Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

Cambodia
 

        As my team and I stepped off the plane into the city of Phnom Penh all I knew of this country was the very recent Genocide that had taken place.  Even then, I wasn’t really sure what the Genocide was all about or how it had affected the people of Cambodia.  However, the other day I understood what tragedy had taken place in such a beautiful country when my team and I went to the actual killing fields and saw the mass graves, weapons of murder, and many memorials dedicated to all those who died; very emotional.   


       This is a memorial stuppa containing a few of the bones of those killed in these killing fields

        Nonetheless, with such recent darkness I have quit possibly found one of the most loving, beautiful, joyful, and glorious countries!  Yeah sure, the living conditions for 14 of us (another team is with us this month) consist of a few concrete walls, a tin roof, dimly light rooms, some giant spiders, lizards, and bats, along with just enough room for us to hang up our hammocks to sleep.  But the community!  Let me tell you! 



My brother and me attempting to sleep

 

        While here we get to love on so many people!  Every morning I wake up to children yelling, “Grayson…Grayson…come play!”  Yes!  I then get to pour out the love of God all over these children by praying over them, telling them about Jesus, taking Taekwondo classes with them, playing crazy Cambodian games with them, and more.  These children are legitimately some of the happiest and loving people I have ever encountered.  


 Some of my lovely children!

        Along with ministering to the children, throughout the day we have been blessed with the opportunity to invest into three young men who have just accepted Christ.  They are 19, 20, and 21 years old.  Our pastor Teven disciples them and plans to send them out soon in order to spread the love, wonder, and astonishment of Jesus Christ.  These three young men cooked lunch for me the very first day I met them and they invited me to join them by saying, “You are our brother in Christ.  Through him we are one family regardless of country.  Let us feed you and bless you because we love you.”  I don’t know about you, but I think that is one of the greatest sermons I have ever heard. 

        So much has happened within the first five days of being here.  This place…this place has what Paul would call, “the fragrance of life.”  Love.  Simply put, this country is a country of love.  They have nothing, yet they are making many rich with love.  I have been loved by the little child who beats me up with Taekwondo every day, all the way to my new friend Yetsuma who makes me snow cones and talks about the greatness of God as I walk by her stand in the afternoon.  I am tearing up as I type this blog due to the amount of love I have already experienced from these beautiful people. 


Snow Cones!!!
 

        This place is disciplining me in just “being ministry” and not “doing ministry.”  We are children of the light according to the Gospel of John, so let us just be light, we don’t have to seek out places to let our light shine.  It should grow brighter with ever breath we take regardless of where we are.  These people here have gone through so much death, but I would argue their light shines the brightest.