Cambodia 2011 -- Reflections

It's been a day since the end of our mission trip.  I've been thinking about the things I learned -- or at least the things God has begun to stir in my heart.  There are three things, at least so far, that He has impressed upon me:

Maintenance is Imperative

Much of our early time in Cambodia this year was spent retrofitting rainwater collection tanks that were either poorly maintained or not maintained at all.  The tanks we worked on were either totally empty, or had water in them but the pump mechanism was no longer working.  In several cases, the "pump room" was locked and had been for so long that know one even knew where the key was.  When the tank was brand new, RDI had presented each of these schools with a gift -- the ability to collect and store clean water.  Given that one in seven children in Cambodia under the age of five dies from waterborne illnesses, it is a precious gift indeed.  However, neglect had rendered the gift ineffective at best, and useless at worst.  Apathy had turned to atrophy.

Our Heavenly Father has given us many gifts.  Chief among these are the relationships that He has blessed us with and made us a part of.  Without careful attention and proper maintenance, these relationships will atrophy as well.  Some will function less than optimally, others will break down altogether and be cast aside to be replaced with ones we hope will function better.  I have seen this all too clearly, sadly even in my own family.  Most importantly, our relationship with God Himself requires maintenance.  There is a reason that Jesus taught us that the greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).  It's not a passive relationship.  It can't be put on 'cruise control'.  It must be relentlessly pursued, with everything you've got.  The truth is, when that relationship is properly maintained and functioning well, all of the others will be as well.

Comfort is a Curse

Even though this was our second trip to Cambodia, and I was somewhat familiar with what to expect, the first few days were filled with uncertainty.  I didn't know where we were going, what we would find, how to do the job we were going to be asked to do, etc.  With that uncertainty came a keen sense of my dependence on God.  When I can't do it myself, or don't know how to do it myself, it seems natural to turn to Him for direction, strength, and help.  There was also an overwhelming sense of the spiritual darkness and the tremendous need for God's Spirit to be present in the places we were working.  Consequently, the first few days were filled with urgent prayers for Him to be present, to help us and the people we were serving.  

It was interesting and somewhat surprising for me to realize that as the week went on and I began to be more comfortable in the tasks and the routine, the sense of urgency of my prayers waned.  Subconsciously, I was thinking, "OK, I know what we're doing now, so I've got this."  My self-reliance was working against me.  My focus narrowed to the tasks at hand, not the big picture of how those tasks might fit into His overall plan.   I still desperately needed God, but my familiarity with the circumstances and confidence in my own abilities obscured the need.

Jesus taught us to pray, "Give us TODAY our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11, emphasis mine).  He wants us to come to the Father for all of our needs, every single day.  In America, we seldom worry about food for today.  We have pantries and refrigerators stocked with food for weeks.  We don't turn to God for our daily needs.  Subconsciously, we think, "I've got this.  I'll let you know, Lord, when I have a need that is beyond my ability."  Our comfort, our self-reliance, is a curse.  It obscures our need for God.  It narrows our focus to the things we can control and we ignore the spiritual darkness around us because that is too overwhelming to consider.  My prayer is that each and every day I would turn to Him with a sense of urgency, desperate for His help and guidance, aware not only of my needs but the needs of those around me.

The Only Thing that Counts

The second Sunday we were there, the pastor of the local Khmer church preached from Galatians chapter 5.  He preaches in Khmei, so rather than listening, I was just reading his sermon text to myself.  I don't think it was his main point, but verse 6 jumped off the page to me: "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself in love."  I thought, "How appropriate!  Here we are on the other side of the world, expressing our faith in love to the Khmer people."  I read on, in verses 13-14: "...serve one another humbly in love.  For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'”  Again I thought, "How appropriate!  Here we are, loving our neighbors by humbly serving in Cambodia."

But then, another thought: "Do you need to go halfway around the world to do 'the only thing that counts'?"  And another: "How is your faith expressing itself in love in Fort Worth, Texas?"  And a more piercing thought: "Do you 'serve one another humbly in love' only on special occasions like mission trips, the Christmas Store or on a Habitat for Humanity day at work?"

If it truly is "the only thing that counts", shouldn't I focus the majority of my energy in expressing my faith in love?  Shouldn't I be doing that every single day?  My prayer is that God would change my heart so that the only thing that counts becomes the only thing that matters.

I'm sure that there are many other things He wanted to teach me.  These are the things that have been tumbling around in my mind the last couple of weeks.  Over the past 37 years since I became a follower of Christ, I've been a slow learner in regards to godly things.  Insights come, but I quickly move on to 'real life' and I don't incorporate them.  I'm hoping that putting them in writing this way will bind them to my heart.  You all have my permission to hold me accountable for them.

