This month can be summed up in several words; HOTTT!!!, Humorous, Loving and Inspiring.
HOTTTT!!! Not just “man I could go for a nice cold lemonade” hot I mean a “I COULD JUMP IN A POOL FULL OF ICE” HOT. Until now I have always claimed “I don’t sweat I glisten,” well clearly I had never been to Cambodia during the hottest heat wave they’ve had in 75 years, all without AC. Needless to say my body was not prepared. I have spent the whole month fighting off dehydration and it has been an uphill battle for sure.
My physical limitations and our relaxed schedule this month has allowed me the time and freedom to dig into my spiritual life. I spent a lot of time in front of a fan reading my Bible. When I was in Botswana I challenged myself to read the entire Bible cover to cover. I have wanted to do this all of my life and never got past Genesis. This time I can say not only did I get past Genesis, I was able to read the entire Old Testament (half of which I was able to read this month). I found the more I read the more I wanted to read. In a way I was blessed by the heat because it forced me to take a break and spend time in the Word.
Humorous: The first thing I thought of when I found out my new team was “we will be a funny bunch.” God must have known that too because he sure has given us many moments to laugh at. When we first arrived in Siem Reap, we were literally dropped off in the middle of the road while the bus was still moving and all we could do is laugh. Second day at our home we discovered a chicken living on top of a wardrobe in our room. Upon further investigation it turned out she had laid four eggs on top of the wardrobe and has spent the whole month stalking our room. We named her Loretta. One weekend, in order to get a break from the heat we stayed at a cheap hotel that had AC and a pool. As soon as we got to the pool Cambodia decided to end the drought and it started to rain. And then… the power went out (AKA no AC). All we could do was laugh. God sure has a sense of humor and I have been blessed by a team who knows how to laugh. All our funny experiences have only brought us closer as a team and I am so thankful for those bonding moments.
Loving: This month we have been staying at an Orphanage called New Hope and it is filled with so much love. This place is run on love, love for each other and love for Jesus. We were greeted by little hugs and questions like “do you love Jesus? Because I love Jesus.” A few nights into our stay, while we were sitting in our room after dinner, we heard music coming from outside. At first I ignored it, assuming it was another wedding blasting music (almost a nightly thing here). After listening a little longer I heard tiny voices singing what sounded like worship music. One by one, we each emerged from our room and followed the sound to the Sanctuary. When I walked in I saw all 26 kids singing and lifting their arms to praise God.
Inspiring: I have been inspired by the love and passion that drives this orphanage. I have also been inspired by my teammates. Their passion and reliance on God has challenged me to rely on God even in the small things, like writing blogs.
