#122 - Cambodian blues, or is it?

Vol. #122

Cambodia won their last football game in the AFC championships to go into the semis, and in celebration, since I could not go to see the game, I thought I would wear my Cambodian football shirt in honor of their win! 
So I was proudly displaying and telling people why I was wearing it the next day.

Just imagine my chagrin when one of my classmates came and said that HE had to take a picture with me! So when we took the picture and I got a chance to look at it, I realized I WAS NOT wearing my Khmer football shirt, but rather the Brazilian football shirt! 
My classmate is Brazilian, so he got very excited when he saw me wearing it!  Now I also realized why the Khmer receptionist looked at me funny when I said, "Hey, I am celebrating our win last night by wearing the team shirt!"
I thought I got the strange look because of my pronunciation but ...(the colours are quite similar: the blues!)

Now that you feel better about your day :), I just want to say how humbled I am when I receive prayers and words of encouragement from you all. 
One of my mentors sent me Psalm 89:13-37, and this line, "I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD forever with my mouth" came to my mind as I was singing my heart out (with my mask over my mouth and nose to keep me from inhaling the smoke and dust), a new Khmer worship song! My tuk tuk driver just ignores me now as I sing out loudly! 
But I am grateful to a God Who has allowed and is allowing me to be part of His plan here.

Praise: 
At church two Sundays ago, one of my former students came up to me and told me that she had just graduated from university, and was working, and she thanked me for teaching her way back at Rescue, but also for always encouraging her! I was taken aback because I had not seen her for such a long time, but she came up and gave me the tightest hug ever and I admit we were both teary eyed! I got a chance to pray with her as well and we exchanged phone numbers!

Praise: 
I was put on the roster to volunteer at my church here. Last Sunday was my first, and yes, I went to the wrong end of the table and was at the wrong spot! My phone rang (the volunteering is outside, not in the church, so it is okay to have phone on!), and it was the coordinator asking where I was! And I got there very early as well, but yeah, so I had to go to the correct spot! 
I learnt that I had to be at the desk outside for the whole service so I never got a chance to actually go into the service! But now that I know, I will adjust my schedule! 
But it is HOT because it is not in the A/C interior! 
I praised God for my two co-volunteers who were helping me with my pronunciation etc. I got to know the first one when I was at the wrong place, and then the other co-worker, who spoke English quite well, shared his testimony (in English! All of the volunteers were Khmer!) and I am so honoured to hear their stories!

Praise: 
I was invited to the wedding of a daughter of one of the Directors from Rescue last Saturday, and I was delighted to reconnect with the house moms who were there dressed in their finery, and also some of the other people I got to know while I was there! 
And yes, I got to dance! I forgot to take pics to send to you! But I was honoured and delighted to have been invited!  
My neighbour next door runs a hair shop. I went to get my hair styled (it is short) and the woman who is super nice wanted to make me up and had her things ready, but I said no thanks. I still had to get ready so after I got dressed and the tuk tuk came to pick me up, all of the neighbours (about 8 of them!) were outside to check out to see if I had put on enough makeup! LOL! (She charged one dollar for the hair!) 
So they were pleased with the results! I just laughed!

Prayer request: 
For the Khmer community: I have been waiting to move before signing up to join a small group. I want to know the area where I will be living to sign up! Please pray for the right one!

Praise God: 
HE has been giving me different songs as I have my coffee time with Him in the morning. Visible reality looks like getting a house in the right environment with my price range may not be possible, but HE has been telling me to stand strong and to trust in His timing and place. I pray for those of you who are also having to wait upon Him that you would do it with a song in your heart! 
HE is after all ABBA FATHER AND GOD!

Please keep sending your stories and requests!

Dancing with Him,

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya

#121 - Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Day!

Vol. #121

As I write this, tomorrow will be our Canadian Thanksgiving. So, Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian family! 

I am so blessed to be able to call Canada one of my homes. But as I write this, I am watching Cambodia play Sri Lanka in soccer. It is called International Friendly and I am shouting for Cambodia because we are ahead 2- 0! And even as I write this, I realized I said 'we'! 
If I had known a game was on and playing at our own stadium here, I would have gone to see it.

But I digress (no surprise to many of you reading this). It has been raining steadily from early evening into the wee hours of the morning here for the past week. So I am trying to get things done before it starts to rain, although I do love being out in the rain. The traffic is almost at a standstill when out in the tuk tuk. I know it is no fun for those on motos. The roads flood quickly, and before you know it you are knee deep in not too clean water in some places here.

I want to thank Pastor Wade for urging us to meditate on the Lord's Prayer and I have to tell you I cannot seem to go beyond the first line: Our Father, my Father, who art in heaven; my perspective is that this means that HE reigns and is in control, Hallowed be Your Name! 
Is there any other Name that is sweeter than Jesus? 
That is why a long time ago I made a covenant between God and myself to not watch or read anything that used His Name in vain. And I just had that put to the test while I was watching a movie, and, yup, they used His Name in vain, so  I had to switch channels, which was not easy to do since it was a really good movie! 

For many Khmer friends here whom I have talked to about the meaning of father, even though they respect and love their earthly father, they are not particularly close to them. They cannot have in-depth conversations with their fathers. I noted it is the same with many in our Western culture as well. 
I thank God for my earthly father, and even more, Jesus the Christ, Who wants to have an intimate relationship with us, Who is always there when we go to Him, waiting to hear us and yes, respond through His Word.
So I am very thankful that He would want to use me in His dance here in Cambodia, leading me and allowing me to be part of His plan.

I am thankful to you, my Trini blood family, my Trini family, and my Canadian family (yes, all of you!) for being my dance partners here in this land, sacrificing your time and finances to allow me to be here.  
I pray that you will have an amazing Canadian Thanksgiving (eat turkey for me please!) 
I will be telling all of my Canadian peeps here at school tomorrow Happy Canada Day and I already have my Canada hat ready to wear! 
It was a choice between my Blue Jays hat (Yes, I was able to see the last game played by them and have been rejoicing with you all!) and Canada hat, but Canada won out!

Praise: I continue to have fun learning Khmer, building up relationships with others within the school.

Prayer Requests: 
- I still need deep Khmer relationships. My listening ear still needs a lot of work as I try to decipher when someone speaks to me very fast in Khmer. I enjoy sitting down and trying to read in Khmer but listening and responding is my weakness.

- I have not been able to find another place yet so I value your prayers in not only finding that home, but also in the logistics of moving. I will have to not only move furniture but I also have to remove my A/C units from here, my dish cupboard that is attached to the wall, and the Wi-Fi etc. 

Please continue to send your requests. 
I enjoy hearing your stories and am honoured when you ask me to pray with you! 

HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING DAY!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya