When Plans Change...

 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." 

Our time in Cambodia has come to an end earlier than we first expected. Unfortunately, we got the wrong visa when we entered the country and to renew, we would have to leave the country and then come back in again. After much prayer, we decided it would be best to head back home. The last 4 weeks have been great, sometimes really challenging, at other times really fun and certainly rewarding. Now it is time to say goodbye to all our new friends and get back to Alberta. 

Sad to be leaving? yes.
Happy to be going home? yes
confused? YES 

To all our new friends in Cambodia, we will miss you! 
To our friends in Canada: see you soon!    

A Picture Essay!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this may be the longest essay I've ever written, enjoy!

Our new friend and fellow English teacher, Allyn. We've had some great times together!

Some of the students in Mum's 6pm class.

Tech support, while bouncing along in the Tuk-tuk!

Some more teaching

The Canadian Ambassador came to visit.

Allyn, shocked by my chopstick skills!

Playing some duets with Sopheak, who started playing recorder when she was 8.

The first recorder lesson. Outdoor classrooms are great!

Helping out at the Granny house. This Granny had a stroke 17 years ago.

Sometimes you don't need words, just a big smile!

Week One (and a little bit over...)

Greetings from Cambodia! We've been here just over a week, so figured it was time to send out an update. We've been busy, getting acclimatised, getting over jet-lag, teaching etc. Here's what our first week (and a little bit over) has looked like:


Friday 14th June: Arrive in Phnom Penh, come to Rescue.
Saturday 15th June: Driven around Phnom Penh with Marie, buying a few food items etc. The other English teacher, Allyn arrived.
Sunday 16th June: Attend an International English speaking church in Phnom Penh. Lunch at a Canadian-owned pizza place.
Monday 17th June: Meet with the local English teachers and helpers here, begin lesson planning.
Tuesday 18th June: Public holiday here in Cambodia, so we went with Marie to Phnom Penh. Visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum.
Wednesday 19th June: Teaching officially begins. We each teach a different class from 12-1pm, 3-4pm and 6-7pm.

Saturday 22nd June: Allyn, Mum and I venture into Phnom Penh for the day on a Tuk-Tuk. The three of us girls had a blast! From Rescue to Phnom Penh on a Tuk-tuk takes about an hour. We walked along the Mekong River, had lunch at a place called The Blue Pumpkin and enjoyed some ice cream at a sweet little ice-cream shop called Toto. They had some very interesting flavours, including durian and dragonfruit.



Sunday 23rd June: Attended a different English speaking church in Phnom Penh. Had lunch out, did a few errands. Tried a piece of a durian fruit for the first time.
Monday 24th June: Back to school!

Things We've Learned So Far:
Currency: Riel. 4,000 riel = $1US. The US dollar is used throughout the country, with riel used when purchasing anything that costs less than $1 US.
Language: Khmae
Moto: scooter for getting around town on


Tuk-Tuk: a moto with a two wheeled carriage on the back, to seat 4-6 people.

A Tuk-Tuk (pronounced like "took")

Some rambutans at the local market. 

Rambutan: My new favourite fruit. These are really good!

A somber moment...

I was supposed to post this last week, but the experience was too fresh in my mind to be able to post it.


Today we went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh. During the time of the Khmer Rouge Tuol Sleng was a Security Prison where thousands of people were tortured and killed. The prison was turned into a museum shortly after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. A photo of each prisoner is showcased, official photographs taken by the prison officers.

I have no words to describe what it was like to walk through the prison. Looking at the pictures of the victims and walking past the cells where they were held... I took pictures and perhaps one day will share them, but somehow it just seems inappropriate to post them here.

However, I will leave you with this. In the courtyard of the prison, frangipani trees are blooming, a reminder that life goes on despite the horrific circumstances that used to exist here.

Here we are!

It's really too early to try and describe Cambodia to you. Of course, the first thing we notice is the heat. Walking out of the airport yesterday felt like walking into an oven: 31 degrees and very humid. After the rains last night it is feeling quite comfortable. Marie Ens and her driver met us at the airport. Being driven out of Phnom Penh was great, the traffic tends to have a mind of its own. There were also cattle on the sides of the road, and numerous heavy-laden vehicles. The land ( or what we have seen of it) is very flat with beautiful tall palm trees dotted over it.   Last night we went to a meeting for the youth here at Place of Rescue. Their joy and praise as they worshiped together was a pleasure to listen to. Although we couldn't understand their words, their faces told the story. Marie introduced us and decided that it was the right time to give out the T-shirts. The kids loved them!

Thanks Mike, Becky and Street Freaks!

