A chorus of accented “hello teacher!!” greets us as we force the heavy metal gate open and slide through into the classroom. We flip the switch to turn the fans and lights on, and pull our plastic chairs up to sit across the metal table from Heng and Kosal, two of the young men who are consistently ready and waiting for class to start when we show up.
A few days ago, I taught our classes how to answer “how are you?” with more than just a “good,” “fine,” or “not bad.” Now, when I turn to Heng, he says instead “teacher, I am…marvelous!” Kosal responds with “I am splendid,” while Chamnaul comes in with weary eyes and exclaims “I am exhausted!”
Team Woven was assigned to teach two levels of English classes to university students this month – each one with 3 classes every day. Including Heng, Kosal, and Chamnaul, we have about 11 students who show up every day to level 2. Every day.
There’s no place I would rather be
Than here in your love, here in your love
January is exam month for most university in Phnom Penh, meaning our students have exams scheduled sporadically throughout a period of about 25 days. Yet while they’re busy studying for their Khmer literature, lexicology, pharmacology, and English exams (among many other non-translatable class names), they still commit to learning with us in our non-required, unofficial English class.
More than that, many of our students attend the level 1 class for an hour…and then hop over to level 2 for an hour as well. They learn pronunciations, verb tenses, prepositions, and more, and bear with us as we stumble through why you can be “on the beach or at the beach but not in the beach, or in the boat or on the boat but not at the boat…” [answer: we have no idea]
Set a fire down in my soul
That I can’t contain, that I can’t control
Our students have a hunger for learning that I am consistently amazed by. They are tired (or rather, exhausted), studying and reading and taking oral exams, yet they still show up and answer questions and say “thirteenth” over and over until they can pronounce the “th”. They are fully present in every class, with a crazy desire to master the English language. They want to know so much, and they pursue the answers until the find them.
I want more of you God
I want more of you God
After three weeks of classes with these students, I’m left to wonder: What would it look like for me to be consistently hungry for the Lord, in the same way my students are hungry to know English? What would it look like for me to wake up every day and be committed to spending more time than I can spare sitting in His presence, memorizing Scripture and letting His mercy and grace wash over me?
I’m not a very good teacher. I can’t answer all my students’ questions. I stand at the white board continuously perplexed by the English language. But I know that when I approach my teacher, the Lord, with my questions, He will answer them. When I sit at His feet, humbled by His goodness, He will pull me into his lap and speak truth over me.
I want to be hungry.
This is my prayer.
I have $3,394 left to raise to be fully funded for all 11 months of this journey, and the final deadline is March 1st! That’s 34 days to raise $3400…or $100 a day. That may seem like a lot, but to my God, the Provider, it’s just drops in the bucket. Would you consider donating to help me stay in Asia, loving, serving, teaching, and following the Lord wherever He leads?
Click on the Support Me! link on the left to donate via credit card. Or check out this blog to find out how to give by check. $100 a day…will you join me?
