#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