I can honestly say that I feel like a World Racer now. We are staying in a village surrounded by rice fields and beautiful coconut trees, eating frog and duck for dinner(accompanied by steamed rice with every meal), and star gazing at night.
The compound we are living at has electricity, but Wifi and Air Con are not included. Our water for showering is pumped from the well out back and propelled through the hose next to the toilet. I have a new found respect for anyone that ever did laundry by hand because it aint easy! Bugs are EVERYWHERE; in my bed, on my toothbrush, on the rim of my oatmeal bowl, crawling across my laundry on the line, on the pages of my bible, on my keyboard as I type this blog, you get the idea. They are impossible to fight, so I now welcome them as roommates.
(Our home for the month. The first floor is the classrooms where we teach english and the top floor has a kitchen and our bunk rooms)
I have never been a morning person, but this month I find myself waking up at 6 am to enjoy a cup of Nescafe and alone time with the Lord. It is in those quiet moments before anyone else is awake that I feel Jesus sitting next to me as we spend the still morning together. I cannot tell you what it does to my soul to wake up to the sound of roosters and cows rather than millions of motos and street vendors.
Cambodia is quickly captivating my heart. The children in the community are so full of joy and laughter, spending everyday with them for the next 3 weeks will simply not be enough. What is truly astonishing is that most of these children are the only Christians in their families. They have stepped out of their family’s strict Buddhist traditions and into a life with Christ.
Srey Koa is a beautiful 13 year old girl that shared a little bit of her story with me;
“My fadah tell me if I come to school and church He will fight me, But I come anyway. Then at school I ask teachah to pray wit me for my fadah to have kind hart. And Aftah I go home and My fadah no fight me!”
This girl’s father threatened to beat her for going to church and the English center, and she went anyway. God answered her prayer and softened her Father’s heart that night, preventing him from rebuking her in her rebellion. She may be the bravest girl I have ever known. I hope that one day I will exude the same kind of courage as this young woman of God.
Many of the students also bring their siblings to the english classes in hopes that they will pay attention during the “Christian Values” portion of the lecture and understand the grace and mercy God freely gives.
Please join me in prayer that hearts will be opened to the unconditional love of our heavenly Father. Pray that these youth will continue to be a light in the darkness of their homes and schools; and that regardless of the language barrier, I can be an encouragement to them in their journey with Jesus.
