A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. Proverbs 16: 9
As I write this, I am feeling homesick and I miss my friends from church and my family. It totally sucks. I've a bit of time to myself this weekend then next week my schedule is full again. I think if everything was fine I'd probably be dealing with it better but as much as I love the people here, cross-cultural differences are starting to fray me somewhat.
Over here it will be just like any other day and apart from the bigger hotels trying to out-do each other with who has the most elaborate secular display of garish festive lights, it's just not Christmas here, well not as I know it. Just had a Christmas celebration at the village church where I teach and on Christmas Day, we're having a celebration with all the kids at the Vietnamese ministry. Then in the evening, a few of us working with the Christian Missionary Alliance (who run the Vietnamese school) are having a meal together although most of them I haven't yet met. On Monday morning, we have a Christmas youth event at the school too.
You may be surprised to hear that there haven't been any recent Khmer language faux pas on my part (none that I know of anyway) but I know that my pronunciation of students' names when I call the register does usually result in a few laughs. The other day though I was sat in the restaurant area of the guest house doing some lesson-planning (which sometimes seems like it's all I do) and realised I had a requirement for some scissors. The guest house owner's head was just visible as he worked away, sitting behind the desk at the end of the open-sided dining area, so I called his name and asked (in English):
“Hey, have you got any scissors?”
He looked up, gave me a really dirty look and then carried on with whatever he was doing.
A few moments later, his head suddenly popped up from behind the counter again saying:
“Oh SCISSORS! Very sorry Mister Danny, I thought you said: have you got any SISTERS!”
To be honest, I was more concerned that for a brief moment, he was forced in his own mind to question my integrity..
Now, I do realise that negotiating one's way through traffic out here can be a bit hair-raising at times, but I actually saw a western woman riding in a tuk-tuk wearing a blind-fold, which I thought was taking it a bit too far.
Time is precious here though and as I'm not one to do anything unprepped, everything's taking up a bit too much time. I have to buy my own teaching resources including photocopying and use a local internet cafe to print online materials. Logistically it can be a bit of a headache but I always get done what needs to be done. English is in high demand here and I get asked many times to teach different people but it just isn't possible.
I'm really encouraged that the Bible dictations that I do during my evening class are well-received. God has been faithful as He has lead me though this and I use one of the students to translate using a Khmer Bible. This week, I'll be giving my testimony via an interpreter at the lake project so I'd really value prayer for this.
An amazing thing happened at the Vietnamese school this week – you may remember me telling you of a lady that was studying outside the class peering in through the window with baby and coursebook in arms. Well, she's an established part of the class now (along with her kids) and is a keen student and doing very well; she desperately wants to give herself and her children a better chance, living in a country that won't recognise her existence. The trouble is, her husband beats and threatens her if she goes to church on Sunday and he has her watched to make sure she doesn't go as she is expected to work as a drinks vendor.
I learned that as a young girl she had a vivid dream that God was drawing her to Him and although she'd always pursued faith in Christ it had always seemingly been a bridge too far. This week though, at school, she gave her life to Jesus and it was such an honour to see the joy on her face and tear-filled eyes as we all prayed. If ever we are to pray for anyone though, it is her.
So I'm glad to end on a positive note and I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this and in sharing this journey with me. I appreciate the love and support received as it has recently been a challenging existence out here.
I pray that you have a very happy Christmas.
Love,
Dan
Friday, 24 December 2010
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Trepidation? What trepidation?
Funny as I look back to the time when I had just arrived out here and there was a just tinge of trepidation (well, probably a bit more than a tinge) about how things would pan out... and there was me going on about stepping out in faith. I knew this was what I had to do and I knew that I could step out in faith and trust that everything would fall into place. Admittedly, there is the odd day of challenge, but one cannot deny that the His plan is undoubtedly unfolding as it should.
Have thankfully moved back into the original guest house and now have a different room which I'm told is mine for keeps; I even have a warm shower which is a bonus although it isn't essential.
The area within the grounds of the guest house has a lot of greenery, palm trees and a few seated areas to chill out in the shade. Exotic creatures can be heard and the other day I saw a colourful butterfly the size of a small bird. The inside of the guest house is decorated with traditional Khmer art and typical Indochinese-style wooden furniture.
My ground-floor room has a small TV, a fridge, a bamboo clothes rail, an en suite bathroom and the all-important ceiling fan. The windows look out towards the eating area, have metal grilles and slideable mosquito screens. It has a tiled floor and the room gets cleaned once a day, usually while I'm out teaching, so very convenient. It's modest and it has all I need.
The other day I pulled up on my loaned 100cc Honda Dream motorbike and was promptly invited over to the outdoor table of the owner's family who were eating. They beckoned me to sit down and I understood that they wanted to offer me some Khmer food. “OK”, I said and an array of various types of veg and small dishes of spices were shuffled before me. Then the owner's mother placed an egg in front of me, to which I thought, “OK, at least they aren't trying to feed me deep-fried snake or anything.”
How wrong I was.
She took a teaspoon and knocked the top off the egg and there it was inside: duck embryo. It was one of the grossest things I have ever seen and I made my excuses and left the table feeling decidedly ill. There was an Australian woman at the table who, in French, politely declined their offer too (French is still occasionally spoken here).
I've had some very positive feedback from the ministries where I teach, which is what I need as I'm the type who needs reassurance that what I aim to do is well received. However, the heat is an issue and keeping oneself protected and cool is essential. I've just added another Khmer student to my schedule; he is a former monk whose brother is a Christian and we are studying conversational English and some simple Bible verses with him as he has been asking me a lot of questions. Please pray for him, his name is Gurt.
Another of my students in the evening class, Sen, is a former officer in the Cambodian army who fought the Khmer Rouge in the civil war here. When he went into the army his studies were put on hold and he now works as a tour guide and actually speaks English well but is keen to improve and is one of my best students. The older generation here have many stories to tell.
I've found a cheap eatery in town and I was there on Saturday night, sat at one of the outside tables to see the world as it passes by. A man pushing his elderly father in a wheelchair approached me; the elderly man was a blind amputee and I was overcome with empathy for them, especially as it reminded me of when I used to take my mum out in her wheelchair. The difference here is that the people need to eat and clothe themselves as there's no social security system, something we in the west can often take for granted. I handed them some Cambodian money and I prayed for them as they went on their way.
The Vietnamese school closes for a couple of weeks in January and I'm hoping to take time off and explore some of Cambodia, especially the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh so that I can understand more of what happened during the genocide here. I do need to find someone to cover for me at the evening class so if anyone fancies coming over to help me out, let me know!
Despite what Bing Crosby says, it doesn't feel a lot like Christmas out here but in church, it does. We've been singing carols and studying Luke chapter two, the birth of Jesus, God's gift to mankind. In verse 8 we learn of the shepherds' visitation by the angels who told the good news, that a Saviour was born in Bethlehem.
And what did the shepherds do? They took action! They went to Bethlehem and witnessed the Lord Jesus for themselves. So as we're thinking about gifts this season, maybe we can remember that Jesus is the greatest gift of them all. He has given everything for us, so how are we presenting ourselves as a gift to Him?
GIFT:
Give your life to Him
Invest your life for Him (time, talent, treasure, testimony)
Face the future with Him
Tell others about Him
You see, HE is the reason for the season.
Until next time..
Have thankfully moved back into the original guest house and now have a different room which I'm told is mine for keeps; I even have a warm shower which is a bonus although it isn't essential.
The area within the grounds of the guest house has a lot of greenery, palm trees and a few seated areas to chill out in the shade. Exotic creatures can be heard and the other day I saw a colourful butterfly the size of a small bird. The inside of the guest house is decorated with traditional Khmer art and typical Indochinese-style wooden furniture.
My ground-floor room has a small TV, a fridge, a bamboo clothes rail, an en suite bathroom and the all-important ceiling fan. The windows look out towards the eating area, have metal grilles and slideable mosquito screens. It has a tiled floor and the room gets cleaned once a day, usually while I'm out teaching, so very convenient. It's modest and it has all I need.
