“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 ជំរាបសួរ (Jum reap sua)! Hello, from Cambodia! |
The journey to Cambodia was long! During my first plane ride I was given a seat closer to the front in the hopes I could make my quick connection in the San Francisco airport (which I did, barely). God had his plans in this seat change. A lady from a Jewish community in Mexico City sat next to me. We got into the topic of immigration and both of our hearts break for refugees. Then she asked me how I deal with all the brokenness in the world and I talked to her about the Bible and especially how Gen 1-3 and Jesus’ words are my foundation and hope. She was amazed and wants to look into the New Testament for herself. Please pray for her heart to be open, that she really would read the New Testament for herself, and that she would meet Jesus and start a true relationship with him!! After taking a car, bus, three different planes, an airport transit train, an airport transit bus, and a tuk tuk (a 3-wheeled Cambodian taxi), I was settled in for my first night in Phnom Penh.I was truly welcomed by the MTW staff. Katie, an MTW missionary, hosted us in her apartment, took us out for good city food, and accompanied us to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum to experience the devasting history of the Khmer people.  Meet Katie: The first MTW staff member to welcome me and Caroline, my fellow intern, to the city.Learning to speak the Khmer language… What can I say? Well, the Khmer language has the world record for the longest alphabet (yes, Google it), so… it’s hard! Pronunciation is challenging and we learned the foundational new sounds together and constantly have to watch out for using “t” with air or “t” without air, and ensure our “a”s are nice and naisally! We have an amazing friend and teacher, Chantrea (sitting on the right), who teaches us to speak Khmer.One week my friend Reaksar and I planned the Ezekiel 11:23-24 memory verse time for during the 7am Sunday School hour. As I searched for the Ezekiel commentary with a flashlight waving across Luke’s shelves stocked with theology books, my sister Destiny, on a What’s App call, said into my airpods, “Hannah you’re the only person I know who stays up to find commentaries at 11pm.” Yes, I do that. And through the experience of planning with Reaksar, it was sweet to see how far we’ve come from day one when Caroline and I visited her home and enjoyed conversation and coconuts. We’ve shared about our families, faith and plans, and it’s sweet to consistently check in and pray with her as I teach her weekly Saturday morning piano lessons. My friend, Reaksar, and I teaching the Bible memory verse during Sunday School.The first English teaching day in the village felt unending. But after a couple times it began to feel routine. I wake up early: make my earl gray tea with milk and honey, read my Bible, and finish any last minute teaching prep for my first class. I have Khmer language class at 8am-currently learning numbers and “How much does this cost?” Then onto cultural discussion hour, lunch with the team, and first English teaching hour at 12pm. We are memorizing Psalm 100 in English with actions, and they’re doing great! This class of 5th-6th graders is currently going through action words and using them in sentences. I celebrate inside when I get the names, like Liza, Vatana and Jetra, right!  5th-6th grade class I teach at 12pm Mondays, Wednesdays, FridaysI have a break for some rest and teaching prep. Then the second English teaching hour at 3:30pm. This is a smaller group-6 students come through on a rotation and we review the memory verses then do reading and speaking activities together. Then I have evening worship and a third English teaching hour, where the advanced students are learning practical use of future progressive and doing discussion from readings, such as names of God as compound nouns. I conclude with some late dinner with just the family and interns and then a dishes party, showers, a little reading, and 10pm debrief and prayer with the interns. Repeat Monday, Wednesday, Friday. These are long days and good days. They’re days dependent on God, full of lots of waiting and little glimpses of what God’s doing.  Teaching Saturday morning English class at the local school!Please pray: 1. Interns: For continuing relationship cultivating, humility and perseverance for me and the other two interns during our final three weeks here in the village. 2. Staff: For encouragement and energy for the Cambodian staff serving in the village-Kunthea, Hang, and Kakrona. 3. Missionaries: For encouragement and energy for Luke, Sokha and John serving long term with MTW in the village. 4. Students: For God’s work in the hearts of the students from the village, especially during the consistent Bible teaching times. 5. College Students: For the College students studying in Phnom Penh-for faith, surrender, spiritual growth and holistic safety.I’m so thankful to be here and live life with my brothers and sisters in Christ in Cambodia. I can’t believe I only have 3 weeks left here, then a week and a half with my family in Mexico, and then I begin my senior year at Moody Bible Institute. Thank you for your continued prayer during this final portion of the summer in Cambodia! In Christ, Hannah McMahan |
