Upon arriving in Cambodia, I made a “vision card” for the month, a visual reference of things God was whispering to me for the month ahead. One of the things God put on my heart & I put on my vision card was to focus on the elderly, although I wasn’t sure how I was going to do so while teaching elementary-aged children’s English classes. There were elderly people around, but I was surrounded by children all day—teaching them, playing with them, cuddling them, and serving as their human jungle-gym. How was I going to find the time or opportunity to focus on the elderly?
I have always had a special place in my heart for the elderly. In my elementary school years, I remember going to visit my great-grandmother in the nursing home & playing the piano for all of the patients. I loved making them smile and feel special. In high school, by the divine appointment of God, I developed a special friendship with a woman in her eighties who I visited often. After I went away to college, we remained close friends and stayed in touch, and she was one of the first people I wanted to see on my visits home. I loved hearing her stories and wisdom, while she treasured having someone to listen and talk to. I wanted to find this same kind of friendship in Cambodia; I wanted to show the elderly that they are just as important (to me & to God) as the children.
I was thrilled to hear that some of us would be doing house visits in the mornings before teaching in the afternoons. One of my first afternoons here I saw a hunched-over wrinkly old man out in a field with his cows, and my heart melted. I wanted to be his friend. I wanted to hear about his life. For the next couple of days, this mystery grandpa was on my heart and as I asked the Lord for an opportunity to visit him.
During our next house visit outing, we happened to pass him out in the field, so I requested that we go meet him. Our translator said that the old man did not like people talking to him, but I insisted that we try. We said hello, but he was speaking nonsense. Then we saw his 80-year-old wife “Bow” who welcomed us into their home. She immediately asked if we had any medicine for her aching hip, which gave us a great opportunity to offer her prayer. We prayed over all of Bow’s health problems (sore hip & shoulder/ eyesight). Then I asked if we could also pray for her husband “Pun” who suffers from confusion and memory loss. I followed after Bow to retrieve Pun from the field, and I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face when he reached out for my hand and let me help lead him back to the house. We prayed over Pun’s 90-year-old body~ for his mind, his back, & his arthritis. Pun is also very malnourished and frail due to lack of food; although Bow & Pun live with their son & his family, they were not eating enough because Bow was taking their food to the monks (part of Buddhist faith.) I wonder how many families starve because rather than feeding themselves they believe they must feed the monks in order to receive spiritual blessings?
We didn’t experience any supernatural healing with Bow & Pun, but God opened a huge door. It turns out that Bow is our ministry host’s great-aunt, and he claims she “doesn’t like him” because he is a Christian. But she welcomed us to come back and visit her any time; I went back to spend some time with them yesterday. Their situation is not easy or ideal~ they are not in good health; Pun wanders around aimlessly all day where he could easily fall and break a hip or worse. At the age of eighty, Bow is still cooking and taking care of her three young granddaughters~ a task that would be exhausting for someone much younger than her. Please join me in praying for this precious couple~ for physical healing, for the softening of their hearts, and for them to come to know Jesus before it’s too late.
Bow (80 yrs)
Pun (90 yrs) 
