One Month Update~
Hello Faithful Supporters, Friends & Family~
It's very hard to believe, but as I sit here writing, I have officially been here for 4 weeks- an entire month! It's been a month full of challenges, growth, and learning even greater depths about true joy and peace rooted in my Savior. My pride would love to let you all know that, "I've got this Cambodia thing! Piece of cake!" But in reality, I'm being humbled each and every day (more like each and every hour...) and am learning new realms of dependency on the Lord and upon others...which for independent souls like myself, is painful...but a very necessary growing pain.
I have been so warmly welcomed here by the staff at the AIM school! They have been so incredibly patient and gracious with me as I learn their names, get to know them better, start Khmer study, and learn how the school and things in Svay Pak are run. The Khmer teachers are so incredibly dynamic and thirsty to learn how to reach their students and the community better, and it has definitely given my heart for education and teaching much healing and restoration. Many of them come from such hardship and pasts that I have never known and could never comprehend, and it is so neat to see the way God is rebuilding beauty from ashes. I'm excited to serve them and lead them in the coming months and upcoming school year. We are currently in summer school, which is mainly a time for review for the students and to keep them off the streets and in school consistently. The new school year will start at the beginning of October.
I'm learning quickly about many realities here that are outside of my comfort zone: the disparity between the rich and the poor is astonishing here: quite often they live directly beside one another. Death is far more normal to hear about than I am used to. In my first 3 weeks, we had 2 staff members who had brothers pass away from horribly sad circumstances; leaving behind children and loved ones who didn't get to say goodbye to them. And though I have been involved with and passionate about anti-trafficking efforts for many years, it always existed at a distance. It is now a day to day, a moment to moment reality in my life...so this is also an adjustment that will take some time getting used to...or never fully getting used to.
Amidst it all, I am praying for my eyes to be firmly fixed upon Jesus- the author and perfector of my faith and the bright hope and peace for this desperate world. I have been meditating a lot on Isaiah 26:3-4: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Amen.
I can't thank you enough for walking alongside me in this journey, and am so so full of gratitude to so many of you for your prayers and words of encouragement to me the last few weeks!~