I have hesitated to write about my trip to Cambodia until now because I have had so much to ponder. So many details and so many pictures in my head that I needed to develop and find each and every emotion that went along with them. Since I have been back (its been almost a week now), I have had many people want to hear about the trip, but as I tell the stories I realize there is a lot missing that can only be found from actually being there. I have wondered in my mind what I would write about and which stories I would choose to tell. I have wondered how can I write about the depth of feeling and emotion one feels being in a country that has so little yet lives so big. Are there enough words to describe what I experienced? Are there enough pages to list what I have seen? It seems I must choose to abbreviate what I experienced for others, in hopes that they too will go and experience the people and nation of Cambodia for them selves.
It was nearly a year ago when I heard the call to go to Cambodia during a Sunday morning service at church. If I remember it right, I was a bit distracted in the service because I was sitting near a glass door that clearly showed the day would be filled with rain, again. I don’t much like the rain so the distraction was enough to make my mind wander. It didn’t help that we had a guest speaker that was talking about a country on the other side of the globe. I simply wasn’t interested. Through the distraction I figured I should pay attention since I was at church and I was a little curious what God was doing on the other side of the world. God works in funny ways sometimes, because a short time latter I felt my heart being tugged on and the call to go to Cambodia.
It was like the seen that is described in Mark 16:7, one of those verses that says so much about Jesus’ love for us in just a few words. Peter is describing his memories about the resurrection of Jesus. He recalls the story that Mary told about an angel who said Jesus had risen from the dead. In verse 7 the angel said, “but go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Did you see the hidden statement that shows Jesus’ love so deeply? Look again, and focus on the bigger seen right before Jesus was crucified on the cross. Who denied him three times? It was Peter! Who did Jesus specifically mention that he wanted to see in Galilee? It was Peter! This is exactly how I felt on that day in church. Jesus wanted a sinner like me to GO and minister to people on the other side of the world he was promising to go before me and prepare the way.
The gospel message is one of hope and second chances for each of us to include the people of Cambodia. I’ve done a bit of traveling in my time so I was fairly prepared for the sights and feelings I would have once I arrived in Cambodia. The weather was in the mid 80’s to low 90’s with a bit of humidity. The p
eople all around seemed to move at a fairly slow pace in every aspect of life except while driving. Smiles were sparse unless they were first initiated by others. The buildings are brightly colored and as we drove towards the guest house I could see that the city, as well as the people, were in a run down state. There seemed to be a lack of hope and little motivation to improve. I am not saying that all of Cambodia is like this; I am only describing how I saw it in the first hour or two when I arrived.
Each day of our trip started with a few songs and devotions. We prayed for God’s protection, healing, and to go before us and prepare the hearts of those we were going to see and interact with. Then we traveled down the bumpy dirt roads to a village where a bright pink, yellow and red tent was set up to announce our presence. We would set up each of the stations to include intake, 
vitals, doctors, dentists, glasses, pharmacy, and the gospel message and prayer. Then we would start seeing patients. Each village seemed to have different needs and there tended to be one issue that was more predominant in each village. One village seemed to need glasses more than the others. Another village needed their teeth tended to. And another village seemed to have more medical conditions and needs. My 
favorite part of each day was my interaction with the people and their children. I wanted so much to see smiles on their faces and a glimmer of joy in their eyes. If nothing else, I wanted them to remember that crazy smiling American man that talked to them and treated them with respect and honor. I know that most of them could not under stand my jabbering, but the smiles I received in return told me that they understood my 
heart of joy to be there with them.
We closed each day by packing up our things and cleaning up the site. Then we climbed into the two vans and a truck and headed back to the guest house to clean up for the evening. During our evening hours we did a number of things that were fun. Some evenings we went to the English school and helped to teach the children. Other evenings we 
played games, and talked into the wee hours of the night. Our meals during the week consisted of a breakfast at the guest house with an omelet (with no cheese), fried rice, bread, and coffee. Our lunch was a consistent diet of peanut butter and Jelly with a side of various flavors of Pringles potato chips. Dinner was at a restaurant that was just a couple of blocks from the guest house and the food was a good variety of Cambodian dishes, Yum! Yum! I actually gained 3 pounds during the trip because I liked the food so much.
Somewhere in all of the busyness of each day I realized that even though the Cambodian villagers had few possessions, houses that were barely large enough to live in (from a westerners view point), no running water or electricity, and little to no money, that they still had love. The interaction I saw between moms and children and between the children in the villages showed me there was 
love among the people. I also saw that there was fear amongst the people. In one village the children were so afraid of me and the other team members that even with my back turned to them I could hear them cry and turn away when they noticed me. I love children, so as the day went on our team gave toys and candy to the children of that village and by days end their fear of us was gone.
My hope is that the tracts and the message that was shared with them will lead them to the local churches that we partnered with in each village. That the experience of these Americans that helped them to overcome dieses, regain sight, and the removal of pain will be enough to bring them to the hope that our Heavenly Father offers each of us.
By the end of the week I wanted to stay longer to experience more, but our time there was done, and the memories I had gathered would have to be enough. I left my contact information with the Cambodian friends I made and hoped that we will again be in contact. I said my good byes and boarded the plane for home. Cambodia, I will never forget you nor will I forget the people within your borders that touched my life.
Thank you to all who prayed for and financially contributed towards this trip!!! Your willingness to give of your self has changed the lives of over 700 people that were seen at our clinic and 23 people that went to be a blessing to the people of Cambodia. Your generosity has changed our lives forever, we will never be the same nor would we want to! I pray that God will bless you 100 times what you have given be it time or money so that you will give it again next time He guides you to do so. Again, thank you!!!
