Plans

So we made it out to Kraviek village a couple of weeks ago. It was an adventure to get there, just like every other time. I was anxious to return as it had been longer than I had hoped since my last visit. Along with a team from Logos International School, I was accompanied by Alex, Abby and Carolyn. I was most excited to have Carolyn come along since it would be here first time in Kraviek. We were planning on spending time with the village kids while showing Christ's love through stories, games, songs and other activities. My real desire, however, was to share the Gospel with Lao, the village chief. He is a younger man (35 years old) and through consistency of visits, I have developed a relationship with him over the past couple of years. Because of that I really felt like we had come to the point where he would be receptive. I brought along Bora, a Cambodian friend of mine, to actually do the speaking. He is an Asian Hope student who just returned to Cambodia after graduating from Master's college in California. His heart for telling others about Christ is inspiring and made me certain that this would be the perfect opportunity to share the Gospel with Lao.

After much difficulty reaching the village, we set up camp, spent some time in praise and worship and then went to bed. The next morning, once we got our students going on their activities with the village kids, Bora, Carolyn and I set out to find the village chief. Through some inquiries, we found out that he was out in the jungle hunting and/or cutting down wood...and was supposed to be back the night before. I was disappointed but trusted that God had a plan. And He did. We took the extra time we now had to go and visit some other people that I knew from past trips. One of them was the lady who had severed an artery in her foot during one of our visits a year ago (you can read about that trip here). As we approached, she came out with her husband and invited us into their house. She was sooo grateful for the medical care I had given her and went on and on about her foot. She told us that many people had come by the evening that she cut her foot and told her "Your foot is bleeding too bad, you are going to die". I told her that it wasn't luck or anything from me but that God placed me there at that time and for that purpose. After that, Bora proceeded to share the Gospel with she and her husband.

As time passed, she continued to interject and talk more about her foot, until finally her husband told her "stop talking about your foot, they are trying to tell us about Jesus". Then she listened contently as her husband asked several questions like: "Do I still worship my ancestors and have Jesus?", "Do I continue my Buddhist practices and follow your God?"...etc. Our answer was simply: "No, Jesus is all you need". This was huge that he was really asking deep questions. But I still really wanted it to be Lao in the conversation. That was my plan. He was the reason I wanted to come. But once again God's plan was higher than mine. Through the conversation we realized that this old couple happened to be the grandparents of Lao. What makes this most impactful is that in this culture, it would present more of a challenge for a 35 year old man (Lao's age) to be the first to accept Christ and still be accepted by the older generation. Not impossible by any stretch, but it would be much easier and would carry more credibility if the older generation is the first to accept Christ.
We never got to see Lao on this trip but with this new revelation that this couple was Lao's grandparents, I can look back and see God's sovereign hand orchestrating the whole trip. It was well worth it and we look forward to our next visit to Kraviek to see what God has in store for the wonderful people who call that tiny village "home".

Carolyn and Me with Grandma and Grandpa Chief

On our way home

Village Kids learning about God the Creator

Alex and some other students making balloon animals.

Carolyn and Bora sit with a lady who has been laying here for the better part of 20 years. Bora shared the Gospel with her and we prayed with her as well.

Some of the team got a ride part of the way out of the village.

Starting the walking portion of our trip to Kraviek.

The clean look on our way to the village.

Foolishness

In our house here in Cambodia, we have small a/c units in each of our bedrooms. From time to time they need to be cleaned and serviced in order to work efficiently and to assure that they will actually blow cold air. So yesterday I had a couple of maintenance guys who work at our school come an take a look at them for me. They told me that indeed they should be serviced and cleaned. So I asked when they thought they could come back and take care of them for me. These guys are young and motivated and they also like to practice their English with me. But when he gave me a response to my question, I was a bit confused. He told me in clear English, "We will come yesterday afternoon to clean your a/c units". In English I replied, "Do you mean you will come tomorrow afternoon?" He assured me that they would indeed come "yesterday" afternoon. Now I knew they were motivated and eager to please, but getting the job done a day before you show up would have been a new record.