The other day I pulled up on my loaned 100cc Honda Dream motorbike and was promptly invited over to the outdoor table of the owner's family who were eating. They beckoned me to sit down and I understood that they wanted to offer me some Khmer food. “OK”, I said and an array of various types of veg and small dishes of spices were shuffled before me. Then the owner's mother placed an egg in front of me, to which I thought, “OK, at least they aren't trying to feed me deep-fried snake or anything.”
How wrong I was.
She took a teaspoon and knocked the top off the egg and there it was inside: duck embryo. It was one of the grossest things I have ever seen and I made my excuses and left the table feeling decidedly ill. There was an Australian woman at the table who, in French, politely declined their offer too (French is still occasionally spoken here).
I've had some very positive feedback from the ministries where I teach, which is what I need as I'm the type who needs reassurance that what I aim to do is well received. However, the heat is an issue and keeping oneself protected and cool is essential. I've just added another Khmer student to my schedule; he is a former monk whose brother is a Christian and we are studying conversational English and some simple Bible verses with him as he has been asking me a lot of questions. Please pray for him, his name is Gurt.
Another of my students in the evening class, Sen, is a former officer in the Cambodian army who fought the Khmer Rouge in the civil war here. When he went into the army his studies were put on hold and he now works as a tour guide and actually speaks English well but is keen to improve and is one of my best students. The older generation here have many stories to tell.
I've found a cheap eatery in town and I was there on Saturday night, sat at one of the outside tables to see the world as it passes by. A man pushing his elderly father in a wheelchair approached me; the elderly man was a blind amputee and I was overcome with empathy for them, especially as it reminded me of when I used to take my mum out in her wheelchair. The difference here is that the people need to eat and clothe themselves as there's no social security system, something we in the west can often take for granted. I handed them some Cambodian money and I prayed for them as they went on their way.
The Vietnamese school closes for a couple of weeks in January and I'm hoping to take time off and explore some of Cambodia, especially the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh so that I can understand more of what happened during the genocide here. I do need to find someone to cover for me at the evening class so if anyone fancies coming over to help me out, let me know!
Despite what Bing Crosby says, it doesn't feel a lot like Christmas out here but in church, it does. We've been singing carols and studying Luke chapter two, the birth of Jesus, God's gift to mankind. In verse 8 we learn of the shepherds' visitation by the angels who told the good news, that a Saviour was born in Bethlehem.
And what did the shepherds do? They took action! They went to Bethlehem and witnessed the Lord Jesus for themselves. So as we're thinking about gifts this season, maybe we can remember that Jesus is the greatest gift of them all. He has given everything for us, so how are we presenting ourselves as a gift to Him?
GIFT:
Give your life to Him
Invest your life for Him (time, talent, treasure, testimony)
Face the future with Him
Tell others about Him
You see, HE is the reason for the season.
Until next time..
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
A day in the life
I write this in the restaurant area of the guest house, looking across at my room with a strange feeling because someone else is now staying in it. I don't know how the staff here managed to do it but I have had to vacate and go and stay at the guest house over the road because they somehow double-booked it. Apparently I can move back here tomorrow but I'll have a different room; it has been a pain because these couple of days have been very busy and having to pack and unpack my bags again is a hassle I could've done without. But that's the way it goes sometimes and you just have to roll with it.
However, days like today remind me of how important it is to take notice when God is tapping you on the shoulder and reminding you that it is time to take a step in a different direction of your journey. That's what it felt like for me over the months preceding the trip out here: despite the pull of a comfort zone of sorts, He was clear about what I had to do and circumstantially everything was pointing towards coming out here. Today has been part of what all this is about, in allowing God to use me just as I am and although I didn't realise it at the time (as it is all part of a normal day) it has dawned on me that I am bang in the middle of where He wants me to be and what He wants me to do.
This morning I was so humbled by the Vietnamese youngsters in the morning class. They are really coming along well with their alphabet, numbers and basic vocabulary although it is a bit repetitive teaching 2-3 classes pretty much the same thing. We start and end the classes with a short prayer and then out they all troop, one by one saying “goodbye teacher!” and “see you tomorrow!” But what really got me today was that as they were walking out, a couple of them grabbed my hand and kissed it. It was one of those life moments that I'll never forget, such a simple but heartfelt gesture of appreciation. I know I've said this before but it is an honour playing a part in their education.
After teaching the kids, I have a short break then I have one-to-one tutoring with Wing who is the Vietnamese teacher at the school. She speaks broken English but with time and encouragement, she is actually a lot better than she gives herself credit for. Today she shared how God has answered her prayer that she would be able to study English with a foreigner as she had been unable to afford to go to an international school back in Vietnam. She said that it can be frustrating for her because they sometimes have mission teams from Canada, the USA and Europe visiting and she is unable to answer their questions and share the kids' stories but now she says that she is happy that she'll be able to communicate well with them.
It has been a bit problematic getting to the church for the evening class; the church has a couple of tuk-tuk drivers but they're not always available and as it would take about an hour to cycle there, one of the students has been kindly picking me up on her motorbike on her way there. Well, when she arrives, she gets off the bike and says: “teacher, you ride!” so I move my small backpack round to the front and climb onto the bike while she sits side-saddle on the back, which is a normal way for a woman to ride pillion in Asia.
Admittedly I didn't have a helmet and neither did she but I was wearing a straw hat which I may as well have exchanged for a paper bag, the use it would have been in the event of an accident. So off we went and were just chatting as we rode along when suddenly she shouts: “Teacher, STOP, POLICE!”
And there they were, the boys in brown, parked up on their motorbikes on the roadside, gesturing for us to pull over. So we pulled in; I got off the bike and started talking to them in my smattering of Khmer but I soon ran out of steam as I didn't understand a word he was saying in response to me. At least he hadn't been drinking (well, I don't think so). Anyway, my faithful student spoke to him and it transpired that she was breaking the law for not wearing a helmet and would have to pay a 'fine' so she handed him some cash and we were then allowed on our way. Oddly enough, he didn't have any problem with me so evidently it must be OK to wear a straw hat whilst riding a motorcycle over here. The fine? Oh, it was about 50p.
I taught the lesson which was mainly a Bible study on 1 Peter 3:4 which went well and they grasped the idea of inner beauty taking precedence over outer appearance. It did rain though, then the mozzies came out in force plus the neighbours were still noisily renovating their property which made speaking and listening difficult.
At the end of the lesson, Pastor Timothy arrived and he gave me the temporary use of a motorbike (and helmet) on which to get to and from the church so I now have motorised transport which is appreciated. It is an older machine and I feel a bit like Coco the Clown riding it as it has a comedy horn on it and when I press the various switches I expect it to squirt water in my eyes or something.
Nevertheless, I am very grateful.
However, days like today remind me of how important it is to take notice when God is tapping you on the shoulder and reminding you that it is time to take a step in a different direction of your journey. That's what it felt like for me over the months preceding the trip out here: despite the pull of a comfort zone of sorts, He was clear about what I had to do and circumstantially everything was pointing towards coming out here. Today has been part of what all this is about, in allowing God to use me just as I am and although I didn't realise it at the time (as it is all part of a normal day) it has dawned on me that I am bang in the middle of where He wants me to be and what He wants me to do.
This morning I was so humbled by the Vietnamese youngsters in the morning class. They are really coming along well with their alphabet, numbers and basic vocabulary although it is a bit repetitive teaching 2-3 classes pretty much the same thing. We start and end the classes with a short prayer and then out they all troop, one by one saying “goodbye teacher!” and “see you tomorrow!” But what really got me today was that as they were walking out, a couple of them grabbed my hand and kissed it. It was one of those life moments that I'll never forget, such a simple but heartfelt gesture of appreciation. I know I've said this before but it is an honour playing a part in their education.
