to catch up on things like laundry, blogging, messages, workouts, sleep and reading. I then head black to the school around 4:45PM for my evening class at Amazing Grace Church. Their ages range from 13-20. We are working on conversational English and pronunciation of different sounds in the English language.
Last night the class was playing categories and the letter was W. One of the categories was a funny or silly thing that starts with W. They came up with “worry”. I was blown away! Yes, worry is a silly thing to do because it doesn’t change the situation and only increases the fear about it. WOW. In that moment I experienced a deeper gratitude for having the opportunity to work with these youth.
Upon returning from Amazing Grace Church my team meets up and we head to dinner/ team time. Being separated most of the day makes meal time and team time so much more exiting. It’s refreshing to have time to share about your day and hear how things are going for others.
After dinner we head home for an early bed time and fans! This is our schedule Monday – Friday. We have Saturdays off and Sundays will be spent at a local church sharing our testimonies and participating in worship.
My teammates and I were recently talking about the challenges of being a teacher and/or a mom. If you haven’t seen the video on Facebook where the mom goes around Target asking if the teacher wants a microwave in the classroom, check it out! That’s now me. If you’re a teacher or a mom and you manage to have energy and enthusiasm to do this ALL year for YEARS… you’re amazing and quite frankly- superhuman.
It is wonderful to be so busy though; It reminds me of my schedule at home. I have to FIND time for priorities or else things would easily get away from me. I encourage you to take a look at your schedule as well and see if you’re making time for the things that really matter. Relationships take work, both with others and the Lord. Self care takes time, but we’re better with others because of it. Comment below to let me know what YOU do to stay balanced and live out your priorities and passions.
Only 73 more days until I return! I look forward to all that Asia has and the ways the Lord will work in these last days.
Much Love,
Danielle
