We’re in Cambodia! Actually, we have been for over a month. It’s been a busy time here in Siem Reap, but God has been so good. As I lead this squad I am constantly reminded of God’s faithfulness, His grace, and His mercy. There is so much to write about, I’ll just start with our first day of ministry in Cambodia.
It’s an earlier morning at the AIM Base, 5:45 to be exact. I am certainly not a morning person, but I pull myself out of bed and go to the roof for some quiet time with the Lord. The day is coolest in the morning right before sunrise, mid 70s. Spending time with the Lord is something I have not done habitually for a long time, but God has felt so close in this season and specifically here in Cambodia. Leading can be tiring, heavy, and feel stressful at times, but my time with the Lord always fills me up with His presence and goodness. I find sweet reminders in His word that I know are from Him and the timing of some of them is overwhelming in the best way. I am filled with gratitude for how God is leading my life and what He promises He will do.
Breakfast is served around 6:30, I make it down around 7 and see what I can stomach at such an early hour. At 7:20 our ministry team meets to oray over the day. The ministry team is comprised of S Squad (that’s us); Nancy (shout-out O Squad) and Hannah, the two interns here; Vikki and Shannon Bobb, the missionary couple running the base and ministry under the non-government organization, New Day New Life; and two staff members, Peach (pronounced with a k), and Sreymom. We all pray at once and hop in the van to head to the first village of the week we’ll visit. After a stop at the local market to buy lunch and grab some coffee, we continue on our way moving further and further from the city into the surrounding farmlands. Another hour of driving takes us to a bumpy road heading into a tiny village. The houses are all built up on stilts to avoid the flooding when the rainy season comes. No need for us to worry, it’s the middle of the hot season and it doesn’t look like it will rain any time soon.
Kids run past and smile and wave, clearly excited to see the van approaching. The Bobbs have been going out to these villages for over three years and the people here have grown fond of them. Luckily, we get to benefit from the work they have put into these relationships. We park in an open space and cross the small road, carrying our supplies, a speaker to play sing along songs, crayons, coloring papers, flash cards and white boards. We set up a tarp for the children to sit on and greet them as they come. Nancy begins the lesson. Today we are teaching the kids numbers from 1-20. Many of them are shy, but with a little encouragement and a gentle smile they gain more courage and start to come out of their shells. After the lesson, we split up into small groups. We teach in four groups, all the guys paired up to teach the kids in a smaller setting. We fumble through a little bit, it’s always a struggle with the language barrier, but these kids are smart and very attentive and respectful (for the most part). After writing numbers on the white board to test the kids knowledge, we give them sheets to write out the numbers and practice saying them. They each diligently fill out their sheet and ask for a grade after they’re done. Kids who want to be graded, miraculous! Nancy signals it’s time to clean up as Peach prepares to teach the Bible story of God calling Abram and promising to make him a great nation. The kids take a little bit to settle down, but eagerly watch the story and take turns reciting the memory verse afterward. We sing songs with words we don’t know, but do our best to follow along with the motions. After learning some of the songs, it’s a lot of fun singing along with the kids and doing the motions with them. We play some games with the kids afterwards where the losers have to do a silly dance across the tarp. There are lots of laughs and the kids like to be goofy. I have to remind myself to not be too serious and that we’re there for the kids. It’s a great time. We’re covered in sweat. It’s always hot in Cambodia, remember to drink water!
The kids have to go to school, so we say our goodbyes and pack up to eat some lunch. We drive out to the rice field and find an infrequently traveled road with some shade. We lay out some tarps and enjoy rice, chicken, mangoes, and watermelon. Eating fresh fruit is always a blessing. Mango in Southeast Asia is the best you will ever get. We fellowship together, and relax for a bit before heading back to the village for a Bible study with the women. The shade feels good, but when it’s nearing 100 degrees, sweat invades on all fronts! Welcome to Cambodia in the dry season.
Back in the village, we split into two groups. One group goes with Shannon to do some house visits. The rest of us stay with Vikki and Sreymom to have the women’s bible study. Women come one by one and are talking with Sreymom in Khmer (the Cambodian language pronounced Kuh-my). After a few minutes, Vikki informs us that one of the women is going to pray to accept Jesus. We bow our heads to pray along with her as Sreymom leads her in accepting Christ. Then another woman wants to pray. Then another. After maybe 20 minutes, five of the women have prayed to accept Jesus. Each of the women have small strings tied around their wrists from the Buddhist monks that visit them and pray over them. Sreymom explains that they don’t need prayers from a monk and the women have their strings cut off. It’s a sweet representation of them breaking free from the bonds of their past and from the grip of Buddhism that is so strong in Cambodia. It was so encouraging to see these women accepting Christ and to witness the power of Jesus in this small village in Cambodia. The joy and happiness of each of the women increased when they accepted the Lord and you could feel the extra release of freedom in the space. In the weeks leading up to our arrival in Cambodia, the Bobbs baptized 15 people and more have been accepting Christ since. It’s beautiful to see the fruit of their long term ministry even when we are here for such a short gap.
Eventually, we packed up the van and gathered together to depart. We drive back to the city, stopping for water and the optional ice cream (if you’re good ;)). We get back to the base around 5 after a thankfully uneventful drive. Myself and the guys take turns hopping in the shower to rinse off the dust and dirt we acquired throughout the day. At 5:30 dinner is served and we eat with Nancy and Hannah and talk about the day. Later that night, just our said meets for team time where we have a check in to see how we are each doing and adjusting to all the changes a new country brings: different ministry, living conditions, hot weather, food. The team is doing well overall, everyone a bit tuckered out from the day. After some feedback, a time to encourage and call each other to be more Christ like, an early bed time is in order (for me at least). And we reach the end of our first day of ministry in Cambodia.
A lot has happened since this day, but it’s a good example of what we do when we are out in the villages! Thank you for taking the time to read and keep an eye out for future updates. I have not done a lot with fundraising as it seems to end up on the back burner with all the responsibilities that solo squad leading requires. But, I still need more donations! I am confident that the Lord called me here and it has been a joy to lead so far, being stretched and forced into areas where discomfort becomes the norm. I am thankful for all of the lessons I have learned and am learning. Please prayerfully consider donating to support my portion of the funding for this trip. I only have $1,834 left to raise. If 45 people donate $40 each it would all be raised! If you would like to stay updated with this trip and where I am headed in the future, please subscribe! (Those who subscribed before still need to resubscribe as a blog platform change erased the subscriber list.)
God bless you!
Nathan Schubert
