The Kingdom of Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia.

I can honestly say this is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever seen. Six hours on a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh makes for plenty of opportunity to gawk at the scenery that would soon become so familiar to us. We watched through dirty windows as the infamous rice fields flaunted their brightest greens, the sun passing high overhead to paint a canvas of light through the surrounding trees. But even more beautiful than the stunning landscapes are the people that make up the Kingdom of Cambodia. Their brilliant smiles on their dark faces would make any newcomer do a double take. Even through their history of devastation, there is a glimmer in their dark eyes that tell of hope. This is God’s beauty.

We had just finished our three days of debrief in Siem Reap, which was exactly what we needed. We spent the days climbing through old temple ruins at sunrise (Angkor Watt, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world) eating Cambodia’s greatest delicacies, consisting of cashew chicken, curb side banana pancakes with Milo, and even a couple fried tarantulas (of course Ben had to double up on those). We topped our time off with a day full of massages, both full body with oil and $1 fish massages where they’d gnaw the dead skin off your feet. Needless to say, they loved Jared.

But most of all, we were able to spend the time in prayer and communion with our God, allowing him to refresh us after our month in Thailand. We thanked God for the ways that He moved in our time at both Khaodee and Abba House and the way we knew that he wanted to move in Cambodia. As we prayed and listened for his heart, we began to feel the heaviness that is laid upon it for His children in Cambodia.

Cambodia is a nation wrought of devastation. The thirty years of recent war has left them a country of not only bitterness, but of youth. About eighty percent of the nation is under the age of thirty. They have seen the result of their parents’ many years of struggle with their neighbors and even among their own people. They have been raised on the remnants of oppression and under a government that still rests on the power of a gun.

But with this young age comes a time of rebirth. It’s a time to rebuild what has been destroyed, to build a foundation of leaders that speak truth, the truth of Christ. This is a generation that needs not only nurturing and comfort, but also the strength to stand up again. It’s a strength that only our Savior can bring.

This is why God brought us here.

Our first week was spent in the city of Phnom Penh working mainly with children. We spent one morning bathing about 50 babies and clothing them with Destiny Rescue, putting our love in action with the Love in Action Orphanage, and even visiting some Mother Teresa homes right outside the city. These homes literally will not turn away any child in need, so they house various kinds of children, mostly with disabilities. We were able to love on kids with no arms or legs, a girl that could only walk on hands and knees, many ten-year-old “babies” that could hardly respond to your presence, and even a group of kids laboring under HIV. It was such a blessing for us to be able to speak value into the lives of these children who have been demonstrated nothing but worthlessness. Even just the warmth of touch to those who don’t seem aware can make a world of difference in their lives. They’re God’s children as much as you and I, and as I sat there holding one boys hand, praying that He’d feel Jesus’ love in my touch, I was almost brought to tears as he began squeezing my hand along with the rhythm of my heart beat.

In that simple moment I was reminded of how God’s heart beats for these children, and even in the simplest ways, He shows them that. God’s always there with them, always taking care of them, and we were blessed to be able to share in that love with them.

But God did not keep us in this ministry for long. A few days into our time in Phnom Penh, God presented us with an opportunity to head out to a remote island in a river about 25 KM away from the city. Ben told us of a church that had a lot of need in English teaching, discipling, and evangelism. After some time in prayer and we decided without a doubt that this was God, so we packed up and hit the road.

As we piled out of our vans and onto the boat, we saw the island only a few short minutes away. So in line with everything else we had seen in this country, it was beyond beautiful. Even the tree-canopied dirt road that leads to the church felt like home to us. We tossed our bags into the little room that we would all be sharing and glanced around with an identical look on each of our faces. No running water, no real toilets, no electricity…no problem. Now of course there was a level of nervousness as we realized how very close we’d all be getting on this phase of outreach, we were nothing but excited to see what God had in store for us. Our blue and pink mosquito nets went nicely with our green tiled floor, and as we settled into bed that night, we knew this was where God wanted us. So here we are, only a couple days on the island and already God has been moving.

Each day we spend time with the many kids that follow us like a pack of ducklings. We are always plagued with the simple English conversational phrases of “Hello!” “What is your name?” and “Do you have boyfriend?” We’ve all learned the proper responses without even thinking. Days are spent playing games, teaching English, and even teaching Bible stories to the many kids on the island that don’t go to school. Afternoons are often filled with swimming in the river, playing soccer on the beach, or for some of us (cough Jon cough) even sinking canoes. Yet it is the door-to-door evangelism on the island that most of us look forward to each day. I say door to door, but almost everyone is outside and ready to welcome you to sit before we even get to the door. The people of the island have been treating us like family, inviting us to as many new and delicious fruits as we can get our minds around. One guy even let us play with the baby snake that he found until Ben put it down his pants. We don’t get to play with their animals anymore.

But perhaps the most impacting ministry that we are blessed to do comes at night when the lights go out. Pastor Gideon flips on their weak generator and as the lights flicker, kids of all ages come into the church. As I mentioned before, this is a time of great influence for the youth of Cambodia. It’s a time to pour into them the things of God and to build a foundation of truth and hope in their lives. And God has given us an incredible platform to do so.

Each night we are able to teach them new worship songs and play games, but most importantly to pour out the very lessons that we’ve learned through lecture phase of DTS. With so many ages in the group, lessons can seem very basic in comparison to our typical youth services at home. But we’ve realized that these kids don’t often hear about God’s big plans for them. They don’t hear that no matter what they are doing in life, whether wiring electricity or as a policeman or even as the president of Cambodia, they can do it for God. They don’t hear that God speaks to them everyday, that He has a purpose for their lives, that He desires to use them to build his Kingdom. It’s in our night services that we are able to plant seeds of truth in their lives that we pray are nurtured into fruit.

These kids are the future of Cambodia and our Father has given us not only an opportunity, but the responsibility to pour into them during our time here. Pray that we do so with wisdom and with the truth that comes of the Holy Spirit alone.

Also, please continue to pray for health for our teams as we’ve had some sickness being passed around. (Nothing major parents, don’t freak out!) Pray for our team as Mom (Whitney) leaves us tomorrow! We won’t be whole without her. But I can’t wait to see how God moves in her in the January school! Pray also for boldness as we go door to door to speak the gospel. And most of all, pray that Ben doesn’t stick any more animals down his pants. I’m not taking him to the hospital for that.

Once again, we love and miss you all!

-The Thaibodia Team