My time in Cambodia…

Well we have officially settled into what will be our home for the next month and it has been nothing short of amazing. At first it was a somewhat crazy transition from meeting so many new people at training camp to all the travel days and bumps not just along the road but also on our very turbulent flight to Cambodia before ultimately landing at the orphanage and sleeping in the sanctuary with no A/C. Despite all of that these past couple weeks have been so fulfilling. As real and present as the struggles and things we don’t have are, I don’t feel led to share those stories. Instead I’d like to fill this post with stories about the amazing children and people we have been blessed with serving. So many times I feel like we are quick to see what those who are less fortunate than us don’t have but God has really been ministering to me through these orphaned kids. Most clearly they have revealed to me that despite not having material things they have a passionate relationship with the Lord. There is so much we can learn from these kids’ hearts.

We have been teaching English to the children of the orphanage and to kids of a nearby severely impoverished village. I’ve discovered that despite being fluent, speaking English and teaching English are two very different things and it is exhausting work. I have gained new found respect for teachers and I’m sorry to all the teachers whose job I made even more difficult than it need be. Outside of teaching we have grown closer to our host and developed deep relationships with the children through hearing each one of their stories and how they ended up in this orphanage. Hearing these stories breaks my heart but these children do not let the pain of being an orphan influence their overall demeanor. The Lord’s joy radiates through their constant smiles and giggles and willingness to play soccer at any moment of the day (one of my all time favorite things). We have constant tickle wars to the point that my ribs hurt from how much they’ve shoved their fingers into my sides. These children overflow with such grace and joy as they do even the simplest of things with us like pronouncing their names, playing games, dancing, or just trying to sit and talk.

When we first arrived and were told of our sleeping arrangement I quickly caught on that we were taking some of the kids sleeping place but the kids never complained or blamed us but instead they helped in making us feel welcomed. On the first 2 days they didn’t let us wash our dishes or set up tables for our meals and set out our food. These kids have such a servants heart and they are so happy and willing to serve us at any moment to make sure we have what we need. I don’t know how many times I have misplaced my water bottle and every time one of the kids finds it and brings it back to me. I am fascinated by the asian culture; here we take off our shoes before entering the buildings because cleanliness is very important. Every night before bed all of our 13 pairs of shoes sit outside the door and every morning when we wake up they are always organized. The children are all very observant and know whose shoes are whose and love to organize them whenever they’re laid out, it’s the little things like that where their servant hearts shine through.

If that’s not already so cool they are so hard working at such a young age; most of the kids here range from 4-14, there are a few older kids that are 16 and 19 and they are brothers. Every morning we get obnoxious wake-up calls from the ducks, geese, and the chickens and a few confused roosters who crow in middle of the night. And by 5am you can already hear the kids running around, getting stuff done. Before heading out to school (some in the morning and others in the afternoon) the chores always get done before they leave. The chores include things from dusting floors to helping with cooking and taking care of the garden. Most of them get to school either by walking or by motorcycle, the main mode of transportation here. Sometimes the older kids take turns driving the young ones to school and back on the bikes, seeing them do this really hit close to home because it reminded me of how many times I had done just that for my siblings to school in the mornings but I was reluctant and often complained despite having the priviledge of a car.

My absolute favorite time is our worship/dance parties with the children every night before bed because it’s always a party. The first night we had worship with them I did not expect to be filled with so much joy and emotion. The kids worshiped with such passion and freedom and the joy that they exuded was unbelievable. They worshipped from a place of surrender and genuine love for our Father. Yes they are orphans with no earthly parents, but they know the Lord and love their papa in heaven. Another amazing moment in one of our worship nights was a couple nights ago when I was not feeling it at all. I had no energy or desire to participate, I hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before and I was feeling a little sick and grumpy but I made my self get up and go outside. The kids sang a song and then our host, Pastor Soly, talked a little and we jumped back into worship. Soon some of the young girls began to cry and weep during worship I couldn’t tell you why but worship was so powerful and it was all coming out of these kids and for me it was undoubtedly the Holy Spirit working in amazing ways. They were so loud and bold, filled with the spirit and in that moment I felt so small and suddenly my problems and worries didn’t matter. The whole experience really shook me up and put me back in my place. These girls and boys are so in tune with the Holy Spirit and that inspires me and fills me with life and energy whenever I’m not feeling it. The presence they carry is so infectious, they are always so happy and give you the biggest smile that you forget they are orphans with incredibly painful pasts.

These past few weeks have been amazing. I am overjoyed to look back and see all the growing I have already done in our time here and I look forward to the coming months and the ways that God will work through me to bring His kingdom down.