Our first week in Cambodia has come and gone. It’s been a week full of laughter and tears, of teaching and playing, of eating inordinate amounts rice and bucket showers. We’re just a week in and already this month has blessed me in so many ways. I never thought I’d love living in a tent with spotty electricity, a squatty potty a hundred yards away and cows in my front yard, but from the moment we got here I couldn’t help but feel resounding peace in the fact that this is exactly what I had wanted all along. Even when the living conditions begin to wear on me, I look to my new teammates and their amazing attitudes and joy and I am reminded of why I am here.
Here’s a little look at what day-to-day looks like here in the village.
8:00 AM: Worship & Prayer with team
Each morning we take turns leading the team in a time of worship and prayer. We usually share something that God is teaching us and spend time worshipping together. These times have taught me the importance of beginning the day centered on God even when my flesh is telling me I’d rather go back to bed. This is one of my favorite parts of the day.
8:30 AM: Breakfast
Let’s be honest, breakfast is my favorite meal. Every morning we have either the same noodle dish (it’s delicious) or eggs with a large dose of onion and coffee. The coffee is much different than what we have in the States. It is very thick and mixed with sweetened condensed milk. Don’t knock it until you try it. It’s amazing.
9:00 AM: Open time
This time can involve many things. We journal and do our individual quiet times. We read. We prepare for the day’s English class. We shower. We spend time getting to know each other better. We play with the kids in the village. We nap in our tents. I give guitar lessons to my teammates. We go for walks around the village.
And sometimes we help harvest rice. This was a morning I will never forget.
11:30 AM: Lunch
Lunch always involves rice. We always have some kind of vegetable dish. And sometimes fruit. I have come to love vegetables. I voiced the thought today as we ate that I feel as though I should be sick of eating the same thing everyday, but I am loving it.
12:00 PM: Leanne and Kaleena’s class
This month our ministry is teaching English. There are three classes throughout the day. We’ve all paired up to teach them. Leanne and Kaleena teach the young kids the basics of the English language like numbers and the alphabet.
1:00 PM: Zach and I’s class
Zach and I have the privilege to teach 9-11 year olds. We teach simple parts of the English language. We’ve been teaching about the parts of speech.The kids are eager to learn. It really is a lot of fun.
2:00 PM: One on one time
At the beginning of the week we all pick one or two of the kids to spend individual time with everyday. On that first day in between our class and one on one time, I was drawn to two girls singing “How Great is Our God.” I sat down and began singing with them. This is how I met Linda and Rotna. Both are around seventeen years old. They love to sing and I asked if they’d like to learn to play the guitar. Linda’s eyes instantly grew wide. That is when the guitar lessons began. Every day, Linda, Rotna and I play the guitar and sing together. They are both very sweet girls and I am excited to get to know them better as the month goes on.
3:00 PM: Free Time
This is a repeat of the earlier free time. We usually end of sitting and playing with the kids in our front yard. Oftentimes they swim in the small pond in front of our house. These are some of the beautiful faces we get to see everyday.
4:00 PM: Brian and Aubrie’s Class
Brian and Aubrie teach the older kids, ages twelve to sixteen.
6:00 PM: Dinner
Dinner is usually the same food as lunch, ‘nuff said.
6:45 PM: Bible Study
Every evening two of us lead a group of 20-30 in a Bible Study. This usually involves games, singing, and a short lesson. These times have been precious. We have the opportunity to speak life over these children and pray for and with them.
8:00 PM: Team Time
10:00 PM: Quiet hours begin
Bed time!
Week one with Team Granola:
I’ll be honest, this week has been full of ups and downs. The team change has been difficult on me… but it has also been really great. Today as we had “Eno Time,” I was beginning to feel a little “homesick” for my old team. But just when I began to reminisce on times with them I felt God saying: “No… not now. Right now I want you to think about what I’ve given you.”
So as I looked around at my new teammates napping in their Enos, I decided to make a list entitled:
“Things I Like About Team Granola”
- They encourage me to live a healthier lifestyle: physically, emotionally, and spiritually
- We’re all pretty mellow, we just go with the flow
- We laugh together… a lot.
- The whole team is full of joy.
- Everyone is incredibly intentional with digging into each others lives.
- We all respect each others stuff, but are more than willing to share.
- Most importantly, I see the Body of Christ at work within this team.
That’s all for now, I’m sure I’ll have much, much more at the end of week two.
