New energy. This has been a defining part of my month in Cambodia. I can’t get enough of it. I’ve experienced more energy from the Lord physically (starting to go on runs, not feeling lethargic from the heat), emotionally (channeling my emotions in a healthier way), relationally (acting on my sensitivity of others and engaging more), and spiritually (feeling pumped about learning Scripture, hearing from Him, and pouring out). I feel like I’ve been an extravert this month, which is weird to say, but I rarely felt overwhelmed or drained by people. Have I been out of character for/through Jesus or am I stepping into my new, true character? Haha, only time will tell… But I’ve loved engaging with my team, our partner team for the month, and the Cambodians. As I try to ‘own my Race’ more, I am being filled by exciting conversations that give me glimpses into people’s beautiful hearts.
In spite of (because of?) the slight discomforts of this village life, I seriously love it! Using squatty potties that we bucket flush; showering at a minimum with the same murky, brown water that we flush with; sweating bullets 5 minutes after the shower; running out of drinking water and opting out of daily exercise because of it; combing through hay-like hair with my fingers; shooing away dogs and ducks that weave through our legs under the dinner table; getting occasionally attacked by red ants; breathing in the red dirt kicked up by motorbikes and vans passing by; washing our hair in a crazy evening thunderstorm…
Teaching English this month has only been a small part of ministry. It has been wonderful to have more varied ministry compared to my other English-teaching months. On weekdays, we traveled to another village about 45 minutes from where we lived. We split up our teaching responsibilities within the team, so we each taught a different age group. When we weren’t teaching, we went on house visits and spent time in the Word or getting to know each other as new sisters.
House visits have been hilarious and touching and awkward, to say the least. A translator comes with us and leads the way to visit houses that have usually been visited by missionary teams before. We laugh at how ridiculous this kind of visit would be in the States. We walk in, bow and say ‘Chom reap sour,’ then proceed to sit cross-legged on an all-purpose bamboo bed/table/porch. A few awkward minutes pass as they say some things in Khmer, giving us intrigued glances. We ask to exchange introductions, and we go around saying our names and where we’re from, as well as our ages if they ask for it. Some of them know Jesus and ask for prayers of healing and provision, some are curious and exploring the idea of Jesus over Buddhism, and others are politely resistant to the gospel. But in every home, we are warmly welcomed in with shy, subdued laughter that soon becomes easy and comfortable as we converse. They apologize to us in embarrassment when we break their wooden bed and then kindly refuse our help building another one. We stand there, deeply embarrassed at the sufficiently awkward situation. And we crack up at the hilarity of ending the conversation with a bang, wishing we’d just told these non-believers about the power of Jesus before we broke their furniture.
We also visit a home in which the mother and father are both non-believers but really desire physical healing. They are the parents of our contact’s girlfriend, who helps teach the youngsters English. They say they’ll believe in Jesus if the father receives full healing. The father has a partially immobile arm, neck, and back, and the mother has heart issues. As we pray for them, we feel the Spirit moving, but we also sense that God wants their hearts to acknowledge and accept Him before He does anything like a major miracle. We share Jesus with them again, and we encourage them to put their trust in Him before expecting a miracle. But the second time we visit, God decides to bring some healing to the father! We pray multiple times, and we ask throughout how he is feeling. At one point, he tries raising his right arm, which he couldn’t do before. He lifts it halfway! And he says there is still pain, but that it’s better and he has more mobility now! AHH, so exciting!! We keep praying fervently, warrior style, and nothing else happens in terms of physical manifestation. But overall, we have the same knowledge that the Lord wants to capture the hearts of this man and his wife before bringing complete healing. We will continue to fight for their souls and ask for healing, as we know that He will do even greater things in His timing!
