So part of our ministry this month has been working at YDC (Youth Development Center) teaching English. I am not exactly a teacher but it has been super fun to interact and get to know the students. In our first class of the day we only have one student, so we get to spend more time on conversational English and building a relationship with him.
On February 13th, I coincidently (or maybe not so coincidently) asked our student So Kunn when his birthday was. It was shocked when he responded 15 February 1990. I even made him write it down because I was so surprised, Am like are you sure? Haha! Are you kidding me? I happened to ask him two days before his birthday, but here’s the catch, he told me as nonchalantly as telling me tomorrow is Sunday, or it’s sunny outside. In Cambodia people don’t celebrate their birthdays, so really it isn’t a big deal to him. So Kunn told me that birthday parties are for rich people and that he had never had one. I was freaking out inside because that was about to change. We were going to throw him his very first birthday party.
So this is how it went down.
When he came in the room we had a cake with candles, a present, a card, and a birthday message on the white board. His response was priceless. He was so surprised. He couldn’t believe that his teachers would do that for him. He kept saying thank you teacher, I’ve never had before, I’m so happy. He also kept saying Happy Birthday to me. (In regards to himself) We even had him make a wish when he blew out his candles. It was truly precious. Something we take for granted, and completely expect as North Americans, is not the case in this country. It was an absolute honor to make So Kunn have a memorable experience by throwing his very first birthday party. He told us he couldn’t wait to tell his family and show them pictures.
The longer I am overseas the more I realize how different parts of the world really are. It continues to put things in perspective for me. Sometimes we can be so naïve in our thinking and make assumptions before we take the time to investigate and ask questions. A simple birthday party, something I have been having for 24 years and just anticipate, is nothing more than another day here in Cambodia. I hope by sharing one of our customs with So Kunn; letting him know that his day of birth is worthy to be celebrated will be just another way we showed God’s love to him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SO KUNN!!!!!!
