My church group here organized a mission trip to Cambodia and I joined not really knowing what to expect. It was mainly centered around 5 high-schoolers and the adult youth leaders. I was worried that I wouldn’t have a place or purpose on the team, since I didn’t have any leadership position.
Our first day there, we attended a church service at the home/community center of Pastor Sam. They had set up chairs for our team along the wall with all the mothers sitting on the floor with their children. I noticed one kid about 2 years old in a cute little sundress or long shirt that was a few sizes to big. She spun around lifting her arms to show that, in fact she was wearing no pants and definitely a HE! The leaders had told us that all of the clothes you see the kids wearing were donated. Another little one run by and bumped into my knee. She looked up at me as if caught off guard and I reached out my arms to see if she would let me hold her. She hesitantly let me pick her up and stand her on my knees with a skeptical look on her face. After a good deal of my smiling, laughing and dancing with her, she finally warmed up to me. The best part was seeing the reactions of the mothers noticing how hard I was trying to engage one of their babies. After my little rebel lost interest in me one of the other mothers handed me her infant and I instantly fell in love.
I still don’t know her name, but she got me. She must have been about 8 months old, but she could stand on my knees and hold her head up on her own. I stood her up on my knees facing me and laughed in her face and she would smile right back! I would shake her to the beat of the music holding her under her arms and she would dance with me! I got her to show me her little teeth coming in, and even when she started getting fussy, she would quite down as soon as I held her closer.
Part of the service was prayer concerns and joys. My baby’s mother was one of the women to come forward for prayer. She asked us to pray for her husband because he was sick and unable to work. Later she got one on one prayer from some of our team and confessed that her husband was abusive. When I put the two together I was so impressed with her strength to “pray for those that hurt you” even as a new Christian, she got it, and was able to live the parts of the faith that even mature Christians struggle with.
The joy testimonies struck me as well. One woman shared a joy that her mother was an alcoholic and stays up drunk all night and no one in the family can sleep. She said she constantly prays for her and God answered her prayers that the mother passed out and went straight to sleep through the night, which allowed the rest of the family to have a good nights sleep. We saw the living conditions later in the week and the whole family would have been in a one room home; so literally, no one could sleep with the mother up all night, but what an odd joy. I was amazed that they could find joy even in such a painful situation. Another praise was that the floods only destroyed PART of the house.
It really makes me reevaluate the things that I complain about. Even the way the children laugh and play. It’s like they don’t even know they are poor. I wonder if I could keep up my hope and positivity in such desperate situations. One of our leaders told us most of these families make about $1 a day. And some of the families have up to 6 kids! So, all of their money goes to food; everything else they have is donated. They grow up relying on gifts to survive. The other shocking fact is that the country is 90% Buddhist and less that 1% Christian, but Christians are the only ones they give aid to these poor communities. So even though they grow up in a very Buddhist culture, they see Christians as the ones that are helping them.
When I was trying to explain why I was going to Cambodia, Daniel said to me, “Why do you have to pay to go help them, they should being paying you.” The trip also cost about $500 which is not that much for me to spend, but that would be a year’s salary for some of these people. So it was a valid question to consider when Daniel asked me, “Why not just send the money and stay home?” It’s still hard to think of an answer that someone who has never gone on a mission trip could understand. But I have to believe my presence there made a difference. I definitely made an impression! They will remember the crazy blonde kissing all over my baby, dancing and singing with the kids and handing out food. Money is important; they need it to meet their physical needs. But money doesn’t show love. And they need to know our reason for giving is that God loves ALL of them and we are supposed to show that love.
Our first day there, we attended a church service at the home/community center of Pastor Sam. They had set up chairs for our team along the wall with all the mothers sitting on the floor with their children. I noticed one kid about 2 years old in a cute little sundress or long shirt that was a few sizes to big. She spun around lifting her arms to show that, in fact she was wearing no pants and definitely a HE! The leaders had told us that all of the clothes you see the kids wearing were donated. Another little one run by and bumped into my knee. She looked up at me as if caught off guard and I reached out my arms to see if she would let me hold her. She hesitantly let me pick her up and stand her on my knees with a skeptical look on her face. After a good deal of my smiling, laughing and dancing with her, she finally warmed up to me. The best part was seeing the reactions of the mothers noticing how hard I was trying to engage one of their babies. After my little rebel lost interest in me one of the other mothers handed me her infant and I instantly fell in love.
I still don’t know her name, but she got me. She must have been about 8 months old, but she could stand on my knees and hold her head up on her own. I stood her up on my knees facing me and laughed in her face and she would smile right back! I would shake her to the beat of the music holding her under her arms and she would dance with me! I got her to show me her little teeth coming in, and even when she started getting fussy, she would quite down as soon as I held her closer.
Part of the service was prayer concerns and joys. My baby’s mother was one of the women to come forward for prayer. She asked us to pray for her husband because he was sick and unable to work. Later she got one on one prayer from some of our team and confessed that her husband was abusive. When I put the two together I was so impressed with her strength to “pray for those that hurt you” even as a new Christian, she got it, and was able to live the parts of the faith that even mature Christians struggle with.
The joy testimonies struck me as well. One woman shared a joy that her mother was an alcoholic and stays up drunk all night and no one in the family can sleep. She said she constantly prays for her and God answered her prayers that the mother passed out and went straight to sleep through the night, which allowed the rest of the family to have a good nights sleep. We saw the living conditions later in the week and the whole family would have been in a one room home; so literally, no one could sleep with the mother up all night, but what an odd joy. I was amazed that they could find joy even in such a painful situation. Another praise was that the floods only destroyed PART of the house.
It really makes me reevaluate the things that I complain about. Even the way the children laugh and play. It’s like they don’t even know they are poor. I wonder if I could keep up my hope and positivity in such desperate situations. One of our leaders told us most of these families make about $1 a day. And some of the families have up to 6 kids! So, all of their money goes to food; everything else they have is donated. They grow up relying on gifts to survive. The other shocking fact is that the country is 90% Buddhist and less that 1% Christian, but Christians are the only ones they give aid to these poor communities. So even though they grow up in a very Buddhist culture, they see Christians as the ones that are helping them.
When I was trying to explain why I was going to Cambodia, Daniel said to me, “Why do you have to pay to go help them, they should being paying you.” The trip also cost about $500 which is not that much for me to spend, but that would be a year’s salary for some of these people. So it was a valid question to consider when Daniel asked me, “Why not just send the money and stay home?” It’s still hard to think of an answer that someone who has never gone on a mission trip could understand. But I have to believe my presence there made a difference. I definitely made an impression! They will remember the crazy blonde kissing all over my baby, dancing and singing with the kids and handing out food. Money is important; they need it to meet their physical needs. But money doesn’t show love. And they need to know our reason for giving is that God loves ALL of them and we are supposed to show that love.
What a beautiful testimony. I'm sure you were richly blessed and I'm sure those you met and interacted with were blessed as well.
ReplyDelete