In Gary Haugen's book "Just Courage", Haugen recounts an essay written in the 1800s where the author observed that "Christians have the amazing ability to say the most wonderful things without actually believing them." WOW? That is hypocrisy in a nutshell!
While in Cambodia, that statement, among many others, has been constantly on my mind and heavy on my heart!! The western Christianity is just that...but the Christianity I found here in Cambodia is truly that of the New Testament, I felt as though I was walking in the book of Acts! They are not merely Christians, rather they are genuine Christ Followers!
There were several people who were there at the conference who said they were members of one church but were spreading the Gospel in a completely different area...helping out other churches! Not growing a church, rather building a kingdom!!! We have so much to learn from them, but we are the one's doing the teaching...
During the day, the Bible school that we led with the local kids from the orphanage and the village was so much fun! These kids are just like any other kids...hungry for adventure, looking for laughter (Farting (Pouem) is a universal joke!!!), thirsting for genuine love and affection! But these kids were a beautiful example of patience!! When it was time to color, there was not a peep out of their mouth waiting ever so patiently for their colors to come! When it came to language, there was an obvious language barrier that was always relieved with a smile and our secret handshake! Everyday, the local village kids would run home with a color sheet of a story about Jesus Christ with a smile on their face!! The orphans proudly displayed their artwork all over their house!!
This same patience was evident among all the Khmer people there! There desire to learn was more important than the distractions that the kids made during the day (and we were plenty distracting! Aggie yells, noodle fights, and our beautiful singing and dancing!!) Pens were feverishly writing down everything they could so that they can remember and use everything they learned! The hair school provided more smiles of accomplishment than I have seen in a long time!! The water purification conference (with their fearless leader) listened as if their life depended on it...and in actuality, it does depend on it! The pastors and church leaders followed every single verse and every illustration...wanting this to help them reach more people for God's Kingdom...for OUR FAMILY!!
Prayer time with the kids was my favorite time of the day! Not as a group, but with the kids! The first time, I prayed for the kids...but never again! As I prayed, I was overcome with emotion hearing the prayers and petitions of these precious kids as they spoke to our God!! From that time on, we had kids from the orphanage voicing the prayer, calling on God! I cannot help but think that God gets chills up and down his arms as He hears the prayers and petitions of His little kids!
I have learned here in Cambodia, that Christians, genuine Christ-followers here in Cambodia really do believe everything that they preach!! And are praying that the whole country does the exact same thing!! If only we could have them come and teach us a thing or two!!
(I love to use the exclamation point! thanks for your understanding!!!)
You go right ahead and use all of the exclamation points you want, Scott!! I can see your natural excitement in every one! Thank you for reminding me and everyone else that reads your entry of how Christ Followers should minister to each other and to the lost. That mission should be our only concern! And what a visual of those children who automatically voice their prayers without any prompting (other than the Holy Spirit) or emabarassment or holding back! Wow! We all can learn from that, too. Thank you for your insight and your willingness to go and learn from these Christians. You are going to make a wonderful father some day and you are already an awesome husband and leader. I love you so much! Tell Randy and Jan I said hi! You need to know that you three, especially, have been a part of my prayers! Hurry home - safely!!! xoxoxoxoxo!!!!!!!!! Alisa
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