Built on a Rock!
Imagine being in your home, its approximately 2am and your fast asleep. All of the sudden you heard a lot of noise. You look our your windows and there are bull dozers heading right towards you. You run out try to stop them, but they don’t care. There are still people inside, yet, they still don’t care. Houses all around you are being pushed over, people hurt, and there is no one that cares enough to help you.
That being said, let me tell you a little about a village we have been going to this month to love on the people, and bring them hope. We wake up at 6am on fridays to take a 2 hour drive out into middle of know where Cambodia. We pull up to see homes about 10×10 in size with two levels. More what looks like a Glorified tree house to most Americans. This is built from tin, bamboo, and small trees. Even though they might not seem like much to us, to someone that has nothing, it is everything. The previous time we went, I met this wonderful older woman. We had a communication barrier, so we didn’t get very far. But, I specifically want to share about yesterday when we visited this village.
As I walk into this village, half the guys are going to a kids church, and the other half, my group was to hold a bible study for the older people of the village. But as I was walking the dirt path into the village, the same older woman caught my eye. She walked over to me and motioned me towards her home. We walk in, I duck not to hit my head, and walk inside. A dirt floor is the comfort of home this woman has the luxury of. She motions me to sit on a wooden platform, as she dusts it off for me. We just look at each other and smile, with the occasional laugh. Neither of us have a clue what the other is saying, but this woman is so sweet and loving.
She motions me to follow her. She shows me a little ring of rocks on the floor with some trash in it, She pulls a put out and shows me this is where she cooks. She pulls out a piece of metal and shows me that when its cold, the fire reflects off the metal and keeps her warm. She hands me an old pipe that had the bottom spit and spread out, then takes me to her “back yard” where she only has a few pepper plants growing, the pipe was for digging. The big hole in the corner is where a 4×4 box will be built out of tin and wood that she will have for her very own restroom. This consists of a Squatty Potty. There isn’t a comfortable toilet.
Back inside, we walk back out the front door, a wooden set of stairs takes up to the upper level. Strips of bamboo cover a floor, with a couple of bed rolls with mosquito nets hanging above them occupy the corners. We sit, she starts showing me a couple of small plastic trash cans with lips, that serve as her cupboard, and pantry. These hold, rice, a few cans of food, a couple of cooking pots, two bowls, two spoons, and a very small propane cook top. She pulls it out, motions to the rice, adds water to a small pan and starts cooking. As she pulled out an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce and mackerel, I then realized, she is about to cook for me.
As we talk to one another, no idea what the other is saying, I look into these beautiful light brown eyes that are circled by bright blue. Her hair is black with grey showing through. Her hands and feet are wrinkled callused, a little round face that is sun dried, and she tried to keep her lips closed, or covers her mouth when she laughs to hid condition of her teeth. All this woman wants is someone to give her company. I motion to myself, and write my age on a piece of paper. She understands, and writes hers, she is 76 years young. I write my name, yet, she didn’t understand that, and tries to copy mine. I try to get a name out of her, but I am having no luck.
Soon after she walks under her mosquito net and brings me back a bottle of perfume, pulls the top off and has me smell it. She sprays me a few times and then her self. All I could think of, was truly and amazingly beautiful this woman was! She has nothing compared to American standards, yet, brings me in, and offers me everything she has. The look in her eyes, and the love she showed with the gentle hand on my back, said everything. And now…dinner is served! She point at my mouth, then to the rice, and pulls out a bowl. Scoops out some rice, then something that resembled minnows in a red sauce. As I stated in an earlier blog, (My Chair doesn’t leave home…) Even though some of these people don’t have much, it blesses them to be able to share with us, as much as it blesses us to be there with them. So, her and I had lunch together and it was absolutely wonderful.
There is a website showing how Brett, the ministry founder is doing great things here. Feel free to check it out. www.rockfoundationcambodia.webs.com
This is probably one of my favorite memories on the this trip thus far. I know it seems simple, but our time, ourselves, and our love is the best gift we can give someone.
