Vol.# 136
As I sit here early this morning recovering
from an unexpected busy weekend, I look up to the sun as it is rising, with the
feel of a gentle breeze on my shoulders, and I am praising God for His
goodness, for His way of pushing me out of my comfort zones so that I can learn
to lean more on His shoulders.
The week began with the planning of my big project at school. I was anxious
because I could not seem to pinpoint on which one of two topics I would focus my
research and conclusions to present to the class in about 3 weeks.
One of my
teachers was supposed to act as my tutor but he has been very busy, so
formulating the right questions has been difficult since I felt I was doing it
on my own as opposed to the other 2 students whose teacher was helping them with
every question!
I had asked for prayer and His guidance just like the
Israelites asking God for signs, and I have finally nailed down the topic!
Now there is the formulating of the questions, so...
Prayer request:
- Pray that I would be able to formulate the questions in such a way
that they would be open-ended questions (not a yes or no answer), and that the
questions would reflect the topic and purpose of the research. And yes, this is
to be done all in Khmer!
This week was a short one at school because this week the whole country is
celebrating Khmer New Year and everything shuts down here!
I remember my first
year in the city not knowing that even the tuk tuk drivers and the motordupes
are scarce since most people who come from the different provinces go back
'home' to celebrate the New Year with their families and friends. I could
not get one to even go to the market and the one that I finally got asked for such
an outrageous price for the ride because he knew he was my only ride.
I
have learnt my lesson about planning my week here in the city!
It is one of the most important holidays/festivals here.
So this past
Friday my school (G2K) rented a football field and we, the students/teachers
played traditional games and ate Khmer snacks etc. and danced to traditional
Khmer music and the latest dance song here!
It was awesome!
During the week
one of the teachers was selling G2K soccer shirts and asked if I would come and
watch their first game on Saturday. I said yes, not knowing that I would be
asked to be the 'first-aid' person and that the venue was going to be so far from
my house (far meaning expense-wise having to pay for the trip!), and
having to get up early to get there!
But there again, God, Who knows my
innermost feelings, prompted one of the other persons invited (her role was
photographer) to ask if we could share a tuk tuk!
Yay!
We both went and I was
grateful that she was with me because my tuk tuk driver was going the wrong way past the country club where the game was being played!
Imagine my surprise when I realized that when I was asked to be the first-aid person (which I honestly thought
was a joke because it was asked in playful manner!), it meant I was also supposed to bring the first-aid equipment!
It ended up with me being the chief
cheerleader and man, was it ever hot!
This was a bit out of my comfort zone, no, not the cheering part, but to have to converse and do it in Khmer!
We lost by 4. We got 14, and the other team had 18 but they were all younger than our team. Our team
was mixed with Khmer and expats, young and older.
Then I found myself rushing home as the
landlord was coming to fix the water pressure here.
Praise God:
The bonding with my Khmer teachers is important. Even though I am
not fluent in Khmer in both listening and responding, I can be there to support
and have fun with them!
Sunday morning:
One of my former students invited me to his engagement, but I
did not know how to get to Takeo province from here, and it would be really too
expensive by tuk tuk if I was going alone, so it was not until Saturday evening
around 8 when he called and said that one of the other students would pick me up at 5:40
in the morning to go there!
Yes, there I was up at 4:30 to get ready (make-up
but not dressy clothes), since we would be going by moto.
The students did not
come until 6:35, so there I was standing outside my gate waiting, and this group
of Khmer women who do exercise walking passed by and said hello. They were
surprised that I was still there 15 mins. later when they returned, so one of them asked
if I wanted a motor dupe, and then the conversation started about where I was going etc..
Then my neighbour from across the road came out to weed the plants outside her
gate, and started to talk to me in English (she is Khmer), and this was the first
time I actually met her so we conversed half in English and half in Khmer and before
you knew it a whole pile of women were discussing my plight: how I had been
waiting for a motordupe, and where I was going, and the facts that I was from
Canada, and I was learning Khmer etc. LOL!
Eventually when I was about to give
up on the students, they arrived! SO off we went to the engagement on a one-hour-15-min. ride in the
hot sun!
When I got there I quickly changed and was able to
participate. Only now as I am writing this, I realize that I was the only expat
there. Usually the engagement is for close friends and family, and this was the
first engagement I have been invited to.
I usually get invited to the wedding
ceremony. It was bitter-sweet and I had tears in my eyes as I looked at my 'spiritual son' from the orphanage participate in a Buddhist ceremony. I had
memories of him being my translator and leading worship at Rescue. He is the
one who gave me the title of Holy Spirit sister, so I will be praying and
continuing to be part of his 'new' life as an engaged young man!
SO now as the sun is pouring down simultaneously as the sweat on my back, there
is no more gentle breeze.
I am preparing to make a bus trip with my friend
Annette to Vietnam for a 4-day stay.
Prayer requests:
- Pray for safety as this is 2 women travelling alone; for good travel
connections when we get to the border and then have to take a boat to the
island. Pray that God would provide angels who would come along to help.
- Pray that it would be a time of refreshing and going deep with Him. I will
be taking some Khmer work to do but at same time one of my 'sisters' from back
at RAC just sent me a link on relationships that I will try to access and
listen to while I am away.
Thank you for your continual financial and prayer support! Please continue to
send me your requests, stories and pictures! It keeps me connected and
grounded!
Finally, HE IS RISEN!
With Easter being in the same week as Khmer New Year, this
fundamental and precious time when we remember what Jesus Christ did for us,
for me, on the Cross can get pushed aside, so I just want to shout that I serve
a RISEN SAVIOUR who is NOT A MYTH or a traditional character.
So just as I
danced with my Khmer heart family, I will and am dancing with my Jesus the
Christ and celebrating HIM! Anyone wants to dance with me?
Love, His
Warrior and Disciple, submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,
Your sister,
Vidya
