What would you do if your running water was taken away? Your indoor pluming…how about your electricity, and God forbid you don’t have Internet access 24/7? Do you think you could make it? How would you watch tv? How would you talk to your friends? How would you check Instagram??
Does all that intrigue you or terrify you? Well y’all, I got to put those thoughts into practice. We are in a small village in Cambodia just outside of Siem Reap. My first day in the village I was greeted by two white-lipped pit vipers in the squatty potty out back, which were successfully wrangled by Grant. If only they weren’t poisonous… RIP Gretchen and Pascal. There was also an intense dog fight which was broken up with a bamboo pole (side note, one of the dogs’ names is Bamboo, just thought it was ironic), and before I set my tent up I was warned that when it rains the grounds flood so your tent will flood as well. Well guess what y’all? It’s monsoon season in Cambodia right now so it rains every day. Welcome to the village!
For those of you who don’t know me very well, I love to camp and be outdoors. Even when I’m home I sleep in my hammock on the dock, so I was super pumped when I found out about this month and that we would be camping. But I’m not going to lie, I was a bit overwhelmed when we first arrived. God quickly reminded me this is what I asked for and this is what I love.
Some of y’all might be thinking, “what does one do in a village?” Well, between snake wrangling and dog fights, you have time to pour into the villagers and time to pour into Jesus and your team. The funniest though is when one of your teammates, Katie, buys a chicken for dinner and next thing you know your team is running around trying to catch the chicken. Who needs TV when you have all that? I also might have been accused of hiding the chicken when it mysteriously went missing for ten minutes or so. Did I actually hide it…? I will never tell.
People in the village seem to simply love life and the things God does for them. Their life is by no means easy but they have the joy of the Lord. The other day during one of our daily downpours we all went outside and played in the rain. We danced, we did limbo with a bamboo pole (the same one used to break up the dog fights of course), and we praised the Lord. I looked around and was super thankful. I got to make memories with friends who are now my family. I got to and get to share Jesus and how unbelievably AWESOME He is. I get to make a difference in that village and in the villagers’ lives, but more importantly they made a difference in my life. I am truly humbled and forever grateful for those moments, for this opportunity, and for Jesus.
It’s funny how you come on the Race thinking you are going to help the world and change lives but I am the one whose life has been changed…whose world has been rocked. Thanks to all the amazing people I have met along the way. Thank you for your smiles, your hugs, your tears and your love! You will forever be in my heart and prayers.
There is something to be said about living a simple lifestyle. The way it brings community together. The way people rely on Jesus and one another. It is a beautiful thing! I want to challenge y’all and myself to put down your phones, turn off the tv, and go outside to appreciate Gods beauty and wonder. I challenge y’all to knock on your neighbors door and invite them over for dinner or coffee. Go play with your kids outside in the rain and get muddy.
I have a quote hanging in my bathroom at home that says, “Life is simple. Why do we insist on making it complicated?”
It’s easy to get caught up in life and all that it throws at us. Let’s face it, life is hard. But we can make it more simple. The answer is Jesus.
Ephesians 4:2 with all lowlinnes and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love
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Much love and Gos bless!!
