April 2005 |
I reached Jon just as he slurped in a thick, wringling tail. The bowl of tadpoles I set him up to play with was empty. �Jon, did you EAT the tadpoles? What did they taste like?!?� �fish.� Lara�s reply was �you boys�. Honestly, I never remember eating live tadpoles. Not intentionally, at least. A lot has happened since our last letter. Our time at the medical conference in Thailand was a BIG encouragement � we learned some medicine and enjoyed reunions with old friends and acquaintances. We had a good week in Siem Reap province with Reaksa Himm. Our primary goal was to get a better sense of what life and ministry would be like if we moved there. In addition to doing medical clinics in two villages, we visited a children�s hospital, the international school in Siem Reap town, and spent time talking with Reaksa about his ideas and vision for the now six small churches in the area. During the second week of April, we�ll make one further trip flying into the jungle of Ratanakiri to find out more about tribal work being done there. Then it�ll be time to make a decision. Ministry at Bethel Church continues to stretch us in good ways. Samol did a great job organizing our Easter service � we enjoyed playing games and sharing a meal together. We�ve been encouraged by how much he�s grown over the past four months. But since our pastor is still out of the country, we�re praying God will watch after this group if He calls us to a new location. The choices before us are Siem Reap province, Ratanakiri province or staying here in Phnom Penh. Each have their advantages and disadvantages, needs and opportunities. But more importantly than that, we want to know where God wants us. Thank you for your prayers in this matter � we hope to make a decision before our return to the US this summer. Yes, we will be coming back again, this time for Lara�s board exams. It�s been a wonderful excuse for us to make the trip! The boys have been talking about America several times a day now. And us parents are quite excited, too! |
| Seen any good movies recently? Although we don�t have foreign movie theaters in Cambodia, we can watch even the latest movies for about $2.50 in Chinese, Malay, and Thai. How is this possible, you ask? Well, people sneak into movie theaters in other countries with video cameras and� well, the result is of varying quality � sometimes the picture is crooked, just part of the screen, or it�s moving. Sometimes we have a tape change or people stand up in front of the camera. But what we like the most is reading the �English� subtitles. Sometimes it�s about 75% accurate but often times it�s completely unintelligible. And this is how people in Cambodia learn English!!! |
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| Standing at Crossroads |
| Musings While at the conference, several people asked us for more detail regarding our work here. What challenges do we face? What solutions have we found? Although it sounds clich�, the theme that pervades our lives is, �What Would Jesus Do?� or specifically what is a Biblical response to the human need around us and how is this spiritually motivated response unique from secular development. What did we do when Bopha�s house burned down last December? How do we live out I John 3:17 in the midst of the poverty, not just of distant Cambodians, but of our friends around us? At a recent OMF meeting, we heard an example that illustrates some Biblical ideas of development: The wife of a dedicated church member approached a missionary after Sunday service. �Loak gru (teacher), my husband has died. We have debt. If I cannot pay it, the money lender will take my sons to work at his factory in the city until the amount is paid.� The missionary responded, �How can I help you?� as many thoughts and feelings rushed into his mind. He said a little prayer and then asked her, �Tell me, what do you have in your house?� �I�m very poor loak gru. I have nothing at all� just a couple empty rice sacks.� The missionary encouraged her, �Go to your neighbors and ask them for more empty rice sacks. Don�t collect just a few, but as many as you can. Then go around town and fill your sacks with aich-ie (recyclables). Let�s pray that God will show His grace to you and your sons.� The following week after church, the widow ran up to the missionary. �Loak gru, God has truly blessed us! We did as you advised and you know what? Every day when we went out to look for aich-ie, God led us to cans left over from a party or scrap metal or glass bottles. We filled up several sacks a day and by Friday when I asked my son to bring me another empty sack, he told me we didn�t have any left. My house is full!� Smiling, the missionary exclaimed, �Praise God! See how He loves you and can provide for you? Go and sell your sacks of aich-ie and pay your debt. You�ll have enough left for you and your sons to live on.� But the story could have gone differently: The wife of a dedicated church member approached a missionary after Sunday service. �Loak gru (teacher), my husband has died. We have debt. If I cannot pay it, the money lender will take my sons to work at his factory in the city until the amount is paid.� The missionary responded, �How can I help you?� as many thoughts and feelings rushed into his mind. �Tell me, how much is your debt?� �Twenty dollars loak gru. But you know I can never pay that back. I�m very poor.� The missionary didn�t know what to do. He knew she was very poor and her husband had spent his life building up the church selflessly. If she lost her kids just after the loss of her husband, will she be able to stand the pain? �I think God desires me to bless you today. Here�s the twenty dollars. Go in peace in the name of the Lord.� The following week after church, the widow ran up to the missionary. �Loak gru, God has truly blessed us! Thank you again for your gift last week. When others found out what you did, they said they can clearly see Christ�s love in you. Loak gru, I�m a little embarrassed to mention this, but my son has an infection but I don�t have money to buy his medicine.� Which missionary response is correct? Honestly, we can find biblical themes to support each. But perhaps you recognized this story from II Kings 4:1-7. Lara and I too often assume that the solution lies in us � that we have the answer to the problem at hand. While we think about issues of participation, responsibility, ownership and dignity, it�s often hard to figure out what �oil� or in this case, empty rice sacks, those asking us for help possess. Is there a way to meet both short- and long-term needs? But more importantly, how does the process give God glory? How is faith increased through the solution? The church in Cambodia is growing but immature. Sometimes I know I�ve contributed to this immaturity taking the easier path in problem-solving. But I�m learning - Yes, it�s good that the Cambodian church understands the unconditional love of God in Christ. But how much better for them to know that God will act directly on their behalf in their lives today if they give Him a chance! |