It has been awhile since I have been able to give anyone a support update or any update for that matter. I have been staying in a little village surrounded by rice fields far away from anything that would be a good wifi connection. It has been a great time to abandon more comforts though this month especially with it being Christmas time and my birthday this month.
This month has been such an incredible experience so far. I have been so blessed to be apart of the Mercy House home and school here. It was started only a few years ago by a man in his early 20’s who was saved while driving his taxi for a group of YWAM missionaries. He went on to do the program himself and moved back to his village to share the gospel and start a free English school so that the kids that don’t have the chance or money for the public school will have opportunity beyond the rice fields.
This month I have been able to step in a role I thought I would never do and that is teaching. I have enjoyed it so much and am so excited to be a part of planting seeds into these kids. I love waking up before the sun comes up here and walking into my classroom that is a little basket woven hut and hearing screaming students yell good morning TEACHA! We teach them English along with bible lessons and songs. 80% of the population in the country is under the age of 30 since the genocide took place. We had the chance to attend a massive Cambodian wedding here in the village and everyone was under the age of 25 except for a few elderly people. The number of people in attendance was over 500 and we spent the day partaking in all the traditions or carrying fruit through the village to the brides home and dancing for bourse in a circle around a tree which my team liked to call our Christmas tree.
We are also trying I build a church here on the property in 10 days I will say at first I felt a feeling of defeat as I looked at the red hard dry dirt, our two hoes and 1 pic axe. But we are on day 5 and have already managed to not only dig the foundation but break ad lay the rocks and pour the cement which takes hours to mix. I have never been so tired and sore after spending days working here but they have been some of the most fulfilling I have ever felt. It takes a church to build a church and that is exactly what I see when I look around at the young community here. I know the church will be ready for Christmas ! It’s thanks to the generosity of people hat have given to this ministry that have made this work. They were able to raise over 7000 which made it possible for this whole building to be built.
It is rice harvesting season here and I am captivated over the hard work and community that is needed in order to harvest fields upon fields of rice by hand. I have had a chance to help out and it is not an easy task especially when temperatures here are reaching over 35 everyday and this is their winter !! Knowing that the more rice that is harvested means the more the people here will have for the year is motivation enough to get the job done. Here if you ask people what their favourite food is or what they like to eat at meals, the answer is almost always ‘rice’. They use rice for everything and can use it to make anything.
2 weeks have already passed by now and I have already building such great lasting friendships with some of he English teachers here who are all ages 17-21 and already willing to work for no money to share the little english they have already learned with the next generation here. We stay up late playing cards and laughing till my stomach hurts or having worship under the stars. Living life here has truly been beautiful and I am so blessed to be able to spend Christmas here.
My last deadline is coming up and God has been providing in so many amazing ways. I am now 1000 short of being fully funded and am so grateful to everyone who has been supporting me and believing in me and my heart for this journey. Thank You !
I am wishing everyone an amazing holidays and so much joy this Christmas !
Sent from my iPod
