Vol. 18
I have to apologize for not writing for such a long time.
I have to apologize for not writing for such a long time.
Things are
hectic here and I am getting ready to return home to Toronto.
I want to thank everyone who has been on this journey with me here in Cambodia. April 3rd marked one year since you and I have been here!
I want to thank everyone who has been on this journey with me here in Cambodia. April 3rd marked one year since you and I have been here!
We are now in
the hottest month of the year and, yes, it does feel like it. We have to
conserve our solar power. Electricity has gone off earlier and earlier each night,
which means no fans; so now I have two car batteries for my fan!
I’m busy with
classes and ensuring class lessons plans are all in order when I leave for the next
teacher who will be taking over my classes.
Answer to prayer: Thank you for praying for creativity and
energy as I teach my classes, especially my midday class which is hottest time
of the day and right after they 'eat rice' which is lunch!
My translator who is one of students in my oldest class was transferred to help out another teacher but He has been faithful in providing a Khmer teacher who will be teaching my English classes when I leave so I know my students will be in good hands!
My translator who is one of students in my oldest class was transferred to help out another teacher but He has been faithful in providing a Khmer teacher who will be teaching my English classes when I leave so I know my students will be in good hands!
Many of you sent
me care packages with the team and I am so grateful for everything you sent. It
felt like Christmas and it has been wonderful to read your letters and open up
your gifts. The kids here also enjoyed reading and seeing all of your gifts to
me. They keep saying, “Cher, you have a
BIG BIG family back in Toronto!”
I celebrated my
birthday here and got a wonderful surprise. Many of you may have seen my
birthday video made by Channak and the students to surprise me. That was a
great blessing to me:
Retreat
It is the Khmer New Year here and I felt led by God to take a couple of those days off to go on a retreat to sit at His feet to hear what my next steps would be.
Right now I am
writing this under a net in a kind of tree house room. I had to change from my
first ‘retreat place’ to this one. I had come on my own, took the big bus
to Kep which is usually a two and a half hour bus ride but I did not
count on the many stops for passengers along the way. I left Phnom Penh at 9:30am
and only arrived here at quarter to two.
I felt so strongly that I should be on a mountain top so had booked myself into a place called The Vine, but it was frustrating just getting to The Vine. Even though it was only three in the afternoon, the mosquitoes were already feasting on me! I had to face the fact that it would be ten times worse come nightfall, and since there was no air conditioning, the mosquitoes would be in the room as well. So after talking to the host there, I decided to trek back to Kep central to find another place, all the while wondering how I could have gotten the plan so wrong?
I felt so strongly that I should be on a mountain top so had booked myself into a place called The Vine, but it was frustrating just getting to The Vine. Even though it was only three in the afternoon, the mosquitoes were already feasting on me! I had to face the fact that it would be ten times worse come nightfall, and since there was no air conditioning, the mosquitoes would be in the room as well. So after talking to the host there, I decided to trek back to Kep central to find another place, all the while wondering how I could have gotten the plan so wrong?
Then I felt God
said I had asked for God moments.
I met a young man who was the host. He asked me if I was a Christian;
he is a Buddhist, and we talked about his life. I realized God wanted me
there to meet him. I told him I would pray for the next steps for him as he is
looking to further his education and to get a different job. I planted a
stake given by my church here and prayed that God would take over that
place. That is why I am here now and this place is just like being on the
mountain. The first thing the young man said to me was, “So God sent you to work with the orphans?”
So that was an
affirmation to my next step, which I will share when I get back
to Toronto.
There was
a goodbye party for all the English teachers who are leaving. Three left
yesterday and the emotional toll on the kids saying goodbye has a backlash;
they are either super loving to me or detached.
Prayer requests:
Prayer requests:
- § That I would finish well here; I cannot believe how fast the days are going.
- § That I would seize the God moments, recognize them for His opportunities to be His hands, His heart and not interruptions in my schedule; I have been asked to pray many times by house moms or kids for those who are sick.
- § For my health; as I am on the homestretch, sleep is eluding me as I think about the things still left to do.
- § I have a very long layover in Hong Kong and I am not looking forward to the long flight.
- § Praying that I can get things packed efficiently here and for wisdom in distributing things to people. I do not want to cause bad feelings in “who gets what” and create favouritism.
Thank you so much for partnering with me, my family!
Looking forward
to seeing you in person and hearing how God has been working in your lives!
Dancing with my Jesus,
Love, Sister Vidya
