Updated 12/18/2022.
Now that I'm back from my 2-year term in Cambodia, why am I heading back to school?
First, I'll say that I'm incredibly thankful for the 2 years I was able to spend in Cambodia. I almost forget how nervous and uncertain I was going into that term. I asked myself questions like, "Will I be able to learn the language? Will Cambodians want to be my friend? Will I be of any use?!"
Now that I'm on the other side, it's almost hard to remember those feelings. The Cambodians I met extended incredible hospitality and helped me on so many levels. Because of their generosity, I was able to dive into the culture and language, and realize just how much more there is to explore.
Even though I've merely scratched the surface of Cambodia's layered history and culture, I marvel at the things I saw and experienced. People shared their daily lives and struggles with me. They invited me into their homes and served me homecooked meals. As I spent time with local Khmer Christians, I saw their devotion to God and marveled at their perseverance and faithfulness.
Though God gave me precious opportunities to talk about him with local friends, my limitations were glaringly obvious. Thankfully, these limitations gave me the chance to lean on Khmer friends, and to invite them to do what I couldn't do. I got to see just how powerfully God can use Cambodians in their own communities. I felt a growing excitement about being a support and encouragement for the Cambodians who are reaching out to their families and friends with the love of Christ.
Now, I'm back in the U.S., but Cambodia is still on my mind and heart. The longer I spent in Cambodia, the more convinced I became that investing in my own training and development was one of the best ways I could continue serving the Cambodian people.
Cambodians have so many assets and skills that can be leveraged to serve their country. At the same time, they've suffered a setback that most Americans can't relate to. Cambodia was devastated by a recent war and genocide. The church was ravaged just as much as every other sector of society. While Cambodians are resilient and capable, they're not superhuman. They're still rebuilding their country on limited resources, all the while grappling with deep trauma.
To offer Cambodians the support they deserve, cross-cultural workers need to take the time to learn and understand what Cambodians need (and are asking for). We also need to spend time equipping ourselves well. OMF in particular is big on partnership. We begin every endeavor with the end goal in mind: to empower local leaders to take the helm in church, education, healthcare, and every other important area of society.
Just because we're aiming to support from behind-the-scenes rather than the front lines doesn't mean we get to stumble onto the scene without proper preparation. To invest in our Cambodian brothers and sisters with cultural sensitivity and biblical integrity, we ourselves need to be trained. We need to come with a learner's posture and continue learning as we walk alongside them.
In the spirit of equipping myself well, I'm taking the time to enroll in a Masters of Global Leadership Program at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (based in Boston, MA, but I'll be doing the online program). This program is designed for those who hope to serve in cross-cultural ministry settings. It will give me a solid foundation in the Bible and cross-cultural leadership.
The end goal? To return to Cambodia better positoned to invest in local Christian leaders. Actually, that's not the FINAL goal. The real endgame is to work myself out of a job. OMF hopes that missionaries won't be needed in Cambodia one day. We want to see Cambodians discipling and evangelizing their OWN people, leading to multiplying church movements that cross cultures to reach the unreached.
While supporting a missionary in school may not seem like the most glamorous of all ministry partnerships, I can assure you it's an important one. Without ministry partners in this season, I wouldn't be able to invest well in my education, and I may not even be able to return to the field.
Thank you for seeing the value in this time of training, and for continuing to partner with me through prayer and support.
Praises:
- Praise God that my Khmer sermon went well (as in I survived and, miraculously, some people even seemed to learn something from it!).
- Praise God for special times saying goodbye to friends.
- Praise God for my home and community in Englewood, Colorado. It's still here!
Here are some ways you can pray:
- Please pray that Rose and her family would come to know Christ.
- Please pray for Vanna and her family. Pray that they would know the love of Christ and follow Jesus.
- Please pray for ongoing protection and justice for the children in Stung Meanchey, who are vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse.
- Please pray that God would provide godly leadership for Hope for Life Church (the church I served with) in Stung Meanchey.
- Please pray for my young Cambodian Christian girlfriends, that they would depend on Jesus, grow in faith and be witnesses to their families.
