Sunday, April 20, 2014
Our first weeks of outreach flew by! We have completed our first location, and that is just wild to think about. Three weeks ago we left for Cambodia, and after a long ride in a gross bus sitting next to an old Asian man whose nasty feet were in my space the entire time, a seemingly long walk across the border with my far too heavy backpack and an unexceptional van ride, we arrived in the city of Battambang. And I was in love. I don't even know what it was, but as soon as I had those first glimpses of the country of Cambodia, I loved it. Battambang has a small town feel - not very developed or Americanized, you can walk pretty much everywhere you want to go - with that special Asian charm - sugar can drink and food vendors all along the street, plenty of tuk tuks on the road, and allllllll the motos. Plus, there was just that little of extra Cambodian spice in the mix. It's difficult to describe all that was so special about Cambodia, but it definitely has something to do with the friendliness and hospitality demonstrated by all the Khmer people. They are all so genuinely concerned with serving you - making sure you have enough food, arranging a nice place for you to stay, or just making sure you're doing alright today. Plus, I think Khmers are probably the most gorgeous people in the entire world. They all look like models, and then when they smile, they become even more beautiful.
Our first week in Cambodia was spent mostly on the YWAM Battambang base for the Nations 2 Nations conference. What a great experience, getting to learn and worship alongside so many nations! Like a little taste of what heaven is going to be. We learned a lot about how God as made our cultures to be different and we can use our cultures' customs and traditions to glorify him. Even what we could view as "evil" in a culture, can be redeemed to glorify God. People are made to worship, and we all worship in different ways. We don't need to change the way people worship, we just need to redirect that worship towards God. We also learned about finding our own individual voice, and glorifying God through using it. We had lots of fun learning about different cultures, seeing some different customs, singing and praying in different languages. We had a cultural talent show one night - Khmer dances, Haka, hip hop, swing dance! It was so fun! And on the last night we had a big feast together and a dance party! Some American songs and some Khmer. I was kidnapped by a group of Khmer girls and they taught me how to dance Khmer.
They second week, we went to a village for a few days. We stayed at an orphanage, and that was absolutely amazing. The pastor ran this orphanage with just a few other workers. All the kids were amazing. Beautiful little Khmer children, with even more beautiful hearts. They ranged in age from 5-23 and they all helped take care of each other. They took care of us too. They gave up their mattresses while we were there for us to sleep on, and set up the mosquito nets for us. We had so much fun teaching and playing with them. We did lessons and crafts and games and songs and dance. The most incredible part of our time at the orphanage though, was getting to watch the kids worship. I can't explain the heartfelt passion with which they sang and prayed. It was humbling and a blessing to watch the sincerity on their faces as they closed their eyes to sing. One night as our team was leading worship, one of our team members asked us to pray over the kids. Then she asked the kids to pray over us. One boy (we had been hanging out the whole time I was there) grabbed my hand and led me over to kneel beside another girl on my team. He placed his hands on our shoulders and then the kids started praying. Their soft Khmer whispers rolled over us, and I nearly started to cry; I was so touched. Those kids are powerful prayer warriors.
We went to another village one day in the middle of our orphanage stay. Alright, for starters, we crammed 23 people into a truck with 5 seats. Safe to say most of us were in the back. So, that was like an hour and half ride. We were very well fed when we arrived, and then put on a kids program. Oh yes, and we were the first foreigners ever to come into that village. No pressure! After doing coloring, songs, a skit, a testimony and a little magic show/evangelism bit, we did a little hygiene care. Some girls washed hair, while a few others (like me) clipped nails. The whole afternoon we had been watching the dark clouds roll in. As we were finishing up the program, it started to thunder. Uh oh. Then the biggest rain drops (I'd actually say they were about quarter size, no joke) started to fall from the sky. "Maybe we should wait it out." Cue downpour. "We have to go now. If we wait the roads will be too muddy to get through and we'll have to stay the night." So we all piled into the back of the uncovered truck and drove home. For an hour and a half. In the POURING RAIN. Like, we were soaked through within seconds of being outside, and then we had to sit out in the cold, huddled together, praying that we would get through those gigantic puddles in the road that grazed the top of the wheel wells. We sang worship songs at the tops of our lungs, and while were singing I felt more peace and more warmth. We got through it all without getting stuck once! It was truly a miracle!
We spent a few days in Battambang doing a deep clean of a cafe affiliated with YWAM that employed Khmers. That was...fun. No, it actually wasn't that bad. I was in the crew that was in charge of cleaning the big front room. Top to bottom. Literally. Ceiling fans, walls, tables, counters, chairs, cupboards (inside and out) and floors, etc. It was a great time getting to bless the cafe. Also, getting to hear a few of the other girls' death screams when they found a giant rat. So glad to not have been involved in that. Oy went on for days about it. "Much trauma. Need counselling."
