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.
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