Team Lift’s living conditions in Cambodia were much closer to the stereotype that many people would associate with missionary work.
We lived in our tents under a tin roof pavilion, with a bathhouse consisting of two squatty toilets and a shower room. Another toilet option was outdoors, digging a hole and covering up whatever your contribution was to the environment. We took bucket showers, and baby wipe showers in between those, because we smelled of manual labor and sweat. We cooked over an open fire, pumped water by hand, and burned our trash. We had to filter our water, and go to the market twice a week for fresh food. We only had internet access once a week when we went into the big town. Our base would best be described as 150 acres of plains and rice fields, with our two hosts, the ministry’s intern who translated for us, the six team members, a dog, three puppies, a chicken, a cat, and countless lizards and ants.
In these conditions, we were able to be disciples in many different ways. The first few days we were there, we helped moved rice plants from the storeroom to outside for the milling machine to take the rice off. Rice chaff was everywhere for the rest of the month. We spent a majority of the month clearing ground for a new building, replacing fence posts, and reinstalling barbed wire on those posts.
I was able to use my theatre tech electrician skills to rewire an extension cable for the water pump, although the pump proved to be broken then. I also got to spent a day digging a cesspool and creating a dam for the “poop river”, a flow of water and manure from the pig farm. In a couple days in the middle of the month, I created berms around the trees in the garden to keep the water around their roots.
Through all of this, I was able to learn a lot of little lessons, or at least thoughts God gave me, a lot of little seeds planted, or small puzzle pieces he will put together later. He has also shown me a couple of large puzzle pieces, and put a few together.
Some of the littler things Father has taught me:
1. I do not really express how I’m feeling at home. To anyone, especially my family and friends. It’s just not my first thought to open up.
2. I need to be asked specific questions that require an answer to truly get my heart in the open.
3. Being me is okay.
4. Physical circumstances do not usually bother me.
Some of the larger thoughts:
1. I control my life. I have not truly given Father control in all areas of my life, which in turn, slowly make me retake control of the areas of which I just let go.
2. I escape from life by listening to music or sleeping in order to not face not being able to control circumstances.
I can’t wait to see what God brings next month!!
Onward for Father, Christ and Spirit!!
