ministry week one>>
Team RAW bikes our way through the streets and over the bridge of Battambang risking our lives as we weave in and out through cars and mopeds trying to blend in every morning after breakfast.
Dewy is the place where we will be doing minsirty for the next month. It is an air conditioned Buddhist Child Center House where ages 2-5 go dressed in their adorable green uniforms, the most well-mannered, smart, and joyous kids I’ve ever met. They all know English so well, which blows my mind because they are all the way in Cambodia with English as their second language. What are the kids in America learning at age 2? Crazy.
Our team of 9 was split up into 2 or 3 and put into different rooms. I was placed in a room with the cutest of 2 year olds. As they came in I felt at home, thinking of the sweet 2 year olds I taught back at home, brought me back, made me tear up. I am introduced as “teacher.” a word, a title that I ran from. I’ve always seen myself being on the mission field, wherever God took me I would GO. But not necessarily teaching, I could never see myself being in the teacher position, but here I am being an English teacher at a Buddhist school. Its going to become my new comfortable because I know ill be doing a lot of teaching all over. God is up to something.
For breakfast they eat some rice with weird stuff on the top, or a donut. For snack more than 75% of them are eating random unhealthy snacks that they buy at the store. Which is the reasoning behind why all of their teeth are black and rotting, but they don’t know that candy is bad for them, they just think if they show up with sweet snacks it makes them look wealthier.
My initial thoughts when I found out we were going to be serving here I thought “wow yes I get to serve at a daycare just like at home and love on sweet Buddhist kids and be Jesus to them, kids is my love language, this will be great” I was so excited.
Buttttt then after a few days of being there my mindset changed. Honestly I was annoyed, frustrated, and discouraged. We didn’t do much but sit and hangout with the kids as the head teacher did most of the teaching and had the lead. I didn’t see a need, I felt useless and as if I was not bringing the kingdom.
Spiritual Warfare
Our team had been struggling, as soon as some of us walked into the building we felt a weight on our shoulders, pressure in our head, and immediately felt tired. This was spiritual warfare; the enemy was trying to distract us. There are teachers in the building that worship false gods, and idols. We soon began to realize that it was spiritual warfare and it had no place in our hearts, we prayed for it to leave. The next morning some of us walked around each room and sang some praise and worship, praying for enemy to leave and our hearts to be focused, and that we would have energy to do what Gods called us to. There was a peace, we prayed for each other and took on the rest of our day ready to serve, ready to bring Kingdom, ready to love.
NEW PERSPECTIVE
That same morning as I’m sitting in the classroom with this little boy who has autism whom I’ve really bonded with, my purpose was revealed to me. He runs around wild, pulling on shirts, kicking, hitting, and no one does anything. The kids who have special needs in Cambodia are shunned, they think they are bad luck, they don’t give them attention and they don’t care for them. So I sat him on my lap and began to rock him a little singing soft songs. He then began to rest; he was still and sat with me the remainder of the class.
I realized that when I walk in the room I’m called “Teacher Teacher” but I’m the one who has been taught so much.
Jesus loves the Buddhist just as much as He loves the Christian. Jesus loves the rich just as much as He loves the poor. Jesus loves the ones with disabilities just as much as He loves the able. My only purpose is to love as Jesus loves. That’s why I’m here, even if I’m not doing saving, if I’m not changing lives…I’m planting seeds. I’m called to love ALL people. This is my mindset.
“Whatever I do, in word or deed, my attitude must honor Jesus, and reflect Gods love”