What is He teaching you?

Day Fourteen -- Friday, July 15

Well, our time in Cambodia has come to an end. Today is the day we return to the U.S. 

Cooking at The Coffee Shop.

We began our day with the usual, breakfast at The Coffee Shop, but with an unusual twist.  I cooked for the entire place -- pan-fried toast, just like on a camping trip. Shelley buttered, Marc's son Eli (age 7) put them in the pan, and Miss Vicki distributed the finished product.  I got lots of "Aw khun" from the Khmer and more than a few thank yous from the Anglos. The bread was egg-bread and with a little strawberry jam smeared on, it was a little taste of home.

Our morning assignment was to clean out an old storage building onsite at RDI.  We took the good stuff and carted it over to other places and we took the termite-infested stuff (termites! again!) to be incinerated.  Eli explained that termites were, in fact, edible and that many other insects were too if you eat them properly (never eat the tail end of an ant, the middle section is best).  We got to work alongside Jason and Cindy, Marc's cousins from North Richland Hills. How small the world is when you come all the way to Cambodia to meet some new friends from just down the road in Texas.

Our RDI friends, John and Vicki. (courtesy Chanda Cheng)

After lunch, we packed up, showered up and prepared for our long journey home. We said our goodbyes, some of them tearful, especially as the RDI team prayed for us as they sent us off.  We have a special bond with these folks, mainly because of our shared love of Jesus, but also because we have shared sweat and tears as we have tried to serve the beautiful Khmer people.

Once at the airport, we encountered another little bit of home -- Dairy Queen.  We dined on hot dogs and Blizzards (what, no steak fingers?) and enjoyed some additional time with Da and Lori.

Chad, Shelley, and I are leaving Luke behind.  He is going to spend one more week working with the RDI team, and then will head to Hong Kong to meet up with a group from the University of Arkansas for a study-abroad program. They have a two-week tour of China as part of their studies.

I'm sitting on the Dragonair flight from Phnom Penh to Hong Kong as I write this.  It has been an incredible two weeks. Sometimes it was incredibly fulfilling, as you looked into the eyes of a laughing child as you engaged them in play. Sometimes it was heartbreaking, as you surveyed the poverty and hopelessness of some of the Khmer, knowing that you can't help them all in two weeks. We say (often flippantly, I think) that "God is good". I can tell you, from my whole heart, that He is. He has been so very good to us this week. We can look back and see that we've made a difference, perhaps in someone's health, perhaps in someone's heart, perhaps in someone's life. We can also see that He has made a difference in us. We are definitely not the same as when we arrived.

Thank you to all who prayed for us and sent us messages of encouragement. They meant more than you can know. Blessings to you all. -- M

Day Thirteen -- Thursday, July 14

Our last full day here.  It seems like such a long time ago that we arrived, but at the same time, we can't believe it's almost time to go home.  It has all gone so fast...

Vienah goes into the tank to finish the inside.

At one point, there were three of them in there.

The assignment for the guys today was to work on the second phase of ball tank assembly.  This involves cementing around the seams between the parts and in the holes that are used to transport them, inside and out.  This was performed by the experts, the Cambodian cement guys.  It also involves painting the outside with a very thin coat of cement to make it smooth and nice looking.  This part is so easy that even three white guys from Texas can do it...

The afternoon was supposed to be the same thing at a different site.  The rains came, however, and we all got soaking wet but could do no actual work.  So, we went back to RDI and helped the cement guys pull some newly formed ball tank parts from their forms.  The forming is a very interesting process.  They use sphere-shaped forms made of dense clay.  They cover the clay with empty cement bags (to keep the cement from sticking to the forms) and then with chicken wire.  They then proceed to add layers of cement until the half-sphere is the proper thickness.  After it cures, you hook it up to the block and tackle on the A-frame and pop it off the form.  We removed three halves (including one bottom that had to be flipped) in the rain and then our day was done.

Shelley's much improved patient.

Shelley went out with the medical team again.  This is her report: "Today I revisited the boy with the big bump on the top of his head. His wounds looked SO MUCH BETTER!!!! His parents had shaved his head to make it easier to care for him. They were using the soap and antibiotic ointment that I gave them. The best improvement was his countenance - he no longer looked sad, ashamed and in pain.  I laid him down on a table, washed his head and applied a better ointment. I gave him oral antibiotics and a better soap to use.  And I gave him children's vitamins to improve his healing progress.  All while I administered care, I prayed.  When I ran out of words of praise and petition, I sang "God Is So Good" and my driver/translator joined in.  Best of all, when I was finished, he made eye contact and spoke the first word I heard from him. "Aw khun" which is Khmei for "Thank You".  God is, indeed, so very good!"

