I cannot believe it - outreach is (basically) over! Technically we have one day of ministry left, and almost a week before we fly out. However, I have some down time so I figured I'd write this post now, since we're just about done.
This month here in Siem Reap has been...really incredible! Still challenging for sure, and there were plenty of hard moments and hard days, but overall it was really great. Very different than the month in the village, but both have been great. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to experience two different parts of this beautiful country. So, for an overview of our month here...
We got plugged into a few different areas of ministry in the city, and I think everyone on my team has been able to have at least one little 'area' of focus, so that has been really cool. All seven of us girls were lined up to work with a ministry that works with girls coming out of prostitution/trafficking. It's a Christian restoration ministry that offers so much to these beautiful women. They are taught how to sew, make greeting cards, purses, wallets, etc which they then sell. Some of the girls had internships in a beauty salon (which is a huge market here in Cambodia/Asia) and a few other girls were running their own salon. They are taught English as well. Another really incredible thing is, this ministry really focuses on discipleship. Yes, they give the girls appropriate counseling, but they also have devotion/worship times, and are taught to really focus on others. They have a slum ministry where once a week they go to a slum and put on a children's program, which consists of bible songs and bible stories, an English lesson, games, and at the end there is hair care (because lice is very common) and wound care. We were able to lead this program alongside these women, and it was so beautiful to experience.
This ministry also has a side ministry that focuses on guys. Drugs and alcohol, among other things, among young men are a problem in most any country, and this ministry focuses on providing a community living center where the guys on our team helped out. They taught soccer, English, computer, guitar and drums, and also worked alongside the boys as they made different sellable items out of things like coconut shells.
So the girls on our team would work with the girls ministry, our guys were with the guys, and together we would do the slum ministry. We also had four people from our team that taught English at an English center every day. I started to tag along to the morning class, to watch and help out as needed, and it became one of the highlights of my day. The students were all so sweet and funny.
Maybe this will sound bad, but I was trying to steer clear of teaching English. We have a lot of good teachers on our team (although none of us by actual trade) and I just felt inadequate and awkward about the whole thing. So the first week I was mostly making greeting cards with some team members and the girls. At this point we only needed two girls teaching English. However, when teaching at the English center came up, and we needed four girls to teach there, I momentarily panicked and told my friend I'd take over her class at the ministry, so she could teach at the center. I'll admit, I did this because, feeling inadequate, I didn't want to be stuck with a harder class at the center. The English she was teaching was just really basic. So she agreed, and I nervously accepted my role as 'Teacher' every day for the next two or so weeks. By nature, I'm not a person that wants to be in front of others, and if I know I have to be, I'll be consumed with nervousness for the day or so beforehand. I'd experienced this before teaching and sharing my testimony (twice) in the village. And sure enough, the nervousness was still with me before this class. However, it turned out to be one of the coolest 'God things' for me this whole trip. I had no idea who my students would be, I was only told there would be between two and four girls. The center had around 25 girls in it, and there were two girls that had really stuck out to me. They had been put on my heart for no real reason (hadn't talked to them or anything) other then the fact they got my hearts attention. So, I'm waiting for my students the first day of teaching, and in walks...those two girls! Maybe it sounds simple, not a big deal, but to me it was the coolest thing. While I have really loved this outreach overall, it has been very challenging for me as well. Feelings of inadequacy and like I'm a less important part of the team than others, were things that accompanied me nearly every day. So seeing those girls in my class was like God reassuring me, "You are here for a reason. Look! I placed these two girls on your heart, then I lined you up as their teacher and them as your students, and you will get more time with them than anyone else. You ARE important to this team, this outreach, and these girls." so yeah, it was just the coolest thing. I also really fell into my role as a teacher, to a point where even I surprised myself. Not saying I am a wonderful teacher, but I was able to come up with a lot of creative ideas for teaching, and that nervous feeling I mentioned, became less and less every day. It was also so cool to see the lighten up and have fun learning. They spoke basically no English, so conversation other then the class isn't really possible, but I feel close to them and will definitely never forget them. While they were learning English, I was learning so much more right alongside of them. I felt I was really challenging myself, while learning how to be a teacher and how to non verbally communicate the words they don't understand. Really really great experience. Now I would even consider some sort of English teaching course (such as TESOL).
I also had to share a testimony with the girls during one of the morning devotions. I wasn't planning on sharing (we didn't have enough slots to where all the girls on our team needed to) and once again I felt less adequate to speak than the others. However, the night before we were scheduled to share, someone asked me if I could. I immediately said no (springing things on me like that will usually just be crazy overwhelming to me) but then I changed my mind and welcomed it as a challenge to myself. I shared a story I'd already shared in the village, so I didn't need to come up with material. However, back to the nervousness thing. Sharing in front of people is just not my thing (or so I think) but it ended up going really well. I think one of the weirdest/coolest things for me this trip has been when I find myself in situations where I would think I would fail or be overwhelmingly nervous, and to see myself actually succeed and be at ease. So I'm sitting there, speaking in front of twenty some girls, and in my head I'm thinking "wait...I'm actually doing this? And I can breathe normal?" haha. This probably all sounds silly, but if you're anything like me you should get what I mean :) so yeah, it's just been a really great experience overall. There have certainly been tough things, and I often feel overwhelmed, or unworthy to live this blessed and rewarding (and HARD) missionary life. But God has definitely been showing Himself to me, and showing me He really is the only place I can look to for strength. So much has happened, so much more I could blog about, but there are so many things I'd much rather share in person. So for now you all just get the overview :) thanks so much to everyone that has been praying for me and my team. Being supported through prayers is such a great feeling and so so important.
So, now we are a day away from heading to the Cambodian beach (!!!) for three days of processing and debriefing our time here. Next Thursday we fly out, and we'll get back to the base on Saturday. Two weeks after that I'll be graduated and traveling Europe for a bit with my parents! I will most likely update before then though.
Oh yeah, Happy Thanksgiving! My Thanksgiving is consisting of painting, sitting in on English classes, laying in bed due to not feeling good (which is where I'm typing this) and...no turkey in site! Haha. Hope everyone has a blessed holiday!
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