I’d like to give you a quick mental picture of me right now:
My heels are cracked, feet sunburned, ankles swollen from the six-day around-the-world journey, legs scraped, bruised and bug-bitten. I’m in an ankle-length floral skirt and a white polo with a neon-green emblem that says “Good Seed School.” My face is shiny from sweat, hair a frizzy curly blonde mess, brown strands slowly taking over the roots.
It’s 6 A.M. and the sun is barely making an appearance in our tiny Cambodian village.
Suddenly, the loud whiz of motorcycles takes over our small schoolyard.
Hopping off their parent’s bikes, backpacks in hand, children run toward my team and me. “Teacher, teacher,” they call to us. “Can we play a game?” The choppy questions come almost naturally, with the English words they’re glad to remember.
“No, we’ll be studying grammar first,” we respond, our hands held close to our chins in an honorable prayer formation.
This is our life in Cambodia.
When we arrived, we climbed the stairs and filed into a tiny room for orientation with the school’s founder, SokEng Kat.
He and his wife, Khema, have been running the school for almost a year now.
It’s their ministry to the community, and it’s one they’re very passionate about.
Only 2% of Cambodians consider themselves Christians. They can attend one of the nation’s 1,292 churches.
Kat explains to us that evangelism is actually illegal in Cambodia. It’s considered “bad-mouthing” other sacred religions and is therefore banned in public places.
Because of this, he and his wife opened the school as an opportunity to share the love of God with the community from the ground up.
“I have to tell you something though,” Kat tells us sternly. “Don’t get too excited about ministering to the children while you’re here. I’d actually like you to focus on ministering to my teachers.”
It was a request that initially surprised me.
He explained that his ministry starts with administrators, moves down to teachers, and then to students.
Tonight we sat cross-legged on an empty floor, sharing a dinner of rice and veggies with our new Cambodian family.
After dinner, we ask them to join us for a Bible study, opening to John 16.
As we read the gospel, I began to see the similarity between Kat’s ministry and Jesus’s.
God gave us Jesus, Jesus gave His life, empowering the Holy Spirit to dwell among us, giving us the freedom to know His love personally.
I think Kat’s wisdom in prioritizing and valuing teachers is actually a Biblical principle.
It’s a Godly order.
It’s seen in 1 Timothy 3:5. “For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
In other words, “First things first.” It’s a common-sense tactic that’s so often forgotten in our daily lives.
Proverbs 24:27 says, “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”
I could list examples of how we forget this, but I think the best advice is to ask the Holy Spirit for yourself.
“What am I overlooking? Should I re-prioritize?”
“For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33
Let me know if you get any revelations. I’d love to join you in prayer.
Of course, thank you for your prayers and your support.
Cambodia has our hearts.
