Teamwork

There's another aspect to my "job" I haven't told you about yet. I play hostess to visiting mission teams. Sometimes teams stay here at the team house where Ruth & I live & sometimes they stay elsewhere. Sometimes they're here for a couple weeks, sometimes they're here for a few days, & sometimes they just pop in for a few hours. My duties depend on where they stay & how long they stay. Whatever the circumstances, my first duty is to inform my sibs & the housemoms of a team's upcoming arrival, lest they refuse to open the gate & call in security (that'd be me. Hahahahaha!)

The first team I met came out of Singapore & they stayed here for one week. They held daily workshops for our older girls here at the teamhouse. They were a lot of work. I prepared & maintained the team house, arranged transportation, obtained supplies, set up their meeting room & even pulled a hairball the size of a well fed fieldmouse out of their drain for them. In addition, I kept track of everyone's emotional & physical health, meeting those needs as best as the Lord enabled me.

This week we've had two teams in. Both Roo's. The first team was a "pop-in" team, meaning they popped in to play with my siblings for about an hour. Very simple job there. I just met them at an easy-to-find location, directed their bus driver to the girls' house (in the Cambodian language! How cool am I?) & hung around until Ruth got there. The second team is also a youth team who popped in. They popped in for about half a day tho' & came well prepared with a variety of fun, interactive activities.

In addition to popping in, the second team held clinics at two villages LIA supports near the Vietnam border. Some of the team members provided pharmacy services handing us the meds we called for (Ruth & I did diagnoses with the help of a couple of my sibs providing translation), some administered eye & ear drops, some cleaned & bandaged wounds. Outside the medical treatment, some played guitars, some did face painting, some blew soap bubbles, some played games & some prayed for those we treated. This was a pretty simple job as well; I just gave directions now & again to achieve & maintain organized work. Oh yeah, I also sat outside the door of a primitive shower (basically an outhouse with a large container of water & a metal bowl for pouring) talking to a girl who was afraid to be in the shower area by herself. Hahahahaha!
Next week we have a Missions Adventure Kiwi team coming thru a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) base here in Phnom Penh. They'll be staying at the YWAM base, so there's no prep for me to do here. They plan to spend several mornings playing with my sibs. My job will be to hang out at the girls' house with them & to lead them in helping with the kindy classes here at the team house.

The greatest task I have as team hostess is answering questions. Teams have lots & lots of questions. Questions about the Kingdom of Cambodia's culture, about my siblings, about LIA, even about what I'm doing here (& how to properly use a squatty potty, especially where there are no tissue or towels. Hahahahaha!). I believe every question we ask is actually an effort to understand ourselves, so altho' answering the questions directly is easy enough, I need to raise questions about the questions to be of real service. For example, when someone asks how villagers who have virtually no material goods can seem so content, I have to question why s/he equates having stuff with being content. I could simply say, "Most of them don't know there's more to be had," but what good would that do? A direct answer like that barely satisfies the curiosity, let alone reaches the soul. In order to be of any lasting value, I need to fashion their curiosity about others into a springboard to consciously questioning themselves. Direct answers give information, but direct questions give insight.

In my mind, helping to answer these questions-the real questions-is my greatest task where teams are concerned, but I reckon in their minds my greatest task is either handing out tissues & hand sanitizer at squatties or getting rid of the "eeew" that clogs their drains.

Praise God for...
~encouraging words. There is real power within them.
~treats in the mail. There is real power in them as well.
~clean water. Access to it is a gift. And, believe me, it tastes better than the polluted kind.
~people who still believe they can make a difference in the world.
~friends who are in it with you even when they can't be there with you. (You are more powerful than you know.)

Petition God for...
~the salvation of the dear souls who nabbed my bag.
~the salvation of the misguided souls who stole my ID.
~the transformation of perverts' hearts. They need healing as much as their victims do.
~insight & energy to minister to teams.
~favor with Immigration as I try to jump thru the final hoops to get my visa squared away.

A BIG HONKIN' THANK-YOU TO:
~the Tues morning group for the Bible!
~Diana Hester for the Levi's!
~Grace & Mercy Ministries for the missions donation!
~Bill Parr for apples of gold in settings of silver!

Personal Notes:
~Isaac Roe, I love you. The folks in Sihanouk Ville are asking about you!
~Kelly Stanley, yeah, it's like that both ways. I appreciate you too-honest, I do! :o)

Fill 'er up

I finally took a much needed break! I've been running on fumes the last couple of weeks & just didn't have it in me to go much further. I spent the weekend on the coast in Sihanouk Ville with friends who live there. Boy oh boy, did I get a good refill! I was so well loved that I am filled to overflowing again!

Especially after leaving the last depressing entry hanging here for so long, I want to tell you a little bit about my wonderful holiday. The whole weekend was absolutely grand, so it's difficult to choose highlights, but I'll do my prayerful best. I didn't take any photos because I know a camera simply cannot do justice to the experience. A diminished image seems an insult to it. The images are engraved in my heart, where they carry the full impact of the moment tho'.

