#76 - Getting Accustomed to the Rhythms of the Land!

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

#75 - Furnishings

Vol.# 75

Hello!

It has been a whirlwind two days since I have been back! 

Yesterday my friend Channak and I went appliance shopping from 10 to 2 on his moto, only stopping to take shelter from the pouring rain for five minutes! It is holiday time here, so most of the stores were already closed and the people went to their hometown. The holiday would be until Wednesday for some, and until Friday for others! But we found favour, SO…

Praise God for not only getting a second hand fridge and washing machine, but a new stove, toaster, rice cooker and microwave at 25% discount! 

Plus, with Channak negotiating, I was able to get the appliances not only delivered within 2 hours of purchase, (that is unheard of especially with the holiday season here!) but the men came in two teams, one team delivered and the other team came to set up the appliances and to make sure they worked!

Praise God for the initial first meeting with the landlord Pov and his lovely wife and two year old son! They are a young couple and they talked about Catherine (former tenant) being a good cook and asked if I was too! I said, time will tell!

Praise God for reconnecting this morning at New Life church. There people greeted me, saying “Welcome back, have not seen you in such a long time!” (Candace, that is just like your team at RAC!). In fact, two of the pastors' wives came to get my phone number and the founding pastor's wife (akin to Mrs. Ingram at RAC) came to say that she had not seen me and wondered if I had changed church services! (There are 3 services!).

I had dinner with a young couple last night (I had posted their picture in one of my slide presentations) and it was good to be teased, to tease and just be! They are all excited that I would be learning Khmer! I mentioned that I was interested in being an active member now since I am in the city!

My former students had all gone to their hometowns for the holidays, so I was surprised when 2 of them showed up at church and invited me to sit with them. During the service, it was natural for one of them to put her head on my shoulder and the other to hold my hand! It is a bit of RAC culture shock to be back at New Life church, getting accustomed to wearing headphones to hear the message in English. Sometimes the sound is not that good or the translator is not sure, so is hesitant to speak, and to stand for one hour in praise and worship and prayer!

Prayer request: that I would be able to get a couch, a bed and a little table and more importantly a water purifier! I have to be able to coordinate delivery to times when landlord/family is at home; everything has to be carried up through their place because the stairs outside to my place is much too narrow!

Prayer request: to connect with Prison Fellowship after the holiday time here. It is rainy season so I have to be able to travel in the morning since it is begins to rain from 12 onwards!

Thank you for being my dance partners! Allow me the honour of partnering with you in prayer, so please send me your requests!

Dancing with Jesus

Love, Sister Vidya

#74 - Here in Phnom Penh!

Vol. 74

Here I am!

Seated having breakfast, eggs, bacon and coffee with my lime juice! Got in around midnight after getting visa etc. Long line to wait for my visa! Then trying to grab my suitcases was hilarious since everyone had left by then, and I was struggling to grab one of them off the ting a ming, and nearly fell over onto the luggage ting! 

Finally, walking out to a sea of faces and seeing one of my best friends here, Channak, with another friend who is an expat working at Daughters Cambodia! One was wearing a Canadian hat and the other a Trini hat! (The taxi driver was one of my former tuk tuk drivers! He was beaming when he saw me! Usually he works for another hotel but he was also assigned to this one!)

Bless them for coming out so late, especially as it was raining heavily just before our plane landed!

Answered prayers: 

The first leg of the journey from Toronto to Korea seemed ‘short’! I did not sleep, but got a chance to relax and think back over the past few days, reading cards given to me with strict instructions to “only open on plane!” I sat next to a lovely older couple, (I had the window seat) and they were gracious when I had to get up 3 times for the washroom!! So, thank you for those who prayed that it would be short and sweet and not over tiring for first leg of the journey!

From Korea to Phnom Penh: 

I was exhausted, so apparently I fell asleep as soon as I came in. I sat next to two Khmer men; the one closest to me took it as his responsibility to make sure I got my food etc.. I was asleep so I missed when they were serving the snack and then dinner, so whenever I opened my eyes, he would wave and shout out to the flight attendant and gesture back to me that I needed food! So he was my ‘angel’ for the next part of the flight! He was showing me pics of his wife and daughters on his phone so I answered in Khmer and he said, “How come you speak my language?” Then he giggled when he said he was trying to speak in English!

For the last 5 minutes of flight I was the centre of attention for the first row of passengers in front of me and across from me. The women were asking the same gentleman where I was from and what I would be doing! Then they all looked at me and said, “Canada! Ah!” Then they nodded and smiled when he told them I would be learning Khmer!

Prayer request: 

Today is the only business day that things would be open. We are heading into Water Festival time. Most people leave the city to go to their hometowns to celebrate and pray to the gods at this time. I need to get my phone enabled here, go to see landlord before they go to hometown. Channak, who would be taking me to landlord is working until 5, so please pray we would be able to connect with Pov Visal (my landlord) by then. It is the rainy season so rains may begin from 3 or from 6 onwards. The roads get flooded and traffic is at a standstill!

Praise God: 

For safety; for community; one student just Skyped me that he had a dream I was at Rescue wearing red! (I wore all red on my travel here!) I have been singing The Great I AM! Hallelujah, Who is worthy… My first song from Our Lord!

Thank you for being so faithful!

Now I need to go back to sleep! Wanted to get up and have breakfast and then grab couple more hours of sleep! Need to be thinking clearly for later on when I will go out and it will be so hot!

Timing of God: 

That is what is popping up in my mind: for those of you who have been waiting for His next steps, be encouraged!

It took 10 months to get me back here, but oh, what a send-off from my Lord! Within 2 weeks to have one-time costs all raised and about 60 percent of monthly costs! The one-hundred percent blessing of my parents to be released here and yes, my releasing them to God as well! HE showed me that I needed to go deeper in relationships with you there and to serve you before I can return to serve Him here! So coffee and Jesus, here we go!

(Cool thing just happened! A former student who is in Canada now with Marie Ens and Place of Rescue dance team just Skyped me. He asked for prayer for a toothache so I just prayed with and for him from Phnom Penh!)

Dancing with Jesus,

Sister Vidya

#73 - Goodbye Toronto! Hello From Seoul!

Vol. 73

Goodbye Toronto! 07-Oct-2015

Hello from Seoul!

I am waiting to get on my final flight to Phnom Penh! As I was walking from Customs to my gate in Toronto, I struck up a conversation with an official who will be going to Thailand for a holiday, and he asked why I was going to Cambodia. I told him “to learn the language” and this got him curious! So we talked about trafficking and what is being done to help fight against this: talked about 'roles' and the church's role in helping to bring back dignity to this poor country! Cool!

Then I met Erica, a young woman from Colombia, and we talked about knowing a language of a country and being better equipped to help knowing the heart language! She got quiet when I mentioned being sent by my church, and doing this in the name of Jesus Christ. I blessed her and went on to wait!

I am pretty tired, but now, after the initial tears, I am looking forward with expectant heart to hear what He says to me when I step back on Cambodian soil!

Prayer requests:

-To get my year-visa without problem on entry into Phnom Penh.

- That jet lag will be at a minimum. I have to be up early the next day (I am getting in around 10:10 and hopefully will be out from Customs by 11! Will get to hotel around 11:30 or so) to meet with landlord and sign my lease, go to Calamet Hospital to see pastor from Tahas Institute, and get my phone set up once again!

I am missing you all already, but you have prepared me well for this next step, so I am excited to reconnect with the community here!

Dancing with Jesus

Love, Sister Vidya

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