#129 - My new-home-in-progress and a soccer game!

As I sit on the rooftop looking at the sun rise, I am very grateful to Him Who has provided a part of this house that is a home in the making!  

I am grateful that Channak has moved into the upper floor and is the one who does the wiring etc.! 
When I have to ask the landlady to have something fixed, he does the negotiations, which is usually a long conversation starting with, "Oh, we cannot do it"/"Oh, no money to do what you ask" (from the landlady), to a compromise suggestion from Channak to her, and then there is an agreement! 

I have to learn to not speak, or just not be there when there is a negotiation! 
Channak had to go to buy bedding, and asked that I not be present because as a foreigner the price would be raised if I were with him! 
Reality here! 

Prayer: 
The landlady and her family are happy to have Channak here living on the top, but the people who were supposed to move into the lower floor have bowed out (was supposed to be a computer business).
I told her that I would pray to Jesus the Christ for good tenants! 
Can you join me in this prayer so that she and her family can see His hand at work? 

I started school day before yesterday as part-time. This is a new routine for me. Now the relationships are different, because all of my former classmates go in the morning full-time. However, the new students that I met are great, and I just got a message yesterday that the wife of my former classmate Marc will be joining me in this class, and she is relieved to be with me in class! 
But it was fun going in earlier just to reconnect with everyone from former modules, and have them say, "We miss your humour and presence in class! 

Prayer: 
I am meeting with the Director to discuss how my tutor and I will be planning my work studies. Please pray for wisdom on having a plan which would accurately help in my weaker areas of language learning! 

Praise God! Because of my new schedule, I can live stream Solemn Assembly! Yay! Praise God! 

I went to a football (soccer) match finals at my former workplace, Place of Rescue, and yes, it was so much fun to shout and celebrate as they were number 2 in the league! Here are some pics:

I have to run now to get ready to live stream! 
Thank you for live streaming this for us! 
Blessings!

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 
Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 
Your Sister Vedya

#128 - Moving Day!

Vol. #128 

The signing of the official lease! 

I had to have 3 photos, a copy of my passport and visa, and of course, the lease that I had to not only sign, but also to put my fingerprint! 

I never had to do that when I moved into my former place, but with the head of the village of Sangkat here as witness, it was very formal. But what struck me from the very beginning was the fact that I had to put my fingerprint! 

I am reading from Genesis 1 about His creation story, and I am moved by the fact that again it is how HE designed me; every cell and unique fingerprint is what was needed to put on the lease. 

HE designed and it came into being! 

HE spoke and it was so! 

The past 2 weeks have been a reflection of this. I was asked how I would like the kitchen to be designed and I always had a desire to have hot water in the kitchen, and they put it in for me! 

I wanted to have a mosquito screen door put in for my bedroom and today they will put it in! 

I am also going to ask for a screen door to be put in the living room area as well. 

Thank you for your prayers and waiting with me in anticipation for this new home. Things are still being worked on and probably will be so for the next week or so.

My moving in pictures!

Praise: 
I return to school on the 9th, so I thank God for His timing of this move. I can settle in here and then dive back into school.

Prayer Request: 
The last exam was difficult for me, and I do not really know why because when I look at it now, I wonder why I did not know this. I know that I was sick that day, and felt unsettled since I did not know where I would be moving to but still...! 
So I did well in first part of the exam, but not good in the last 3 parts. I met with Louise, the school director who is amazing, and we decided that for me to benefit the most from this level, that I should go part-time, and have a tutor who would work with Louise on the curriculum-part on my weaker areas, so that I can target those areas specifically. 
This would be for 3 months, and then I would go back full-time into Level 7. 
At first I was discouraged by the results, and then relieved, because I knew I was not at the same level as my future classmates, and that would stress me out if I was in same class with them, knowing that I would be the only one keeping back the pace at which they would be learning. 
BUT or pontae as it is said in Khmer, this is what God has done!

