I’m writing this from a little “hole in the wall” hotel in the Riverside area of Phnom Penh. It has been an incredible few weeks in a place that feels so real. It feels real because it’s messy. It may be dirty, poor, corrupt, and dark but Bri and I find such a peace here. God is moving and the light of His church here is battling against the darkness we see. Hope is rising. Bri and I would have never picked a place like this but God knows that opposites attract.
The time we've spent with the children here could bring tears to my eyes. These kids are amazing. They have fun and play like every other 8, 9 , and 10 year old yet when it comes to worshipping God they carry a different kind of awe and reverence for Him. We were at the children’s home on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night was worship practice for the church’s worship band. I sat in on the practice because as most of you know I love corporate worship with the body of Christ! As I sat and listened I noticed one of the boys from our children’s home slip into the back of the church. My first thought was, “I wonder what kind of trouble this little guys is going to cause..?” Maybe he would pull on the electrical chords, stand on the chairs, or be a distraction to the band? What happened next really blew me away…he quietly found a place to sit, closed his eyes, and raised his hands to worship his Heavenly Father. He stayed in the church a good 45 minutes time with his head bowed, eyes closed, and hands raised. I thought to myself… “I want to worship like this kid… No one forced him in there, no one was making him come to church, it was Saturday anyway. He wasn’t playing with Bri and the other kids. He was wrapped up in something much bigger…his Jesus. These kids get it. They believe in the most simple and profound way. They read the bible and then they do what it says. Simple. Faith like children…just what Jesus wanted.
Bri and I drove our rented moto (I call it a moto because scooter sounds so lame..) over to the children’s home to say our goodbyes today. It was so bittersweet to look into the eyes of those kids and say, “We will hopefully see you in a year or so…” The boys were strong, the girls teared up a bit. However sad the moment was it ended with smiles, hugs, and “I love yous” in broken English. We even taught them the “I love you” hand signal in sign language that my Dad taught us as kids. The kids picked it up quick. We see so much hope and potential in this poor little place. Pray for this area of the world and pray for us as we seek wisdom to help it without hurting it.
We can’t wait to get back home and share our stories… for now I will leave you with this pick. It kinda sums it all up…
Grace and Peace