After teaching the kids, I have a short break then I have one-to-one tutoring with Wing who is the Vietnamese teacher at the school. She speaks broken English but with time and encouragement, she is actually a lot better than she gives herself credit for. Today she shared how God has answered her prayer that she would be able to study English with a foreigner as she had been unable to afford to go to an international school back in Vietnam. She said that it can be frustrating for her because they sometimes have mission teams from Canada, the USA and Europe visiting and she is unable to answer their questions and share the kids' stories but now she says that she is happy that she'll be able to communicate well with them.
It has been a bit problematic getting to the church for the evening class; the church has a couple of tuk-tuk drivers but they're not always available and as it would take about an hour to cycle there, one of the students has been kindly picking me up on her motorbike on her way there. Well, when she arrives, she gets off the bike and says: “teacher, you ride!” so I move my small backpack round to the front and climb onto the bike while she sits side-saddle on the back, which is a normal way for a woman to ride pillion in Asia.
Admittedly I didn't have a helmet and neither did she but I was wearing a straw hat which I may as well have exchanged for a paper bag, the use it would have been in the event of an accident. So off we went and were just chatting as we rode along when suddenly she shouts: “Teacher, STOP, POLICE!”
And there they were, the boys in brown, parked up on their motorbikes on the roadside, gesturing for us to pull over. So we pulled in; I got off the bike and started talking to them in my smattering of Khmer but I soon ran out of steam as I didn't understand a word he was saying in response to me. At least he hadn't been drinking (well, I don't think so). Anyway, my faithful student spoke to him and it transpired that she was breaking the law for not wearing a helmet and would have to pay a 'fine' so she handed him some cash and we were then allowed on our way. Oddly enough, he didn't have any problem with me so evidently it must be OK to wear a straw hat whilst riding a motorcycle over here. The fine? Oh, it was about 50p.
I taught the lesson which was mainly a Bible study on 1 Peter 3:4 which went well and they grasped the idea of inner beauty taking precedence over outer appearance. It did rain though, then the mozzies came out in force plus the neighbours were still noisily renovating their property which made speaking and listening difficult.
At the end of the lesson, Pastor Timothy arrived and he gave me the temporary use of a motorbike (and helmet) on which to get to and from the church so I now have motorised transport which is appreciated. It is an older machine and I feel a bit like Coco the Clown riding it as it has a comedy horn on it and when I press the various switches I expect it to squirt water in my eyes or something.
Nevertheless, I am very grateful.
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Strictly Khmer Dancing
Reimund, from the Faroe Islands, whose English class I have taken over, married a local girl in a village wedding here. Starting at 7am with a fruit-carrying procession the colourful ceremony itself included worship songs, gospel message and the blessing plus a tradition which requires the bride and groom to wash the feet of their respective mothers and fathers -in- law. Close family descended upon Angkor Wat for the wedding photos followed by a meal and party at a large hotel venue later in the evening.
It was here that I experienced Cambodian dancing for the first time which I have to say that the wedding party from the Faroes had been excelling at (well sort of – a lot of arm-waving anyway). I'd only wandered off to find the gents toilet but on the way I was dragged onto the dance floor by some err.. let's say rather enthusiastic locals and before I knew it, I was participating in what can only be described as a sort of freestyle swimming motion with Bollywood hand movements whilst all following each around the dancefloor in a big circle. I managed a few circuits of the dance floor before realising what a prat I looked.
I have met many people out here, people with amazing stories of intervention, healing and of salvation. Some have been out here for years, others are more short-term. I heard one tale of some workers who were at one time going into the villages in Burma near to the border with Thailand. The atmosphere had felt very dark and heavy as the local witch doctors had not been happy about their visit and so the team moved on. Whilst traversing a river at the base of some mountains, the team felt something happening and there then followed what could only be described as a massive tremor during which everything around them shook violently for a few moments and then nothing.. complete peace. Although very shaken by this, the team moved on to the next village.
Upon arrival they were welcomed and they stayed and talked with the locals in their huts. They noticed a young boy hiding behind a tree who had been listening in as they talked. Later on, as they left the village, the boy came up to them and spoke - he told them that he lived in the last village where the witch doctors were. He told them that he'd listened and had accepted Jesus Christ but that the shamen had been furious about this and told how they had put a curse on the team and that they'd arranged that they would be killed as they left the village. He went on:
“I followed you out of our village but I knew that as they'd cursed you, I knew that something was going to happen. As you crossed the river at the base of that mountain, everything started to violently shake and I thought that this was it, that we were all about to die. But then I looked up and as the ground beneath me shook, I saw something bright and powerful reach down from the sky and suddenly everything was still. I knew that it was divine; I knew that we'd been saved”.
There have been recent reports of healings through prayer too; one lady in a village with a problematic broken shoulder was prayed for and regained full movement. Another, whose hand had been in some way deformed, was able to move it again. Whilst I was in this particular village though, a young man had just died after a long battle with a degenerative illness. His wife had left him too because of this and although it was a sad story it was one of salvation as he had accepted Jesus Christ after burning the idols he had set before him all of his life. He had become angry that they had not offered any solution to the illness that had gripped him but the pastor of the church where I teach had been one of the few who had visited him and prayed for him in the time running up to when God called him home.
I also had a purely-by-chance conversation with a Khmer guy who told me an amazing story: He said that he was orphaned at the age of one when the Khmer Rouge murdered his parents. He was then raised by an aunt as a Buddhist and then went on to become an actual monk. Fifteen years ago, he was visiting Angkor Wat in his orange robes (which many monks do and they can be seen at many of the pagodas here in town) when someone shared with him the concept of grace and of God's love and plan for his life which as a Buddhist, he had no comprehension of.
Attracted by this revelation, he started attending a local Khmer church and is now working as a local tour guide and has a ministry to local Khmers, leading many to the Lord. Amazingly, Christians have been be invited into the pagodas so that people can learn about the gospel; this nation is searching and those of us that are here to love these people, will hopefully get a glimpse of the love that God has for them.
To me, this is a prime example of what God is doing amongst the people here; they have an openness that I've not experienced before and seemingly a dissatisfaction with their thinly-veiled religiosity. At home, we have the Alpha Course to help people wrestle with the essential questions of life but out here, most, due to buddhism, are open for the truth to be taught. Many people respond and give their lives to Christ but it can take a long while for the roots of the spiritism in their lives to die away. In Phnom Penh however, the young people that move there to study, tend to leave their religious activity behind when they leave their villages and enter into a secular city lifestyle. So when they have a God-encounter, the deep-rooted ancestor-worship is no longer the barrier that it can be for the dwellers of more rural areas.
I have learned so much in this initial month; it has been hard getting to know the ex-pats already settled here but I'm hoping for opportunities to bless them instead of waiting for them to welcome me. It must be hard seeing people come and go – to build friendships only for that person to leave for their home country, so I do now understand. I want to continue to grow, to become bolder but to also just continue to be me, the way that I have been created, using the gifts that God has given me.
It was here that I experienced Cambodian dancing for the first time which I have to say that the wedding party from the Faroes had been excelling at (well sort of – a lot of arm-waving anyway). I'd only wandered off to find the gents toilet but on the way I was dragged onto the dance floor by some err.. let's say rather enthusiastic locals and before I knew it, I was participating in what can only be described as a sort of freestyle swimming motion with Bollywood hand movements whilst all following each around the dancefloor in a big circle. I managed a few circuits of the dance floor before realising what a prat I looked.
I have met many people out here, people with amazing stories of intervention, healing and of salvation. Some have been out here for years, others are more short-term. I heard one tale of some workers who were at one time going into the villages in Burma near to the border with Thailand. The atmosphere had felt very dark and heavy as the local witch doctors had not been happy about their visit and so the team moved on. Whilst traversing a river at the base of some mountains, the team felt something happening and there then followed what could only be described as a massive tremor during which everything around them shook violently for a few moments and then nothing.. complete peace. Although very shaken by this, the team moved on to the next village.