As some of you may have known, the plans were to work with Prison Fellowship Cambodia but I could not volunteer with them because I was full-time at school. The government of Cambodia has stated in their polices that anyone volunteering has to put in a minimum of 2 full days. 
Well, now that I am part-time I can do that! 
So I met with Director Sirivuth on the 28th, and on the 17th of January I will be going with Pisey, the women human resources liaison, to two centres out of the city: the first is Correctional 1 with youth from 16 to 20; the next is a different prison location with older inmates. 
I will be teaching vocational English to Khmer. 

Prayer Request: 
Please pray that on this seeking visit that God would show me which location is where I will be needed by Him; that I would feel His excitement and passion once I step onto the property. 

Thank you all for your continued partnership with prayers, finances and words of encouragement! 
Please continue to send your stories and requests so that I too can have the joy of going to our Father on your behalf! I cannot wait to see what HE will do in 2017! 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 
Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 
Your Sister Vedya

#127 - Christmas greetings and a new place for a new year!

Vol. #127

As I sit here wrapping tiny Christmas presents for my students, who will be coming over on Christmas Day after church to celebrate His birth, I am playing all of the old Christmas songs and praising Him! 
Why?

Last year at this time I was in the ICU at the hospital, the beginning of a very long month at the hospital! 

Now, here I am stronger and more grateful for Jesus the Christ Who decided to make the longest journey from His kingdom to earth; a journey not only in distance, but oh to a different status! 
From GOD the great I AM to a vulnerable babe and all that includes!

Reflecting on my journey here, from Trinidad and Tobago to Canada and now Cambodia, having to adjust to different cultural cues and now learning a whole new language, I get a tiny sample of what MY GOD did and I am more in AWE and humbled by HIM! 
He chose to undergo all the stages of human life here (He really could have just snapped His fingers and become a grown up man but He went through the stages of being human!) 
So when we pray to Him, we know we are praying to a GOD who understands every emotion we go through! 
What a foundation to begin a relationship!

YES, I FOUND A PLACE! 
Well actually, Channak found it on his ride around the area. Two real estate agents who were also looking were not able to find a place, but came so close each time! 
One of my prayer mentors had specifically prayed that God would design a place for me that was reminiscent of how He had provided for a renovated home for her, and yes, He has gone before and answered your prayers! 
Channak had seen it over a month ago, but the asking price was too much, and the design was a bit strange. Then last week the landlord called him, not once, but 3 times, and said, "Bring the foreigner over and we can discuss changes to the house!" 
Well, when I got there it was just empty rooms, so I asked where the kitchen was. They said they were waiting to see how I wanted it so then they would build it! 
So we talked about the countertop (concrete here and tiled on top) and where the sink would be.

Channak had to go on a retreat, so when I got the call to come back to talk with the owner who is Khmer, I thought, "Well, I will take pics with me and lots of prayer!" 
The builder, who is Khmer and speaks no English, was the one who suggested extra lights in the kitchen! He said, "I think you would need a light to go over the stove, so when you cook at night time it would be better for you."

Then I asked for a water heater to be put in the kitchen. They were puzzled, and asked, "You mean you want a water heater for the bathroom?" (All of the rooms have a tiny bathroom: a toilet and shower head attached to each.) 
But I wanted one in the kitchen so I can have hot water to wash the dishes etc.! 
I will send pics later after I move in.

Signing of lease under mango tree

One picture sticks out in my mind. As I sat under the mango tree with the landlord, signing the downpayment receipt, each of us did it with thumbprint! Channak had the ink ready and had written everything in Khmer and we put our prints on it.

Prayer request: 
Please pray that all of the changes to be done will be done by move-in date at the end of this month. I was told by landlord, "Well just in case not all will be finished when you move in, it will be finished within 2 days of your moving-in date!" I shook my head and said no, because I know 2 days means more like 2 weeks! So I told them that I would pray to Jesus the Christ that it will be all done and they would be surprised! So before leaving, I asked my friend Julia who had come with me if we could pray! So with the landlady there, I bowed and dedicated it all to God.