Just to make sure we were both on the same page (not that I seriously thought that they had done it "yesterday") I then confirmed in Khmer "Do you mean you will come tomorrow afternoon?" Then he smiled and said "Yes, tomorrow". Whew, I was relieved that we cleared that up. We all enjoyed a moment of levity, which was fun. 

However, that brief conversation reminded me of what we are up against as we try to share the Gospel with those around us, whether we are in Cambodia or America...or anywhere else. We can have the words rehearsed perfectly and say them flawlessly but what is heard by the other person when they come out may simply be foolishness. You may be communicating clearly in your mind and know exactly what you want the other party to understand but still at times it may be simply incomprehensible to the hearer. The entire situation brought to mind the verse "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" 1 Corinthians 1:18. 

The same message gets varied responses based upon who the hearer is. This realization has caused me to have a lot more grace on individuals in both types of circumstances. Whether they speak a different native language or they have not yet come to as saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, you can't expect someone to respond the way you would want them to if they are simply not understanding what you are communicating.  I have experienced that firsthand being on both sides of the communication and when words sound like foolishness to you, it is nice to have a grace-filled person on the other side of the words.

A fun video that relates to the above blog. Some levity for your day.

Body

Last week during our department head meeting for Asian Hope, we were asked to ponder 2 questions: What makes Jesus so special? and What makes Jesus so appealing? Needless to say, there were many ideas thrown out when it came to the first question. Most of them were attributes of God (i.e. sinless, loving, beat death, personal relationship...etc). When it came to the second question, invariably we came around to the fact that  people seeing Christ's attributes in other Christians is a huge way that Jesus becomes appealing to non-believers. Makes sense. I am sure many of you have heard the comment "You may be the only Jesus that some people see". I know what is meant by that and, in principle, I guess it is true. The reflection of Christ in you may be the only slice of Christ's life that some people see. It does make some sense but I have never really liked that comment. It is usually used to motivate people to live a life that is constantly a glorious reflection of who Christ is. I don't like it because I don't always live that way. If I am the only Christ that some people see then they will get a very distorted view of who my Savior is.
As we were dissecting this topic more thoroughly, a principal from one of our schools brought up the verse "For wherever two or three gather together in my name, there am I with them." This verse is great when you are with other people but what about when you are alone? Of course he is there then, too. So maybe this verse means something different. Maybe it refers not to God's presence only when you are with others (he is omnipresent, remember) but more that God's true personality becomes more evident through the lives of more than one believer. Interesting take on that verse. Our discussion ended soon after so we could focus on business, but it continued in my mind.
A few days after our meeting, I began to think about this conversation and God brought to mind the awesome passage of scripture found in 1 Corinthians 12. It discusses in depth the complexities of the body of Christ in comparison to our human bodies. That is when I really began to feel at peace with my discomfort of the phrase "You may be the only Jesus...etc". No one can see the magnificence of Christ when they only see me...or you. It wasn't meant to be that way. When I worked in the operating room of a Level 2 trauma center for many years, we used to (unfortunately) have patients come into our OR suites apart from some of their various body parts. When I looked at a finger (or hand or arm or foot or leg...etc) separate from the rest of the body, I didn't marvel at it thinking how amazing the body was. It was only one part. Really not even a reflection of the whole body. Just one tiny part, amazing as it is. But when we only see one small slice, we (I) notice its deficiencies (that is a cool hand, but it can't breathe or think or smell or see or hear...etc.). Similarly, when people see me, they only see one part of the Body of Christ, not the whole thing.
Then I thought of other glorious things that I have seen in my life and thought, what if I was the only one with the responsibility to communicate how cool it is to those around me. One of the things that came to mind was Angkor Wat. It is a very old temple here in Cambodia that I have been to more than a half dozen times. It is sooo cool. Really. It was incredibly advanced for its time, so much so that today engineers still marvel at some of their accomplishments 800+ years ago.  Do you know and appreciate Angkor Wat yet? Take a look at the pics that I am including. Maybe that will help you to really know and appreciate Angkor Wat.

Part of Angkor Wat

Part of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat at Sunset

Another part of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

The walkway to the main part of Angkor Wat

Inside Angkor Wat

 More inside Angkor Wat

Stairs at Angkor Wat

More...