While we were there, we got to celebrate Khmer New Year (my third new year of the year, haha! Our New Year, Chinese New Year, Khmer New Year), which seems to involve very loud music that wakes you up at 5am and does not cease throughout the day. As Brittany and I have come to describe it: it sounds like creepy carousel music played over a dying boom box at the volume of a rock concert in the front row. It's really a pleasure. During that week (ah yes, Khmer New Year celebrations last for a week...at least) we were blessed to have teachings from a Titus team. Titus is an outreach phase of a YWAM school that goes around doing Bible teachings. That's the short explanation anyways. We got three mornings of a total Bible overview. So much history! It was so interesting to learn more context for certain parts of the Bible, and the history was just so fascinating. It really did give me a greater passion to get into the Word more.
So, in my opinion, the best part of Khmer New Year is Songkran, the water festival. It happens less in the cities, more out in the villages. But basically what it is, is this: don't expect to take a step outside without getting 100% soaked with water guns, water balloons and buckets full of water. It does not matter if you are going to work or anything. You are getting wet. We went to a village to celebrate, technically the day after Songkran ended, but the kids were putting on a special water fight for us. A real sacrifice on their part. Kids hate that stuff. Once again, we were very well fed (I haven't mentioned yet that Cambodia by far has the best food I have ever eaten from Asia). The kids took us out to their "pool" - a little, dirty pond - and had a great time pushing us in the water. A farmer with his cow and calf came by for them to have a drink while we were swimming. And the kids found a crab in the water and chased after us with it. I also got to hold it. After we were all soaking wet from swimming, we had a water fight. Water guns, buckets, hoses. NO MERCY!!! We all had an absolute blast chasing after each other. The boys (little stinkers) liked to grab my hand like they were my friend, only to lead me into a trap! They also enjoyed smearing mud on my face. It was so much fun!
We traveled back to Bangkok on April 18. It was so sad to leave Cambodia. I so enjoyed my time there. I fell in love with the land and the people. I don't think Cambodia and I are finished yet.
Prayer Requests:
- HEALTH!!! A few of us (myself included) are being afflicted with colds currently. Kind of annoying. Also, we want to be healthy for the rest of outreach - strong, energetic, able to participate, and no more hospital visits!
- Unity in our team. That we would work effectively together, and that we would be known by our love.
- Camp Zoe - our youth camp coming up this week in Thailand. For salvation and growing faith - we'll have a whole range of kids there. And for safety, and above all, fun :)
Our first weeks of outreach flew by! We have completed our first location, and that is just wild to think about. Three weeks ago we left for Cambodia, and after a long ride in a gross bus sitting next to an old Asian man whose nasty feet were in my space the entire time, a seemingly long walk across the border with my far too heavy backpack and an unexceptional van ride, we arrived in the city of Battambang. And I was in love. I don't even know what it was, but as soon as I had those first glimpses of the country of Cambodia, I loved it. Battambang has a small town feel - not very developed or Americanized, you can walk pretty much everywhere you want to go - with that special Asian charm - sugar can drink and food vendors all along the street, plenty of tuk tuks on the road, and allllllll the motos. Plus, there was just that little of extra Cambodian spice in the mix. It's difficult to describe all that was so special about Cambodia, but it definitely has something to do with the friendliness and hospitality demonstrated by all the Khmer people. They are all so genuinely concerned with serving you - making sure you have enough food, arranging a nice place for you to stay, or just making sure you're doing alright today. Plus, I think Khmers are probably the most gorgeous people in the entire world. They all look like models, and then when they smile, they become even more beautiful.
Our first week in Cambodia was spent mostly on the YWAM Battambang base for the Nations 2 Nations conference. What a great experience, getting to learn and worship alongside so many nations! Like a little taste of what heaven is going to be. We learned a lot about how God as made our cultures to be different and we can use our cultures' customs and traditions to glorify him. Even what we could view as "evil" in a culture, can be redeemed to glorify God. People are made to worship, and we all worship in different ways. We don't need to change the way people worship, we just need to redirect that worship towards God. We also learned about finding our own individual voice, and glorifying God through using it. We had lots of fun learning about different cultures, seeing some different customs, singing and praying in different languages. We had a cultural talent show one night - Khmer dances, Haka, hip hop, swing dance! It was so fun! And on the last night we had a big feast together and a dance party! Some American songs and some Khmer. I was kidnapped by a group of Khmer girls and they taught me how to dance Khmer.