I was blessed to be invited to one of my Khmer teacher's wedding last weekend! It was such a God-honouring wedding and the best I have been to! Teacher Meng and his beautiful wife Sroh wanted to reflect God's love to their parents, so at the ceremony in the morning, they first bowed down before Meng's parents, and then washed the feet of Meng's father and mother as a symbol of gratitude to the parents for what they sacrificed in raising them up. It is a symbol of honor of how they will continue as a unit to honor and serve their parents in a God-ordained way and they also wanted to show how Christ came to earth to serve! 

Morning ceremony with classmate, Leigha

Then each prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and blessing over both sets of parents! Well, we were all in tears as this was so unexpected, and it was the first time I had seen the bride and groom wash the feet of the parents of both parties!

Evening ceremony with classmates: Formal dress

Evening ceremony with classmate

Evening ceremony with classmates

Then later in evening ceremony, Meng sang a song to his bride. With 53 expats attending the ceremony at night, all of us from G2K school, it was beautiful to see the unity and love amidst all of us! 
Yes, I danced!

I think of all of you with snow falling, reconnecting with your families, and celebrating His birth, and I want to say thank you for continuing to partner with Him and consequently with me as we do His will here in Cambodia! 
Blessed Christmas! 

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, 
Submitting to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia, 
Your sister, Vidya

#126 - Speaking boldly!

Vol. #126 

This morning we had a guest speaker at church who continued to preach on a series titled "Whole and Bold". 
He spoke on the importance of our words because our God is a speaking God. HE spoke and creation came into being (Genesis 1), and He speaks to us through His Word. 
The importance of speaking words of blessing to each other and to ourselves is based on what God says in His Word. 
He then asked us to think about how our words can block His blessings, not only to ourselves, but also to others as well.

That got me thinking, so I invited 3 of my former students to go out for lunch at Khmer eating place right across from my school. 

DINNER WITH MY STUDENTS (TUK TUK DRIVER AT BACK!)

As we ate and talked, they helped me with my pronunciation of some Khmer words, and I asked each of them to think about a word that someone had spoken to them that was NOT a blessing. 
Then each of us shared one thing; then we used what God said in His Word to cancel out the negative words spoken over each of us. 
For example, someone said to me, "You are old, you will not be able to learn Khmer", so I countered that with, "In Christ I can do all things: in His strength and might"! 
I cannot divulge what each student shared, but I was able to affirm His plan in their lives. 
Then I said, "Now think of the person who said the negative words over you, and ask God to forgive them, and pray a blessing over them". 
When I told the students the words of non-blessing about someone saying I could not learn because I was old, I had to be 'real' so that they would be open to share with me. 

Please do not feel sorry for me because I do know He has me here, and I am so blessed to be part of His plan for my heart country. 
I am older so I know not to allow such words to marinate in my mind but to immediately give it to Him. 
When I spoke to my students they were still feeling the impact of the negative words spoken over them over the past few years! 

Prayer request: 
I specifically chose this eating place because I not only want to give the Khmer family our business, but I also want to be able to ask them, "How can I pray for you today?" 
They know me because most of us at the school, including the teachers, would have at least one meal there (at $2.50 not a bad deal!). Pray for boldness for me please! 

I was very surprised when the visiting pastor made an altar call at the end of the service, and the leader of the prayer team came up to me and asked me to go to the front to pray with the other leaders for anyone who wanted prayer. I told her that I could only pray with confidence in English.
She said that she knew but please, still come! 
I felt unsure but my former students who were standing next to me said, "Cher, you need to go"! 
So I went and prayed with one Khmer girl in English. 

Thank you for sending me your prayer requests and allowing me to be part of your team as we pray together. 
Thank you for your words of blessing! 

I am listening to Jonathan Nelson's I Believe (Island Medley) as I write this so please excuse me as I have to get up to dance and sing the words I Believe!

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

Your sister, Vidya 

#125 - Flashback of faith

Thank you for your prayers over finding a tutor!


We met today for the first time for an hour and a half, and I discovered that she goes to my church here. Her rates are good and yes, she is Khmer! We will be meeting twice a week, so I will keep you all updated!