Upon arrival they were welcomed and they stayed and talked with the locals in their huts. They noticed a young boy hiding behind a tree who had been listening in as they talked. Later on, as they left the village, the boy came up to them and spoke - he told them that he lived in the last village where the witch doctors were. He told them that he'd listened and had accepted Jesus Christ but that the shamen had been furious about this and told how they had put a curse on the team and that they'd arranged that they would be killed as they left the village. He went on:
“I followed you out of our village but I knew that as they'd cursed you, I knew that something was going to happen. As you crossed the river at the base of that mountain, everything started to violently shake and I thought that this was it, that we were all about to die. But then I looked up and as the ground beneath me shook, I saw something bright and powerful reach down from the sky and suddenly everything was still. I knew that it was divine; I knew that we'd been saved”.
There have been recent reports of healings through prayer too; one lady in a village with a problematic broken shoulder was prayed for and regained full movement. Another, whose hand had been in some way deformed, was able to move it again. Whilst I was in this particular village though, a young man had just died after a long battle with a degenerative illness. His wife had left him too because of this and although it was a sad story it was one of salvation as he had accepted Jesus Christ after burning the idols he had set before him all of his life. He had become angry that they had not offered any solution to the illness that had gripped him but the pastor of the church where I teach had been one of the few who had visited him and prayed for him in the time running up to when God called him home.
I also had a purely-by-chance conversation with a Khmer guy who told me an amazing story: He said that he was orphaned at the age of one when the Khmer Rouge murdered his parents. He was then raised by an aunt as a Buddhist and then went on to become an actual monk. Fifteen years ago, he was visiting Angkor Wat in his orange robes (which many monks do and they can be seen at many of the pagodas here in town) when someone shared with him the concept of grace and of God's love and plan for his life which as a Buddhist, he had no comprehension of.
Attracted by this revelation, he started attending a local Khmer church and is now working as a local tour guide and has a ministry to local Khmers, leading many to the Lord. Amazingly, Christians have been be invited into the pagodas so that people can learn about the gospel; this nation is searching and those of us that are here to love these people, will hopefully get a glimpse of the love that God has for them.
To me, this is a prime example of what God is doing amongst the people here; they have an openness that I've not experienced before and seemingly a dissatisfaction with their thinly-veiled religiosity. At home, we have the Alpha Course to help people wrestle with the essential questions of life but out here, most, due to buddhism, are open for the truth to be taught. Many people respond and give their lives to Christ but it can take a long while for the roots of the spiritism in their lives to die away. In Phnom Penh however, the young people that move there to study, tend to leave their religious activity behind when they leave their villages and enter into a secular city lifestyle. So when they have a God-encounter, the deep-rooted ancestor-worship is no longer the barrier that it can be for the dwellers of more rural areas.
I have learned so much in this initial month; it has been hard getting to know the ex-pats already settled here but I'm hoping for opportunities to bless them instead of waiting for them to welcome me. It must be hard seeing people come and go – to build friendships only for that person to leave for their home country, so I do now understand. I want to continue to grow, to become bolder but to also just continue to be me, the way that I have been created, using the gifts that God has given me.
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
Triumph, tragedy and err.. traffic.
"Ohhh... nearly bang!" remarked the softly-spoken local Pastor Timothy as we observed a yet another traffic accident near-miss as we weaved our way through rush-hour traffic in the tuk-tuk on the way to my English lesson at his church. We did actually go on to witness an accident on the trip there and then on the return journey, on the back of someone else's motorcycle, I witnessed another collision.
It's always eventful on the roads here; as I rode my pushbike to school this morning, a bike in front of me stopped suddenly because his pillion needed to answer his mobile! I nearly ran straight into the back of him but then again if you negotiate traffic here expecting the unexpected (cattle wandering into the road etc;) then you'll be fine. I have to say that the uniformed local traffic policeman I saw parked up at the side of the road last night would probably have been little use in the event of a traffic accident anyway seeing that he was openly swigging a can of lager.
Last week wasn't the best – I spent it recovering from a chest infection which took me out of action for a while. Pastor Timothy brought me a round couple of big bags of exotic fruit including rabatan, apples and dragon fruit which were appreciated. He shared with me how his son has asthma and that when he's a bit older, he'd be eating a gecko (lizard) as this is an apparent cure. You may be interested to know that I, personally, have decided to give this a miss.
Watching TV I've watched as the Koreas have taken aim at each other, seen the mining tragedy in New Zealand unfold and also graphic news coverage of the awful happening here in Cambodia during last Monday week's water festival disaster, during which over 400 people were killed during a stampede on a bridge linking Phnom Penh with Diamond Island on the Tonle Sap river.
During one of the news reports from Phnom Penh a lady, beside herself with grief, said that her whole family were virtually wiped out by the Khmer Rouge and that the only family member she had, a son, remained unaccounted for.
Utterly tragic and reminded me of the Hillsborough disaster all those years ago. There are many rumours flying around as to what happened here but I won't entertain those, just to say that this event has shaken this nation, the worst event of its kind since the genocide thirty years ago. The international fellowship here in Siemreap have partnered with Trans World Radio and are sending support packs out to those in the over-crowded hospitals and clinics in the capital.
To add to this, 14 people were killed by a land mine when their vehicle took a shortcut on rural land in another province. Land mines are still a menace here, left behind by the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese occupation. Here in Siemreap it is sometimes hard to imagine what this country has been through as there are now few reminders; it is only when you read stories like this that one realises that there is still much work to be done here but reassuring in the knowledge that God is in the business of rebuilding and drawing this nation unto Him.
On a personal note, I'm pleased with the way things are unfolding; my lessons have been going well and the response from the students, both from the Vietnamese school and the Khmer church has been positive. However, it is so easy to over-do things here due to the climate so I'm mindful of what I agree to do.
If you'd have told me six months ago that I'd be teaching up to 30 Vietnamese kindergärten kids whilst disciplining them in Vietnamese I wouldn't have believed you. They are beginners so the lessons are basic but very active - we begin and end the lesson in prayer and then they all troop out, politely saying, “goodbye teacher!”. I've seen how they live with my own eyes. They have nothing. Most scavenge the streets, their families often live eight people to a room and yet they seem so content. It is an honour to contribute to their education and to bring them the hope that will help them to forge a future as exiles here in a land that won't recognise them.
The evening class at the Siemreap Church are at intermediate level so there's quite a gulf between the classes. I usually take a tuk-tuk for the 7km journey just as the sun is going down. Then we usually study outside and it's quite an experience trying to teach the present perfect tense with sweat pouring off you whilst at the same time being bitten to death by mozzies. The students here are very bright, many attend the church but the English classes are open to all, so many come from the surrounding villages which is a great witness. The Khmers I've met are the most patient, innocent, kind and respectful people imaginable - this is their culture, from which so much can be learned.
Ok, so everyone knows that I need to work on my Khmer language skills. Apparently my pronunciation, for a barang (foreigner) is pretty good but my vocabulary does let me down. Last night I managed to order the following for dinner:
Chicken and vegetable curry with steamed rice and a bicycle.
Just as you may remember that there's a similarity between the words for 'home' and 'frying pan' well, there's an apparent closeness between 'bicycle' and 'coconut'. When I eventually look back on my time out here at least no-one can say that I haven't given the Khmers a good laugh.
I attended a seminar the other week which taught on Matthew 5 as Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount. Ok, now I'm no Biblical scholar but then Jesus's teachings were not merely intended for an educated elite few. In this world, there is pressure to succeed and to 'be someone' and to be a winner. But just who does Jesus say are the real winners? We discover that Jesus turns the form-book upside down - it is the marginalised, the poor and the weak.
There is hope for this land.
Chum reap lea.
It's always eventful on the roads here; as I rode my pushbike to school this morning, a bike in front of me stopped suddenly because his pillion needed to answer his mobile! I nearly ran straight into the back of him but then again if you negotiate traffic here expecting the unexpected (cattle wandering into the road etc;) then you'll be fine. I have to say that the uniformed local traffic policeman I saw parked up at the side of the road last night would probably have been little use in the event of a traffic accident anyway seeing that he was openly swigging a can of lager.
