Hi folks, no pictures tonight cos Pat is in charge!
Tracy is coping well with some bad news, her dad has died over night in hospital of a massive stroke.
He had had mini strokes before and on this occasion Hazel found him unconcious from which he never woke and slipped away peacefully with the family with him.
This does not make it any easier to cope with thousands of miles away.
As a team we have had a very good day.
The LOVED party today.
This was a day based on the 5 love languages , Gary Chapman, to a group of students. http://www.5lovelanguages.com/learn-the-languages/the-five-love-languages/
The students are supported in dormitories by Sithoun and Lysom our Normision hosts. This enables them to move from families in the countryside and study at university. Some were studying to be nurses, midwifes, teachers etc.
They were a fantastic group, enjoyed the teaching presented by Hans and Anita magnificently.
There were games to show the various languages including moving sweets with a straw, writing on plates attached to your back,1st to eat a length of licorice,etc.
We had lunch together and then went on a boat on ther Mekong with some burgers.
The whole day included several tuk tuk rides with our tame driver Polly although we do feel that his tuk tuk is not well and may not last the week.Being out in such a busy, vibrant, young city at night is a fantastic experience and we are all enjoying it.
Anne-Kate who is rooming with Tracy and I is now telling jokes in english so we can safely say her english is better than my norwegian.
Tomorrow, sunday, we go to join the students for their service, at which Tracy is preaching,and then drive onto Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat. Tracy is in the bath now polishing the sermon.
We have no idea about WiFi as we travel onward but will connect as soon as possible.
lørdag 30. juni 2012
fredag 29. juni 2012
A bit of everything
We started today with a trip to the Russian Market where we could shop at the stalls. I don't think there is anything you would not be able to get at that market.
I did a lot of my Christmas shopping!
We then went to the only hill in Phnom Penh which has a uddist temple built on it. As soon as I went into it I thought again about Paul in Athens (Acts 17.24) and these words: The God who made the world and everything in it... does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands...for in him we live and move and have our being. The statues are so dead and lifeless. People try to placate them with all kinds of offerings. Here is one with a slice of bacon in its mouth as an offering.
Offerings are made to protect people from evil spirits. I was aware that we have the name of Jesus that we can call upon at any time and anywhere had he has all power in heaven and on earth and under the earth. we can pray for or against anything in this world knowing that we are not dependent on whether we have pleased the gods or not. Our sin is paid for on the cross once and for all.
At this temple there was a very interesting working grass clock.
Near the clock were som young women selling stir fried grass hoppers, some of the team were willing to try them.
Rebekka (picture over) was the only one who ate one, she said they tasted ok but the legs got stuck in her teeth!
We went for lunch in the "Daughters of Cambodia" project http://www.daughtersofcambodia.blogspot.com/ and it was lovely! We then went downstairs to the beauty parlour and had a foot massage which was really wonderful! Non of us minded spending money there at such a worthwhile project and most of us have plans to return before the end of the trip.
We then went back to the hotel, ate during the evening and had a team planning and prayer meeting.
My evening meal, pineapple fried rice with chicken.
I did a lot of my Christmas shopping!
We then went to the only hill in Phnom Penh which has a uddist temple built on it. As soon as I went into it I thought again about Paul in Athens (Acts 17.24) and these words: The God who made the world and everything in it... does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands...for in him we live and move and have our being. The statues are so dead and lifeless. People try to placate them with all kinds of offerings. Here is one with a slice of bacon in its mouth as an offering.
Offerings are made to protect people from evil spirits. I was aware that we have the name of Jesus that we can call upon at any time and anywhere had he has all power in heaven and on earth and under the earth. we can pray for or against anything in this world knowing that we are not dependent on whether we have pleased the gods or not. Our sin is paid for on the cross once and for all.
At this temple there was a very interesting working grass clock.
Near the clock were som young women selling stir fried grass hoppers, some of the team were willing to try them.
Rebekka (picture over) was the only one who ate one, she said they tasted ok but the legs got stuck in her teeth!
We went for lunch in the "Daughters of Cambodia" project http://www.daughtersofcambodia.blogspot.com/ and it was lovely! We then went downstairs to the beauty parlour and had a foot massage which was really wonderful! Non of us minded spending money there at such a worthwhile project and most of us have plans to return before the end of the trip.
We then went back to the hotel, ate during the evening and had a team planning and prayer meeting.