I had a flashback to the days when I was part of the Drop-In Centre crew! The kids would come downstairs (back to the old days when we had the parking lot out front and the half basketball court upstairs), and it was there we would first meet!
But the circumstances changed a year later when the numbers of kids grew, and after much prayer, I decided it was better for me to be upstairs at the door when the kids first came in, to greet them and look at them in the eyes. If it was someone new, I would just let them know the rules of behaviour at the Drop-In centre.
It was different being upstairs away from the kids, and I had prayed, "Lord please turn that spot into a place where I could have meaningful contact with the kids!"
After the first week, we discovered that the kids were actually staying upstairs not just to play ball, but also just to sit and chat!
I called it the "Liming Spot" (you Trinis already know this means hang out!). The kids would share what was going on in their lives, ask for prayers etc.
The reason I am sharing this deja-vu picture?
 
I had to volunteer at the info desk at my church here and no one comes during the hour and half of service, and it can be uneventful to say the least!
But I prayed that my corner spot would be His, and settled in for a very hot uneventful time!
Yes, Oh Vidya of little faith!


One student whom I taught from Rescue came by to say hi and next thing I knew, he is not only helping me with my Khmer vocabulary, but sharing how his faith has changed over the past 2 years! And he was one of the 'shy' ones!


Then another came by and started to share how his faith has changed from being very superficial to a deeper relationship with God! Then their friends from the dorm in which they are staying came across to be introduced and we all just chatted!
No I did not keep them from the church service; they were also volunteering and had to wait until the service was over!
And yes, we spoke in English, a credit to them since they are Khmer! I saw them again when I went to the evening service that night and was blessed to see that now they came to get their souls fed!


The above was one praise item!


Prayer Request:
When I went to the church service I did not wear any headphones to hear the English translation, and I really wish I could tell you I understood a lot, but in reality I understood roughly ten percent of it all!
But I will keep persevering!


Thank you all for sending your prayer requests and stories! I have been taking them and you to His throne daily!


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

#124 - Important Donor Information

Hello everyone!
  
Thank you for your prayers in forming a Khmer community here. Just 2 days ago I was invited to a small get-together for those of us who volunteer at the info desk at church. In fact, I saw the invitation but I did not know I was included since I had only volunteered twice. But I got the official invitation and despite my nervousness, I said yes and went! 

Yes, even I can be shy since I was the only non-Khmer speaker there! Yup, the only expat!  
We met at the church and then went off on a 25-minute ride on moto to eat, and afterwards we just hung out at the riverside.

DINNER WITH VOLUNTEERS

They were all so much younger, and half of them were a bit shy. I did approach the girls and I introduced myself and we exchanged small greetings. I thank God that I did go, and that I was able to speak in half-Khmer and half-English to those sitting around me. 
The first thing my co-volunteers said was that they wanted to practise their English so could we speak in English!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Important note for my donors: 

The Great Commission is moving to a larger location so the mailing address has been changed: 

The Great Commission Foundation P.O Box 14006 Abbotsford, B.C. V2T 0B4

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer request: 
God is forming His community here for me, so I need to wait with expectation and joy! For me, a community is where I can go deep with others as well as just chill and hang out! 

My Khmer language is not that advanced, so making that transition with my Khmer brothers and sisters here has been slow. So can you pray that I would be dedicated to learning this amazing new language in creative ways! I am meeting with a possible tutor on Monday, so please pray for wisdom for me to discern if we would make a good match in learning Khmer. 

Praise: 
Even though I have not yet found my new home, I will continue to praise Him for my new home! 

Praise: 
For the relationships between my tuk tuk drivers and myself. I have one regular driver who takes me to and from school. He knows not to start the tuk tuk until I pray over our journey. I pray for his family and for work for him during the day. 
I have 2 other semi-regular drivers who I have known since my days at Rescue. I call them when Mr. Ra, my regular one, cannot make it! I thank God they can tell me how I can pray for them each time I meet with them! 
And yes, they want to practise their English so I speak in Khmer and they respond in English! As a result there are often puzzled looks and laughter when I have to go to a new location! 

Well, it is Sunday morning and I just found out yesterday that I am on today to volunteer at church. 
So I will go to serve this morning and go to church this evening! Activity abounds in the streets below as everyone from the adults to kids to the dogs are up and about and are talking in loud voices (yes, the dogs too!)! 

