Living in Community

My room overlooks the local housing in Phnom Penh. They are in very poor condition but will give you an idea of the general economic status of many residents of this area. Last night many families slept on the roof due to the heat. There also doesn’t appear to be any running water in the homes. This morning I watched a young man brush his teeth and wash his face on the roof with a small bucket of water. A family of 7 sat on their roof and prepared breakfast. Everyone used buckets of water for washing & cooking. It is not uncommon for a few families to share a single toilet. When it rains, you can smell sewage.


We visited a local Khmer church this morning. The group I was in went to a small church that was supposed to reflect the culture a little more closely. I noticed that the service involved many people in the front. Prayers, worship, liturgy, sermon, close, etc. They were all done by different people. Their prayers were not short, they were long. I chuckled inside a little wondering how a prayer like this would fly at home! :-) I’m wondering if this is a cultural thing.



The Pastor spoke on Matthew 24 and our role as Christians before jesus returns. We had a few interpreters for portions of the sermon. It was a wonderful experience to see fellow Christians onthe other side of the world worshipping the same God. The church TRULY is universal and God's doing cool things in the lives of these people. I also spoke at length with the worship leader afterwards and discussed what he felt are Cambodia’s biggest needs. Without a breath, he said “The Gospel. Money and other things come later.”

He told me that Americans are usually very willing to meet a need by giving money to a cause but sometimes do not recognize that the gospel must be the priority when engaging the community. He agreed that some basic needs must be met first, but he was very specific in saying that they will not resource communities unless sharing the gospel is the focal point. This can only happen by sharing life with the people.

I ponder how this perspective has made its way into the US church. The perception, to some degree, may exist that says giving money to causes, even great causes, satisfies our obligation to do the work of ministry. How many times do people write their offering checks and feel they’ve done their part in the church? Yes, the financial piece is needed but I beleive God’s true calling to us requires that we share our lives with others. Jesus said that what we do for the least of His brethren is done as unto him (matt 25:45). Money won’t solve the problems of Cambodia or the US. It may make their temporary life on earth more comfortable but it won't do a thing for their soul. Only the power of Christ can do that.

Tomorrow begins our three-day visit to Angkor Wat. if you don't know anything about Angkor Wat, you may want to google it. It's part of Cambodia's pride and the most popular tourist spot in the country. The temple is over 1,000 years old and still holds great signifcance to the people due to its Buddhist heritage. Internet may not be available on the trip so I may not be able to post until Wed night.

Rumor has it that we'll be stopping for some Cambodian delicacies on the way. Fried Tarantulas are first on the list. (no joke)

Blessings!

-P