#37 - Grateful for Community

Vol. 37

Here I am in a café trying to eat crepes to see if it will stay down in my stomach. So I ate one and am waiting to see if I have to run home!

I am listening to a link my sister sent me called MyTrinidad and Tobago and, yes, dancing to it. I did not realize how much I was moving to it until I looked up and people were smiling! Yes, it is making me feel good, seeing the pictures of my beautiful home country. The girls who work here (from a high-risk background; it is a Christian based café) are laughing because they are seeing places like Cambodia in the video.

It has been a new experience for me, being off work now for a whole week. I’m still a bit weak but got to spend time with Him in the Word and in prayer. God provided angels, Lois and Nancy, at whose place I am staying, to administer to me.

Words impact me from the song I am listening to:

-       -Keep my heart full of fire that burns so bright

-       -Dedicated

-       -One love

-       -One soul

-       -So brave

-       -So bold

-       -Building stronger

-       -Further

I know they are talking about the 50th anniversary of our nation’s independence, but these could be words dedicated to the same cause of so many of us, sharing about our faith, living the faith.

These past 2 weeks have been a testing time. Physically I am not at my best and I have to reach deep and hold on to God, but at the same time I am being reminded to go into His Word. That was and is where I get refuelled!

Praise: For my housemates here in the city, Lois and Nancy from Crossworld; for you who have sent words of encouragement and reminders of His faithfulness.

Prayer: I head back this morning; a test of my endurance in the one-hour and a quarter tuk tuk ride; picking up supplies along the way. Pray for His strength please.

Prayer: This week will be very busy; end of semester exams. Pray for creative ideas and for strength as I create exams, and mark tests etc.

Prayer: For language studies. I have had to forego that due to sickness. Pray for the Lord to open up my ears to hear the sound and for my tongue to be able to speak Khmer.

Prayer: still looking for my own place here in the city.

The last words in the chorus of the song, “building stronger together…climbing higher…reaching further…unity…in our Trinity” refers to Trinidad, but I think of you, my community.

We, together as one in Him, are reaching further and deeper with the people of Cambodia.

Thank you for dancing and walking with me.

Dancing with Him with a new song,

Love, Sister Vidya

#36 - Prayed for; Preached to; Pooped out!

Vol. 36

The tuk tuk driver came to pick me up and then we went to pick up my friend, Annette, who was my former roommate and fellow teacher at Rescue. She has returned to Cambodia but is teaching at a different school here in the city. 

As we travelled along a new route, we turned onto a village area, dusty, shanty-town-like surroundings, dilapidated buildings with families living in them. We had been travelling for 30 minutes when suddenly, there we were, stopped near one of the stores. We had to wait for Phally, the Khmer teacher who invited me to speak, to come and show us the way. 

Instead three young people came up, two young women and one young man, all smiles, to ask us if we were friends of Pastor Phally. They came to show us the way. One spoke in English whilst the other two just smiled. We went on for 5 minutes more until we came to a small building. It reminded me of the home churches from Trinidad. As we got out, the young people from the church stood on both sides to welcome us with a bow. 

We took off our sandals at the door as was customary, and entered the small room, where we were ushered to the front. Five minutes later we were each given a coconut to drink with a straw! (I had been secretly hankering for one after the dusty ride when I saw the vendor outside.) Then on came the sound, huge speakers, and we were in close proximity. They were figuring out the sound system and you could hear the static etc. (By the way, those who work in sound under Wayne D., thank you for all you do!) 

I already had a headache from not eating lunch, too keyed-up, plus the loud sounds, so I turned to go out outside for some fresh air.  Then I saw them coming as the room filled up. I think only one person was under the age of 30. The age range of the young men and women were from 16 - 25 and I began to tear up. That morning at my church, the preacher had talked about David Wilkerson, how God planted in his heart to go to New York to work amongst the gangs. From that seed came Teen Challenge. I was 14 when I read Run Baby Run by Nicky Cruz, the first gangster kid who came to Christ because of David's obedience to go into the unknown and follow God's leading.  And now here were these young people, students and garment workers.

We sang songs, 3 that I knew from being at Rescue, all in Khmer. I knew the tunes and a couple of the words. Then all the new people who came were asked to stand up to introduce themselves. Well apparently Vidya is a name of one the characters in a movie that just came out so they were all clapping to that. (I knew one day the name would be famous. Now don't you regret not naming your babies Vidya all those to whom it was suggested out there at RAC?)

Then I was up! 

Phally was not there yet, so one of the young women came up to translate for me (she went to New Life church and remembered seeing me in the morning!). 

Basically the message was: 

- God loves them; 

- He has a plan for each one; 

- He has great things in store for Cambodia. 

Using Jeremiah 29 and adding the part about turning to Him and praying, I told them He had a plan to bring me from Trinidad and Tobago, (you all knew I was going to introduce them to Trinidad, didn't you?) to Canada, and now to Cambodia. I told them about my praying for the land for over 10 years and the reason why I am here teaching English. I had them stand up and shout out their birth date, and then simply told them as I have told all the kids who ever came through the Drop-In, that the angels rejoiced on that particular day they were born, because of the plan that God had for each of them; that they were not alone, but they had to go to God. He waits for them to come to Him and spend time with Him. Annette came up and we extended our hands and prayed a blessing over their future. 

Then Phally came, and the preaching really started! We had to leave at quarter to eight because the tuk tuk driver was still waiting and it was growing dark outside. I finally got home at 9, exhausted. All I knew was that I had obeyed God and He reminded me of when He first called me to work with the kids.

Thank you, Pastor Sam, for allowing me the honour of working with the Drop-In, and Youth For Christ, for providing the way to do that! 

Thank you for the words of encouragement and reminders from the Word and praying for me. I did tell the youth that they were being prayed for by friends in Canada! Pastor Sunder, I still do not know how you do this every week! I am wiped!

Dancing with Him with a new song,

Love, Sister Vidya

#35 - Prayer request

Vol. 35

Thanks to all who have prayed, I had running water this week!

But then the internet went! Ha!

It has been interesting and tiring teaching until 8 at night. My day begins early when the monks begin their chants!

But enough on that. 

This is a quick email asking for prayer: I was invited by a fellow Khmer teacher, whose heart is for planting churches, to come visit a new church/brother's church in the city and I would also get an opportunity to meet his wife and kids. I said yes I would go, and the next thing I knew, he told me 2 days ago that he told the people that I would be speaking! But he used the word ‘preaching’!!! 

I said no, that I was just visiting, but when he mentioned that the congregation was made up of garment workers, new Christians, I reluctantly said yes! 

Last night one friend sent me a link from the Grammys: a gospel singer was bold enough to talk about her faith in the midst of some controversy. 

I knew then that God was saying to speak about Him, His Name and His plans for Cambodia! 

Prayer request: For His words to come out of my mouth; for His Spirit to be over me; for His glory to be seen; not Vidya, but Jesus Christ. 

Time: Sunday between 6 and 7 p.m. (Feb. 2nd here).

Thank you! 

Dancing with Him with a new song,

Love, Sister Vidya