Hello fellow travelers! You haven’t heard from me in quite a while due to the internet being violently ripped away from my grasp. Actually, my phone broke which was the only way I could get blog posts out except for every few weeks, but it felt violent. I have so much that I want to say, but for the sake of readability and time, I will keep this as short as I can. We will take picture breaks too, so you can breathe. Example: Picture break!
Isn’t that cute? Well let me set the stage. On February 1st we left for Cambodia, which is located just south of Thailand. During the first minutes of stepping across the border I had some of the worst moments of my life. I had recently read an article about “Why the children in beggars arms are always asleep” (hint: children are being kidnapped/rented then drugged or knocked out with alcohol to keep them quiet) which I *highly* recommend you read *HERE*. As I crossed the border into the first group of Cambodian citizens, a woman approaches me with a child in her arms about 5 or 6. The child’s body is long and she is probably too heavy to be carried like that for very long. Her arms are thrown around the woman’s neck and he face hidden behind hair. The woman holding her makes a sad face at me, lifting the child’s leg which looked almost methodically burned/cut in different places from ankle to thigh and seems to be missing a foot or deformed and shoved into a dirty cup with change. The woman goes between lifting the leg in front of me as I am walking and holding out her hand for money. My heart went out to the child. She was being paraded like a circus freak, living a life where she had to hide her face from the shame of simply being what she was, and only God knows what other atrocities she may have suffered. The woman followed me for a solid 2 minutes, tapping my arm and saying “Hello” in an almost salesman-like manner, as if she was well practiced and if she stuck with me, payday would come. At one point I turned around and said sternly, but politely, “I see”, but inside I was hurt, angry, confused, and extremely disturbed. Finally we boarded a bus and that experience was behind me. It only got better from there. That was a reminder of the darkness in this world, and if I didn’t know what I came to Cambodia for then, I was surely aware afterward. Picture break!
This is the church in Cambodia where me and my team are doing ministry this month. Our ministry host, Say (pronounced “sigh”), his mother Gumleang, and sister Sotjieut run the church which sits on the outskirts of a poor village they minister to. There are probably 2-3 children for every adult we have seen in the village, so children’s ministry is a huge part of what they do, but more on that later. The people here are largely unskilled and live hand to mouth. The problem with a church in a place like this is that often the members migrate to find better work, so it is difficult to grow and hire the types of positions one needs like children’s minister, women’s leader, or skilled teachers to train people on ways to support themselves like weaving or agriculture. Pastor Say does odd jobs like delivery and taxi work to support himself while running the church. Being here with him, it is very easy to see his heart for the children and people of the village. Part of our ministry here is supporting him as he takes the gospel to the people of the village, praying for them and encouraging them. This has been one of my favorite things to do, besides loving on the droves of kids around. Today is Sunday, and after church we were able to participate in a Samaritan’s Purse delivery of Operation Christmas Child shoe-boxes! At my home church, Elevate, in San Diego, we have participated in OCC for about 3 or 4 years straight, and what an awesome blessing it was to actually see the boxes delivered and opened! I was so sad that my phone was broken and I could not take any video, but these pictures should do justice well enough. Picture break! BIG one. Hold tight.
These are the children we have been ministering to this month in Cambodia. Our ministry is simply loving the kids well and teaching them English. Amazingly, the church in this village is mostly grade school children, as parents and able bodied members of the family are out working to support the family. The children are so precious! My team and I have quickly learned their names and built relationships with them which will make it terribly difficult to leave when the time comes. Each one has their own little personality and potential and it makes me want to stick around to be there for them and see them flourish in this tough existence they were born into. Many of them come filthy, wearing the same worn-out clothes days in a row. Some of them have lice or open sores which should be cleaned and dressed. Their hands are crusted with dirt and grime and God-only-knows, but the way their eyes brighten up when you hold them is worth every worry you might have. It remains true that children, everywhere, flourish under attention. The truth is that I only have a month with them, and that is not a very long time at all; especially with the language barrier. I can only do so much, but I am praying and believing that the love I show them now, every smile and every hug, will be planted in their memory for life. I pray that sometime in the future they would come to see that love as the love of God himself who sent me on my journey to their little village in Cambodia in pursuit of their heart. Not every child will choose to accept the free gift of Jesus’ love in their lives, but it still remains true that Jesus loves them and wants to lavish that love upon them with abandon. So I shall.
Thank you for reading my blog post. I hope you are encouraged by my words. Life is, indeed, very different for the many peoples around the world, but one thing remains the same for us all. Jesus is in constant pursuit of our hearts. Mine, theirs, and yours. What is he doing in your life? How has he been speaking? Have you heard his voice? How is he moving? The thing about the love of God is that he never gives up on us. Never. You may not believe, but he is still working. You may be angry with him, but he is still working. You may be tired and about to throw in the towel, but he is still working. No matter what your past or present situation is, there is rest and freedom in Jesus, and he is constantly in pursuit of your heart. He is like the ocean, constantly reaching for the shore night and day. Against all your reservations, be dauntless and jump into that flow and see where he takes you. It’s your heart, your mind, your life, your choice. Give him a chance to prove himself on his own terms. If he really is God, perhaps your terms are obsolete in the light of that truth. His love is deeper than any rabbit hole you’ve found yourself in. If he is reaching, the only thing stopping the connection is your hand at your side.
As always, if you would like to contribute to my fundraising, you may do so by using the links above and to the left. Your donations toward my goal for full funding are greatly appreciated. I am currently 51% funded! God Bless!
