សួស្តី from Cambodia!

We have been in Cambodia for just over a week and I am loving it so far!

We said goodbye to Vision Cafe, the english cafe we had been working at in Vietnam for just under month. We were working with adults and college students and had formed deep connections in and outside of English club, so goodbyes were extra hard this time. Our hosts blessed us with the sweetest gift of personalized photo collages from our time at Vision. After tight hugs and some teary eyed “see you laters” we turned our hearts and focus towards Cambodia.

In typical World Race fashion, we took the road less traveled to Cambodia and had a crazy travel day! Our sixteen hour bus ride turned into a thirty two hour one and we were denied at two different Vietnamese borders due to visa issues. We had to book a last minute hotel and were denied at yet another visa office. We were then told to “hurry up and wait” while our leadership tried to figure out solutions. I was able to explore Ho Chi Min, learn to golf at a driving range and was in the midst of exploring the Saigon Zoo again when I got the call to get back to the hotel ASAP for our newly scheduled flight to Cambodia. We spent the night in the Vietnam airport and took a short flight to Siem Riep, where after my team took a two and half hour van ride to our new home in Kampong Thom.

My friend Anna & I at the start of our “16 hour” bus ride.

The driving range we visited as we awaited travel plans.

Anna & I eating cotton candy at the zoo!

A rooftop card game and the view from our emergency booked hotel. 

This month my team is serving with Good Seed International School, a christian school in the small city. We spend half of our days helping to paint murals in and around the school, and then spend the other half helping in elementary aged classrooms and teaching them new english terms. In the evenings, we assist older students with more complex english concepts and introduce them to American phrases and ideas. It’s a pretty filled schedule, but the ministry is loads of fun and the people make it all worth it. 

The outside of Good Seed School.

During ministry, we get to love on the staff and students, both of whom are incredibly kind and sweet. The children are absolutely adorable and loving. They’ll run up to you crying “teacher teacher” as they hug your legs and give you presents regardless of whether they truly know you or not. They love to be held and to ask a million questions and show you all of their classwork and latest purchases from the school store. The staff is incredibly kind and has some individuals from all over the world. They’re full of powerful testimonies, wise words, and have quickly become dear friends of ours. Everyone is so welcoming and interested in getting to know us well.

My team on our first day of class.

Our host is an incredibly beautiful and kind woman named Hannah. She and her mother, who we all call “Mami”, take care of my team and I so well. They cook delicious and nutritious meals and make sure that every need is met. They’re also great company and keep conversations lively!

Each week, my team and I rotate through different classrooms and different age levels to learn about each one and help out all of the teachers. This week, I was in grade three with teacher Kayla, an amazing woman from South Africa. Kayla is a woman of joy who loves traveling, K-Pop, and her students. She is full of laughter and kindness that radiate off of her in the way that she runs her classroom. I had eight sweet students this week who I quickly fell in love with. At the beginning of the week, I helped the students with their lessons in english grammar and spelling, science, and reading. My students then wanted to teach me and invited me to join their Chinese lesson. We painted Chinese symbols, and somehow I was the only one to end up with the paint all over my hands- which shocked (and I think scared a little) the sweet Chinese teacher. In all honesty, I’m not even sure what I was writing, but I had a ton of fun, and I’m not sure who loved it more, me or my students!

My students this week and teacher Kayla.

In the evenings, I helped to proctor a speaking examination for my older students. One by one, they would come up and give me a short speech on four important uses of water. It was a fun way to get to know the students on a personal level and to help them practice their english with a native speaker. The older students are a lot of fun and I love getting to know them on a deeper level. They’re always teaching me new Cambodian words and dances and I am sure to laugh a lot when I see them.

Me and one of my sweet new friends!

Spiritually, the Lord has been growing and stretching me in so many ways! I’m learning to truly depend on him to be the source of my life, comfort, joy, and strength, and am beyond grateful that he has proved himself to be those things over and over. I know this season may be challenging at times, but I also know that the Lord is faithful to complete the good things that he starts and he has so much for me and my team here in Cambodia. I’m so excited to see how this story will unfold.

How You Can Be Praying:

For Cambodia:

– Cambodia is incredibly unreached! Pray that God will continue to reveal himself to the people of Cambodia

– Pray that God will encourage believers to go and share the good news of the gospel

– Pray that more would be called to share their faith in Cambodia 

For Our Ministry:
Name: Good Seed International School
– Pray that the Lord will open the hearts of the teachers to be receptive to the good news of the gospel
– Pray that the Lord will reveal himself to these children on dreams & visions, and that what they learn they will take home to their families
– Pray that the Lord will continue to bless the ministry financially, with students and with staff
– Pray that the spirit will fall over Good Seed School

For Our Team:
– Pray for continued unity & love
– Pray for health & safety as we serve
– Pray for a boldness in faith
– Pray for wisdom about life after the race

For Me:
– Pray for Direction and next steps for life after the race
– Pray for Connection with the students and teachers
– Pray for Wisdom about budgeting and finances (I serve as our team treasurer)
– Pray for Health & Energy

I am so thankful for every moment of this trip and this experience, both the good moments and the hard ones. I could not be here without incredible supporters who gave me the ability to be here and cover me in prayer. Thank you all so much for all that you do and have done for me! Praying blessing for you all!

My host’s adorable daughter visiting me at dinner!