My evening meal, pineapple fried rice with chicken.
torsdag 28. juni 2012
A lot to digest!
No we have not eaten too much, having said that we have not been hungry either! Today has given us a lot of information and impressions to digest.
We started the day with a trip to on of the "killing fields" where over 8700 skulls had been found and only 2/3 of the mass graves have been exhumed. It is one site of the mass genocide under the rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979 when 3 million Cambodians were executed.
It was a very peaceful place which had been sensitively and respectfully turned into a memorial of that time in Cambodian history. There were som of the bones on display which gave an idea of just what had happened in that place. The building above had lots of floors full of bones, skulls and clothing as well as the glass case in the picture below which was beside one of the exhumed graves.
There are often floods in Cambodia in the rainy season and when that happens new bones, parts of bones and teeth come to the surface as well as clothing that had been buried on the people. Walking along the paths we say bones lying on the surface of the graves and clothing sticking up in the paths as shown in the picture below.
After the Killing Fields we went to the school which the Khmer Rouge had used as a interrogation and torture centre before they were sent to one of the Killing fields. There was so much evil and so many innocent people murdered that many of us will take some time to process it all. My initial reaction is that this is tragic part of Cambodia's recent past but it is still happeneing in other parts of the world! How long will God allow evil to prevail? When will He bring it all to an end?
We went out for lunch and there was a lovely picture by our table (below) which was a balast to the terrible pictures we saw in the morning and the mental images we still carry in our minds eye.
Today has been a day of contrasts, this afternoon we went to the royal palace and saw all its affluence. Some of the team found it difficult to deal with in the light of the povery of the villages we visited in Prey Veng and the poverty and need all around us in Phnom Penh.
In the palace area there were lots of shrines to buddah, buddhist monks and a huge temple. It came to me that When Paul walks around Athens, he sees all the shrines i that city and then tells the people there about the Living God (Acts 17 from verse 16). Seeing all these shrines and statues made me think how dead they are and how wonderful it is to know the Living God. We do not need to worship statues and images made by hands, we have God with us through His Spirit the whole time.
Buddhist shrine with incense candles.
It was a very peaceful place which had been sensitively and respectfully turned into a memorial of that time in Cambodian history. There were som of the bones on display which gave an idea of just what had happened in that place. The building above had lots of floors full of bones, skulls and clothing as well as the glass case in the picture below which was beside one of the exhumed graves.
There are often floods in Cambodia in the rainy season and when that happens new bones, parts of bones and teeth come to the surface as well as clothing that had been buried on the people. Walking along the paths we say bones lying on the surface of the graves and clothing sticking up in the paths as shown in the picture below.
We went out for lunch and there was a lovely picture by our table (below) which was a balast to the terrible pictures we saw in the morning and the mental images we still carry in our minds eye.
Today has been a day of contrasts, this afternoon we went to the royal palace and saw all its affluence. Some of the team found it difficult to deal with in the light of the povery of the villages we visited in Prey Veng and the poverty and need all around us in Phnom Penh.
Buddhist shrine with incense candles.
onsdag 27. juni 2012
Wednesday
The day started with a forgotten breakfast. It was to be at 7am but by half past still hadn't come. Then a lady appeared looking rather stressed and soon after she came with a bowl of rice and some chicken. Not a standard breakfast but very welcome.
We then gathered up our belongings and got on the bus to go to the local schol and lead a morning of teaching for sunday school teachers. They are not more then teenagers themselves and it was a wonderful experience to share with them tips and skills that they can use to enhance their teaching. Anita and Hans did the teaching and the rest of the team were responsible for showing how to use puppets and drawing to tell bible stories.
The prodigal son told as a picture series. Rebekka and Irene.
Anita and Situon the translator.
After that we went to a local cafe on this street with the sunday school teachers and had lunch.There was a choice of rice, chicken and vegetables or offal and some leafy vegetable which I did not recognize.
We travelled back to Phnom Penh by bus. Pat was reunited with her lost suitcase and we all enjoyed using the bathroom and the pool in the hotel. This is a picture of the bathroom in the guest house in Prey Veng which we have been sharing for the last tree days.
We rounded off this evening with a gathering to share thoughts about the day and pray together. We were blessed by God the Holy Spirit giving almost all of the team a picture or word regarding the trip, the team or things which had happened during the day.
Hallelulia! We serve the living God who talks to us.
