Vol.# 76
Getting Accustomed
to the Rhythms of the Land!
The first two days were busy getting the
necessary big items for my new place, and then, all of sudden with the onset of
the holidays, everything closed down!
So I have had to wait patiently for the past
5 days and not fret when I could not do anything to get my place ready for
'living!'
Yes, I have to get back into the Khmer
'mindset' and the rhythm of how things are done here!
So what do you do?
I asked this of God because I had a
time line and a to-do list! He said focus
on relationships!
But how can I do that when my 'community' was not here
but away in their hometowns?
He said, start
with ME.
My time with Him was changed with the time difference, not
sleeping because of new surroundings, and sounds at temporary place I am at. Therefore
I knew I had to begin my discipline from NOW and not wait until I moved into my
own place. So, setting my alarm, I began my time with Him, so even if I was up
at 3 or 4 due to jet lag, I knew I had to start my day with Him at that time!
It would be easier to do other things but I have promised Him that HE would be
the first at the start of my day and the last at night!
Those around me include the young people
serving where I am. I began to ask them 'their life stories'. We began to
communicate in English (invariably they are all learning English and want to
practise it), with me throwing in my Khmer vocabulary!
It is amazing how much
delight they get when I use my limited Khmer vocabulary and receive the
approval signs (of clapping and broad smiles) when I tell them of my plans
of learning their language!
This is setting me up for my own language studies,
and yes, I cannot wait to get started! The school itself will not be opened
until next week so I could not even go in to 'check it out' and get an idea of
the curriculum to be used to get a head start!
Yes definitely a different pace
now!
Prayer
request: Pray that I would adjust to each new rhythm here! I was
going at a very fast pace prior to leaving Toronto, and then went into faster
pace here for the first 3 days and then, wham!
slow down time. I need to listen to His voice and trust that things would get
done. I need to open my eyes to the new people He is giving to me now while my
other community is away! The tuk tuk drivers from my old place have come back
earlier from the holidays and so we have been getting reconnected. Either their
English is getting better or my limited Khmer is, but our short conversations
have been about their families! Thank you
for praying for my reconnecting here, not knowing with whom I would be
re-establishing ties!
Prayer
request: It is around 4 now in the morning. Later on I will be
having coffee with the co-owner of the hotel where I used to stay on weekends,
and where our RAC /Ratanak teams have stayed over the years. She is Khmer and
always curious about NGOs and their reasons for coming to help build up her
country! So I have had the honour to pray for her in the past. Please
pray that I would be a friend and this would be a time of coffee,
laughter and shared hearts bonded by His Spirit!
Prayer
request: This Saturday is the day set aside to getting water
purifier, bed and Wi-Fi set up at my new place. Pray for favour in not
only buying the above, but getting the delivery and set up! Have to get
essentials like broom, bucket, mop, garbage pails etc., all of which would take
several trips to and fro my new place! Pray that I will not get lost but
God will give me certain landmarks to know how to get to my place!
I am listening to 10,000 Reasons as I write to this, and I am realising that I wanted
to get my apartment ready and get my things done before I focused on others,
and that is not His plan for me for this week! Yikes!
Bless the Lord, O
my soul: I worship Your Holy Name and I will sing of YOU!
Dancing with Jesus
Love, Sister Vidya
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