First of all, it was incredibly heartwarming, & actually mindblowing, to receive the unbelievably joyous greetings I was given. Lots of squealing & squeezing, kissing & carressing, hand holding & happy tears. I could not have been welcomed with any more excited glee if I were carrying a big, carboard Publisher's Clearinghouse check! Where everyone really needs & everyone wants me to fill those needs, it is a soul-refreshing blessing to be desired for no more than my presence.

I have become acquainted with my friends thru doing business with them. A few operate the guesthouse I stay in & a couple others are tuk tuk drivers who've introduced me to their family (of 18 members living together in a small, three-sided house they built themselves). God has given us such sweet soul ties that I am not considered a customer anymore & they are by no means service providers to me. Sopha (so-FWAH), the 15 year-old guesthouse hostess calls me Mamma & we cry on each other's necks when we meet & when we part. Mr. Sothea (so-TEE-uh) the guesthouse manager told me, "you are very-good-to-warm-my-heart friend." Ditto to Mr. Sothea. Ly, the most darling & precious friend I have in Cambodia, drives a tuk tuk for a living. He expressed the greatest honor & deepest love by informing me-& showing me!-that I am no longer a customer or even ordinary friend but a no-pay friend.

My first puzzling experience as a no-pay friend came at the house of Ly's friends when they were reluctant to accept money after preparing me a costly & elaborate feast. As I've said, food is the most precious commodity here. Giving someone food is like handing over your checkbook here. When I asked Ly about he said, "When you in Cambodia maybe one year or two year, you will know Cambodia way. Some must pay, some not." He explained that no-pay friends are entitled to everything you possess or have access to & they are never obligated to repay the cost or even return the favor (tho' out of mutual affection they usually do). As we talked more about "Cambodia way" my heart warmed when he said, "You good friend, no pay me & no pay my friends ." On his word, I am entitled to anything or everything his family & friends have or can lay hold of...without owing them anything in return! Thing is, part of Cambodia way is that you cannot earn that kind of friendship. You cannot give & expect to receive in return. No-pay friend status is given me (& others) because, as Ly explained it, "I know your heart. I see your behavior. You no pay." It's a matter of character. My character, yes, & I am indeed incredibly honored, but moreso Ly's character & I am indeed incredibly loved
.
At one point in the most wonderful weekend I've lived since I don't know when, Ly took me to a secret beach. That is, a place unsullied by the tourists & hawkers & the awful, ugly, noisy messes they make. Ly really does know my heart & proved that clearly when, as we stood on the shore, he softly said, "You can like the sea & the islands & the beach," then walked away to leave me in much-needed solitude. I walked in & out of the water along the shoreline for a long time praying. When I finally squatted just beyond the water's reach, all talked out, I began to truly "like the sea & the islands & the beach" & God whispered in my spirit rather nonchalantly, "I spoke all this." I was got. I was overwhelmed with who God is as if I'd just heard the truth for the first time. He spoke all that. Wow. Then He really blew me away, "Just let Me love you. Humble yourself to receive. Just let Me love you." I squatted a good while longer taking in the message. Ly approached & squatted next to me for a long time. We just liked the sea & the islands & the beach together in silence. We simultaneously rose & headed back to the motorcycle. Down the road a short piece he broke the silence, "You can be happy now? If you happy, I happy. You no happy, I cannot happy too."

I replied, "Jaaaa, I am happy now."

His thrilled response was, "Ooooooh SO good! I am very, very happy! And you speak Khmer! Make me happy!" ("Ja" is the female "yes.") We both laughed loud & long just out of sheer happiness.

Ly also took me to a secret waterfall during "the wonder weekend." We had SUCH a blast with the 20 or so Cambodians there. We laughed & splashed & hooted & slipped around & played behind, in front of & right smack in the middle of the awesomely gorgeous & powerful waterfalls. Being the obvious newbie there, everyone wanted to show me tricks & thrills to enjoy...& to take photos of me. Hahahaha! After playing long enough to get chilled, I sat on a flat, dry spot in the sunshine away from the crowd. I sat in amazement at the beauty & power of the falls, of the One who created them-the One who spoke them, the One who gave me no-pay friend status just to love me.

A quick tutorial from Kelly :-)

Becky asked me to let everyone know how they can "Follow" her blog and leave comments.

To become a "Follower":
1) Go to Sign In (upper right-hand corner) and create an account.
2) Sign in, and then the "Follow" button appears in upper left-hand corner.
3) From then on, if you sign in to Blogger (or through Becky's blog), you will have a Dashboard that shows new posts from all the blogs you are following.

You can also register for a Google account (free) and use Google Reader to read all the blogs you want to follow. All you have to do is type in the blog addresses at the top left under "Add a subscription." It's a simple way to manage and stay up on multiple blogs that you follow.