Praise and Prayer:
- All three flights were smooth, and we had no hassles at any of the airports, for which we are very thankful!
- Pray that we will be able to adjust quickly to the time and the climate.
- that we would have humility and respect for Cambodian culture
- that our work teaching English and music would be effective and fun.
- that the Holy Spirit would guide our work and our steps each day.

Thank you!!

We are of all people most blessed! It is your generosity that has made it possible for us to get on a plane this evening and travel to Cambodia. Some of the items we have received are pictured on the left.

Our worship team coordinated a gift from Three Hills Street Freaks which will see our Cambodian recorder choir and others dressed in Cruise Night t-shirts (the little car wasn't included, it was only the vehicle used to present the shirts).


Paul said it well in Philippians 4:18...."Indeed I have
all and abound. I am full having received from Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God." Now we all know that I am not Paul and I certainly don't know Epaphroditus, that there is no aroma or sacrifice here, but the principle is the same, so let me put it in my own words: "Indeed, I have everything needed and more.  My suitcases are full having received from you all the things which were given, a joy and a delight, which will be well-pleasing to many." Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Worship - telling God's Story and Our Story

At church this morning, the lyrics of a number of the songs we sang really struck a chord with where we are at in our preparations for this trip. Read these words, and you’ll understand what I mean.

“I am not skilled to understand what God has willed, what God has planned. I only know at His right hand stands one who is my Savior.”[1]

“To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission, the spring from which our service overflows; Across the street or around the world, the mission’s still the same, proclaim and live the truth in Jesus’ name!”[2]

“Will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word? All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down.”[3]

“Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided – Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”[4]

“Glory to His Name!”[5]

We’ve said a number of times that this whole adventure seems crazy, why us? why Cambodia? why right now? We only know that this is what God has called us to do, and our Savior will enable us to do it. Our mission is to love God, and proclaim His truth. While we may not be able to do that verbally, we can still share His love by our actions. For our team – your prayers are immensely important, but what we do is in vain unless God’s Spirit works in us and through us. He is faithful, He has been faithful to provide what we need so far, and He will be faithful to see us through the next 9 weeks. All glory to Him!

---

[1] My Savior My God - by Aaron Shust and Dorothy Dora Greenwell

[2] The Mission - by Jon Mohr and Randall Dennis

[3] Brethren We Have Met to Worship - by George Atkins

[4] Great Is Thy Faithfulness -  by Thomas Obediah Chisholm

[5] Glory to His Name - by Elisha A. Hoffman

Hey, this is crazy! But...

 Oswald Chambers once wrote, "Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back?" 

As we get closer to our departure date, the reality of what we are doing is setting in. This whole adventure that we are going on seems crazy, and at times, impossible. However, if there is something I have learned in the last few years, it is that when a task seems impossible, that is when God can do His greatest work in and through us. When we admit our incapability and learn to rely on God for strength it means that God will get the glory.

In all areas of life, we want to see God work in us and through us in ways that clearly show that it is He who has done this. It’s easy to expect big changes on an international missions trip, but to me, God’s working through me should be just as visible at home in Canada as it is halfway around the world. In whatever I am doing, He must get the glory. A principle I learned from Elisabeth Elliot springs to mind: in making a decision, choose the harder of two things. That goes absolutely against my normal mode of thinking. However, it is beginning to make sense. When I come to a circumstance which is impossible for me, that is when I must rely on God, and others will see the result.  As David wrote, in Psalm 109:26-27, “Help me, O Lord my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness. And let them know that this is Your hand; You, Lord, have done it.” Oh, may that be true in my life!

Francis Chan said, "I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I could not be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through.” Wow. Is that true for me too? Would I be willing to pray that prayer and accept whatever adventures God leads me on? 

Chambers lays down the challenge, "Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God." We have taken this opportunity for adventure. We are investing our faith in the character of God. Now we are stepping out in faith, and expecting to see God do some great things!

Team Building

In two weeks from today, we will be boarding a plane for Cambodia! We are busy making lists, checking priorities, talking to friends, writing emails and asking ourselves, "are we really doing this?" I wrote to one friend that this is putting hands and feet to our faith, but as the time gets closer, I wonder if our hands and feet can work fast enough to get everything done before we go.

We have been astounded at the generosity of friends who want to contribute to our trip. Some have contributed financially, others have donated items for our trip and some have offered their expertise in specific areas. For example, we spent an hour yesterday morning with a neighbour who teaches English as a second language. What a privilege it was to be able to ask questions, to learn some basic concepts that will help us to avoid causing offense and to understand that teaching ESL doesn't have to be tedious for student or teacher. We should be able to have fun with a piece of string and a pie plate! What stories we could tell...

