This is a quick summary of my mission trip to Cambodia three weeks ago.
I will be honest with you, I do not know exactly how I will be conducting this blog, but this is at least a start.
I want God to be glorified in this adventure of writing and seeing where Jesus leads me.
I would first like to thank my parents also for all their support!
I know for an absolute fact that this trip was ordained by God, for one, because the very day I was to go, I realized I had sent my passport home with my friend and all of my stuff from school! I was staying with my brother's family in Camp Pendleton when I realized what I had done. I called my Mom and she found it in my stuff while my sister got in touch with the airlines and they drove my passport 1 1/2hrs. to Portland and put it on a plane; it got to LAX at about 8:30pm the same day! Amidst it all,
God gave me His peace that passes ALL understanding because I wasn't worried
(just wondering what He was going to do!).
Once we got over to Cambodia we stayed at a "boy's discipleship home" in Phnom Penh.
(When we got off the plane, the temperature hit uslike a ton of brinks, approx. 105 degrees and %80 humidity.)
Randy Fleming is the missionary over there who God called to start a boy's discipleship.
He is there to be used of God to help raise these boys up in the Word of God to go and
minister to their own people. Some of the boys have been raised in a Christian home and
some haven't, some have parents and others don't.
(The age range of the boys are from about 14-24 (some go to the university).)
The schools are very corrupt there, so student will bribe teachers in order to
pass exams. But the boys at the house must work hard and not cheat to pass the exams to be
a part of the house. The main theme of the house I would say is "joy". Those boys have the
joy of the LORD! It's a great encouragement because you will ask them randomly during the day
if they have joy and they will say "YES!"
One of the very best things that you can do for them is to read the Word of God with them.
You just ask them, "do you want to read the Bible with me?" and if they aren't going to
school or working on homework they will probably say, yes.
So then you each read a verse (they read in Khmer (pronounced: "Ka-mi") and you read in English, and depending how good of
English they can speak, you discuss it afterwards. It's one of their favorite things to do!
It encourages me so much because they don’t have much at all to their name but Jesus’ joy overflows in them! The house has daily Bible reading and each night (Mon.-Fri.) they have a Bible study.
There are two Christian orphanages that the house if affiliated with in Phnom Penh: Hope and CHA. We went to both throughout the 3 weeks that we were there and played with the kids, and taught them
Bible stories, and did skits for them, and gave them snacks, and played some more
One great testimony of how great God is: CHA has about 65 kids and
while we were there we found out that they weren't going to have enough food for the kids that
month, so, we prayed for a few days and before we left someone had anonymously donated enough
money for those kids to eat this next month! Praise Jesus!! (That is a lot of mouths to
feed!)
The 1st and 3rd Saturday that we were there we went to Preyveng (about a 2 hour drive
from where we were staying in the city) to minister to a village
that has just become Christian in this last year. They had only seen white people once
before. The pastor and some of the boys go out to hold a church service with them every
Saturday. They built a roof for a church, but it's on clay...so you can only
imagine what happens when it rains.... In answer to prayer, chairs were provided.
Again, praise Jesus!! The kids there are so adorable. They remember the Bible stories from the week before and the songs with the motions!
The first time we went, we took the Jesus Film and sat in the dirt with the kids to watch it. They all want to touch you, they want to sit by you, hold your hand, put their
arm around you. At one point in the movie I had about 7 or 8 kids trying to sit with me...my
legs fell asleep and were hurting so bad! But it was worth it! Sadly though, you just can't
give all the kids all the love that you wish you could.
The 3rd week we went to the village, we stopped on our way there and got a bunch of loafs of bread and handed it out to them.
These people (not just in the village) are so malnourished! Girls that you think are
only maybe 11 or so are really more like 16 years old.
(Holly is the other missionary over there. She loves those boys so much! And one of the
things that she wants for them is to eat better...for us that would be eating less junk
food, but for them, it's eating protein: eggs, meat, ect. instead of just white rice and cooked
green vegetables on the side.)
We have to cross the stinky river on a ferry to get to the province of Preyveng and on both sides there are people selling and begging. That is where I eat my first grasshopper
and disgusting worm thing! (After the wings were pealed off, the grasshopper was actually
really good!)
One time, after coming back across the river we saw this little girl holding a smaller
child who looked extremely sick and was basically limp with his head on her shoulder,
she was begging; well, we were told that the smaller child had been drugged so that you
feel bad for them.... There is a lot of drugs and sex trade there.
One night as I was talking to one of the boys he was telling me some about how his life is
in Cambodia. He says that his dad works so hard, and if he doesn't work for a week,
then they don't eat...simple as that...I didn't know how to respond to that. As bad as it
gets here in America, we have something to eat. He loves his dad so much but his dad doesn't
know Jesus and he doesn't want him to die without knowing! So he prays all the time for him!
His dad will die for his kids because he loves them so much, but he says, what profit
would that be unless he trusted in Jesus to save his soul.
Another boy was telling me how his mom died 6 months ago, and that he cries, and cries, and
cries, and his heart aches, and he misses her so much, but he has the joy of the LORD! He is so excited to see her in Heaven because she knew Jesus! He is literally the most joyful person
I know!! And it encourages me so much!!
One time as we were walking to the market a boy and girl came up to
me and wanted my 50 cent ice coffee...it took me a second to think whether I wanted to give
it up or not because I was hot and wanted something cold to drink...but then it was like God said in my ear, hello, that's the reason you're here.... It was such a good feeling to know that those two
got something cold to drink that day, and not because of me, but because of the love of
Christ. (It just goes to show how awful I am inside without God's love.)
When we said "goodbye" to the kids at CHA Orphanage the kids were weeping/sobbing, trying
to get more of you with hugs! They ask you, "sister, when you come back??" I wanted so badly to say that I for sure will be back, but I couldn't promise. I'm guessing that they were hugging me
for about 15 solid minutes, but we had a plane to catch, so one of the older girls grabbed
my hand and helped lead me through the children get on the tok-tok (vehicle). Heart-breaking.
You have such sweet fellowship with the kids even though you don’t speak the same language.
Something that I would like to leave you with:
Remember, no matter where you are called, temptations and problems follow. You may be called
to stay home and work at your minimum wage paying job, or be at school, or be a mom. It's so
easy to think, "If I were just on the other side of the world, in Africa, China, Russia,
Europe, India, or even in Mexico, then I could serve God FULLY!" It's not true. The opportunities to serve God are right there in front of you! :) The same temptation that I struggle with at home and at Bible College followed me to Cambodia! But God called me there, so He provided and I went.
"OBEDIANCE" is key. (Just don't forget to sit at Jesus' feet because that is the
most important thing!)
I am praying about going back.
There is so much more to tell...but, it would take a long time. ;)
"...and He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth His own
sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a
stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of
strangers."
John 10:3-5
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any pluck them out of My hand."
John 10:27-28
Love and peace to you in Christ,
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