Last week wasn't the best – I spent it recovering from a chest infection which took me out of action for a while. Pastor Timothy brought me a round couple of big bags of exotic fruit including rabatan, apples and dragon fruit which were appreciated. He shared with me how his son has asthma and that when he's a bit older, he'd be eating a gecko (lizard) as this is an apparent cure. You may be interested to know that I, personally, have decided to give this a miss.
Watching TV I've watched as the Koreas have taken aim at each other, seen the mining tragedy in New Zealand unfold and also graphic news coverage of the awful happening here in Cambodia during last Monday week's water festival disaster, during which over 400 people were killed during a stampede on a bridge linking Phnom Penh with Diamond Island on the Tonle Sap river.
During one of the news reports from Phnom Penh a lady, beside herself with grief, said that her whole family were virtually wiped out by the Khmer Rouge and that the only family member she had, a son, remained unaccounted for.
Utterly tragic and reminded me of the Hillsborough disaster all those years ago. There are many rumours flying around as to what happened here but I won't entertain those, just to say that this event has shaken this nation, the worst event of its kind since the genocide thirty years ago. The international fellowship here in Siemreap have partnered with Trans World Radio and are sending support packs out to those in the over-crowded hospitals and clinics in the capital.
To add to this, 14 people were killed by a land mine when their vehicle took a shortcut on rural land in another province. Land mines are still a menace here, left behind by the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese occupation. Here in Siemreap it is sometimes hard to imagine what this country has been through as there are now few reminders; it is only when you read stories like this that one realises that there is still much work to be done here but reassuring in the knowledge that God is in the business of rebuilding and drawing this nation unto Him.
On a personal note, I'm pleased with the way things are unfolding; my lessons have been going well and the response from the students, both from the Vietnamese school and the Khmer church has been positive. However, it is so easy to over-do things here due to the climate so I'm mindful of what I agree to do.
If you'd have told me six months ago that I'd be teaching up to 30 Vietnamese kindergärten kids whilst disciplining them in Vietnamese I wouldn't have believed you. They are beginners so the lessons are basic but very active - we begin and end the lesson in prayer and then they all troop out, politely saying, “goodbye teacher!”. I've seen how they live with my own eyes. They have nothing. Most scavenge the streets, their families often live eight people to a room and yet they seem so content. It is an honour to contribute to their education and to bring them the hope that will help them to forge a future as exiles here in a land that won't recognise them.
The evening class at the Siemreap Church are at intermediate level so there's quite a gulf between the classes. I usually take a tuk-tuk for the 7km journey just as the sun is going down. Then we usually study outside and it's quite an experience trying to teach the present perfect tense with sweat pouring off you whilst at the same time being bitten to death by mozzies. The students here are very bright, many attend the church but the English classes are open to all, so many come from the surrounding villages which is a great witness. The Khmers I've met are the most patient, innocent, kind and respectful people imaginable - this is their culture, from which so much can be learned.
Ok, so everyone knows that I need to work on my Khmer language skills. Apparently my pronunciation, for a barang (foreigner) is pretty good but my vocabulary does let me down. Last night I managed to order the following for dinner:
Chicken and vegetable curry with steamed rice and a bicycle.
Just as you may remember that there's a similarity between the words for 'home' and 'frying pan' well, there's an apparent closeness between 'bicycle' and 'coconut'. When I eventually look back on my time out here at least no-one can say that I haven't given the Khmers a good laugh.
I attended a seminar the other week which taught on Matthew 5 as Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount. Ok, now I'm no Biblical scholar but then Jesus's teachings were not merely intended for an educated elite few. In this world, there is pressure to succeed and to 'be someone' and to be a winner. But just who does Jesus say are the real winners? We discover that Jesus turns the form-book upside down - it is the marginalised, the poor and the weak.
There is hope for this land.
Chum reap lea.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Stepping Out of the Shadow
Imagine..
Imagine you're just a young kid and imagine that your parents struggle to pay the monthly rent. Imagine that you don't speak the local language. Imagine that you're sent out from sunrise to sunset in scorching heat to comb the streets looking for other peoples' rubbish to sell to help your mum & dad make ends meet. Imagine that if only you could, you'd actually like to go to school.
Got a picture in your mind? Well, these are the Vietnamese 'ep-chai' kids of Cambodia. More about them later.
In my last entry, I outlined the origins of the Vietnamese people in Cambodia and some of their struggles living in this country. Last Sunday, I visited the floating village of Kampong Khlong with Kim the Vietnamese lady who runs the ministry. It took about an hour to get there, by jeep and then by boat and on the way we stopped off for a breakfast of sticky rice cooked in bamboo; it was actually delicious and very cheap too.
We went to the Vietnamese church service on a floating barge and I taught English, funnily enough, mid-way through the service! It was an eye-opener seeing how these people live and the economic difficulties they undergo and as they struggle to maintain their floating wooden homes on an ever-changing tide.
Back in Siemreap, most days I'm teaching five classes: four at the Vietnamese school and one at the Siemreap Church. The Khmer students at the church are intermediate-level so there's quite a contrast between the two schools. On Tuesday evening, I taught them for the first time and even though we're at the end of the monsoon season, didn't it ever bucket it down! We were in the church building due to the mozzie-fest taking place outside but the rain was battering the tin roof so much we couldn't hear ourselves speak!
It is with the Vietnamese though that I am currently mostly utilised. It's hard teaching 26 Vietnamese children most under the age of ten when they are complete beginners at English and when you consider that I'm an utter novice at Vietnamese, it makes for interesting times.
The kids come to lessons with their young siblings and are then back out on the streets; some have battered cycles but many are on foot, trawling the dusty pavements and forecourts for anything that has been discarded. They then take what they've collected back to their village where a recycling centre exists. Not like your council-run drive-in dump-off and drive out - this is just a guy on the entrance to the village who pays the kids a small amount for whatever they may have. It's hard for these kids as they don't speak Khmer and are truly on the edge of society.
Teaching them this week has been an experience: during one lesson, I was filmed by a Canadian cable TV company who are aiming to raise the profile of Christian projects in Asia. These lessons are in themselves quite extraordinary because the classroom is always packed to capacity with the children and there is even a mother with a young daughter who comes to every morning class but follows the lesson by looking in through the open-grilled window, babe and schoolbook in arms.
That morning there was a full class, and outside there were two adults and another child peering in through the window plus a person filming me from various angles! Add to that the relentless heat - no pressure or anything.. oh and even the Vietnamese Maths and Khmer language teacher attends my afternoon class with all the kids and is a very enthusiastic student!
Admittedly, it was hard teaching these kids at first; they knew no English whatsoever but they're improving and I just love the look on their faces when I discipline them with my scant Vietnamese.
Despite their circumstances, their hotchpotch uniforms, toothless grins and dirty fingernails these kids are the most adorable kids imaginable. Children in the UK really don't know how blessed they are. This school ministry is a lifeline for these children; run by two Vietnamese teachers who are committed Christians whose heart is to give these kids a chance, to give them something other than walking the streets picking rubbish. To give them the chance of discovering their destiny in Christ.
So the plan's unfolding just as expected.
"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." Psalms 5:11
Indeed, trust in Him.
Imagine you're just a young kid and imagine that your parents struggle to pay the monthly rent. Imagine that you don't speak the local language. Imagine that you're sent out from sunrise to sunset in scorching heat to comb the streets looking for other peoples' rubbish to sell to help your mum & dad make ends meet. Imagine that if only you could, you'd actually like to go to school.
Got a picture in your mind? Well, these are the Vietnamese 'ep-chai' kids of Cambodia. More about them later.
In my last entry, I outlined the origins of the Vietnamese people in Cambodia and some of their struggles living in this country. Last Sunday, I visited the floating village of Kampong Khlong with Kim the Vietnamese lady who runs the ministry. It took about an hour to get there, by jeep and then by boat and on the way we stopped off for a breakfast of sticky rice cooked in bamboo; it was actually delicious and very cheap too.
