lesson #378

I learned something today. OTC drugs = over-the-counter medicines. The phrase made me smile because pretty much everything is OTC here. Wiki does inform me that 'Regulations detailing the establishments where drugs may be sold, who is authorised to dispense them, and whether a prescription is required vary considerably from country to country.' Understated... and so true. Pass me another pink pill...

the book challenge

A couple of weeks back I made time to tidy our bookshelves... (there was the satisfaction that at least one small corner of my life is now in order!)

The next day these boys came over with mum so I gave them this fun sticker book & some pre-reader books to play with.

Meanwhile, I'm reading the New Testament in Khmer and have joined a weekly bible study group in the Cambodian language too. It's the first time in several years that I've done any intentional language study and my brain is getting a good workout! Speaking Khmer for daily purposes is easy enough but now comes the book challenge.

JSC

PHOTO: Sister Denise with a gardener at JSC.

This morning my housemates & I visited the Metta Karuna Reflection Centre in Siem Reap run by Jesuit Service Cambodia. Sister Denise showed us the garden, sharing information about the various sculptures & objects in the reflection centre. This mural depicts "the Dhamma wheel being pushed by Buddhist monks, peace loving men and women, including people in wheelchairs, farmers, Catholic priests, nuns and soldiers as they walk to promote non-violence, peace and reconciliation."

The brochure tells me, "Years ago in the refugee camps, JRS reflected on how best to end the war and exile in Cambodia and promote peace. One of the decisions was to work with the Buddhist monks to promote reconciliation. Along with Maha Ghosanada...friends of peace began to organise the Peace Walk. The first was in 1992. The 1993 walk lead up to the first elections after the Pol Pot genocide era. Thousands walked across the country into Phnom Penh and the next day 95% of the population turned out to vote in peace."


I thought of peace and reconciliation today as Australia pilgrimage to the polling stations for the Federal Election. In what ways can we promote peace regardless of the outcomes of this election day?


Prayer of Maha Ghosanada

The Suffering of Cambodia has been deep
From this suffering comes Great Compassion
Great Compassion makes a Peaceful Heart
A Peaceful Heart makes a Peaceful Person
A Peaceful Person makes a Peaceful Family
A Peaceful Family makes a Peaceful Community
A Peaceful Community makes a Peaceful Nation
A Peaceful Nation makes a Peaceful World
A Peaceful World makes a Peaceful Universe


I reflected on this prayer. How do I cultivate a Peaceful Heart that leads to being a Peaceful Person?

above all

Therefore, you shalt not be a victim.
You shalt not be a perpetrator.
Above all, you shalt not be a bystander.

Yehuda Bauer

Mittsomlang

The letter begins:

I love Alyssa, kid in preschool love u all and realy miss u so much.

you are a great person!

thanks you very much for helping kid in Cambodia...

Mitch & Alyssa spent six months living and volunteering in Poipet. They came wanting to learn and to serve. They weren't sure if they had a special 'calling' but they were willing. And that's all it takes.

M&A proved to be faithful, flexible servants. They adjusted to cold showers, squat toilets and the challenges of living with 'uninvited guests' of the insect & animal kind. Alyssa walked through the mud to advise and encourage the teachers at the MMF school. She persevered through staff changes, even when the 4.5 teaching staff at the end of her six-month term were all new. Mitch taught English in two villages and at one urban school. He also mentored a Cambodian-American who was new to the faith. M&A prayed together, read the bible together and encouraged each other daily to rely on God and to look for the positive in every circumstance.

M&A came as servants. They left as friends. The fact that half a dozen people have already told me they miss Mitch & Alyssa's friendship is interesting. Cambodian people have trouble pronouncing the name Mitch so it often comes out sounding like 'Mitt' instead. And 'Mitt' is root word for 'friend' in Khmer. Mittpeak = friend. Mitthepheap = friendship. Mittsomlang = dear friend. Mitch's very name was symbolic of the wonderful gift that they left in Poipet.

customer service

At 2pm yesterday the skies opened over Phnom Penh. Without a minute to spare, Gretchen and I sprung from our moto taxi and took cover inside this city coffee shop where we waited for another friend to join us. We soon noticed that one of the employees was offering a unique customer service. He was ferrying passengers from their vehicle to the coffee shop entrance under this giant sun umbrella. Great job sir!

Living Oprah

In 2008, Robyn Okrant performed an experiment. For an entire year, she lived her life completely according to the advice of Oprah Winfrey. She watched the show every day. She bought the O magazine. When Oprah said, "You gotta try this," Okrant tried it. When Oprah said, "You must see this movie," she saw it and when Oprah declared, "You should go out right now and eat this..." Okrant ate it.

