I heard so many fantastic things about Siem Reap coming into this month. The ministry was talked about so much, with such excitement and passion, that i couldn’t wait to come, live with Fhonkie and Haya, sing karaoke, and get into some great conversations at the monastaries.
We got to Siem Reap earlier this week, and things aren’t as i expected…story of the world race so far. Fhonkie and his wife don’t live on the YWAM base anymore. we haven’t gone out to sing karaoke even once. and zack and i haven’t stepped foot onto a monastary yet. we’re not sure we will either.
God has asked me to surrender a lot of expectations or hopes this year for His plan instead of mine.
Instead of investing in conversations with the monks, i’m teaching microsoft word and adobe photoshop to a group of high school students who speak english at varying levels. i don’t know enough to teach either of these classes, but God knew that.
Wednesdays are a day where we set aside computers and talk about “christian values.” sometimes that’s a gospel presentation, or a discussion on something relevant to christianity, like integrity or purity, etc.
this past wednesday i sat in a class with kids really anxious to hear me teach about Christ. they are very respectful and always begin questions with, “Teacher, what do you think about…?” It made me think of the way people came up to Jesus asking him for his wisdom. Praise the Lord i’m not left to rely on my own words, but instead could point them to scripture and to the Words of Christ in those moments.
I was talking about how i can know Jesus is real without having ever seen him. That’s a heavy question, and it was hard to explain in simple words so the class could understand, but God was gracious in giving me words. As i was answering, a young man, probably about 17 sat down next to me…awkwardly close. he put his hand on my forearm, and began breathing on my cheek. this was way too close if we had been in the states, but especially for being in asia!
he asked questions in the middle of my response, and i was getting annoyed at what i assumed in his voice to be sarcasm. as annoyance filled my heart, i heard a soft, still voice in my mind tell me, “dave, if it’s ever been important for you to love with grace, this is that moment...” i knew it was the Lord’s voice, and i was embarrassed i was screwing up the most basic christian concept in that moment, the concept of loving by brother…
Di was teaching the class with me and saw me invest in this guy, so she voluntarily took the rest of the class, allowing me to talk more in depth with him. he asked me a question, right off the bat…”why do christians go to church every sunday…?” it was a simple question, and i gave him a really long answer – more than he wanted. i basically ended with, the church is supposed to be all about Jesus. ”i can prove that is not true,” he said. expecting him to talk about american culture or the way the church has slandered the name of Jesus, i was shocked to hear him continue, ”when i went once, they had bread they ate and wine they drank. that is not about jesus, is it?”
with that, i was able to talk about communion and what it represented. jesus body was broken, and here’s why it needed to be broken. his blood was shed, and here’s why it needed to be shed. i finished sharing the gospel, and he made a comment to me . it’s a comment that has haunted me since, and a comment i’ll never forget…it was the first time i’d ever heard someone say…
”i’ve never heard of this Jesus before.”
how can we have a world like we do where someone has never heard of Jesus Christ. i asked him what he thought about what i shared, and he honestly didn’t know. knowing God wasn’t done with him, i asked if i could pray for him and he agreed. i prayed, and watched the holy spirit fill him, captivate him with wonder, and ruin him of what he thought he knew as i ended the prayer. “what was that?“he asked. The spirit brought him to a place where he knew he needed Jesus, and was willing to trust his life to him. how could i be bummed to not be talking with monks when i can talk with brothers who are so willing and eager to hear the truth of God at a computer school?
Tong is his name – be praying for him. I’ll see him almost every day for the next two weeks. He wants to be my brother, and for the next two weeks, we’ll make that happen. pray the Lord provides other brothers for him as well…
i guess i encourage you to be willing to share the gospel boldly as well…cause who knows who hasn’t heard it. for Tong, it only took hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ once…
you are loved. DB
