The Dirty Truth

I recently emailed a friend about my experiences this month, and after telling her about the living situation, her response surprised me…
 

 
I’m spending this month in Cambodia with my team, living in a village called Kampong Speu. It's a pretty awesome place now, but it didn’t start out that way.
 
Living here has been challenging for sure. I am in the second to last month of the Race, so it's getting harder to stay present when I'm so close to returning home. I miss home and all of my wonderful friends and family! But, I am here and so I am learning to focus only on Jesus.
 
I walked into this month intentionally focusing on Jesus with matters of my heart. But, I soon realized that focusing on Him needed to happen with every aspect of my life…in ALL circumstances…heart, mind, and body.
 
These are some of the difficulties of living here that I had a hard time adjusting to when we started this month…living in a tent; sweating a lot due to heat & humidity; walking 50 meters across the street to use the toilet, take a shower, eat meals, and teach English classes; bugs are everywhere; rats are running across the rafters in the house and sometimes falling onto our tents; when it rains, it pours, and then mud covers the ground and we get to walk through it; being constantly dirty; sweating when I’m not moving; using one squatty potty (or go outside in the bush); taking cold, bucket showers; and finding energy to teach 2-3 classes a day.
 

 
I DO have…clean drinking water and clean water for showers; delicious food; precious babies who run around half naked; amazing kids who love us, who love Jesus, and who love to learn English; the best contact, Ra, who takes great care of our every need; the most beautiful family of Cambodians with the greatest smiles; electricity for light and fans in our house; a tent to keep out the bugs & rats; a clean toilet room; and thunderstorms that put us to sleep.
 
WOW! How blessed am I, and what in the world do I have to complain about? I’m living in a village in Cambodia, in the middle of my 10^th month on an adventure with God around the world. YES!!!
 

I am exhausted after traveling the world for 10 months…it's a good exhausted, but definitely in a place where I have to focus on Jesus for energy and strength these last 2 months. I am done…I really don't have any more energy to do this, but God does and it's amazing what's happening when I wake up in the morning focused on Him. Today I'm not complaining…I'm attempting to go through the whole day without complaining about anything.
 

I've seen beautiful wonders, traveled to so many places, experienced unique cultures, and met some beautiful people who love Jesus! I have nothing to complain about really. Yes there are bugs, mud, bucket showers, rats, humidity, sweat, squatty potties, and many other discomforts, but the reality is that I only have to live here for 3 weeks while the people here live here every day of the year. I'm a brat to complain about my living situation when in a few weeks I'll be back in a home with a comfortable bed, an abundance of food & clothes, and heat or A/C. I live a luxurious life; so living in a third world country for a few weeks is nothing to complain about.
 
Yes at times it can be difficult, but it’s worth it to be able to experience the bigger world.
 
My heart is full of joy but only because I am intentionally focusing on the Lord.