OK, to add a comment to the blog (i.e., respond to Becky's questions or simply send a message), click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of each individual blog entry. It will say "0 comments" or 1, 2, or however many there are.

It will give you an area to write your comments, but be sure to click on the "Comment as" pop-up menu to choose an identity -- which just means to enter your name, email address (optional) -- or use your new Google identity (I think that's the simplest). Then click "Post comment" and you're done!

Gladness and Grief

Today has been the roughest day I've ever had in Cambodia. Yes, even worse than the day in February we were deathly ill. Muuuuch worse than that. I hope I'll never have another like it, but I reckon if Jesus keeps me 'round here I will. Sigh.

Altho' the "issue" has been on-going for almost a month, I haven't been at liberty to speak of it to anyone except Ruth & a couple of government officials. This morning our involvement was ended, so I can finally speak of it...in a vague sort of way anyhow.

A guy came by late one night packing lies & three small children. He said he wanted the children to stay with us temporarily because they were in danger of being kidnapped and/or hurt by some wicked fugitives who have a grudge against him for "busting" them. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out the guy was telling tall tales, but three littles clearly needed a safe place to stay, so what could we do?

I kept them in hiding here with me at the team house until we were confident there were no predators creeping around the place (knowing the neighbors & having neighbors who love to gossip about strangers in the neighborhood was SUCH a blessing). We could not risk the safety of my siblings if someone really were following the guy & the children. Once we were convinced no one was lurking about to do harm, we moved them to the girls' house where all the other littles live.

The guy called periodically with excuses about why he couldn't retrieve the children yet & finally asked us to turn the children over to a nanny he hired. Ruth asked a trusted friend who's in the know about the guy & we found out our suspicions were right on the mark: the guy is the fugitive & the only people following him are law enforcement agents (from at least two countries & about 5 agencies). Then we were really in it!

The guy is not the natural nor adoptive father of these precious littles, so if we kept the children, we were part of a kidnapping ring & if we passed the children on to someone else, we were part of a human trafficking ring. Just having the children in our care labeled us "associates" & possibly "assessories" to the guy. Oh don't you know we were praying our hearts out!! Besides, & truly beyond, the legalities of the situation, we had three littles who needed loving care & protection....& a few medical tests to reveal if they'd been sexually assaulted, HIV-infected, or suffered any STD's. (I know, I hate to think toddlers may have such problems too, but here it's not uncommon.)

Thank God our trusted friend was able to clear us with a contact at the US embassy, who was able to clear us with a contact at the Ozzie embassy, who put us in contact with a westerner-run Non-Government Organization that rescues children trapped in human trafficking (foreign rescue NGO, aka the only good guys in this country with any real power). who in turn agreed to help us resolve the mess with the local government & place the children in a safe & wonderful foster home until the real parents can be located & checked out (the parents may have willingly given up the littles or sold them & so not be fit to receive them back). The NGO man, a real sweetheart with a lot of backbone, took the littles & me to the proper authorities today to turn the children over to the foster home people.

Funny thing, altho' the littles showed absolutely no attachment, indeed no emotion at all, toward the guy who claimed to be their adopted dad who, according to him, saved them from certain disaster & death, 5 minutes after I met them they were on me like white on rice. God does stuff like that. He let them know that I was a safe place to land, I reckon. The guy claimed they could not speak, so I was surprised when they spoke eagerly & cheerfully & frequently to me. For some reason they spoke only to me tho'. Go fig. God does stuff like that too. But, that blessing made today all the harder.

I had to put the children in a tuk-tuk with yet another complete stranger (who knows how many times they've been thru that already), smile at them, & tell them, "It's OK." They will be OK, but at the moment none of us were OK. I'm still not OK. God, I hope they are.

I'm sooooo glad they're safe & on the way to a stable & loving home, but I'm also grieving. Grieving over the fact that littles suffer confusion & fear & heartache & bodily pain & soul-scarring trauma because wicked adults are willing to put them in harm's way for pocket change.

Lord Jesus, come quickly! Can I get an "amen" somewhere?

9/2/10
Praise God for...
~people willing to risk themselves to prevent others from being put at risk.
~the privilege of eating every day. It is a privilege.
~"big rain" that settles the dust & lifts the spirit.
~the moto driver that enjoyed being caught in the storm as much as I did. We had a blast, especially thru the butt-high flood waters.
~people who ask, "What do you need?"

Petition God for...
~the salvation of those precious souls who nabbed my bag
~the salvation of those who nabbed my ID..
~the capture of & mercy toward the wicked perv you'll read about in this entry.
~more reliable LIA staff

Personal Notes:
~Deb, thanks sooo much for the Thirst! It really makes a difference!
~Judson Baptist Church of La Vista, NE., THANK YOU!!!
~Grapevine, you've just got to learn some hip-hop moves. You'd love it!
~Isaac, I miss you big.