We went to the Vietnamese church service on a floating barge and I taught English, funnily enough, mid-way through the service! It was an eye-opener seeing how these people live and the economic difficulties they undergo and as they struggle to maintain their floating wooden homes on an ever-changing tide.
Back in Siemreap, most days I'm teaching five classes: four at the Vietnamese school and one at the Siemreap Church. The Khmer students at the church are intermediate-level so there's quite a contrast between the two schools. On Tuesday evening, I taught them for the first time and even though we're at the end of the monsoon season, didn't it ever bucket it down! We were in the church building due to the mozzie-fest taking place outside but the rain was battering the tin roof so much we couldn't hear ourselves speak!
It is with the Vietnamese though that I am currently mostly utilised. It's hard teaching 26 Vietnamese children most under the age of ten when they are complete beginners at English and when you consider that I'm an utter novice at Vietnamese, it makes for interesting times.
The kids come to lessons with their young siblings and are then back out on the streets; some have battered cycles but many are on foot, trawling the dusty pavements and forecourts for anything that has been discarded. They then take what they've collected back to their village where a recycling centre exists. Not like your council-run drive-in dump-off and drive out - this is just a guy on the entrance to the village who pays the kids a small amount for whatever they may have. It's hard for these kids as they don't speak Khmer and are truly on the edge of society.
Teaching them this week has been an experience: during one lesson, I was filmed by a Canadian cable TV company who are aiming to raise the profile of Christian projects in Asia. These lessons are in themselves quite extraordinary because the classroom is always packed to capacity with the children and there is even a mother with a young daughter who comes to every morning class but follows the lesson by looking in through the open-grilled window, babe and schoolbook in arms.
That morning there was a full class, and outside there were two adults and another child peering in through the window plus a person filming me from various angles! Add to that the relentless heat - no pressure or anything.. oh and even the Vietnamese Maths and Khmer language teacher attends my afternoon class with all the kids and is a very enthusiastic student!
Admittedly, it was hard teaching these kids at first; they knew no English whatsoever but they're improving and I just love the look on their faces when I discipline them with my scant Vietnamese.
Despite their circumstances, their hotchpotch uniforms, toothless grins and dirty fingernails these kids are the most adorable kids imaginable. Children in the UK really don't know how blessed they are. This school ministry is a lifeline for these children; run by two Vietnamese teachers who are committed Christians whose heart is to give these kids a chance, to give them something other than walking the streets picking rubbish. To give them the chance of discovering their destiny in Christ.
So the plan's unfolding just as expected.
"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." Psalms 5:11
Indeed, trust in Him.
Friday, 12 November 2010
You wat?
Proverbs 3:6
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
I am trying to learn some basic Khmer and my efforts seem to go a long way, especially with the staff here at the guest house. However, I do need to work on my pronunciation as the other night I proudly announced (to their amusement) “I'm going to sleep in the frying pan” instead of “I'm going to sleep in my room”.
Visited a community of displaced Vietnamese people of which there are around 40,000 in Cambodia. Originally arriving around AD 400 to fish the Mekong, they are long established here yet greatly marginalized. Being Vietnamese they have few rights and cannot own their own land, cannot return to communist Vietnam as they were not born there and struggle to make a living amongst the Khmers of Cambodia. Debt is a huge problem as illiteracy leads to gambling and monsoon rains can severely limit their ability to earn enough money to pay both the interest on their debts and their rent.
It is very difficult for the Vietnamese children to access education as they don't speak Khmer and many can be seen traipsing around the streets of Siemreap looking for plastics and other items that can be sold to raise enough money for their families to survive. However, there is a Canadian Christian NGO that has a school in Siemreap which enables these children access to basic education. They are taught Khmer, Vietnamese, English and maths and it is understood that there are limited scholarships available to those who are proficient enough to go to university. After school, many of them still have to go looking for recyclable items.
Spent a day cycling to the various temples within the world famous Angkor Wat temple complex. It's far enough cycling there from the guest house and by the time I'd ridden to a couple of the other temple sites and then back home again, I began to understand what Major Bumsore must've been feeling when he penned 'Ten Years in the Saddle'. Angkor Wat was built in the mid-twelfth century and was then rediscovered in the 1850's by some French botanists. It had become overgrown and since then, various teams from around the world have been involved in its restoration. In the 1980's an Indian team were brought in to remove some Portland stone which had been unsuccessfully used in a previous restoration attempt and during the Khmer Rouge era, restorative work was suspended, leaving the site to fall into further disrepair.
During my noodle soup lunch I was surrounded by sellers of all kinds of things: t-shirts, books, scarves, paintings but as they were waiting so patiently for a chance of securing a dollar or two, I took the opportunity to share Jesus with one of the sellers, a buddhist, who stated that she had a cousin who was a Christian. It was a great time of sharing and encouragement – her name was Narin and I said I'd pray for her. Learning that Jesus loved her seemed to strike a chord and hopefully that seed will be watered.
As vast and sprawling as it is, an interesting part of the ancient complex is Ta Prohm which is known as the 'Jungle Temple' where the relics have literally been taken over by immense banyan trees which have rather artistically twisted their way through the remaining stonework. During Pol Pot's reign many of the Hindu and Buddhist idols were defaced, many having had their heads removed due to the fact that the Marxist regime at the time wanted all religion removed from Cambodian society.Nowadays, Cambodia is a country rapidly rediscovering its identity and the people seem remarkably gracious, open and receptive.
Driving in Cambodia is a whole new world; they drive on the right... and on the left when they feel like it and you have to be aware of motorists using mobile phones oblivious to your presence; tuk-tuks, dogs, people, cattle and people driving straight towards you are common hazards so you need eyes everywhere. This reminds me somewhat of Proverbs 3:6 as indeed, if we acknowledge Him and trust for our paths to be strengthened then surely we'll reach our destination. Moreover though, this applies to how we conduct ourselves in view of others, especially over here. I often wonder what some cultures think of the West, with the way be behave abroad; this nation, these Cambodians, are looking for something that is authentic, something that they can aspire to and model. As well as considering this verse whilst using the road we should also acknowledge Him to make straight the pathways throughout all of our lives.
So for now it's "chum reap lear" from me, which is a polite way of saying goodbye in Khmer - just don't ask me to actually say it though as it'll probably come out meaning something completely different.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
I am trying to learn some basic Khmer and my efforts seem to go a long way, especially with the staff here at the guest house. However, I do need to work on my pronunciation as the other night I proudly announced (to their amusement) “I'm going to sleep in the frying pan” instead of “I'm going to sleep in my room”.
Visited a community of displaced Vietnamese people of which there are around 40,000 in Cambodia. Originally arriving around AD 400 to fish the Mekong, they are long established here yet greatly marginalized. Being Vietnamese they have few rights and cannot own their own land, cannot return to communist Vietnam as they were not born there and struggle to make a living amongst the Khmers of Cambodia. Debt is a huge problem as illiteracy leads to gambling and monsoon rains can severely limit their ability to earn enough money to pay both the interest on their debts and their rent.
It is very difficult for the Vietnamese children to access education as they don't speak Khmer and many can be seen traipsing around the streets of Siemreap looking for plastics and other items that can be sold to raise enough money for their families to survive. However, there is a Canadian Christian NGO that has a school in Siemreap which enables these children access to basic education. They are taught Khmer, Vietnamese, English and maths and it is understood that there are limited scholarships available to those who are proficient enough to go to university. After school, many of them still have to go looking for recyclable items.
Spent a day cycling to the various temples within the world famous Angkor Wat temple complex. It's far enough cycling there from the guest house and by the time I'd ridden to a couple of the other temple sites and then back home again, I began to understand what Major Bumsore must've been feeling when he penned 'Ten Years in the Saddle'. Angkor Wat was built in the mid-twelfth century and was then rediscovered in the 1850's by some French botanists. It had become overgrown and since then, various teams from around the world have been involved in its restoration. In the 1980's an Indian team were brought in to remove some Portland stone which had been unsuccessfully used in a previous restoration attempt and during the Khmer Rouge era, restorative work was suspended, leaving the site to fall into further disrepair.