After dinner, Chad and I did video interviews with Marc, Ann, and Lori from the RDI staff.  We will use this video footage during our missions emphasis at our church in August.  After that, we had a blast from the past.  We went to John and Vicki's house and John showed us a VHS tape from March 1993 of his quartet (featuring our friend John Mackey) singing at a church.  We laughed at the hair and the fashion, but we also really enjoyed the music.  All of us except Marc and Ann's youngest daughter, Brook (age 2).  She was sitting on Shelley's lap while we watched, and after a few minutes looked up at Shelley and said, "I don't like this movie!"

Please continue to pray for us.  We're almost there..

Day Twelve -- Wednesday, July 13

A new assignment today... installing gutters.  We returned to one of the schools where we had retrofitted a tank and replaced the gutters.  A good guttering system is key to the rainwater tank.  We removed the old, rusting, aluminum gutters and replaced them with nice new ones made from 8" PVC pipe cut lengthwise in two.

No longer shy, the kids strike a pose.

When we previously visited this location, school was out so we had missed the children.  Today, there were full-blown kid encounters.  Luke and Caleb organized a soccer match, Shelley provided boo-boo care, and I took pictures.  The kids are shy about having their pictures taken at first, but once you show them the results on the digital camera, they suddenly become models striking poses and organizing group shots with different backgrounds.

Shelley provides compassion and medical care.

Shelley had a rough night sleeping last night.  She was getting bitten by some kind of insect, and ended up with 10-15 bites on her legs and thighs.  We were never able to figure out what it was or where it went, but she was in a great deal of discomfort this morning.  During her boo-boo care session at the school, she treated a little girl who was covered in bites all over her legs and arms. There were over 50, many of them infected.  She called me over and said, "Now I know why I had to endure those bites last night.  It was so I could have compassion on this poor girl."  I love my wife and her heart!

Chad prepares for the Professional Pig Riders circuit.

A more fun part of the morning was when a big hog showed up.  Someone suggested that Chad should try to ride it.  Believe it or not, he tried.  I'm not sure he made the entire 8 seconds, but we have to give him credit for stepping up to the challenge. 

Viesna and the team in front of a mountain of completed carts.

After lunch we worked with Viesna on assembling and painting the stands that hold the water filter pots.  After Shelley received a five-minute penalty for excessive drippage on her painting, she tried her hand at the pop rivet gun.  It was pretty comical to watch her face as she got her grip tight enough to make the rivet pop.  Unfortunately, we couldn't get a good picture of the "pop rivet face"...

Dinner tonight was awesome... fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans.  Excellent!  Thank you, Ming Sopean!

Day Eleven -- Tuesday, July 12

Today was our second day of delivering and installing ball tanks.  The village we went to today was slightly more affluent than the one we visited yesterday.  The homeowners had a little roadside store in front of their house and a nicely fenced-in backyard.  This combination chain link and barbed wire fence caused us a bit of a problem as we were trying to get the base and bottom half of the tank into their back yard.  After much discussion in Khmei between the homeowner and the RDI guys, it was decided to take down a section of the fence.  Much comedy ensued as there was lots of shouting back and forth in Khmei, cutting down plants and trees in the yard, and Chad, Luke, and me trying to figure out what was going on and how/what we should do to help.  We muddled our way through and got the base and bottom half installed, with a plan to come back after lunch to install the top half.

Luke uses his height to his advantage.  None of the rest of us could reach the block and tackle.

The infamous fence and the mud we had to trudge through to get to it.

It's been raining everyday, but the rain usually comes around 4:00 or later.  Today, it came right after lunch, just as we were leaving to go back to the site.  Unlike yesterday, Shelley and I were in the back of the truck with Luke and Chad.  We got soaked.  On top of that, our driver in the afternoon was different than the morning, and he wasn't exactly sure where to go.  We ended up spending an extra 20 minutes or so in the back of the truck in the rain while Chad re-directed him to the right location.  If you're going to work in rain and mud, you might as well start out soaking wet.

The team works to get the truck through the mud.

Tuesday is laundry day, so this morning I put all of my dirty clothes in to be done.  This was essentially everything I brought with the exception of what I was wearing and two tee shirts.  Since the rain storm came in so suddenly, all of the freshly washed laundry was hanging out on the line and it all got wet again.  So, after coming home totally soaked and muddy, I had nothing to wear to dinner.  Fortunately, I remembered that I had a pair of swim trunks, so I put them on.  Poetic, I think...  Chad had a similar difficulty, except he was rocking his running shorts.