We then gathered up our belongings and got on the bus to go to the local schol and lead a morning of teaching for sunday school teachers. They are not more then teenagers themselves and it was a wonderful experience to share with them tips and skills that they can use to enhance their teaching. Anita and Hans did the teaching and the rest of the team were responsible for showing how to use puppets and drawing to tell bible stories.
The prodigal son told as a picture series. Rebekka and Irene.
Anita and Situon the translator.
After that we went to a local cafe on this street with the sunday school teachers and had lunch.There was a choice of rice, chicken and vegetables or offal and some leafy vegetable which I did not recognize.
We travelled back to Phnom Penh by bus. Pat was reunited with her lost suitcase and we all enjoyed using the bathroom and the pool in the hotel. This is a picture of the bathroom in the guest house in Prey Veng which we have been sharing for the last tree days.
We rounded off this evening with a gathering to share thoughts about the day and pray together. We were blessed by God the Holy Spirit giving almost all of the team a picture or word regarding the trip, the team or things which had happened during the day.
Hallelulia! We serve the living God who talks to us.
tirsdag 26. juni 2012
A taste of today
What thave we been up to today? Well first about last night, it went dark at about 7pm and we were all in bed an hour or two after that. There are ten of us in the team and only two double beds... The teenagers slept on the floor last night and wiil do tonight and we adults are going to change about so everyone gets one night in a bed. Here is a picture of Pat on her mat on the floor under a mosqueto net.
Last night we all got some sleep but nobody slept well
Last night we all got some sleep but nobody slept well
mandag 25. juni 2012
A new day
We were collected straight after breakfast by minibus and driven to Prey veng. The journey itself was a fantastic experience. We all stared out of the windows at the strange and foreign country before our eyes. Everything here is different and new to us. During te journey we packed the bags of health care items which each person would receive at after the teaching. They contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and a nit comb.We got quitew a good system going by passing each bag from back to front in the bus adding one item per person and then the last person knotting the bags. Irene and Rebecca started it off with toothbrushes.
We had to cross a river by car ferry, a very different experience from a car ferry at home in Norway. Waiting for it allowed peole to come and sall their goods, we were offered everything from sunglasses to fruit.There was also some people selling snacks, nobody was tempted to buy any though, there were stirfried cockroaches which one lady showed Pat how to eat by removing the legs and wings then popping into her mouth - yum? The lady selling griddled frogs and stirfried locusts dd not tempt any of us either.
Thankfully Situon had brought fruit for snacking on and cola to drink. After a couple of hours we arrived at the Parce project which will be our headquarters for the next couple of days. We were treated to a lunch of rice, pototoes and carrots with an uidentifiable meat and a veyr tasty sliced meat fried in oyster sayce.
Full and happy it was straight off to our first teaching in a village. I have never been chauffer driven before and when we realised we were to be driven on motorbikes we had various feelings about it. The drivers, 13 in all seemed amused by this group of westerners - not surprising really!
I was determined to enjoy it, and did once I got used to it. The journey should take about an hour by motorbike we were told, after 15 minutes on a reasonaly good road I began to enjoy watching the countryside zoom past. This is definately raural Cambodia and I felt priviledged to be seeing it. My driver set off last and I was happy to be at the back but no, we whizzed past all the others and then left them behind! We turned off the road onto what can barely be described as a track between rice fields. The surface was incedibly bumpy! So me of the bikes had less powerful engines than others and a couple in our group had to get off and walk in places. When we arrived Irene said she had never prayed so much as when she was on that journey! Others were rather stiff with cramp in their hands from hanging on tightly!
There was about 60 people waiting for u in the village and as we arrived so did more people! Pat taught and we supported the teaching with drama, all went very well. After that some of us played with the children while the health team dealt with a variety of illnesses and injuries.
Before we knew it we were back on the motorbikes and heading to the Parce headquarters again.
We had to cross a river by car ferry, a very different experience from a car ferry at home in Norway. Waiting for it allowed peole to come and sall their goods, we were offered everything from sunglasses to fruit.There was also some people selling snacks, nobody was tempted to buy any though, there were stirfried cockroaches which one lady showed Pat how to eat by removing the legs and wings then popping into her mouth - yum? The lady selling griddled frogs and stirfried locusts dd not tempt any of us either.
