Well, month three of the World Race is quickly coming to an end. Me and my team have spent November in rural southern Cambodia, teaching english to young Cambodian students. I'll admit, when I learned what my teams ministry for the month was, I wasn't too excited. I'm not really a kid person and I hadn't really ever thought of teaching as something I'd enjoy. However, from the first time I stepped into the classroom I have thoroughly loved the ministry I got to be a part of this month.
First things first: I'll admit, if you would have asked me what country I was least looking forward to while I was in the United States, I would have said Cambodia. I really didn't have much knowledge of the country before coming here but I had heard a few things about it: mainly, it's hot, it's humid, and it's dirty. I also knew Angkor Wat was in it, Phnom Penh was the capital, and there was a genocide in the late 1970s. But that was about it. And for the record, all of those things are correct.
We crossed into Cambodia on the first in Poipet, and made our way to our first destination, Siem Reap, where Angkor Wat is. The first thing I realized about Cambodia: it's one big bog. Literally. It was all rice patties and swamp as far as the eye could see the entire trip from the northern border to our ministry location on the southern end. When we arrived in Siem Reap, we stayed in a nice guest house that had A/C, WiFi, American television and a nice breakfast. There were tons of fancy hotels and restaurants. Didn't expect it, but Siem Reap is very touristy. The rest of Cambodia is not like that; after two nights in Siem Reap (and visiting Angkor Wat – pretty neat but i was by no means blown away) we made our way to Phnom Penh, where we spent one more night in AC with WiFi and american television. The next day We had cultural orientation, met our contact for the month, Vuthy, than we left for ministry.
Two hours by van later we made it to where we spent the month: a small village (if you can call it that) on a single lane dirt path. There is a building with three squatties and a room each for the guys and for the gals, two thatched huts used for classrooms, and a small kitchen. There is no conditioning, or TV, or WiFi, and no refrigeration. The water we drink is hot, and the single fan that is in our room has minimal impact at best. I bathe in a muddy pond beside the property, since the water for the showers is simply pumped from the pond without filtration anyways. When we first arrived, I was rather excited; I can't say the same for everyone on my team.
Another cool thing about Cambodia: it's cheap. Very cheap. A few days I've gone to get four waffles from a street vendor. Price? 1000 riel, or 25 cents. I also get a sno cone (gotta beat the heat somehow) almost everyday for 500 riel, or 12.5 cents. We can get small packages of cookies for 300 riel, and a Samurai or Sting (amazing energy drinks) for 2000 riel.
Ministry was a pleasant surprise for me; I really have loved teaching english to the Cambodian students. At 10am, we go by Tuk Tuk to a public Buddhist school, where i taught my own class for 40 minutes. This was my favorite class. We went over letters, numbers, and colors, and the students caught on well. My second class I taught from 2 to 4pm with Jacob, after lunch. These students were very young and we spent a lot of time repeating the same simple words over, and over, and over again. This class sometimes got a little out of hand- but it was still a fun time. Me and Allison taught our last class for the day together from 5:30 to 6:30. It was a little more advanced, the students were teenage boys and we taught them about sentence structure.
With minimal distractions, my relationship with God was able to grow exponentially. With plenty of free time between classes, my prayer life was rejuvenated and matured well. Study of scripture also grew this month; I began to more thoroughly read through the Bible, adding more to my daily readings and rereading the same passages several times a day. I have been able to meditate more intentionally on what I've read throughout the day, which has practically effected my attitude and my actions in many ways in daily life.
In short, Cambodia has been awesome. It has definitely been my favorite of the first three months. Location, ministry, the people, I love it all. The lack of conveniences such as AC or cold water are hardly a problem, and not having access to WiFi or other distractions has been a huge blessing. In just a few days I'll be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, kicking off month four with debrief. I wouldn't mind staying in the Cambodian bush longer, but I am excited to move on and see what lies ahead in Malaysia.
