A Child-Like Faith

I am at a loss for words to describe everything that has been going on for me. The only word that can sum up my experience so far is 'crazy'. The trip has been a huge learning experience for me from our interactions with the orphans to our meetings with Chab Dai and other random missionaries that we've met to roaming the streets of Cambodia. I didn't think I would see God actively working and changing Cambodia in such an obvious way. I feel extremely blessed to have this opportunity to be here and see everything that I have seen and to have met so many different people; every night I feel refreshed and overjoyed.

One thing that God has really been showing me is what genuine, child-like faith and joy is through the 3 orphanages we have visited so far. First, it is hard for me to grasp how these kids can be so happy despite their poverty and history of hardships, whether it be losing their parents or being sexual abused. At first I wasn't sure if their joy was genuine but the more I watch them and spend time with them, I realize that their happiness is sincere. I can't even begin to imagine how I would deal or react if I was in their position. How can they still have so much trust and faith in anything good or even God after enduring so much pain and suffering?

There are 3 kids that have really stood out to me. The first is a 4-year old girl who I thought acted very ADD. She was bouncing all over the place more than a normal toddler does and everytime I tried to take a picture with her she would react negatively. I then found out that she was sexually abused and when she first arrived at the orphanage she refused to talk or play with anyone. It broke my heart to know that something so cruel could happen to such an innocent person (or anyone, for that matter). The second is a 6-year old girl that the orphanage just recently found out has HIV, which she most likely contracted from her mom. She has 2 brothers and 2 sisters, but none of them have HIV. When she first found out she had HIV, she refused to eat because she thought she was going to die anyway. I didn't know this when I was watching her play and was actually surprised because she was really assertive and bossy towards me and the other kids. The third is a 2-year old boy who lost his parents. My first impression of him was that he was adorable with his chubby cheeks. Later, the kids started singing worship songs and he danced, but right when they started singing "Open the Eyes of my Heart" he immediately threw up his arms in the air and closed his eyes and sang (see pic). Again, I thought this was 'cute'. Later, the orphanage 'mom' told him to pray for me and he closed his eyes and laid his hand on me and just started praying in Khmer. I have no idea what he was saying but he just prayed. He has also prayed for Joanna, Victor, and Boeurn (the churches chief admin and our tourguide/translator). To me he is more than just a 'cute baby' but someone who has taught me what true faith can look like. Hearing these 3 kids' stories and seeing their restored joy, hope and faith has shown me what an unhindered faith looks like.

God has also been reminding me of the power of prayer. When we met with Yeng, the facilitator for Chab Dai, we asked what we could do for the organization. He simply responded, "Pray." Our team prodded him to give us a 'deeper' answer and he repeated, "You can pray for us." Apparently that answer wasn't satisfactory so we asked him again, but his answer did not change. It made me realize that as Americans, we are so action driven and like to take things into our own hands, when in actuality it is out of our control. It reminded me of many missionaries' stories that I had heard in the past about overcoming intense struggles simply by praying and trusting in God. Prayer is the most powerful tool we have. This really spoke to me as I have just recently learned what it means to truly trust God and let Him take control of my life and seeing Him answer many of my prayers this year.

Other interesting events that have made this trip fun was getting to ride on the back of Boeurn's motorcycle sans helmet dodging other cars and motorcycles and then burning my calf on the exhaust pipe. Second was watching Victor kill a chicken and then eating it as part of our dinner...Yes, you read that correctly but I'll let him tell the story. It is the freshest chicken I have ever eaten.

These are just a few things I wanted to share with you. Everyday, God has been really humbling me and teaching me through his people here in Cambodia. Our entire team has been blessed by his people here through their faith and their love for us. It made me wonder what it would look like if they sent their own missions team to us to help us strengthen our faith.

~christine

"The joy of the Lord is my strength"

PRAYER REQUESTS

- Joanna: she is pretty sick, please pray for healing and strength to continue the rest of the trip.

- For our team to understand the power of prayer and to pray diligently

- For each individual team member to start thinking about how we can put into practice all that we are learning here when we return home.

- To continue to serve the church, orphans, and Cambodians with a humble attitude

- To learn more about NGOs and how we can serve and pray for them