They second week, we went to a village for a few days. We stayed at an orphanage, and that was absolutely amazing. The pastor ran this orphanage with just a few other workers. All the kids were amazing. Beautiful little Khmer children, with even more beautiful hearts. They ranged in age from 5-23 and they all helped take care of each other. They took care of us too. They gave up their mattresses while we were there for us to sleep on, and set up the mosquito nets for us. We had so much fun teaching and playing with them. We did lessons and crafts and games and songs and dance. The most incredible part of our time at the orphanage though, was getting to watch the kids worship. I can't explain the heartfelt passion with which they sang and prayed. It was humbling and a blessing to watch the sincerity on their faces as they closed their eyes to sing. One night as our team was leading worship, one of our team members asked us to pray over the kids. Then she asked the kids to pray over us. One boy (we had been hanging out the whole time I was there) grabbed my hand and led me over to kneel beside another girl on my team. He placed his hands on our shoulders and then the kids started praying. Their soft Khmer whispers rolled over us, and I nearly started to cry; I was so touched. Those kids are powerful prayer warriors.
We went to another village one day in the middle of our orphanage stay. Alright, for starters, we crammed 23 people into a truck with 5 seats. Safe to say most of us were in the back. So, that was like an hour and half ride. We were very well fed when we arrived, and then put on a kids program. Oh yes, and we were the first foreigners ever to come into that village. No pressure! After doing coloring, songs, a skit, a testimony and a little magic show/evangelism bit, we did a little hygiene care. Some girls washed hair, while a few others (like me) clipped nails. The whole afternoon we had been watching the dark clouds roll in. As we were finishing up the program, it started to thunder. Uh oh. Then the biggest rain drops (I'd actually say they were about quarter size, no joke) started to fall from the sky. "Maybe we should wait it out." Cue downpour. "We have to go now. If we wait the roads will be too muddy to get through and we'll have to stay the night." So we all piled into the back of the uncovered truck and drove home. For an hour and a half. In the POURING RAIN. Like, we were soaked through within seconds of being outside, and then we had to sit out in the cold, huddled together, praying that we would get through those gigantic puddles in the road that grazed the top of the wheel wells. We sang worship songs at the tops of our lungs, and while were singing I felt more peace and more warmth. We got through it all without getting stuck once! It was truly a miracle!
We spent a few days in Battambang doing a deep clean of a cafe affiliated with YWAM that employed Khmers. That was...fun. No, it actually wasn't that bad. I was in the crew that was in charge of cleaning the big front room. Top to bottom. Literally. Ceiling fans, walls, tables, counters, chairs, cupboards (inside and out) and floors, etc. It was a great time getting to bless the cafe. Also, getting to hear a few of the other girls' death screams when they found a giant rat. So glad to not have been involved in that. Oy went on for days about it. "Much trauma. Need counselling."
While we were there, we got to celebrate Khmer New Year (my third new year of the year, haha! Our New Year, Chinese New Year, Khmer New Year), which seems to involve very loud music that wakes you up at 5am and does not cease throughout the day. As Brittany and I have come to describe it: it sounds like creepy carousel music played over a dying boom box at the volume of a rock concert in the front row. It's really a pleasure. During that week (ah yes, Khmer New Year celebrations last for a week...at least) we were blessed to have teachings from a Titus team. Titus is an outreach phase of a YWAM school that goes around doing Bible teachings. That's the short explanation anyways. We got three mornings of a total Bible overview. So much history! It was so interesting to learn more context for certain parts of the Bible, and the history was just so fascinating. It really did give me a greater passion to get into the Word more.
So, in my opinion, the best part of Khmer New Year is Songkran, the water festival. It happens less in the cities, more out in the villages. But basically what it is, is this: don't expect to take a step outside without getting 100% soaked with water guns, water balloons and buckets full of water. It does not matter if you are going to work or anything. You are getting wet. We went to a village to celebrate, technically the day after Songkran ended, but the kids were putting on a special water fight for us. A real sacrifice on their part. Kids hate that stuff. Once again, we were very well fed (I haven't mentioned yet that Cambodia by far has the best food I have ever eaten from Asia). The kids took us out to their "pool" - a little, dirty pond - and had a great time pushing us in the water. A farmer with his cow and calf came by for them to have a drink while we were swimming. And the kids found a crab in the water and chased after us with it. I also got to hold it. After we were all soaking wet from swimming, we had a water fight. Water guns, buckets, hoses. NO MERCY!!! We all had an absolute blast chasing after each other. The boys (little stinkers) liked to grab my hand like they were my friend, only to lead me into a trap! They also enjoyed smearing mud on my face. It was so much fun!
We traveled back to Bangkok on April 18. It was so sad to leave Cambodia. I so enjoyed my time there. I fell in love with the land and the people. I don't think Cambodia and I are finished yet.
Prayer Requests:
- HEALTH!!! A few of us (myself included) are being afflicted with colds currently. Kind of annoying. Also, we want to be healthy for the rest of outreach - strong, energetic, able to participate, and no more hospital visits!
- Unity in our team. That we would work effectively together, and that we would be known by our love.
- Camp Zoe - our youth camp coming up this week in Thailand. For salvation and growing faith - we'll have a whole range of kids there. And for safety, and above all, fun :)
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