Our youngest boy is now one and a half years old. "Lion Cub" is no longer crawling and his personality is starting to shine. So, I have decided to change his blog name to "Mr Happy".
I realise that when he hits the "terrible twos" this name will mock me, but he certainly deserves it at the moment.
The other day I attended a meeting at school with Mr Happy who played by himself in the corner, singing "Hap-py, Hap-py, Hap-py, Hap-py".
As his Mum, I'd love to take credit for his pleasant nature, but it is just who he is. And I'm not complaining!
Monday, September 15, 2008
When my people pray...
Prey Veng province has been experiencing drought and the people are starting to suffer. It seems that an Angkor-Wat like temple is being built there and the faithful are praying against rain to speed construction and appease the local grandfather-gods.
Then, a few weeks ago 36 leaders from 8 churches in the surrounding area met and prayed. They called upon God and repented on behalf of their country. The following week it rained constantly.
My friend and her husband felt lead by God to organise the meeting. She tells me that despite being here for 17 years "I don't think this would have happened even two or three years ago". Only now were they and the local churches ready to see such a miracle.
The crux of it was repenting of sin - recognising it and asking God to ruthlessly eliminate it. My friend shared that for the last two to three years God had been targetting sin in her own life until she, like the Israelites after 40 years in the desert, is totally "sick" of her sin.
My friend is now hoping to begin teaching the church leaders James 5:16. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Perhaps more miracles will follow.
It makes me think about how ofter we whitewash our sin calling them "personality", "foibles", or "they way we were raised" and then wonder why our prayers lack power.
Then, a few weeks ago 36 leaders from 8 churches in the surrounding area met and prayed. They called upon God and repented on behalf of their country. The following week it rained constantly.
My friend and her husband felt lead by God to organise the meeting. She tells me that despite being here for 17 years "I don't think this would have happened even two or three years ago". Only now were they and the local churches ready to see such a miracle.
The crux of it was repenting of sin - recognising it and asking God to ruthlessly eliminate it. My friend shared that for the last two to three years God had been targetting sin in her own life until she, like the Israelites after 40 years in the desert, is totally "sick" of her sin.
My friend is now hoping to begin teaching the church leaders James 5:16. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Perhaps more miracles will follow.
It makes me think about how ofter we whitewash our sin calling them "personality", "foibles", or "they way we were raised" and then wonder why our prayers lack power.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Questions for short-termers (and long termers too)
Over the school holidays one of the Khmer teacher aides from our children’s school did some translating for a short term team from Australia. He’s a great young Christian man and the team really enjoyed their time with him. Before they left, they invited him to go to Australia to study, indicating that they could sponsor him. He is now working through the mountain of paperwork required and telling all his mates of this amazing opportunity.
You might be surprised to hear that this story makes me cringe. What possibly could be wrong with such extravagant generosity? Perhaps, nothing!
An Aussie friend of mine met a Khmer guy studying at a Bible College in Sydney. They are now married and serving here in Cambodia – he is a lecturer at the Bible College. To me, they are an example of what great things can happen.
But I am concerned that taking young Khmer Christians, educating them in our secular Universities and introducing them to our gods of materialism and individualism may ultimately be unhelpful for the country that these short-termers were seeking to serve.
The Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development wrote an article entitled “Doing Short-Term Missions without Doing Long-Term Harm” which my friend Gretchen kindly summarises (thanks Gretchen!). She highlights, “Most STM (short term mission) trips violate basic principles of effective poverty-alleviation and have the potential to do considerable harm both to low-income people and to ourselves”.
Further, each team needs to ask themselves some key questions.
“Are the people of this community capable of helping themselves?” If yes, then relief (ie handouts) is not the right intervention as it will only exacerbate issues of dependence and low self-esteem. Leave the work to those doing development.
“What are we doing to the testimony of the local church that already exists in this community?” Local churches cannot compete with glossy programs so STM teams should seek to be less on the front stage and instead look for ways to support the local church and its ministry.
Rather than focusing on the needs of the community, ask “What are the gifts and abilities that God has placed in low income communities?” Then seek to be learners and listeners rather than inflating our own superiority by giving and serving.
I wonder if the abovementioned team would have been so quick with their offer if they had considered these questions and the potential impact of this adventure on the young man, his family, fellow workers, local church and community.
You might be surprised to hear that this story makes me cringe. What possibly could be wrong with such extravagant generosity? Perhaps, nothing!
An Aussie friend of mine met a Khmer guy studying at a Bible College in Sydney. They are now married and serving here in Cambodia – he is a lecturer at the Bible College. To me, they are an example of what great things can happen.
But I am concerned that taking young Khmer Christians, educating them in our secular Universities and introducing them to our gods of materialism and individualism may ultimately be unhelpful for the country that these short-termers were seeking to serve.
The Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development wrote an article entitled “Doing Short-Term Missions without Doing Long-Term Harm” which my friend Gretchen kindly summarises (thanks Gretchen!). She highlights, “Most STM (short term mission) trips violate basic principles of effective poverty-alleviation and have the potential to do considerable harm both to low-income people and to ourselves”.
Further, each team needs to ask themselves some key questions.
“Are the people of this community capable of helping themselves?” If yes, then relief (ie handouts) is not the right intervention as it will only exacerbate issues of dependence and low self-esteem. Leave the work to those doing development.
“What are we doing to the testimony of the local church that already exists in this community?” Local churches cannot compete with glossy programs so STM teams should seek to be less on the front stage and instead look for ways to support the local church and its ministry.
Rather than focusing on the needs of the community, ask “What are the gifts and abilities that God has placed in low income communities?” Then seek to be learners and listeners rather than inflating our own superiority by giving and serving.
I wonder if the abovementioned team would have been so quick with their offer if they had considered these questions and the potential impact of this adventure on the young man, his family, fellow workers, local church and community.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A testimony worth sharing...
Each week at our local Khmer Church, people give testimonies of God working in their lives – usually of healing and protection (two key pillars of faith here).
Last Sunday, a young man in his early 30s told of how two to three weeks ago he had been riding his motorbike during a terrible thunderstorm. He was actually teaching Khmer to a foreigner and was loathe to miss a lesson despite the awful weather.
As he neared the huge antennae at Toul Kork (near our first two houses here), lightning struck. He described to us the pain that seemed to pass from his mobile phone and out through his arms. In “shock”, he rode faster to outpace the danger. Later, he marvelled that he wasn’t killed by either event and praised God.
He was in great pain for a number of days, but soon healed which was his second praise point.
But, it was his final praise point that was the most surprising and had the congregation in stitches. Over many months, this man had been taking various courses of medicine prescribed to rid him of some very hardy parasites. The lightning strike finally did the job.
Last Sunday, a young man in his early 30s told of how two to three weeks ago he had been riding his motorbike during a terrible thunderstorm. He was actually teaching Khmer to a foreigner and was loathe to miss a lesson despite the awful weather.
As he neared the huge antennae at Toul Kork (near our first two houses here), lightning struck. He described to us the pain that seemed to pass from his mobile phone and out through his arms. In “shock”, he rode faster to outpace the danger. Later, he marvelled that he wasn’t killed by either event and praised God.
He was in great pain for a number of days, but soon healed which was his second praise point.
But, it was his final praise point that was the most surprising and had the congregation in stitches. Over many months, this man had been taking various courses of medicine prescribed to rid him of some very hardy parasites. The lightning strike finally did the job.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
New Skills
When coming to Cambodia, I always knew that I would need to learn language and culture. But I never counted on the various new skills or re-training I would encounter.
Tying up mosquito nets. Crossing roads. Eating meals without water. Smiling instead of getting angry. Sitting lady-like, even on a motorbike. Yet, squatting most un-lady-likely if there is no seat on-hand.
I am getting better at all these. But somehow I still have not mastered the skill of flushing the toilet with a scoop.
Unlike most skills, I have not had the chance to observe the techniques used by others but I can certainly hear the “one flush and it’s gone” routine. Only after three, four… up to seven scoops can I re-enter the world, satisfied that no-one will be surprised by any gifts left behind.
It’s certainly not through lack of effort or creativity. I have swished and swashed (clockwise and anti-clockwise). I have plunged and bucketed. I’ve used my left and right hand (forehand and backhand). I’ve tried every technique imaginable to simulate the flush of modern cisterns, with no success.
As I write this, my husband tells me that with the squat toilet I need to flush like throwing a bowling ball in the alley. “Just don’t hit the front pin head on”.
Hmm. With renewed hope, I’m off to practice...
Tying up mosquito nets. Crossing roads. Eating meals without water. Smiling instead of getting angry. Sitting lady-like, even on a motorbike. Yet, squatting most un-lady-likely if there is no seat on-hand.
I am getting better at all these. But somehow I still have not mastered the skill of flushing the toilet with a scoop.
Unlike most skills, I have not had the chance to observe the techniques used by others but I can certainly hear the “one flush and it’s gone” routine. Only after three, four… up to seven scoops can I re-enter the world, satisfied that no-one will be surprised by any gifts left behind.
It’s certainly not through lack of effort or creativity. I have swished and swashed (clockwise and anti-clockwise). I have plunged and bucketed. I’ve used my left and right hand (forehand and backhand). I’ve tried every technique imaginable to simulate the flush of modern cisterns, with no success.
As I write this, my husband tells me that with the squat toilet I need to flush like throwing a bowling ball in the alley. “Just don’t hit the front pin head on”.
Hmm. With renewed hope, I’m off to practice...
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