Full and happy it was straight off to our first teaching in a village. I have never been chauffer driven before and when we realised we were to be driven on motorbikes we had various feelings about it. The drivers, 13 in all seemed amused by this group of westerners - not surprising really!
I was determined to enjoy it, and did once I got used to it. The journey should take about an hour by motorbike we were told, after 15 minutes on a reasonaly good road I began to enjoy watching the countryside zoom past. This is definately raural Cambodia and I felt priviledged to be seeing it. My driver set off last and I was happy to be at the back but no, we whizzed past all the others and then left them behind! We turned off the road onto what can barely be described as a track between rice fields. The surface was incedibly bumpy! So me of the bikes had less powerful engines than others and a couple in our group had to get off and walk in places. When we arrived Irene said she had never prayed so much as when she was on that journey! Others were rather stiff with cramp in their hands from hanging on tightly!
There was about 60 people waiting for u in the village and as we arrived so did more people! Pat taught and we supported the teaching with drama, all went very well. After that some of us played with the children while the health team dealt with a variety of illnesses and injuries.
Before we knew it we were back on the motorbikes and heading to the Parce headquarters again.
søndag 24. juni 2012
Here and well
We arrived here in Phnom Panh last night after a long journey. Everything arrived with us except Pat's suitcase which has all her clothes and doctor equipmentn / medicines in. It seems that case is still in Oslo! This is a particular problem as we are leaving for Prey Veng this morning where we will be doing health-care teaching and seminars for sunday school teachers. We have evenything we need except the medical equipment. We have decided not to postpone this trip as it would be difficult with the rest of the schedule.
This is a picture of us yesterday evening repacking the teaching materials and equipment we will need for the next three days.
We were met at the airport by Situon and his wife Lousom as well as their two small sons Simon and Samuel, Situon works for Normisjon and will accompany us during most of the trip as guide and translator.
We ate a lovely meal in a restraunt around the corner from the hotel before turning in for the night.
This morning we only have time to eat breakfast before leaving for more adventures in Prey Veng.
This is a picture of us yesterday evening repacking the teaching materials and equipment we will need for the next three days.
We were met at the airport by Situon and his wife Lousom as well as their two small sons Simon and Samuel, Situon works for Normisjon and will accompany us during most of the trip as guide and translator.
We ate a lovely meal in a restraunt around the corner from the hotel before turning in for the night.
This morning we only have time to eat breakfast before leaving for more adventures in Prey Veng.
Bankok
Well we have safely arrived in Bankok, only one 2 hour fliught left. The journey so far has gone very smoothly, thank you to all who are praying for us. We were late arriving in Zurich but were transferred directly from the plane to the overnight Bankok flight without problem.
We all managed some sleep on the plane but I think it was only me who slept for 7.5 hours and needed waking for breakfast!
In the airport we have had a team meeting, we have a busy few days ahead of us and need to be organised if we are to keep to the schedule. After the team meeting we are free to wander around the airport shops. Below is a picture of doctor Pat who joined us in Oslo and is a part of the team.
We all managed some sleep on the plane but I think it was only me who slept for 7.5 hours and needed waking for breakfast!
lørdag 23. juni 2012
We're on the way
We are all safely on our first of four flighte during the next 24 hours. We are heading for Oslo where we will meet up with the last member of the team, Pat the doctor who is flying in from the UK.
fredag 22. juni 2012
One day left
How am I going to spend the remaining day before departure? With focus on my family and focus on God. It is a long time since I have been away without at least some of my family with me and I cannot remember ever being away for so many days on my own. It will be strange to have lots of new experiences which are not shared with them.
It is for God and his kingdom we are going. I trust that he has lots of expeiences for us in Cambodia. I trust that he is with us both to challenge us and to comfort us.I know there are lots of people supporting us in prayer and that is perhaps the most important thing of all; bringing the team before Him regularly and interceeding for us. If you are one of the prayers, thank you. Don't forget you have a very important role in our trip.Prayer changes things, it moves the hand of God. I will try to keep this blog updated so your prayers can be focussed on what we are doing day by day.
