So, I’m not actually in Cambodia, anymore. And I’m sad. I’m the I-don’t-want-to-do-anything-but-look-at-pictures-of-Cambodia kind of sad. (And NOW, I’m also sad because the power in our hotel went out and I lost all 356 words that I had previously typed on this blog because usually I write my blogs out in Microsoft Word first but my free version expired somehow and I decided that it would be okay for me to just type out the blog directly on the World Race blogsite and save it…that didn’t happen. I’m not bitter.)
Anyway–we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this afternoon, and my team is staying here for the night before taking a bus/ferry to Penang island, where I’ll be for the remainder of the Race (whoa…). And now, I’m on my bed, writing this blog out because all I can do is think about my friends in Cambodia and how I wish I was still there.
I loved it. I love the people and the country.
I miss my friends.
The HT center was home base. We spent about 1/3 of our time there, 1/3 in Prey Veng, and a 1/3 in Kampot. To generalize our designated ministry work, we did a lot of construction–painted and scraped a bunch of gates and lanterns; sanded, varnished, and lacquered wood; built a tree house–and did kids/youth ministry. But we were always around Khmer people (that’s what Cambodian people call themselves). We lived together, worked together, ate together…the guys even got to take bucket showers together…so we all quickly became family. We got to know the people at the center pretty well–there are 40-something kids/youth/20-somethings living there. Most of them have had difficult pasts–some difficult presents–and there’s so much that I still want to know about their lives. Some of these kids have been involved with the mafia, they’ve stolen, they’ve been abused, they’ve been abandoned, they’ve gotten into drugs, you name it. But the redemptive power of Christ is so evident in their lives. And because I’ve met them, I have a better understanding of what hope looks like. I see hope in them. And it’s so refreshing, and so heart-wrenching to leave!
The CHEEEEEEESE Face
Braving the questionable scaffolding
Family meals!
It was always fun working with these crazies–this photo is deceptively mild
The makings of a beautiful tree house
Peter, teaching Chelsey how to cook Khmer food (SO delicious)
We had a sleepover on the last night…
Can we keep her, pleeeeeeeeease???
If this doesn’t say, “I’ll be back to Cambodia,” I don’t know what does.
I know that I still have a month left, but I can say with utmost confidence that Month 10 in Cambodia is my favorite month on the Race. I don’t have one reason why; but I believe that God gives us burdens (the good kind) like these simply because He knows what and when is best for us. And I don’t need further explanation than that.