The project started on January 1. By January 17, Okrant admitted on her blog, "This is a major life overhaul. It's invaded every aspect of my life.... Right now... I feel like a failure. I feel totally inadequate."

A 30-something year old woman from Chicago became a disciple of Oprah for a year, blogged about it, got some publicity and kick-started her writing career by turning her blog notes into a book contract. And it makes me rethink how I'm doing in this lifelong experiment of Living Jesus. "Love your neighbour. Love your enemy. Give in secret. Forgive. Pray. Fast. Make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." I'm not just thinking about polite head-nodding to over-familiar phrases but paying the price every day to live as Jesus' disciple.

I feel inadequate. I feel like this one decision changes everything. But I believe that this is a far more significant and enduring experiment than Robyn Okrant's year of Living Oprah.

sordid? sorted.

A few months ago someone in Australia commented that my blog contains many positive stories but does not mention the 'sordid' struggles of daily life. I don't want to dwell on the inconveniences, but I will speak of one hardship: the horrendous banging, thumping, drilling, bashing, smashing and crashing that's been going on next door for about as long as I've lived here. I'm kinda over it.

There's nothing wrong with renno's. But it becomes a big deal when a) our house doubles as an office, b) our house shares walls with neighbours on both sides, c) the neighbours left and right take turns to pretty up their pad and d) they seem to employ an average of 1.75 workers (probably at around $1.50 per day) so the work goes on forever! Ahhhh! This morning there was drilling and pounding on the Eastern wall about 1.5m from where I sat at my desk trying to do something resembling work.

Anyway, the solution was fairly simple. I skipped the office and went to Palais for coffee. The background noise was made up of an expresso machine, staff chatting in Khmer and kids giggling in Thai... all blended with the musical call of the poker machines. I worked, I read, I scribbled this post and thought how often sordid can be solved with a latte.

our superman

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall," wrote Robert Frost.

If one must have a wall, however, a lovely wall may be had when young kids and big kids are given some pots of colour to paint them. Here's a few pics from my visit to the new KEC church building today.

even in the border

Jainny uploaded her story of coming to faith on facebook yesterday. She gave me permission to post this slightly edited version:

God's love reached even in the border of Cambodia and Thailand. Banteay Menchay is the last province of Cambodia and the place where I was born. Yin Sokhim is my name but I am known more as Jainny, 22 years old. Three years ago a Filippino teacher came to teach English. Armie and her parents had just arrived in Poi pet. She is very friendly that's why we became friends. Soon she invited me and some of the students to join in the student's fellowship every Sunday afternoon.

There I met for the first time, Pastor Art and Ma'am Malou. They taught us how to sing English songs and above all the Word of God. At first, I thought of joining just to be able to practice my skill in speaking English and also for fun. I knew that they are christians and that is why I make it clear to myself that I would believe Christ 50% and so with Buddha. I've been attending this activity for several times and it was there also that I heard about LIFE Camp.

So, with the permission of my parents, i and some of the students experienced what LIFE Camp was all about on November 24-26, 2004. I made a profession to accept Christ but it was not as clear to me as to why I did it. it was then on May 30, 2005 that I made a personal and heartfelt decision to accept Christ as my Savior through the constant sharing of the Gospel thru phone by the Bible School students of Cambodia Baptist Seminary.

This decision cost me a lot of things. Immediately after my baptism on Nov 16, 2005, my father stopped me from attending the English classes and meeting with Pastor Art and Ma'am Malou. He decided to let me marry an unbeliever in an effort to stop me from believing in Jesus Christ to which I strongly opposed. He let me choose between him and Jesus and he was furious when I chose Jesus. He told me to leave our house but then because of my mom I still stayed. He then forced me to stop reading, studying and even listening to the bible thru the radio and cassette player. He even burned my bible and said things about God mockingly. But then, secretly I kept on doing it against his will until one day he caught me and was badly beaten publicly by a wood stick. That incident led me to run away from home because I was confused, hurt and ashamed as to why my father had beaten me badly. I couldn't believe that he dared to do it and cast me away from him. My only consolation was the verse in Psalm 27:10 which says "When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." The Lord indeed lifted me up. I thought that my ordeal was over but then my father sent me a document to sign telling me that I am no longer his daughter and I dont have the right to receive any inheritance from him. Without any hesitation, I signed it. It was the most painful thing that I have ever done for my Lord Jesus but what was that compared to what He has done for me at Calvary.

Now, I am happily serving Him in the church teaching English and the Bible with my newfound family "Papa Art & Mama Malou", of course I still love my father and my mom even though they rejected me. I know that one day we shall be reunited. I give him all the glory for what He has done, what He is doing and what He will be doing in my life. Amen!