Wherever you go, go with all your heart: Part 2

In my previous post, I shared our visit with the believers in Baray. This post is the second half of that trip, to a place called Kampong S'daach. Sister Sita seemed eager to have us visit, and I was, therefore, excited to make her acquaintance. When we arrived, she was standing on the road, waving us down, with an anticipatory smile, stretching from ear to ear. My heart leapt with joy, as we maneuvered the rocky dust path to Sita's home. I felt like I was a part of a traveling circus. The doors opened, and the clowns tumbled out, one after another. Greetings were exchanged, and we were coaxed to their table for an early lunch at 10 o'clock in the morning. Many faces piled around us, all curious to see the strange visitors. I attempted to take in the different smiles and stares, but was quickly distracted by a man, who I now know to be Ung, a new brother in Christ. I'm not a gambling woman, by any means, but if I were, I would lay money down that this man is the direct reincarnation of Mogley from The Jungle Book. I don't recall who was first to say it, but the Americans all agreed upon this observation. His hair, his flawless dark skin, and his "loin cloth" ultra garment (a lot of thm men where these kilt-like garments) all pointed to this fact. The whole time he had the most friendly and innocent smile plastered on his face. It was evident that he was utterly delighted to have us visiting his home and family. The entire lot of us sat down, held hands to thank God for our food, and then ate together. Vanny stayed busy, trying to relate and translate the different messages passing from one tongue to another. Once the meal was finished, we went about trying to figure out the plans for the day, as well as where our accommodations might be for the night. Sita was very stressed about us staying with her family, as they do not have a bathroom in their complex, where there are 3-4 homes built in close proximity. Jonathan, through Vanny, went round and round with sister Sita, trying to reassure her that although we're American, we were completely capable of "roughing it" without a proper bathroom. {Side note: It's funny and often frustrating how the Cambodians tend to view Americans. A lot of the people we've dealt with seem to think that we are literally incapable of doing things ourselves. Thanks to the strongest American influence here, pop music, I believe quite a few of them think we all have personal servants who tend to our every need, while we busy ourselves with fashion, dancing, drinking, and middle-schoool-level relationships. I don't know about you, but that doesn't resemble my existence. Many thanks to Justin and Miley. Ugh!} Finally, it was settled upon our staying in the home of Sita's sister, with Sita and her daughter, Marie, sleeping with us, for safety measures. Ung slept on the table next to the car, to ensure it's safety as well. They were all quite concerned for our well being, and had even phoned the police, in case they might be needed. We never felt any danger, but I'm sure an SUV and seemingly wealthy foreigners would be a temptation to a burglar. The only thing that made me uncomfortable was how much they were going out of their way to take care of us. Although very generous and kind, it wasn't necessary, and I worried they'd quickly grow weary of our lot.

This little bundle of cuteness was there to greet us.

Sister Sita sits, ready to catch either baby, in case they

suddenly lose their balance. As the people in this culture

lack confidence in a baby's ability to bounce back from

a tumble, they tend to hover over the little ones.

Both Friday and Saturday consisted of our trying to connect with this tiny community. We were able to teach Vanny and Sopiak Phase 10, which allowed us to bond with our sweet friends even more. I've deemed Sopiak the "Krista of Cambodia," when it comes to games. She is seemingly sweet and oh so innocent, and then bam! She coyly smiles as she points to you, announcing you've been skipped, or quietly puts her hand down, wining the game. She even attempted to softly cheat in Peanuts, recently, by throwing a few more cards out there, after we'd run out of our small stack. I felt like it was deja vu, and I was again having to reprimand my Peanuts partner for being a stinker. {Missing you so much lil' bit!} Going back to the circus analogy, we were no longer clowns, but rather, we'd now taken on the form of wild animals. They'd throw food at us, back away, and watch us as we devoured our prey, with civility of course. Then they'd go off in the distance to eat their food, together, and then, once again, they would linger. Close enough to see the show, but not so close that they couldn't run, in case one of the beasts made a sudden move. Continuously, we encouraged them to join us, but to no avail. Some of the younger children, intrigued by us wild and exotic creatures, crept closer as the day passed. It helped that the Edwards children played freely, almost unconscious of those around them. Had it not been for their affinity for dirt and playtime, we might not have seen anything but eyes peeking out from doorways during our entire stay.

Bradley working his magic talent of befriending the

locals. In this instance, it was with coffee over his BioLite.

This was our "shower" area. The ladies here wear

sleeveless moo-moo dresses as their personal shower

curtain, which allows them to bathe in broad daylight,

while preserving modesty. The guys are not as concerned

about modesty, as they bathe in their underwear.

{Marissa and I just made it a point to keep our focus elsewhere.}

Like most wild creatures, everyone is more willing to

get close to the babies, as they are cuter and harmless...

especially when they possess a game on an I-phone.

Vanny climbed this coconut tree...

And Bradley caught the goods.

As you can see, Vanny is a goofball, and we are all capable of entertaining ourselves when necessary. However, we were starting to tire of not being able to connect with this group of giving people. Then it all began to change. Gabriel had been playing with sticks, and as Uncle Bradley has a fixation for all things wood, he decided that Gabriel deserved better than an average branch. He went about carving and creating the perfect sword for Knight Edwards. Once the weapon had been crafted, Sir Gabriel needed an opponent, and daddy was more than happy to step up to the challenge. Within minutes, the distant spectators became an audience, and I told Jonathan that I think he'd just found his ministry with this group. You could literally see the wheels start turning in his head, and once the battle ended, he began carrying out his plan. Recruiting Bradley and Vanny's assistance, they created a game of water bottle "horseshoes." They ripped the labels off 2 of the 4 bottles, and used sticks to make 2 squares, opposite each other. The game was a hit in turning the audience into a crowd, but they still weren't convinced enough in their safety, to join. Jonathan's next idea: bowling. The guys filled water bottles with dirt and rocks, and set them up as bowling pins, and I grabbed up some of the palm fruit for a couple of bowling balls. Sparkling eyes surrounded us, most of them reservedly anxious to play this new game. After a few rounds, I began pulling them over to play. Since most of them were girls, I could read their faces, whether they were truly frightened of being selected, or simply concerned they might look pretentious. One by one, we drew them out of their silent shells, as the sport induced laughter and bonding. There are only a few pictures below, but the moment was beautiful. I love that instant when a connection is formed, and it was happening right before our eyes, during a game of bowling.

I don't know how most people in this world view others, but I always try to see an individual's soul. That precious part of us that only the Creator fully understands. I feel like we do ourselves and others an injustice to simply see a cashier, a lawyer, or a mother, because it's that spiritual part of us that allows us to attach to one another. Road rage is less likely when we realize we're angry at a soul, not just a driver. Cheating or lying are more of an offense when you realize you're wronging a soul, not just a stranger. Loving and comforting are much easier to do when you're reaching out to a fellow soul, not just a victim. A soul. One who also struggles with trials. One who also has dreams and desires. One who also yearns to be loved, although in differing ways. On this first trip out of Phnom Penh, I saw many souls, all of them precious. I've heard it said that the eyes are the window into the soul, and I take that to heart. I do my best to look every person I meet in the eye, in hopes that they'll know that I appreciate their soul. It's so beautiful to see a piece of God in each soul He's created, and I pray that I'll never forget to take the time to look into everyone's eyes. Wherever you go, go with all your heart. I went with all of my heart, and although I left a piece of it in Kampong S'daach, I came home with more than I had before. Do yourself a favor this week, and make it a point to see the valuable souls around you. Look into everyone's eyes, and always leave them with a piece of your heart. You'll be all the richer for it.