During my noodle soup lunch I was surrounded by sellers of all kinds of things: t-shirts, books, scarves, paintings but as they were waiting so patiently for a chance of securing a dollar or two, I took the opportunity to share Jesus with one of the sellers, a buddhist, who stated that she had a cousin who was a Christian. It was a great time of sharing and encouragement – her name was Narin and I said I'd pray for her. Learning that Jesus loved her seemed to strike a chord and hopefully that seed will be watered.
As vast and sprawling as it is, an interesting part of the ancient complex is Ta Prohm which is known as the 'Jungle Temple' where the relics have literally been taken over by immense banyan trees which have rather artistically twisted their way through the remaining stonework. During Pol Pot's reign many of the Hindu and Buddhist idols were defaced, many having had their heads removed due to the fact that the Marxist regime at the time wanted all religion removed from Cambodian society.Nowadays, Cambodia is a country rapidly rediscovering its identity and the people seem remarkably gracious, open and receptive.
Driving in Cambodia is a whole new world; they drive on the right... and on the left when they feel like it and you have to be aware of motorists using mobile phones oblivious to your presence; tuk-tuks, dogs, people, cattle and people driving straight towards you are common hazards so you need eyes everywhere. This reminds me somewhat of Proverbs 3:6 as indeed, if we acknowledge Him and trust for our paths to be strengthened then surely we'll reach our destination. Moreover though, this applies to how we conduct ourselves in view of others, especially over here. I often wonder what some cultures think of the West, with the way be behave abroad; this nation, these Cambodians, are looking for something that is authentic, something that they can aspire to and model. As well as considering this verse whilst using the road we should also acknowledge Him to make straight the pathways throughout all of our lives.
So for now it's "chum reap lear" from me, which is a polite way of saying goodbye in Khmer - just don't ask me to actually say it though as it'll probably come out meaning something completely different.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Flying Thai and Reaping Rewards
'You will keep him in perfect peace' Isaiah 26:3
You know, people in this life sometimes leave us wanting to tear our hair out and as you read this, I'm sure someone has already come to mind. It's difficult not to react sometimes when people rub us up the wrong way; the situation I had with the taxi driver the other day is the perfect example. As hard as it is sometimes, it is so worth just 'letting go and letting God'. As we were hurtling through Bangkok in totally the wrong direction, I prayed that I would be able to extend grace in the situation and to be given greater understanding of the driver as a person.
His English was poor, as is my Thai, but as frustrating as the whole situation was, we muddled through and he (eventually) got me to my destination. What would the point be of creating a scene? Not that I would, but back in the day this may have been how I would've reacted, in desperation for resolution. Out here, nothing is as predictable as life back home and you have to expect the unexpected and factor in the probability of frustration and annoyance.
Obviously when you've a 'plane to catch, you don't want to be late; well, I'm glad I set out early as the airport bus got stuck in the notorious Bangkok traffic and the ladyboy working in the travel agents advised that the bus was running late - in fact, it ended up being one-and-a-half hours late. Actually, although it was a bit touch and go at first, perfect time was made and I breezed through security at the ultra-modern Suvarnabhumi Airport and into the departure lounge.
Note to self: when doing a bit of the old 'splash-it-all-over' with the testers in the airport duty-free area, make sure it's the men's fragrances that are taken advantage of – you never know what kind of wrong attention you may attract.
The flight to Cambodia was about an hour and no sooner had we left behind the blue, smoggy skies of Bangkok, we were coming in to land at hot, humid and overcast Siemreap. Again, the immigration process was seamless, I got my passport back with relevant visa and walked out of the airport towards a Khmer chap holding up a board that read: 'Mr. Danny Youg'. Of course, it was for me and I jumped aboard the tuk-tuk, bags and all, and sped off towards town. Upon arrival at the guest house, I discovered that my room wasn't ready so spent the night in the guest house over the road. Oh, and the internet didn't work either.
So despite these unexpected happenings, we can call upon Him to act on our behalf and for the circumstances to be glorifying to Him despite the frustrations we may feel.
You know, people in this life sometimes leave us wanting to tear our hair out and as you read this, I'm sure someone has already come to mind. It's difficult not to react sometimes when people rub us up the wrong way; the situation I had with the taxi driver the other day is the perfect example. As hard as it is sometimes, it is so worth just 'letting go and letting God'. As we were hurtling through Bangkok in totally the wrong direction, I prayed that I would be able to extend grace in the situation and to be given greater understanding of the driver as a person.
His English was poor, as is my Thai, but as frustrating as the whole situation was, we muddled through and he (eventually) got me to my destination. What would the point be of creating a scene? Not that I would, but back in the day this may have been how I would've reacted, in desperation for resolution. Out here, nothing is as predictable as life back home and you have to expect the unexpected and factor in the probability of frustration and annoyance.
Obviously when you've a 'plane to catch, you don't want to be late; well, I'm glad I set out early as the airport bus got stuck in the notorious Bangkok traffic and the ladyboy working in the travel agents advised that the bus was running late - in fact, it ended up being one-and-a-half hours late. Actually, although it was a bit touch and go at first, perfect time was made and I breezed through security at the ultra-modern Suvarnabhumi Airport and into the departure lounge.
Note to self: when doing a bit of the old 'splash-it-all-over' with the testers in the airport duty-free area, make sure it's the men's fragrances that are taken advantage of – you never know what kind of wrong attention you may attract.
The flight to Cambodia was about an hour and no sooner had we left behind the blue, smoggy skies of Bangkok, we were coming in to land at hot, humid and overcast Siemreap. Again, the immigration process was seamless, I got my passport back with relevant visa and walked out of the airport towards a Khmer chap holding up a board that read: 'Mr. Danny Youg'. Of course, it was for me and I jumped aboard the tuk-tuk, bags and all, and sped off towards town. Upon arrival at the guest house, I discovered that my room wasn't ready so spent the night in the guest house over the road. Oh, and the internet didn't work either.
So despite these unexpected happenings, we can call upon Him to act on our behalf and for the circumstances to be glorifying to Him despite the frustrations we may feel.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Three Nights in Bangkok
Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that God has allotted to me a measure of faith? Romans 12v3
12 hours is a long time to spend in transit awaiting a connecting flight; next time, I'll take more care to check the departure time! Still, it enabled time to follow the Cherries playing at Brentford, albeit via the internet terminals at Abu Dhabi airport. They are free though even if you do have to remain standing to use them.
The flight to Abu Dhabi was 7 hours, which mainly consisted of elbow-wrestling with the tobacco-smelling bloke in the adjacent seat, who had a tendency to find something to moan about and mainly wanted to know why he was singled out to be searched. “Do I look like a terrorist?” he asked. I looked at him, smiled politely and thought to myself: 'I'm not going to answer that'.
Another 7 hour flight later and I arrived in Bangkok, at the ultra-modern Suvarnabhumi airport. I took the downtown shuttle bus to Hua Lamphong (which is where the main Bangkok railway station is). My guesthouse isn't that far from the station but I caught a taxi as I was pretty tired by that point. Note to self: Bangkok taxi drivers may have newer and more roadworthy vehicles these days but that still doesn't mean that they now actually have a clue where they're going. He got us lost, tried the old “you want massage? You want boom-boom?” line and still wanted more than the agreed fare. Of course, I assertively declined and by now my calm demeanour was seriously being put to the test.
What is a 10 minute walk turned into a one hour sightseeing trip around Bangkok but I got here eventually (about 9.30pm) and then after checking into the guesthouse, got into an interesting conversation on post-modernism with a self-styled buddhist yogi from Germany.