A view of the Angkor Wat grounds from high inside Angkor Wat

Another view

Us at Angkor Wat.

 Not yet? How about if I shared quotes and pictures from others who have been there and experienced it? I am sure that would help but it is impossible to completely communicate the grandeur of this place apart from you experiencing it for yourself.
This is when it all came together for me. That's exactly how it is in the kingdom of God. No ONE person, except Christ himself, can adequately represent Christ to others around them. All I can do is walk in obedience in what God has called me to do. Use the gifts that He has given me for the glory of His kingdom and His name. After all, God says in His word: "To obey is better than sacrifice..." 1 Samuel 15:22. As others do that, along with us, people around us can piece together a more accurate picture of who Christ is. That is the Body of Christ at work. Each of us filling in the gaps where others leave off. Being the sense of smell for the eye, being the sense of touch for the heart, thinking for the ear, breathing for the hand...etc. We were never meant to go it alone. Don't try to be everyone and everything else for the world, be who God created you to be. That is what will complete His body on Earth and make Him appealing to others.

Longing

It was a beautiful evening. Carolyn and I went running around a small lake and then on a bike path right next to a river in Avon, CO. It was nearing dusk and it was lovely...the sights of the huge surrounding mountains, the sound of the river, the smell of fresh mountain air, the feel of the crisp cool evening...etc. We enjoyed soaking it all in. We were in that small mountain town for some extended time with family...which made it almost perfect. However, during our cool-down walk we began to talk about our summer back in America and all that that entailed. In spite of all of the fulfillment and satisfaction we were experiencing, we began to realize that we were still left longing for something.
As humans, we are no strangers to longing for one thing or another. For some it could be financial success and security. To never have to worry about money again. For others it may be status, recognition or respect amongst peers. Others may long for a "simple life" or for a meaningful relationship with the person of their dreams. Still others long to feel like they have purpose and seek to give back to humanity in any way they can. Most of us long for each of these to one degree or another.
However, on that particular evening, Carolyn was able to pinpoint the deep longing that she still felt. It was simply a longing to have everyone that she loves close. To have all of those she loves and cares about in the same place. Together, with her. Moving to the other side of the world and developing deep relationships in a new country and culture is a blessing beyond words but for us it also means that now no matter where we are, we are always half-a-world away from someone that we love.
Then it struck me that we will never have that longing fulfilled until we are all reunited in Heaven. In fact, none of our longings will be truly fulfilled until the day we meet our creator face-to-face. On Earth, God allows us to have tastes of what the beauty of Heaven holds for us but we cannot realistically expect to experience the full benefits that being in His presence will give us until we are there. In the midst of longing and the pain that can accompany it, this truth gives little comfort. However, it can bring us great hope for the awesome future that we as Christians can look forward to.

Grandma and Grandpa with the cousins

Our fam (L to R: Calli, Dan, Abby, Cameron, Carolyn and Alex)

Pedal boats on the lake in Avon

Alex helping Cameron "rock climb"

The Colorado Columbine

Beaver Creek in the background

Sunset over the lake

All of this reminded of the verses where God says "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8:22-25. God told us that we would groan (or long for) what is yet to come...the redemption of our bodies. Until then, all we can do is long...patiently.

Faithful

When we moved to Phnom  Penh 2 1/2 years ago, we prayed that God would be faithful in knitting our hearts to people here and creating a new home where we could give and receive love. We knew that we were leaving so many people who were so dear to us but in obedience to God we set out on this new adventure trusting Him who had called us. One of the promises I would remind God of during this time is found in Matthew 19:29 "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." 


At the time I had no idea that God would be so faithful. We all know that God keeps His promises but sometimes I just don't see it so clearly as I did this time. I don't think any of us would have imagined how intense our paradoxical feelings would be as we visit America for the first time since our move. On one hand we can hardly contain our excitement as we get to see so many people we love and places that we miss and conveniences that we forgot we didn't have any more. But on the other hand, we never imagined (even in our wildest dreams) that we would be this connected to Cambodia and its wonderful people in just 2 1/2 years. When we moved here, I only envisioned us being excited to visit the States...not sad to leave Cambodia, a poor, developing country. But God is faithful! He did give to us 100 times what we left. I was secretly planning on maybe 50x or 80x what we left...but it was 100x for sure.


