Several weeks ago my team moved away from the crowded streets, flashing lights and beaches of Phuket, Thailand to the dry, sweeping hay fields and ancient relics of Pouk, Cambodia. Our goal here is to teach English to students ranging in age from 4-5 years old to 23. In addition to teaching we get up early and ride our bikes into the neighbouring villages to visit families, create deeper relationships with the students living there, sing songs and play games with the children too small to come to school and maybe find ways we can bless them in practical ways.
Many different stories of the people living in the villages have touched my heart but right now I want to tell you the story of a woman named Chong who we went to visit yesterday. Chong is ony 48 years old and she and her husband have 5 children. We got to meet her youngest son, a sweet little 3-4 year old, at our “Kid’s Club” meeting yesterday. Chong’s family struggles to get by. She explained that she sends her children to the public school when they can afford it but when it comes down to school or food for her family she has to choose food. 
Chong has had TB for 3 years and sometimes she coughs up blood. She told me that if she tries not to cough up the blood it starts to come out of her nose. The TB has made Chong very weak and as I sat next to her in the dirt to look into her eyes it was obvious by how thin and frail she looks that she suffers a great deal with the sickness. She confessed that if she was alone with no children she would not be afraid to die. She fears for her children and it’s obvious that she loves them a lot and desires to see them go to school and live good lives. She explained that she had gone to doctors but she can’t afford treatment, so she tried witch doctors but they were not able to help her and she was still sick.
We asked Chong if we could pray for her and she said no, she was too afraid. Something about this beautiful woman captivated me and I can’t get the image of her tiny body sitting in the dirt telling me about her illness and what she wants for her children. Basically what she told us was that she must continue to live for her children even though she was frail and in pain. The safety and comfort of her children was her main concern and it caused her distress to think that she should leave them while they were not yet able to care for themselves.
As I thought about what Chong told us and her desire to live for her children I began to realize that God did the same thing for us. He looked down from heaven and he seen the distress his children were in. Then, because God knew that they could not get themselves out of the pit they had dug, he chose to live for them. He chose to humble himself and put on the limited body of a man so that he could release them from the bondage they were entangled in. Jesus lived for us and then he died for us to set us free from our sin.
But Chong doesn’t yet know that what Jesus did releases her from the fear she has for her children. Because she is unaware of the love that God has for her Chong doesn’t know that no matter what happens she can trust him to take good care of her children. After we left I just really wanted to do something for her so I drew her a picture of 4 purple flowers like the ones that our contacts like to pick to decorate the table. It is my desire to see Chong accept the love of God and just find rest.
I am praying for an open door to pray for this woman the next time we go to see her. I know that our God is a God who heals the sick and gives peace to those who mourn. I know that he is capable of healing Chong but even if he doesn’t heal her body I am certain that he can and will bring peace, provision and protection to her family. Over and over again I have seen God intervene in dire situations to bring healing, hope and peace. I know God can and will do that for Chong and her family and I just pray that I get to be a part of it.
