I am currently sitting in a garage that just so happens to have computers that I can use the internet on in a village in Cambodia. I am not in the village that I am living in this month because they do not have internet there. Not only that but they do not have air conditioning, showers, toilets, or even walls!
My team and I are currently living in a village called Kampong Speu in Cambodia. This village is about 30 miles from the capital city of Phnom Penh. Here we live in our tents, teach English, lead Bible studies, host church on Sundays, and play with the kids in the village.
It is funny just how similar many of these people are to people in America. The teenagers talk about boys and girls that they like. They love their friends and they want keep in touch on Facebook (that is if they have it). They even all like Taylor Swift!
However, at the same time these people are also so incredibly different from Westerners.
Cambodian's lives don't revolve around having internet access. They don't revolve around nice clothes or who gets the best job and makes money. They don't revolve around finding the perfect mate. Rather there lives are all about living in real, authentic, and loving community.
What this looks like is that many of these people live together in the same communal areas. Many of the children (ages younger than even one year old) are allowed to run around and are raised by everyone rather than just their parents. They often hold the same values and are completely open with what they believe.
Cambodians are always with each other every day and they are involved in each others lives as well. To many of us who live in an American lifestyle this may sound intrusive and even undesirable; however, I believe if you could experience here what I am experiencing you would see that it is a beautiful thing. The reason that this is true is because the idea of loneliness does not exist here.
These people never are at lack for someone caring about them. They are never sad because they have no one to spend time with. From little babies to 80 year old adults they always have people loving them and spending time with them.
Honestly, I believe that when we get to heaven life will be more similar to this style of living than to the Western style of individuality.
God has created us each for community. He made us so that we need each other in order to grow and develop. I believe it is because of our western style of living that many of us have so many emotional issues within our culture.
It is not to say that these people do not have problems. They are still sinners in need of a savior, but I think this style of living is what makes these people so emotionally stable.
They do not need stuff, they do not need a ton of Facebook friends, they don't even struggle with pride as much as we do. This is all because they live for each other and that fulfills them more than anything thing that they could ever buy.
I hope that when I return to America I will be able to share my heart with each one of you about what I am learning here and that we will have the opportunity to live in real genuine community just like these people do.
I love and miss many of you and I pray you are each doing well.
