working in Cambodia for a long time and Sarah and I are so grateful to have been able to step in and be part of it.” Actually, White did great job of putting her experience into words. She blogged (calledtocambodiaa.blogspot.com) and one of her last posts summarized her reflections in mid-August:
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aying goodbye was absolutely awful. I wasn’t prepared for that feeling in the pit of my stomach. at feeling reminded me this might be the last time I see these beautiful faces. Yes, there were many tears as I hugged Srey Nang and told the boys how much they meant to me. Yes, there were tears as Tolah drove Sarah and I to the airport Wednesday morning. And yes, there are a couple on my cheek right now. e boys flooded Sarah and I with encouragement, well-wishes, letters, compliments and prayers. As I sat at the school on Tuesday night, I looked around at all of my new friends. I studied each face to make sure it was forever engraved in my memory and listened as they sang Amazing Grace in English, and with all of their heart. I listened and reflected on each word. is trip has been incredible. I was able to rediscover God in every aspect and moment of my life. My eyes have been opened; I can see. It was hard. I was scared. But God took care of every one of those fears. I was blessed when I felt so distant from everything dear to me. It was then that I was able to feel the embrace of the One most dear to me. God revealed himself to me daily. rough my students, at the whiteboard, and even in the afternoon monsoons. He has kept me safe and secure and he will continue to do so until I reach home in Texas and then home in Heaven. He’ll lead me home. His Word became so clear this summer. I felt secure. I was blessed as I became content with who I am – no more, no less. I’m discovering myself to be a proud owner of everything that can’t be bought. is joy and comfort and dependency and absolute love cannot be bought. My body will fail. People will let me down. I will disappoint people. But God will never let me down. I have my whole life and then forever to praise Him. And I cannot wait. I don’t know why I’m so in love with such a dirty and broken country. It might have something to do with the fact that Cambodia kind of reminds me of us. We are dirty. We are broken. And God is so in love with us. I can’t believe it’s over. I’m so grateful to have something that makes saying goodbye so difficult. My love for these people and this country is incredible and something I will
cherish forever. I was shown God’s love in a whole new way and I am absolutely grateful for the opportunity. It’s so funny how God is present in every aspect of your life. Words are incredibly important to me. ey are how I show and feel love. Isn’t it funny how God planned on my summer being full of words? Who knew I would be teaching English, right? I sure didn’t, but I know He did that just so I could be reminded of how much He adores me. Every day was bursting with English words, Khmer words, vocabulary words, scripture, encouragement, yes even miscommunications, words of life. My cup is overflowing, y’all. ank you for keeping up with me and genuinely caring about my sanity, safety, well-being, happiness, growth and everything else you worried about. I thank you immensely for the encouragement and comments on posts and emails and Facebook messages. I felt the prayers and relied on your support. I appreciate you putting up with my blog and all of the ranting, rabbit trails, dramatic nature, and my sometimes diva-attitude. I love you all and couldn’t have done it without you. Here is the list I have been adding to throughout the summer. Some are serious and some are just stupid. ey are basically summaries of my previous blog posts and I hope you enjoy them.
have no idea where they’re going and will then proceed to drive you around for an hour hoping you’ll yell “Chop!” (stop) and hop out and pay him. It was always an adventure. Sour Soup is not your friend: Simple as that. It’s gross. God picks the most unqualified so you have to depend on Him: I had no idea what I was doing and I had no one to tell me how to do it. I had to lean completely on God. My whiteboard prayers and God’s obvious arrival became daily. Fish sauce is in everything and only smells bad when it’s being cooked: Fish sauce is basically liquid fermented fish and Cambodia loves fish sauce. Seriously. It’s in everything. While it’s cooking, you want to die. But if it’s cooked into something, it’s delicious, usually, and you’re shocked. We kind of have a love-hate relationship. Makeup-free living rocks: No makeup is the way to go. Sweat is a friend and should be appreciated: I have never had sweat literally dripping down me, but Cambodian life is different and dripping sweat is a daily occurrence. I’ve been told that it detoxifies you and makes you healthier and blah, blah. So three cheers for my new friend, sweat. Afternoon storms are a wonderful blessing and cool you off tremendously: It is hot and rain makes everything better. And it’s fun to go run and dance in. Simple as that. Things I learned in Cambodia Don’t eat the ice: If it has holes in it, like an ice cube, it’s safe. If it’s crushed, HospitalityChris isn’tGoldman judged(’87) onspoke how Monday great night from Hosea 4:1-12. run away. Or prepare to be throwing up your dinner parties are: I’ve grown up and in bed for three days. thinking that when the Bible talked about Students teach the teacher aboutSTEVE BUTMAN being hospitable, it was talking about how 98 percent of the time: I like to think that you need to let people sleep on your couch I taught them 2 percent of the time, but when they were in town and without a go back and read some previous posts. place to stay. Or that you needed to have I’m pretty sure they taught me more about people over three or four nights a week. Or life than I taught them about English. that people could tell how hospitable you Coconuts are not sweet on the inside: were by the extravagance of your dinner If they’re green and straight off the tree, parties on the back patio. Well, guess what don’t drink from them. Seriously. It’s like folks? at’s not how it works at all. I’ve salty water. been taught that hospitality is all about Khmer coffee is delicious: e coffee making someone feel at home. It’s about itself has this nutty kind of taste. ey pour making someone feel they are loved. an insane amount of sweetened condensed I was shown genuine hospitality through milk in and stir it. You can get it hot the constant invitation into people’s homes, or cold and from almost any street vendor huts, shacks or even just onto their mat or coffee shop. And it’s heavenly. Just ask with them. Even though they may not have for coffee with milk and be prepared to even had enough, I was constantly offered fall in love. food or water or the shade from the hot Air conditioning is a gift. Don’t take it sun. I was humbled by hospitality daily. for granted: No one has air conditioning If your tuk tuk driver tells you he knows in Cambodia. Seriously. It’s too expensive where he’s going, there is a 92 percent and kind of impractical because it would chance he doesn’t: People in Phnom Penh be on all day, every day and full-blast. Plus, are really bad with directions and so the everyone has adapted to the warm climate tuk tuk (three-wheel auto rickshaw) drivers and gets cold with the air conditioner. So rarely know how to get places. If you tell being back in America has been a real treat. them you want to go somewhere and they I actually get a little cold in my house now. say they can take you there, they probably
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Spring-Summer 2013
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