It is for God and his kingdom we are going. I trust that he has lots of expeiences for us in Cambodia. I trust that he is with us both to challenge us and to comfort us.I know there are lots of people supporting us in prayer and that is perhaps the most important thing of all; bringing the team before Him regularly and interceeding for us. If you are one of the prayers, thank you. Don't forget you have a very important role in our trip.Prayer changes things, it moves the hand of God. I will try to keep this blog updated so your prayers can be focussed on what we are doing day by day.
tirsdag 19. juni 2012
3 days left
Well, now the trip is very close and I cannot decide if I am excited or quite what I feel. It is a bit difficult to know what to feel when you have no idea what to expect. Well, not much idea anyway. The norwegian word "spent" has no equal in english but does sum up how I am feeling. "Spent" is often translated as excited but it is not quite correct. Excited in English is a singularly positive word where as "spent" has an element of nervousness in it. If you ask me now how I am feeling I would reply that I am "spent" in the norwegian sense of the word.
I have quite a strange selection of items now gathered into a heap in the sitting room. Not the normal holiday packing. Here are a couple of examples of the odder things in my luggage heap: 100 tubes of toothpaste, 40 laminated posters of bible stories, 100 syringes (no, I have not taken to drugs!), some non-cotton swabs and my holiday reading would appear to be called "Where women have no doctor".
I want two things primarily for this trip, to honour God in all we say and do and that we as individuals as well as the team will come closer to Him. This trip in my mind is not as much about what we get or experience but how we can serve the people we meet in Cambodia. There will of course be lots of new experiences but that is definately secondary.
I have been invited to speak at the churches where we are on the Sundays. Those of you reading this will know that I am not often stuck for words but this time I am struggling. Partly because I have been a bit too busy to spend time listening to God and what he wants me to say to the people I will speak to, and partly because every time I start to think I realise how culturally based much of what I normally say is. I feel therefore my words will be at best culturally irrelevant to the people I will meet. The answer I know is to seek God and prioritise that. He knows what he wants to use me to say to them. The challenge in real terms is finding the space and the calm to listen to Him.
I have quite a strange selection of items now gathered into a heap in the sitting room. Not the normal holiday packing. Here are a couple of examples of the odder things in my luggage heap: 100 tubes of toothpaste, 40 laminated posters of bible stories, 100 syringes (no, I have not taken to drugs!), some non-cotton swabs and my holiday reading would appear to be called "Where women have no doctor".
I want two things primarily for this trip, to honour God in all we say and do and that we as individuals as well as the team will come closer to Him. This trip in my mind is not as much about what we get or experience but how we can serve the people we meet in Cambodia. There will of course be lots of new experiences but that is definately secondary.
I have been invited to speak at the churches where we are on the Sundays. Those of you reading this will know that I am not often stuck for words but this time I am struggling. Partly because I have been a bit too busy to spend time listening to God and what he wants me to say to the people I will speak to, and partly because every time I start to think I realise how culturally based much of what I normally say is. I feel therefore my words will be at best culturally irrelevant to the people I will meet. The answer I know is to seek God and prioritise that. He knows what he wants to use me to say to them. The challenge in real terms is finding the space and the calm to listen to Him.
lørdag 16. juni 2012
6 days to go
This time next week I will have just arrived in Oslo on the first leg of the trip. We will be travelling to Phnom Penh from Stavanger via Oslo, where we will meet up with Pat, then on to Zurich, Bankok and finally Phnom Penh.
Itinerary
23rd June Depart Stavanger via Olso and Zurich to Bangkok and finally Phnom Penh.
25th and 26th June To Prey Veng province where we will be holding health-education seminars in three different places.
27th June Sunday-school teachers’ seminar.
28th and 29th June sightseeing in Phnom Penh. http://wikitravel.org/en/Phnom_Penh
30th June Loved party with students.
1st July Church service then depart for Siem Reap. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/siem-reap
2nd July tour of Angkor Wat. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668
3rd July Return to Phnom Penh.
4th July Depart for Kampong Speu province. Sunday-school teachers’ seminar. http://www.tourismcambodia.org/provincial_guide/index.php?view=detail&prv=5
5th July Health and hygiene seminar followed by a football tournament for teenagers.
6th July To Shanoukville. http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/ Check out the slide show at the bottom of this link.
7th July Health and hygiene seminar at a school.
8th July Back to Phnom Penh.
9th July To Bangkok then home.
10th July Arrive Stavanger.
Although the main aim of the trip is to serve the Cambodian people in practical ways there is an occasional day of relaxation which I am sure we will need. The schedule is otherwise busy and we will have to quickly acclimatize to temperatures of around 35 degrees centigrade - lovely you might think BUT the humidity is between 80 and 90%!