As this whole trip is a walk of faith, we are encouraged by those who have offered to help before we even tell them what we need. As Hudson Taylor is reported to have written, "God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply".

This is what team building is all about. One friend was shocked to hear that there were only two of us on our "team". I told him that wasn't quite right, we have lots of people on our team, they're just not getting on the plane with us. Everyone who is praying for us, who has provided for us, who has shared their knowledge with us, is a team member, and we are grateful for each one.

I was encouraged this morning by Paul's words in 1 Timothy 1:12, 14-17:

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry... And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God Who alone is wise, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen"

Wow Moment - Episode 1

In our family, we have a term for events where we recognize that only God could have orchestrated the circumstances. We call these "WOW" moments. WOW stands for Walk on Water, because it is something only Jesus can do, or someone who keeps their eyes and mind fixed on Jesus, trusting in Him.

We had a wow moment this morning. My family and I are in Vernon, visiting my Grandparents. This morning we went to church, the one we usually attend when we are here, but I haven't been to this church since July last year. Anyway, this morning Mum opened the bulletin and discovered that the country they are praying for this week is Cambodia. Of the approximately 200 countries in the world, what are the chances of them praying for that country on the only week we are here? A coincidence? I think not! Mum mentioned this to the pastor and he invited me to tell everyone about the trip we are going on, and how they can pray for us now and while we are away. At the end of the service, the pastor gave an opportunity for anyone who wished to support us financially. The amount donated will cover a significant part of the cost of our trip. It was amazing, we didn't even have to ask! They also prayed for us before we left.We drove home feeling amazingly loved and blessed, not only because of the financial support, but also for the way in which these people so openly welcomed us and cared for us this Sunday, and on Sundays last summer.    

Here is the verse that was printed on the back of the bulletin this morning: "His name is the Lord, rejoice in His presence! Father to the fatherless, defender of widows - this is God. God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." Psalm 68:4-6.

Beginnings

Hopping onto an airplane to travel 12,000 kilometers isn't a choice that one makes lightly. However, when God says go, it's time to trust and obey and set out on an adventure...

It all started on the 10th of March 2013, when Blaine Sylvester showed some slides of Cambodian orphan children and orphan grannies at our church. Place of Rescue is an orphanage in Cambodia, started by Marie Ens. In three different locations throughout the country their team (of mostly locals) looks after nearly 500 orphan kids and 25 orphan grannies. As Blaine explained the work that the organization does, I sat there looking at the innocent faces of the children and thought, "hmm, maybe this is where God wants me to go this summer... No, that's crazy, I'll just put that thought out of my head." Little did I know that Mum was sitting next to me thinking the same thing. She nudged me, "did you see the eyes on that orphan granny?" she whispered. "I wonder if we can help." Later that afternoon, as we walked on the pathway to the north of Three Hills, we discussed the idea further. It seemed crazy, but then again, a lot of the adventures we have start with a crazy idea.

Over the next few weeks we continued to pray and began discussing with Blaine how we may be able to help out. We told friends and relatives what we were planning and everyone was excited. One by one things just began "falling into place". Sometimes slowly and sometimes more quickly. On May 5th, Marie Ens came and spoke at our church. She shared many stories of how God has rescued and provided for the orphans, and what some of their continuing needs are. We met with her after the service and discussed more of our plans. How can we use our unique set of skills to help out? The primary need is for English teaching, so that will be our main role. Our combined musical skills will also be put to use.

Our tickets are booked, we've had the vaccinations (ouch!), now we are praying and packing and preparing and trusting God to do the rest.

Of course there is a whole lot more to this story, but to try and explain every amazing detail of how this whole adventure came about would take far too long. Over the next few weeks we may tell some more background stories of how God has been directing this and how He has provided, but for now, an overview is sufficient. It's a bit like looking at a spider's web, where each one of the tiny strands connects, until a beautiful web is formed. Sometimes it's hard to track how each strand is connected, but things become clearer as time passes. It's exciting to see how God has been pulling all the strands of this adventure together, involving people from across the prairies, across the country and around the world. As we head off on this adventure we acknowledge that it is God who has called us to do this and He will be faithful to enable us to do it. To Him be the honor and glory!

Nutshell version:
Who? Chris (aka: Mum) and Hannah (Me)
What? Short-term missions trip - teaching English and music.
When? June 12th to August 15th
Where? Place of Rescue in Cambodia
How? Only by the grace of God.
Why? It is what we have been called to do.

For more information about Place of Rescue, visit their website: www.placeofrescue.com