Sweetness in the Challenge: My Summer in Cambodia
Looking back on my entire experience last summer in Cambodia, where I had the privilege to serve as an MTW medical intern, it was the relationships I formed and the mentors who poured into me that blessed me the most.
The pediatrician I worked with liked to say, "You get what you get and you don't complain." It was a good reminder that we choose how we face difficult and disappointing circumstances. I faced the challenges of meeting new people, trying new foods, and traveling to a different place every few days; yet, there was a sweetness in how close we grew to each other during such a short time. I can be slow to open up with people, so I was surprised at how quickly I grew fond of my teammates and the people I met.
In America, where many things are measured quantitatively, it was a blessing to measure things qualitatively. I could report all the things that we did, but those are not the main reasons I enjoyed the internship. It was the intangibles—friendship, smiles, words of encouragement, lessons learned, reaffirmations—that cannot be measured. They are valuable and rewarding because they bring so much joy.
But looking beyond last summer, I’m thankful for how God is working through His people in Cambodia. In Song of Songs 2:2, the author writes, "Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." I saw that so much in Cambodia was "thorny": a history of genocide, broken marriages, poor healthcare and education, immense poverty, corrupt government. But there were so many "lilies": students with a heart for service, children being discipled on biblical truth, marriages being restored, and missionaries who were sacrificing to share God's love.
It was beautiful to see the good that is being done here. Rebuilding will take time, but I met so many who were eager to take on this task. Please pray with me for the Cambodia team, that God will continue to build His kingdom through them.
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Pray for God to raise up summer interns to serve on the field, and for Him to work powerfully in and through them while they serve.
Pray for the young men and women who are enslaved in the sex industry in Cambodia. Pray also for the ministries we partner with who are helping victims find freedom.
Pray for young Khmer girls who are repeatedly sold by their families. These families are steeped in poverty and see no other way to survive.
Pray for the Daughters of Cambodia, women who have come out of the sex-trafficking industry, and are now finding their value in Christ.
Pray for Freedom Ministries arm of MTW's work in Cambodia, providing a home for girls and young women rescued from trafficking. Pray that the girls who don't yet know Christ come to know Him.
Pray for a new initiative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to hand deliver soap and provide education on disease prevention to 600 families in poverty-stricken communities.
Pray for the students from Ank'jeay, Cambodia, who are going to college in Phnom Penh, to stay connected to the Church there and make an impact for Christ.
Pray for a young woman in Cambodia who is studying the Bible with missionaries she nannies for, that she would embrace Christ.
Pray for the church in Ank'jeay, Cambodia, and for the Khmer pastors using business as mission efforts to sustain their pastoral work.
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