It really sounds good when you read that verse during a quiet time but when it happens to you, practically speaking, it just means that you have people that you love with all of your heart and you would give your life for on opposite sides of the world. I wish that had been in the study notes or the fine print of my Bible. It isn't as great as it sounds but at the same time it is way better than it sounds. Crazy, I know.


We are so thankful for our lives in Cambodia and wouldn't change a thing. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey.

Inhabit

The long walk to Kraviek. One of the several river crossings.

A boy washing his cow along the way.

Beginning praise and worship.

Villagers gather to listen.

Kids enjoying activities during our time with them.

Some kids enjoy showing us their home.

A young girl playing enjoying a balloon.

Salvation bracelts. God's truth is being spread to the uttermost part.

The kids sometimes join us in the river for bath time.

Abby holding a shivering  boy.

Village children going about their chores.

Young monks along the way. 

Along the way to the village.

Kraviek village embodies the portion of Acts 1:8 that speaks about going out to the "uttermost parts" of the Earth. There is really only one way in and one way out...and it isn't easy. On our last trip (a few days ago) I brought a team of 11 people from Georgia, 3 translators and my assistant. We set out early on Tuesday morning and gradually throughout our travels, our modern conveniences disappeared. Eventually we made it as far as our van could go and left it at a home in a village that was already very remote. But very remote wasn't enough...we were going for extremely remote. So we exited the van, put our packs on our backs and set out for Kraviek. We had a 5k, 1 1/2 hour walk ahead of us. Just 2 weeks before I had been out there with another team and we had to wait a day for the river to go down before we could cross. It had rained and the river was about chest deep with a swift current. This day, however, the water was down and we crossed it getting only up to our knees wet. Through deep mud, rice paddies and several shallow rivers, we finally crested the hill into Kraviek.
It was wonderful to be out there again. The villagers never know for sure when we are coming (they aren't as bound by time there as we are so it probably wouldn't really matter anyways) but are always glad to see us. We set up camp again at the VC's (village chief's) house and headed to the river to wash the sweat and mud off our bodies. When we returned to the house, we made our dinner: 1 package of noodles/person. Not completely satisfying but somehow enjoyed by all. As night fell, it got dark (obviously). The kind of dark that you experience when you are camping away from the city and you can see the stars beyond the stars that are beyond the stars that you normally see in the city. I love those nights. They are without electricity so when the sun goes down, there isn't much to do. This is the time that I probably love the best in Kraviek. That's when we all gather under the house and spend time worshiping our Father. We always ask if the family would mind and they always say no and that they would enjoy it.
Under the stilted house is a large wood platform where the family sleeps and eats. It is probably about 10 feet wide by about 20 feet long. It is also where the VC's father-in-law lays all day and night. He was the VC until he had a stroke. Once we all gather, get the guitar out and begin singing, it is like the atmosphere changes. The darkness outside turns to black as we all sit around a small kerosene lamp praising the One True God! It was at this point on our last trip that I was reminded of the verse "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." (Ps 22:3 KJV). I felt like God was telling me that we are His people and we are praising Him in this tiny village and He is inhabiting our praises. He is right here in our midst. In the midst of a village full of people who are lost. They worship the spirits of their ancestors and are trapped in the grips of a false religion. Yet God is here, inhabiting our praises. As we continue singing and the light flickers, we catch a glimpse outside our circle and in the darkness we can barely make out shapes surrounding us. It is the majority of the villagers gathered around to listen to us. Partly out of curiosity, partly because there is literally nothing else to do but regardless, they are hearing praises being sung to their creator. And despite the fact that they are being sung in English, God is present and his power can break through the strongholds of false religion. His light is piercing the spiritual darkness through the simple praises of his people. For a moment, he has a place to inhabit in this tiny village in Cambodia.
Please pray for these precious people of Kraviek. Pray for Lao, the Village Chief. Pray that the truth of God's word will transform this community for himself. Pray also for a Cambodian to have a heart to move to this community full-time or that God would raise up a believer from within to start a church there.