Below is a map of Cambodia which will give you an idea of the position and size of the country.
View Larger Map
This is Normisjon's web page about Cambodia and the projects we have there. There are some great pictures and if you have time to fiddle a bit you can use google translate to translate the text.
http://www.normisjon.no/kambodsja
Itinerary
23rd June Depart Stavanger via Olso and Zurich to Bangkok and finally Phnom Penh.
25th and 26th June To Prey Veng province where we will be holding health-education seminars in three different places.
27th June Sunday-school teachers’ seminar.
28th and 29th June sightseeing in Phnom Penh. http://wikitravel.org/en/Phnom_Penh
30th June Loved party with students.
1st July Church service then depart for Siem Reap. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia/siem-reap
2nd July tour of Angkor Wat. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668
3rd July Return to Phnom Penh.
4th July Depart for Kampong Speu province. Sunday-school teachers’ seminar. http://www.tourismcambodia.org/provincial_guide/index.php?view=detail&prv=5
5th July Health and hygiene seminar followed by a football tournament for teenagers.
6th July To Shanoukville. http://www.sihanoukville-cambodia.com/ Check out the slide show at the bottom of this link.
7th July Health and hygiene seminar at a school.
8th July Back to Phnom Penh.
9th July To Bangkok then home.
10th July Arrive Stavanger.
Although the main aim of the trip is to serve the Cambodian people in practical ways there is an occasional day of relaxation which I am sure we will need. The schedule is otherwise busy and we will have to quickly acclimatize to temperatures of around 35 degrees centigrade - lovely you might think BUT the humidity is between 80 and 90%!
Below is a map of Cambodia which will give you an idea of the position and size of the country.
View Larger Map
This is Normisjon's web page about Cambodia and the projects we have there. There are some great pictures and if you have time to fiddle a bit you can use google translate to translate the text.
http://www.normisjon.no/kambodsja
torsdag 14. juni 2012
9 days to go!
There are only nine days left before the team leave for Cambodia. We are all starting to get excited and perhaps a bit nervous too! We leave Stavanger on Saturday the 23rd of June and fly first to Oslo where we will meet up with Pat Rishton, Tracy's sister in law who is a doctor and the tenth member of our team. From there we fly on to Zurich followed by an overnight flight to Bankok and finally a short hop to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.
Cambodia is a country with a troubled past. Many will remember the terrible years from 1975 to 1979 when under the Khmer Rouge over two million men, women and children were slaughtered. For more information see: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1879785,00.html The result we still see today is a very young population with huge challenges ahead of them. I do not yet know what all this will look like in reality when we get there nor do I know how I will react to what I see especially if we visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
In the team we have 4 youths aged 13-17, two nurses, a doctor, a teacher, a pre-school teacher and me. The team will be involved in much teaching as well as some practical help and through this we will try to show Gods love in word and action. We will be teaching basic health care in five places. My role in this is minimal, I will be part of the drama group supporting the teaching.
In two places we will be gathering the sundayschool teachers from the area and encourageing them in their important role as well as holding seminars on various ways of telling bible stories to children. Amongst other things we will be using puppets to tell the story of the lost sheep as an example. The puppets will be left with the sundayschool for them to use in the future.
We will be holding a "Loved" day for fourty teenagers and teaching them about the five languages of love http://www.5lovelanguages.com/learn-the-languages/the-five-love-languages/ followed by a "loved" party.
We will be away for seventeen days and spend a lot of our time travelling or teaching. Please pray for us as we prepare to travel as well as during the trip.
The team
Cambodia is a country with a troubled past. Many will remember the terrible years from 1975 to 1979 when under the Khmer Rouge over two million men, women and children were slaughtered. For more information see: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1879785,00.html The result we still see today is a very young population with huge challenges ahead of them. I do not yet know what all this will look like in reality when we get there nor do I know how I will react to what I see especially if we visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.
In the team we have 4 youths aged 13-17, two nurses, a doctor, a teacher, a pre-school teacher and me. The team will be involved in much teaching as well as some practical help and through this we will try to show Gods love in word and action. We will be teaching basic health care in five places. My role in this is minimal, I will be part of the drama group supporting the teaching.
In two places we will be gathering the sundayschool teachers from the area and encourageing them in their important role as well as holding seminars on various ways of telling bible stories to children. Amongst other things we will be using puppets to tell the story of the lost sheep as an example. The puppets will be left with the sundayschool for them to use in the future.
