A new command I give you: Love one another

Soah-sa daay!

If your reading this on facebook, I would much rather you type in my blog address www.redeemingcambodia.blogspot.com Its so much cooler. but anyway...

Thank you everyone for your interest in how my trip is going. This past week was very difficult. None of the team members knew each other, and 2 more girls came making a total of 7 in the house. The other 2 girls are from Dallas Theological Seminary. We were all going through ‘culture stress’ and having to deal with 6 other girls who were going through it also. It’s so great though how God can bring so many types of people together and unite them. We are Christ’s body; there are many parts but each one has to work together. It’s been such a growing experience for each of us to have to love one another above ourselves- otherwise we couldn’t function. That is something God has been teaching us.

I had the amazing opportunity of traveling to a remote village on Friday. One of the main rivers called the Tonle Sap, has a small island in it that is only accessible by boat (more like a canoe). On this island is a group of Viatnamese people that do not speak Khmer. We went with a team of about 10 to do a medical clinic. There are staff at Mercy Medical Clinic that reach out specifically to Viatnamese people living in Cambodia, because most of them don’t speak Khmer. We gave all the children a de-wormer and Vitamin A for blindness prevention. We had them all gather around us but the medicine tasted so awful that a lot of kids didn’t want to take it. A lot of the little ones cried- poor things- but the moms would shove it down their throats anyway.

On Saturday helped put on an art show that ‘Daughter of Cambodia’ was hosting. There was paintings, sketches, photos, jewelry, cake, etc. that was all made by the girls working at ‘Daughter of Cambodia’. The same girls who only a short while back were sex workers. I really saw the power of God, seeing how these girls could create something so beautiful as a reflection of who they are.

Today I am working at Mercy Medical Clinic. Yesterday, the other girl on my team working here told me that the clinic was collecting an offering for a girl so that she could stay longer at the clinic. So I found out today that it was the girl who was here last week. She came back yesterday because of an ear infection. I went up to help one of the nurses, Socheate, clean her ear. The infection was so bad that pieces of her ear were falling off. When we were cleaning it she started crying. After we were done, me and the evangelist dude, Samrach, went to pray for her. So I got to read from my bible to her and her dad and Samrach translated. I read to her from John when Jesus says

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust God, trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go there to prepare a place for you, I will come back for you.”

In Cambodia

Hi everyone! I made it safely to Cambodia. I have not stopped moving since I got here. It is now my fifth day here. I am just now adjusting to everything: weather, schedule, sleep, etc. The first two days I was here were really rough. Everything was different and there was so much to take in. The weather is very hot, like 90's and there is no AC anywhere. There is 5 of us girls in one room. We are on the 3rd floor of a Cambodian lady's house. So we sleep with the doors open. Each bed has a mosquito net to put around your bed so you don't get bit at night. You sweat so much during the day that I drink at like 7 bottle of water a day and I barely have to pee. But all that sounds awful. I love it here! The people are very warm and welcoming. They stare at you a bit, but thats okay. Quite a few of them speak english. I took my first Khmer lesson today. "How are you" in Khmer is said "Soh-sah-buy-te". It is a fun language.

I have so much to write about, but I only have a few minutes left of the computer. I am at an internet cafe. On Sunday we went to 2 churches. At one of them we led Sunday school for the kids. It was fun. We sang, and colored, and talked about how Jesus is the Good Shepard. He leads us, and takes care of his flock.

On Monday I started work at Mercy Medical Clinic. I put the link to the left. The doctors actually talked to us nurses, it was great! They have staff meetings every Mon., Wed., and Friday where they pray together for their ministry at the hospital. How cool!

On Tuesday I went to work at the clinic for the first time by myself. That was nerve racking not really knowing anyone well. I just kind of wandered around to see if anyone was doing anything cool, and would ask to help or watch if they were. I got to draw blood! And I also got to watch a nurse remove sutures from a woman who had a hysterectomy. Ohh! and my highlight of the day: I met an evangelist that comes to share the gospel with the patients. He is Cambodian and he came to Christ through an American missionary a while back from Oklohama. Him and his sister come every day to the clinic to share. I was speaking with a doctor about a girl in the clinic. The doctor was saying that there wasn't much they could do for her. So I went to the evangelist dude and asked if he would come with me to pray for her. And come to find out, her dad was there to visit with her and he gave his life to Christ that day!!! I guess the guy had spoken with the girl and her mom already, and they became Christians. So the mom shared the gospel with the dad, and he had many questions, so he came to speak with the evangelist. Anyway, now the whole family has been saved by Jesus! That is by far the coolest experience I have had yet to share with you.

Today, Wednesday, I had language lessons. And then we went to 'Daughters of Cambodia'- a home for ex-prostitutes. It was great. Got to go! I will share more later. Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to lift me and the rest of the team up to God in prayer.

Leaving

God has been reminding me how many answers to prayer this trip has already been. It has been my desire to serve overseas in missions for the past several summers. God has finally answered my prayers and I am so thankful to have this opportunity. If it were up to me, I would not have chosen Cambodia as my preference, but I know that He is leading my steps. I have been reading up on my Cambodian history and I have also been reading a book titled 'First they killed my father' by Loung Ung, a woman who lived in Cambodia during the Communist revolution of the 1970's. What this nation experienced is beyond my grasp. If you are interested in this you can look up the "killing fields in Cambodia" or "Pol Pot" in a search engine. Or you can ask me when I return!

Please continue to pray for me and the team as we travel and for our work while overseas. I came across a verse in the bible that reminded me why prayer is so important, because all of our efforts are useless unless God is behind it.
Psalm 127:1
"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain."

I can't wait to share with you what God does on this trip!