Before dinner, Chad, Luke, Shelley, Lori, and I went into town (yes, me in my swim trunks) to visit the home of Viesna, one of the Cambodians who works for RDI.  We worked with him last year on the rainwater tank and started a relationship.  We haven't been able to work with him much this year, so we were looking for an opportunity to love on him.  So, we met his wife and son and asked them questions about their life together.  We looked at their wedding album.  Basically, we just showed them that we were interested in them and loved them.  Viesna says he loves the Christian people he has met, but is not interested in the Christian faith.  As we were leaving, we asked if there was something we could pray for.  He thanked us and said that he would appreciate prayers for health and prosperity -- the typical things.  Please join us in praying for Viesna, that through relationships such as these that he and his family would come to know the Lord and His Good News.  Thank you for your continued prayer support.

Day Ten -- Monday, July 11

Monday -- back to work!  Today's assignment was to deliver and install "ball tanks", smaller versions of the rainwater collection tanks that we have been retrofitting for schools.  The ball tanks are meant to hold enough water for one family to make it through the dry season, about 4,000 liters.  The tanks are made in three pieces and must be transported separately and assembled on-site, which is quite a challenge with the vehicles and equipment we have to work with.

Who needs a Ford F-250?  The bottom half of a ball tank on a little Daewoo pickup.

An A-frame and block and tackle to move the top half.

The family and their neighbors with the (almost) finished product.

Shelley and the "Mary Mack" kids.

The site today was in the poorest village I've seen in either of our trips here in Cambodia, or for that matter in any of my trips to other parts of the world.  The poverty was almost overwhelming.  They also have well water containing arsenic at 10 times the levels that are considered safe.  It's good that a team of Christians like the folks at RDI are reaching out with help.  We installed two tanks today for two different families.  All of the children of the village came out to see "the foreigners" and the "new technology".  Shelley played with the kids while the men worked on the tanks.  She taught the girls to do the "Miss Mary Mack" hand slap game.  They were very shy at first and weren't eager to participate, but by the end she had won them all over -- including the boys.

The tank we built last year is looking good!

In between our two trips with the ball tanks, we went back to the school where our team built the tank last year.  It was so great to see that place where we spent five days last year, and it made us miss John, Suzanne, and Doug again.  We arrived during the break between the morning and afternoon sessions, so there were not many kids there.  We did recognize one boy from last year, Nadera.  He saw Luke and immediately said, "Luke!".  How great is it to know that the time he spent playing with the kids is still remembered one year later!  The other rewarding thing was that this tank and the grounds around it were very well maintained.  It tells us that the school values the service we provided and the children they serve.  We were only there for 15 minutes or so, but that little side trip made our day!

The trip home from the second ball tank featured a pretty strong rain storm.  As the "elders" in the group, Shelley and I got seats inside the cabs of the trucks.  Chad, Luke, and a couple of our Cambodian helpers were not so lucky... they got drenched.  Oh well... T.I.C.!

Day Nine -- Sunday, July 10

Pastor Di and his wife, Sopean (a.k.a. Ming)

A great Sunday here in Kien Svay.  We began with worship at the Khmer church.  Pastor Di preached from Galatians 5:1-15.  As I was reading the passage two verses jumped out at me: "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (6b) and "...serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself." (13b-14).  Here we are, thousands of miles away from home, trying to express our faith through love and service.  How appropriate, hmm?  Yet as I was considering that thought, it occurred to me that this verse is meant to be lived out in Fort Worth, Texas, too.  I don't need to travel halfway round the world in order to do the only thing that counts.  My faith needs to be expressing itself through love at home, too.  Thank you, Lord, for fresh inspiration from your Word.

The Sunday lunch tradition here is to go into Phnom Penh and dine at "The Noodle Shop".  Fried noodles, 7Up and bottled water = $3.00.  Can't beat it.  After lunch we went to "Seeing Hands", a spa that employs blind masseurs.  A one hour massage (which was excellent by the way) for $6.00.  Yes, $6.00.

The Seeing Hands Spa

We then took a trip to the Lucky Supermarket.  They carry some western brands, so we restocked our snack stash with nuts, chips, and Oreos.  They also carry Asian brands (like Fish-O) and squid snacks.  Um, pass...

How can you pass up a snack with a name like this?

The last stop was the Russian Market to further stimulate the local economy.  Oakley sunglasses with protective case for $7.00 and a NorthFace backpack for $13.00.  Shelley bought some stuff, too.

Tonight will be special.  We're doing a Skype session with our Bible Study group back in Fort Worth.  It should be fun!