I love this particular time when I am having coffee with Jesus, listening to His voice as we read His Word together, listening to some music (I am listening to Christmas songs). Then I enter prayer time over your prayer requests and my day ahead!

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

Your sister, Vidya

#123 - Enjoying Community!

We stood in a circle, and as one we raised our voices in prayer and gratitude to our Lord God. 
Tears flowed down as we prayed together Khmer style, in German, in Portuguese, in Khmer and in English. 

I thought of Pastor Chris' message on prayer and it is really an intimate communication between our God and ourselves! I looked around when we were finished at the different generations praising Him without being shy, expats and Khmer all together, and I thought to myself, "Girl you are experiencing a bit of heaven here, cultures bending the knee to the One true God!"
So what led up this moment?  

It is another holiday here. Water Festival. 
We had no school for 5 working days and the single people I knew from my school and my other circles had made plans to go away. (The city would be so crowded since people were coming into the city to race their traditional boats in a boat race). Since I am still looking for a new place, I knew that I had to stay here and do what I felt HE was directing me to do: spend quality time with Him in prayer and worship! 
Don't you love it when sermons you hear just 'happens' to guide you in that season? 
Pastor Jesse's sermon from my church here was prompting us to be bold in our faith, but we also had to walk the walk if we want others to hear what we are saying. 
Then Pastor Wade and Pastor Chris showed us how to be authentic through messages on Our Lord's Prayer, and the importance of prayer, not only individually, but as a corporate body! (Legacy of both Pastor Sunder and Sham Krishnan.)

So there I was up in the morning, actually feeling a bit lonely, and also overwhelmed by my Khmer homework. (Even though I had no school, I knew I had to keep up the discipline of studying in the mornings to keep up with other students in class!) 
Then I got 2 messages! 
One was from former classmates inviting me over to their home for dinner, but ironically, I could not go at that time. The other was from the couple in whose home we had prayed! It was Wyn and Nis who owns the coffee business at my school and I have gotten to know them and their team! They had been trying to connect with me for 2 days prior but we kept missing each other's calls! 

So there I went (3 of us on a moto, with me holding on to the cake!) to their new house! WE had to drive over the speed bumps, and yes, LOL, when we did, my head would bop forward and hit Dina with my helmet, and she in turn would hit Chang! 
So with laughter abounding we got there!

At Wyn & Nis Making Shish kebobs

Praise: 
Thank you for praying for a community for me. I know I have to be patient and wise. I know I had to follow His Spirit and wait on Him, and until then, spend quality time with Him! 

The day before, I got to go with Channak and Johnny to the Night Market here, and as always, I love being on the moto feeling the breeze! Thanks bros! 

Praise: 
Annette, who used to teach at Rescue with me, and who is serving our God here teaching in another school in the city, has her son and his family visiting from Vancouver! I had the pleasure of going with her and her son to Rescue to visit!

Man! I forgot how long and how hot it is to go there! But I was so happy to meet up with Trakuen, who took us around and then went out with us for late lunch! 
As I was passing by one of the houses, one of the house moms came to get me to come to her house to pray over her daughter who was visiting with her fiancé! So half in Khmer and in English I prayed with them! 

Then Annette and I got to pray over Traukean and her heart of service before we left! I felt as if I have come full circle after my visit! 

At Rescue with Annette and her son, and Traukean and Samnang, one of the teachers there (choreographer of the dances)

Praise: 
Oh, when I went to meet my friends at the cafe business to go to their house, I met another couple from my church there who came to grab coffee, and Krong was able to help me with a couple of the Khmer words which were confusing me! Yay! 
God knew and brought me community and help from unexpected sources! But I needed to spend time with Him first! 

Thank you all for your continued prayers for me for my new home. Can we praise Him for that place even though I have not physically seen it? In faith together!! 

Please continue to keep sending me your prayer requests and stories so together we can storm the heavens! 

Okay, it is so hot now, I'm going to pour water over my head! 

Dancing with Him,

Love, His Warrior and Disciple, submitting

to be His Dance partner here in Cambodia,

Your sister, Vidya