Sunday, 6 March 2016

#97 - Above, Below, Around...

Vol.# 97


Answers to your prayers!

How creative is our God? 
No, I do not expect you to answer that, because it would be a never-ending one! I asked for someone to help me study Khmer and pronounce the words correctly and here is how HE did it.

After a particularly excruciating class where I seemed to fumble trying to do the phonics that occurs in the last hour of the class, I went home humbled and yes, a bit discouraged. 
At the same time I got Pastor Alan's Lent reading that night, and it was Day 21 on Insecurity. God showed me that I was insecure about my ability to grasp the language, especially as my classmates are excellent in their ability to hear the sounds, repeat the pronunciation, and had amazing recall in the class. I gave up that insecurity to Him, and with my cue cards started to ask Him how I could memorize the words! I was doing prepositions, above, below, outside etc., and was not sure if I was saying the words correctly. Knowing them and saying them are two different things!

I got this urge to go get my toes done (yup, for three dollars you can too!), so I went to my usual place, and as I took my homework out and started to memorize the words, the girls at the salon started to correct my pronunciation and helped me with my words! These girls come from a high-risk background and Jeri, the owner, has hired them and taught them about hair/pedicures etc. They do not know our JESUS yet but they are always so warm and friendly!  

So only God could do this for me, allow me to get the reading on same day as I got unexpected help from unexpected sources!  Then to make things even sweeter, the first song on my IPod (thanks to K and C for buying me this 2 years ago, and for CC for putting all the songs on it) was by Michael Smith singing about God being all around us, below and above...using all of the prepositions I had been learning!

Directions: On the same day that I had the phonics 'meltdown', so to speak, we were learning directions and how to tell the tuk tuk driver or moto driver how to get from point A to B.  One main teaching tool was a map and we had ten scenarios where we had to go from one place to another, like from the bank to the post office, describing how to get there, (go left, pass the.... turn right etc.). Some of you who really know me must be laughing because you know I cannot read a map in English far less in Khmer! Well to make matters worse, I met some friends at the mall near to the school for lunch, but went out the wrong exit and a 5-minute walk back took 15 minutes because I was so lost! The tuk tuk drivers and moto drivers kept asking me if I needed help, especially as I walked around the mall twice! I was laughing inside because I kept saying to myself, well I know how to say the directions but I needed to know how to get there before I gave the directions!

But God again allowed me to share what was going on in my life and to share Pastor Alan's reading to a couple from the States in Level One at my school. It encouraged them, and yes, again as I listened to His music the next day on my way in, Oceans by Hillsong, the song He gave to me this time going back, came on my IPod and I sang it all the way!

Prayer Requests:
-I am still praying for the 'constant' Khmer language partner to practise with. The two couples in my class practise with each other every day, so they are 'right on' each day with the pronunciation etc. 
-Health: I had my last physiotherapy appointment on Friday. My back is much better but still I cannot sit for long periods and I have to be careful with carrying bags. The joints are still tender, but I can walk up and down the stairs more confidently now. 
Thank you for your prayers.

No beach yet! We have a holiday on March 8th, which is International Women's Day here, but this occurs on a Tuesday so I cannot go to the beach!

Thank you for your prayers and please keep your requests coming! I was humbled that I was able to Skype in and pray with the Mission Breakfast team led by Ian and Ramona Loberg! I heard you had an amazing week with Trevor and Patty, Claire Bradley, and Suresh and Cheryl.

Got to get back to my homework! I am sweltering as I write this thinking of the deep freeze in Toronto!


Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His dance partner here in Cambodia,
Your sister, Vidya


** (P.S. Revenues are down and I am now at 80 percent of my monthly support, would you consider becoming one of my dance partners? Please email me!)

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