We will be holding a "Loved" day for fourty teenagers and teaching them about the five languages of love http://www.5lovelanguages.com/learn-the-languages/the-five-love-languages/ followed by a "loved" party.
We will be away for seventeen days and spend a lot of our time travelling or teaching. Please pray for us as we prepare to travel as well as during the trip.
The team
mandag 11. juni 2012
Generosity
Read Matthew 19.16-26.
I have recently been thinking about generosity and giving. There is a saying that "the last thing to be converted is the wallet". I am not sure that it is the case for everyone although it can be tempting to not fully trust Jesus but to want to trust ourselves and our own abilities in other areas of our lives and so I would guess it holds true here too. We find it difficult to fully trust him with our economy. We feel that we are safer if we have a bit put away for a rainy day.
There is much to say about the common teaching, purported to be Jesus' teaching that Christians should give a tythe, 10% of their income to charities and the church. I believe Jesus wants us to give our lives fully to him and that includes our economy. What we have therefore belongs to God and is given to us to use wisely. Our generous God does not say that we should have nothing ourselves, far from it. We are however asked to use it wisely and for His glory. Time and again in the gospels we see that Jesus is less interested in how much people give as in how much they keep for themselves.
There is another saying which is somewhat sharper than the first one I quoted "the church does not have money problems, there is pleanty of it in the pockets of the church members". I think that is perhaps a bit provocative but it does make a valid point.
What we give and where we give it to is not about how many blessings we might get back although God does bless us especially when we behave like him, in this case generously, but we cannot buy his blessings.
To be a disciple meanns to be a follower of the master and disciples in Jesus' time would give up everything to follow their master if he were to choose them. Jesus turned this on its head and he invites us all to come and follow him as one of his disciples. It is not just for the special chosen few, following Jesus is open to all. We make the choice but to be serious about following him demands our all. Isaac Watts put it well in his famous hymn When I survey the wonderous cross.
Our giving does not start with ourselves but with Jesus and our generosity springs our from there. When money has more control over us or power in our lives than Jesus then we need to re-evaluate our priorities. The bible text at the top of the page is considered sufficiently important to be included by Matthew, Mark (10.17-31) and Luke (18.18-23) in their gospels. Do we hear what it says and do we take it seriously, we who live in the rich west? Is there any area of our lives we have not fully given over to Jesus?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhmmeFuzGRk&feature=share
I have recently been thinking about generosity and giving. There is a saying that "the last thing to be converted is the wallet". I am not sure that it is the case for everyone although it can be tempting to not fully trust Jesus but to want to trust ourselves and our own abilities in other areas of our lives and so I would guess it holds true here too. We find it difficult to fully trust him with our economy. We feel that we are safer if we have a bit put away for a rainy day.
There is much to say about the common teaching, purported to be Jesus' teaching that Christians should give a tythe, 10% of their income to charities and the church. I believe Jesus wants us to give our lives fully to him and that includes our economy. What we have therefore belongs to God and is given to us to use wisely. Our generous God does not say that we should have nothing ourselves, far from it. We are however asked to use it wisely and for His glory. Time and again in the gospels we see that Jesus is less interested in how much people give as in how much they keep for themselves.
There is another saying which is somewhat sharper than the first one I quoted "the church does not have money problems, there is pleanty of it in the pockets of the church members". I think that is perhaps a bit provocative but it does make a valid point.
What we give and where we give it to is not about how many blessings we might get back although God does bless us especially when we behave like him, in this case generously, but we cannot buy his blessings.
To be a disciple meanns to be a follower of the master and disciples in Jesus' time would give up everything to follow their master if he were to choose them. Jesus turned this on its head and he invites us all to come and follow him as one of his disciples. It is not just for the special chosen few, following Jesus is open to all. We make the choice but to be serious about following him demands our all. Isaac Watts put it well in his famous hymn When I survey the wonderous cross.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Our giving does not start with ourselves but with Jesus and our generosity springs our from there. When money has more control over us or power in our lives than Jesus then we need to re-evaluate our priorities. The bible text at the top of the page is considered sufficiently important to be included by Matthew, Mark (10.17-31) and Luke (18.18-23) in their gospels. Do we hear what it says and do we take it seriously, we who live in the rich west? Is there any area of our lives we have not fully given over to Jesus?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhmmeFuzGRk&feature=share
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