Cambodia Day Three - Names

I wish I could say that I have learned all names of the helpers at the church and all the kids, but I haven't. Besides the language barrier, I struggle with remembering people's names unless I say it, see it, and write it for myself. I really want to learn people's names especially this week, but I am learning that saying the name correctly is not based on letters it is based on the sound you make with those letters. The language itself is beautiful and I would love to keep learning it, but all that comes out is some of the Thai I remember when I lived there years ago.

Even though I might not remember everyone's name God knows their name. Today we had to change up our schedule because we ended up jumping from having 60 kids to 130(or more) today! We did a lot of singing and dancing. One song that I picked was just an older Hillsong Kids song that I had learned years ago. I choose it because it had less words and LOTS of moving motions. BUT God actually choose that song. This is what we sung Not Forgotten by Israel Houghton

I am not forgotten
I am not forgotten
I am not forgotten
God knows my name
He knows my name

Light over darkness
Strength over weakness
Joy over sadness
He knows my name

Father to the fatherless
Friend to the friendless
Hope for the hopeless
He knows my name

I will praise You, I will praise You
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made
I am not forgotten, never forsaken

During the song the Holy Spirit said, "I haven't forgotten these children." After we were done with the song I explained to them that God knows their name and that when they are alone to remember that they are not forgotten. It still brings me to tears to my eyes writing about it. I keep thinking how much pain this country has been through, but God wants to remind them that no matter what happens He hasn't forgotten them and He is here to restore them. 

The song is also a good reminder for me that God hasn't forgotten me or any of us even when it feels like he has. 

Cambodia Day Two - Smiles

One of the main characteristics I remembered about Southeast Asia were the smiles. Nothing says more than a beautiful smile. As I looked around this small village all I saw was eager eyes and precious smiles. They are so eager to learn English, to learn anything from us. We talk about being a good neighbor and what that looked like. At least they understood the good Samaritan skit. Who knows what got lost in translation, but maybe something stuck in their precious brains. And kids are kids anywhere in the world they ALL like to have a Freeze Dance Party!!! (Or maybe what white person could swing or throw them the highest)

Cambodia Day One - Hope

With every step I feared I would actually step on a fragment of bone or piece of clothing from the thousands of victims that were killed under my feet. It was hard not to look at the ground while I listened to the survivor stories of the Khmer Rouge Genocide that happened from 1975 to 1979. Our group was visiting the Killing Fields memorial, but this was only one of 300 killing fields that the Khmer Regime had. What a somber place, from the sounds of roosters crowing and a few tour guides talking it was mostly silent. Most visitors listened to the stories over a headset and a little audio player as we followed the map and choose different stories to listen to.  They were all heart breaking, but some ripped my heart into pieces. Seeing the bones and skulls pilled high in the memorial seemed all so surreal, but sadly so true.

One story that stood out to me the most was a man that talked about having hope that he would get out alive was the only thing that helped him survive torture and malnourishment. It reminded me of my hope in Jesus Christ and how that is what sustains me. I cannot put my hope in friends or family because they will probably let me down. I cannot put hope in the government and even leaders of churches because they are human and will make mistakes. I cannot put hope in money, houses, jobs or any material things because they can disappear. My hope needs to be and will always need to remain in Jesus. He is my Hope. He is my future. He is my joy and He is my Peace. Since He is all those things to me I need to make sure I share that Hope to the world. It could mean having coffee with a friend that is discouraged or depressed about the weight of life around them. It could be building relationship with a neighbor, but for me and the other six of us on this missions trip, it is about serving a church in a small village in Cambodia. We might not see the fruit of our labor till we reach heaven, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. My prayer this week is that I will be present when God opens the door for me to share my hope. I don’t have to pound scripture that they don’t understand into their heads. All I need is to love them and serve them where their needs need to be met. Then just maybe it will actually be my life that will be changed forever because I was obedient to God’s call.