You see, you can't plan this stuff – as Thailand is predominantly buddhist, it is of no surprise that people come here whilst searching and indeed in the case of this man, seemingly already found what he thought he was looking for. Who knows if I'll cross paths with him again? If so, I pray that he may see some more of our Lord Jesus Christ in me.
Today I had a long lie-in due to the lack of sleep over the last few days and then in the afternoon, I went for a walk downtown and visited the famous Khaosan Road and passed by numerous wats (temples), the largest of which is Wat Pho which is frequented by many of Bangkok's visitors and orange-clad monks - I stoppped close by and looked on as I sipped the juice of a fresh coconut. Trouble with temples is that if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all (apart from Angkor Wat in Cambodia of course) but they do give valuable insight into the religious rituals of this country. It all seemed very reverent until I spotted a monk, clad in his orange finery, sat crossed legged at the side of the road rolling himself a cigarette.
The heat, sights and sounds of this city are a complete assault on the senses, from the smell of green curry being cooked in lemon grass to the stench of diesel fumes and the annoying sound of “hello mister, you want tuk-tuk?” from the drivers of the small three-wheeled taxis for which Bangkok is famous. I was once involved in a traffic accident whilst travelling in one of these but that's another story for another day. However, here at the guest house, I have the temperature controlled at a comfortable 25 degrees.
You know, I heard an interesting message the other day during which the speaker came up with the following:
“You may be the Bible that another person has never read”.
This challenged me inasmuch as people who are searching are looking for something and that very something should be visible in us, in the way that we conduct ourselves, the things we say and the love we show for others.
One thing that is becoming more and more apparent is that stepping out in faith is exactly what it says on the tin i.e. I have little control over the direction God is taking me which means that those divine appointments are indeed divine, arranged by Him and not by me. I know my strengths and also have a good sense of self-awareness so I know that there are going to be times when I'm going to be out of my comfort zone. But then, that's what this trip is about – if I'd not wanted to step out in faith I'd have stayed at home wouldn't I?
So then, there's no need for concern about that which is in store for me and how I will be used. God is doing restorative work in Cambodia and I want to be a seasonal part of what He's doing in whatever capacity according to the gifts He's given me.
But what about the little faith I have?
Well, Jesus says that's all I need.
12 hours is a long time to spend in transit awaiting a connecting flight; next time, I'll take more care to check the departure time! Still, it enabled time to follow the Cherries playing at Brentford, albeit via the internet terminals at Abu Dhabi airport. They are free though even if you do have to remain standing to use them.
The flight to Abu Dhabi was 7 hours, which mainly consisted of elbow-wrestling with the tobacco-smelling bloke in the adjacent seat, who had a tendency to find something to moan about and mainly wanted to know why he was singled out to be searched. “Do I look like a terrorist?” he asked. I looked at him, smiled politely and thought to myself: 'I'm not going to answer that'.
Another 7 hour flight later and I arrived in Bangkok, at the ultra-modern Suvarnabhumi airport. I took the downtown shuttle bus to Hua Lamphong (which is where the main Bangkok railway station is). My guesthouse isn't that far from the station but I caught a taxi as I was pretty tired by that point. Note to self: Bangkok taxi drivers may have newer and more roadworthy vehicles these days but that still doesn't mean that they now actually have a clue where they're going. He got us lost, tried the old “you want massage? You want boom-boom?” line and still wanted more than the agreed fare. Of course, I assertively declined and by now my calm demeanour was seriously being put to the test.
What is a 10 minute walk turned into a one hour sightseeing trip around Bangkok but I got here eventually (about 9.30pm) and then after checking into the guesthouse, got into an interesting conversation on post-modernism with a self-styled buddhist yogi from Germany.
You see, you can't plan this stuff – as Thailand is predominantly buddhist, it is of no surprise that people come here whilst searching and indeed in the case of this man, seemingly already found what he thought he was looking for. Who knows if I'll cross paths with him again? If so, I pray that he may see some more of our Lord Jesus Christ in me.
Today I had a long lie-in due to the lack of sleep over the last few days and then in the afternoon, I went for a walk downtown and visited the famous Khaosan Road and passed by numerous wats (temples), the largest of which is Wat Pho which is frequented by many of Bangkok's visitors and orange-clad monks - I stoppped close by and looked on as I sipped the juice of a fresh coconut. Trouble with temples is that if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all (apart from Angkor Wat in Cambodia of course) but they do give valuable insight into the religious rituals of this country. It all seemed very reverent until I spotted a monk, clad in his orange finery, sat crossed legged at the side of the road rolling himself a cigarette.
The heat, sights and sounds of this city are a complete assault on the senses, from the smell of green curry being cooked in lemon grass to the stench of diesel fumes and the annoying sound of “hello mister, you want tuk-tuk?” from the drivers of the small three-wheeled taxis for which Bangkok is famous. I was once involved in a traffic accident whilst travelling in one of these but that's another story for another day. However, here at the guest house, I have the temperature controlled at a comfortable 25 degrees.
You know, I heard an interesting message the other day during which the speaker came up with the following:
“You may be the Bible that another person has never read”.
This challenged me inasmuch as people who are searching are looking for something and that very something should be visible in us, in the way that we conduct ourselves, the things we say and the love we show for others.
One thing that is becoming more and more apparent is that stepping out in faith is exactly what it says on the tin i.e. I have little control over the direction God is taking me which means that those divine appointments are indeed divine, arranged by Him and not by me. I know my strengths and also have a good sense of self-awareness so I know that there are going to be times when I'm going to be out of my comfort zone. But then, that's what this trip is about – if I'd not wanted to step out in faith I'd have stayed at home wouldn't I?
So then, there's no need for concern about that which is in store for me and how I will be used. God is doing restorative work in Cambodia and I want to be a seasonal part of what He's doing in whatever capacity according to the gifts He's given me.
But what about the little faith I have?
Well, Jesus says that's all I need.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
Headless Chicken
No, I'm not sampling Asian cuisine just yet - this merely describes what the last few hours have been like. Preparing for a trip such as this is more involved than you could possibly imagine as there's so much to take care of: personal belongings, car, motorbike, AFC Bournemouth season ticket etc, iPod syncing; without sympathetic friends and family this season in Cambodia wouldn't be possible so a big thank you, you know who you are.
The journey to this point has been exciting and challenging as God has revealed His plan to me over the last few months. I'd heard so much about Cambodia from people who'd been / worked there and those who've family out there, plus I'd learned how open the people are and that there is current favour for Christian agencies to input into the restoration taking place in this nation once decimated by the genocide of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Going to miss my friends at West Cliff Baptist Church but I know that this is a season that I have to undertake, one I believe that God has lead me to and will lead me through. Will it be using the teaching skills developed over the last few months at Pathways International School or will it be something more practical? It's exciting, albeit with a tinge of trepidation.
Now I'm not naive enough to think that this is all going to be plain sailing; I know Asia and understand something of the way the cultures operate and it is a totally different world - language barriers, customs and corruption - are just some of the annoyances that will undoubtedly await me. But I want to be a part of what God is doing there, to step out of the shadow of mission and to understand something of Hebrews 11, in stepping out in faith.
The journey to this point has been exciting and challenging as God has revealed His plan to me over the last few months. I'd heard so much about Cambodia from people who'd been / worked there and those who've family out there, plus I'd learned how open the people are and that there is current favour for Christian agencies to input into the restoration taking place in this nation once decimated by the genocide of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Going to miss my friends at West Cliff Baptist Church but I know that this is a season that I have to undertake, one I believe that God has lead me to and will lead me through. Will it be using the teaching skills developed over the last few months at Pathways International School or will it be something more practical? It's exciting, albeit with a tinge of trepidation.
Now I'm not naive enough to think that this is all going to be plain sailing; I know Asia and understand something of the way the cultures operate and it is a totally different world - language barriers, customs and corruption - are just some of the annoyances that will undoubtedly await me. But I want to be a part of what God is doing there, to step out of the shadow of mission and to understand something of Hebrews 11, in stepping out in faith.
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