Tuesday started out a bit rough. I spent the morning on and off the squatty potty, again. I was exhausted from another poor night’s sleep, sweat soaked on the floor of our hot and humid treehouse. And just when I was starting to wonder how many more meals of rice were to come, I received a nice bowl of rice for breakfast. I’m not complaining. I’ve actually really loved our time here in rural Cambodia, possibly more than I have enjoyed any other place we have been thus far. It’s just that, some days in life, one can’t help but start to wonder, “what on earth am I doing here?”.
After lunch I went and sat in the tuktuk to catch some shade and rest. Our host, Pastor Prach, came and joined me. We chatted and laughed for the next 90 minutes, sharing stories and photos and exchanging information about our lives and native countries. He spoke of the good old days, not long ago, when Cambodia was about 75% forested. Monkeys were everywhere and tigers roamed the countryside. Now with only about 25% forests, we haven’t seen a single monkey, and tigers are nowhere to be found. But back in those days, things were different. When a tiger would wander into the village, people would be filled with fear of evil spirits and would seek out the local witch doctor for protection. The witch doctor would sell them belts and anklets or bracelets to fend off the evil spirits which they feared. This sounded so prehistoric to me! I asked if there were still witch doctors in the village. Prach explained that yes, there was still the odd witch doctor here and there. They even still made a bit of profit from selling belts and bracelets to fend off evil spirits. Interesting. I kept this in mind.
The next afternoon we were in the tuktuk, headed to school to teach our daily English classes, when we suddenly came to a halt. There in the long grass on the side of the road lay a crumpled old man. Prach, myself and my teammate Madie jumped out and rushed over to the man while the other 3 team mates in the cab began to pray. The man was at least in his late 80s and he appeared unconscious. His legs were twisted beneath him, his walking stick lay next to him and he was unresponsive. At about 30 degrees, it was not a good day to be laying in full sun exposure, and we had no idea how long he had been there. Concerns ran high.
After carrying the limp man into the shade, Prach sat him up and started to get water into his mouth one capful at a time. Madie patted water on his arms, legs and face, and I prayed for a miracle. Slowly the man started to come around a bit. We pulled the tuktuk over, lifted the man in, climbed in next to him and headed for his house. When we arrived, his elderly wife, his granddaughter (about 30 years old) and his great grandchildren met us in the driveway. Their faces fell as they saw their patriarch’s body, limp in the tuktuk. We carried him to a cot, left him with some water and headed on our way. The family thanked us and sent us off with smiles and waves.
As we processed the event, Prach explained to us that the old man was actually a witch doctor, just like the ones he had spoken of the day previous. He told us that the people in the village were afraid of the man, and that his family was quite poor and dealt with a fair bit of rejection. His family had seemed so sweet and caring when we met them. And the frail old man seemed so harmless. We all felt drawn to the family. We asked if we could go back to the man’s house the next day and Prach agreed to take us.
The next morning we picked up some cans of milk for the old man and headed to his home. When we came down the driveway we were met with smiles from the man’s wife, granddaughter and great grandchildren. With Prach as our translator, we asked how the man was doing and were invited to go up in the treehouse to see him. As we proceeded up the stairs, I turned around and watched as the man’s elderly wife bent down, untied a bracelet from around her ankle and tossed it aside. She then climbed up the stairs behind us. Pastor Prach, the old man, his wife, his granddaughter, my 3 teammates and I all gathered in a circle on the floor of the treehouse and we began to chat.
They again thanked us for helping the man. Prach explained to us that, in Cambodia, if one man finds another laying on the side of the road they will often leave him, as the family or police may lay accusations that the rescuer was responsible for the injuries of the victim. We thanked God that we had come across the man and that we had been able to confidently offer our help as a group.
We got to know a bit about the family and told them a bit about ourselves, where we were from and of how we were on mission in Cambodia to share the love of Jesus. They had heard of Jesus but knew nothing about him, and so we shared our faith. We explained what it is that we believe and who the God is that we serve. We explained God’s love for them and His desire for relationship with them. With intent focus and interest they listened to every word that was spoken.They explained to us that they go to the buddhist temple and they sit and listen, but they don’t understand the chants or their meaning. When we told them that our God speaks to us they were in awe as Buddha does not speak to those who gather at his temples.
We asked if they would like to know this Jesus, and with bright eyes the granddaughter said she would. In that treehouse that morning, Pastor Prach lead the woman in her first prayer to the one true God, and for the first time in her life she experienced relationship with Jesus Christ. The room resonated with peace and love as we prayed with the granddaughter. Her smile wider than ever, she beamed with joy. It was beautiful.
We invited the family to come to church on Sunday, which is Christmas day, and they said that they would like to. After a bit more conversation we began to say our goodbyes, but then something else happened. The old man’s wife pulled one of us aside and started rubbing her arm and leg. Pastor spoke with her and explained that she had been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) and that now one side of her body was weak and in pain. I suspect she may have suffered a stroke at some point and that it had gone undiagnosed and untreated. She asked us to pray for her, and so we prayed. We asked God to take her pain and restore her strength. And you know what, He did! We asked how she felt, and with a big smile on her face she said “I feel better!”.
Some days in life are hard. Some days it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, doing something rather insignificant. But you never know where God will take you. I am learning that if you are available, willing and obedient, He can and will use you to search out that one lost sheep, to lead it home, to rescue it from a desperate situation, or to pray healing and freedom from pain. My God is so good. This journey is confirming to me more than ever that His love covers every inch of this beautiful planet. I love you all and hope you are living life in the fullness of His glory and grace.
So much love for all of you!!
Emily