High-Beam

I'm going to paint a picture for you. Not literally, of course. First, I am not a very good artist and second, how could I get it to you? I am going to paint a word-picture for you to hopefully bring you along with me and a team on our drive from Siem Reap (home of Angkor Wat) to Phnom Penh a couple nights ago.

Here it goes. Picture a semi-busy interstate or highway near your home. Got it? Now make it 2 lanes (one in each direction) and put it in rural Cambodia. Now, turn off all the lights, it's night time. Night time in central Cambodia is dark. No street lights to illuminate the road. Dark.
Next, reduce the width of the road by about a foot on either side.
Erase most (if not all, in some cases) of the shoulder.
Now let's add some things. All of these came one by one throughout the trip:

• 2 dozen  or more people (men, women or children) riding their bicycles in my lane without lights or reflectors. Remember, this is a highway so I am going highway speeds. The children especially ride their bikes quickly at a perpendicular angle to the road. This is so they can get enough momentum to make it up the small hill to the edge of the road. Then at the last second, they turn to ride just parallell to the road. I know they are doing this but it still freaks me out every time thinking they are going to pull right in front of me.
• 4 dozen cows or water buffalo walking across the road at various paces. BTW (again, the acronym for the hip younger crowd), water buffalo are large and dark greyish blackish, blending in perfectly with the dark night...and they don't have any reflectors either. Oh yeah, and they are large.
• 6 or more motos pulling loads of lumber on un-illuminated trailers that blend in with the night. They were going about 1/4 my speed.
• Motos (and some vehicles) coming the other direction with their headlights turned off. Why? I have no idea. Makes passing a slow vehicle in your lane a bit more interesting as you are constantly concerned about what may be in the oncoming lane without lights on.
• 4 trucks broken down in my lane, remember, shoulders are mostly non-existent. When trucks break down here, they break branches off the nearest tree and put them in the lane about 25 feet from where their crippled truck is. This is a substitute for the orange reflective triangles or flares I am used to seeing in the States. The bright green tree branches actually work fine...during the day. However, they don't really reflect well so a parked car can come up on you quickly. 
• 5 LOUD parties with dozens of inebriated guests set up literally feet from the edge of the road. That's how they do things here. Big tents, loud music, a lot of beer and a speeding vehicles.
• At least half of the approaching vehicles are being driven by people who do not have the (what I think should be innate) knowledge of the rules of highway driving at night. Those include but are not limited to: turning off your bright lights when another car is approaching; don't pass on a corner...etc).
• Large pot holes or eroded portions of the highway at various times.

Passing through a small municipality on National Road 6. Just as night was falling. On the right is an ice vendor.

A food vendor is sharing the road with us.

All of these are various shots of the same road. Gives you a small glimpse into the drive.

Water Buffalo.

Are you getting the picture? I hope so. It was quite the adventure. Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy driving here. It can just feel a bit stressful sometimes...like when I'm driving :-). 

Anyways, something that I realized on this trip more than any other that I have taken was how extremely helpful it was to be able to switch from my low to high-beams once a vehicle passed. There is that brief moment, just as I am passing the oncoming car, when it seems like I can't see a thing and I am praying that there is not a biker, water buffalo or parked truck in front of me. But when I switch on my brights, the road ahead of me becomes clear again. 

As I almost wore out the lever for the brights, I couldn't help but think of the people of this wonderful country and the spiritual condition they are in. Most are in spiritual darkness with no knowledge of where they are going and how to get there. They are unable to see the road in front of them and they have no idea whether or not the path they are on will lead them safely to their destination. But as a believer here, I have a responsibility to be that light to those around me. Especially in Cambodia, they may not see Christ anywhere but in my life and the lives of other believers here. If that isn't a sobering thought, I don't know what is. Through the grace of God, we will be the high-beam for them so that they can see the road ahead and enter the peace and safety that only comes through a relationship with Christ.

"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16-17