Sunday, June 17, 2012

first morning

Well - I'm having a lot of trouble blogging from Cambodia!  Internet is very unstable and the program I downloaded to use is not working at all...I think I've found a stable internet so I'm going to try to blog right now!  Thanks for reading!

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The first morning in Phnom Pen

As I walked out of our hotel the first morning I was in Cambodia - I looked down and saw a site I still have not forgotten.

The tiniest little 4 yr old-ish girl with the most beautiful big brown eyes set deeply in a malnourished turned up face, placed her hands in a prayer position and asked me for help.  Financial help.  She was begging.

She appeared from the direction of the street - a place none of us back home would ever allow a child this young to be near.  A street where children roaming alone can only mean a couple of things, they are part of the booming sex slave business or working to beg to support a family or other adult who has a hold over them in some way, or, they are completely alone.

I had nothing to give her.

We had just packed all of our belongings in vans that were packed WAY too tight for anyone to try to locate anything personal.  I held my hands apart in contrast to her clenched hands indicating I had nothing.

She immediately disappeared as quickly as she came - and, when I say disappeared I mean vanished from site instantly.  I found this quite upsetting.

I walked over to the van and left her behind realizing I would never see her again.

It is logical to assume that if she were working for some unkind adult, anything I would have given her would not benefit her personally.  It was as if I had the old movie scene going on - with satan on one shoulder and an angel on the other shoulder arguing.  Evil said, "it wouldn't have mattered anyway" while good argued, "that's not up to you to decide - ..."unto the least of these..." this echoed in my mind.  What haunted me the most was the possibility of her being punished for not returning with money.

We are not called to understand and react logically, we are just called to help the poor, to have a broken heart for the forgotten.  God can decide how our help looks after we give it.

Now in Battambang, Cambodia, I keep some money in my pocket - determined not to miss another opportunity if God brings me one.  I pray however, that I get to share the Gospel instead of just money, but will be obedient to whatever God puts in my path.  Please keep praying for us.

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