When I was little, I used to line up all my stuffed animals in order to teach them music, mathematics, and anything I thought was interesting. At least that’s what Mom tells me. I was three or four. This past Friday, October 19, 2007, I had a class much more interactive than a dozen inanimate objects. About 200 – 250 students attended my lecture. Just the evening before, I was asked to teach English at New Life Fellowship, where the community classes are held. No curriculum or lesson plan. I was instructed to just show up and tell them about myself.
So as you would anticipate, I planned a brief outline of my interactive lecture. The students clapped as I entered the room. I introduced my name (and how to say it), disclosed where I come from, pointed to where Minnesota and Tennessee are located on my travel map, showed pictures of my family and friends, described my recent accounting profession, explained what I was doing traveling the world, portrayed where I had been and what I had seen, etc. Then I explained why I chose to travel the world for a year, following the call of God. This discussion smoothly transitioned into my life story – how God called me to have a relationship with Him and how He wants a personal relationship with each person. Not just head knowledge or facts, but a deep relationship.
Throughout the lecture, I stopped to make sure they understood large and complex words. For instance, I explained the word relationship. I said a relationship is getting to know a person, talking with him, letting him talk with you. More than just knowing facts, it is understanding his heart. An illustration: I asked them how many people knew Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. All but one or two said “no.” So I asked them who a Cambodian movie star was. The group answered: James Bond. (Yes, this made me chuckle.) So I asked how many knew James Bond. Almost everyone in the room raised their hand. But when I asked how many had a relationship with James Bond, no one raised a hand. They understood what the word relationship meant! I then explained how it’s the same with Jesus–not just knowing about Him, but knowing His heart and opening up our hearts to Him. Since some students were more advanced in English than others, a student volunteered as an interpreter during key points of my discussion, such as when I read Romans 10:9?If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.”
I told the young adults more about America, teaching them words and pronunciation as we went, and invited them up for questions after my interactive lecture hour had ended. As I tried to dismiss the class, they just looked at me. Then a student informed me that the professor for the next lecture hour was out of town. The class asked me to stay–They wanted to hear more! Praise God for His grace providing words (Matthew 10:19-20) and the opportunity to share more with them.
A student asked to hear lessons from the Bible, so I shared a few Bible stories (including I Kings 18 showing God as All-Powerful over Baal), answered several theological questions, and just chit-chatted about things, like my love for rock-climbing and watching American football with my dad, both of which I had to describe and demonstrate. Oh, and Dad, you’d be proud of me, I also sang to the class, upon their request. The second hour flew by, and several of my students wanted to chat more in the end. Thank God for such a fun-filled hour with genuinely friendly students.
Please pray for those who attend the community English classes held at New Life Fellowship. Many do not have a relationship with God. In Cambodia, there are some legal restrictions on inviting mass groups to know Christ. However, sharing my personal faith and life is legal and embraced by the young people. Please pray that God will use these young people to bring this friendly nation to know “The Lord He is God!” 1 Kings 18:39.
