Category Archives: Internship

These are the posts people who have come to Angk’jeay to serve with the Smith’s as part of the MTW internship program.

A Better Country

July 21, 2016 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hello everyone,

Things have been a bit crazy here for the last couple of weeks (hence no blog posts), but here’s a little bit about what’s been going on:

I mentioned the discipleship/vocation program in my last post. Two
students in Angk’jeay, who will hopefully be going to Phnom Penh to study in a few months, are currently taking a gap year from school. Their names are Ouchea and Srey Sros. Right now, the goal for them is to be as well-prepared as possible for the challenges of transitioning from village life to college-in-the-city life. One common obstacle for villagers that prevents a healthy transition is a lack of the ability to use basic computer software.

Thus, for the past couple of weeks I have been helping them continue to learn the ropes of Microsoft Word (they’ve been studying with Sokha for many months now). Needless to say, columns are the bane of my existence, but I would like to personally thank Bill Gates for Ctrl+Z. If you don’t know why that is, try doing one of Ouchea and Srey Sros’s assignments – imitating a US Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization form in Microsoft Word. It was a party. Even in spite of some very hard assignments, Srey Sros and Ouchea learn very quickly and they have been an absolute pleasure to teach.

Luke took a bunch of the students and me to a local mountain on Sunday! Here’s some pictures:

A drunk guy really wanted to have a chat at the store. No, Khmer is not easier to understand when spoken in the midst of inebriation.

Yesterday, Samuth, the pastoral intern, and I met for the last time to practice English pronunciation. We’ve been meeting three times a week to go over some basic phrases for teaching and family life in hopes of building confidence in his English skills. He has noticeably improved even in the short time that I’ve been here and I am sure that he will continue to do so. Samuth helps with the classes here at the Smith’s, but he hopes to start a similar ministry in another village sometime in the future.

I have three full days left in Cambodia. In all honesty, that is a wildly foreign thought. Am I really going to take off on a plane, spend 30 hours in travel, and just like that be on the exact opposite side of the world again? Will I actually be going back to life as it is in the US? In many ways, it’s been hard to adjust to life and habits here (and I’m still very far from being “well-adjusted” if such a thing is possible), but now it all has become so normal. I expect to wake up with a beautiful village sunrise, a couple English and guitar classes scheduled for the day, and the faces of my new Cambodian friends. I expect that I’m going to have to ask some fourth graders how to pronounce the Khmer word for “color” for the fifteenth time. I presume that my day will end in basketball, worship, and prayer. The pace of life here markedly contrasts much about American life; there is structured time for rest that virtually doesn’t exist in the US, especially in college. I will certainly miss Cambodia very much.

This is not to say that I don’t miss home. I’m excited to reunite with family and friends (… and certain kinds of food). But nonetheless, I am sad to be uprooted again – to be thrown into another season of changing and adjusting. However, this summer has served as a beautiful reminder of the transience of life. Christians are not called to be comfortable. This world is extremely broken by sin; we are called to live in that brokenness, to hold our own comfort and interests with open hands, and to place our hope in a future when the brokenness will be no more.

“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he has prepared for them a city.” – Hebrews 11:16

I am longing for a better country, for the time when there will be no more adjustment – when the comfort and peace of God replaces all anxiety and uncertainty. I would greatly covet your prayers during this transition, and I thank you for all of your prayers and support thus far. They are very precious to me.

In Christ,

Caleb

Internship

Get me to the church on time. I may need a few alarms.

July 1, 2016 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hey, this is Caleb again, the Summer intern. Here’s my latest blog post!

This view makes early mornings worth it here.

Can you imagine a world in which church starts at 6:30am? Certainly not! Who would speak of such things? Cambodians would. Why, you ask? Cambodia is hot; and after 10am, the list of things that you want to do in a buttoned-down shirt and khakis is composed of exactly nothing. Not everyone has such an early tea time, as it’s only the younger kids who roll up for Sunday School at half ’til seven (on their bikes). Nonetheless, the regular worship service is usually underway by 8:00am and no one is a bit upset about it. I’m not. I promise. Quit looking at me like I’m trying to convince myself. Waking. up. early. is. easy.

Now, let’s talk about Sundays. First up, Sunday School; the only justifiable time for the use of flannelgraphs. Unfortunately, flannel doesn’t hold up great in unyielding humidity and heat, so we have to settle for whiteboards here in Southeast Asia.

Sunday School begins with a decent bit of socializing/playing for the students, which includes some games and activities organized by secondary school students. I often play along, but indiscriminately break most of the rules, because, as is the case with most things in my life, I’m only pretending that I actually understand what’s happening. After game time, everyone grabs a seat and begins to sing songs with some sweet hand motions (I also participate in befuddlement).

Pise, who is studying English in Phnom Penh, teaches Sunday School.

The next part of Sunday School, the Bible lesson, is my favorite, but I have to give a bit of a backstory to explain why that is. Luke and Sokha have been in the village for about five years now, teaching English and Bible classes the entire time. Thus, some of their students have graduated from secondary school. But what do they do afterwards? Well, that is where the discipleship/vocation program comes in. The Smith’s have arranged this program in collaboration with MTW to assist students, who are demonstrably committed to the ministry here and capable of attending college, to pay for their post-secondary education expenses. Students from the ministry then have the chance to attend college in Phnom Penh with hopes of getting jobs that will allow them to support their families, churches, and communities.

Why is this important to Sunday School? As it turns out, almost every weekend one of those students makes the two-hour trip back to Angk’jeay to teach the Bible lesson for the children in Sunday School. It is incredibly impactful to see the care that these college students have for their home village and the students who still live here.

Following the Bible story, older students and adults make their way to the front of the Smith’s home for a time of group worship. The morning is filled with Khmer hymns, liturgical readings, and a sermon, which for the last number of weeks has been given by the church’s Cambodian pastoral intern, Samuth.

Samuth became a Christian as a young man in a similar ministry to the one being done here in Angk’jeay. He eventually attended Bible school, where he met his wife Kunthea, and decided to pursue pastoral ministry. The lives of Cambodian pastors are not easy to say the least. It is hardly a position that is respected in the social sphere as 95% of the nation is Buddhist, and congregations rarely have the means to give pastors anything near a reasonable wage. Bear in mind that an average Cambodian household income sits somewhere around $200 a month (substantially less in the villages). If you would like to read more about what MTW is doing to sustainably support pastors like Samuth, please click here.

All that being said, it’s hard to imagine that I only have a bit over three weeks remaining in the village; time feels like it has flown. I can only imagine that the rest of the time will go just as quickly. Please be praying that I use this time diligently and passionately. Once again, thank you so much for your prayers and support; I could not be here without them.

In Christ,

Caleb

Internship

English… anyone, anyone?

June 20, 2016 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hey, this is Caleb, the Smith’s MTW intern for this Summer.

English classes; where open-ended questions make eye contact with the teacher just about as avoidable as the bubonic plague. Some of you may be wondering, what exactly is the point of missionaries teaching English? There are an immense number of answers, but let me try to put it simply: Learning English in Cambodia is like getting a good business degree in the US. It allows students to pursue further study in college, get good jobs, and support their families. Furthermore, most jobs in Cambodia require seven days of work weekly. On the contrary, jobs received after English or college training often only require five or six, allowing educated workers to invest their free time in serving their local communities and their churches.

Recognizing these benefits, many students, both Christians and Buddhists (the state religion here), are drawn to come and learn English at the Smith’s house from week to week. By means of English education, many in Angk’jeay have become friends of the Smith’s, are prepared for better futures, and have been exposed to and put their faith in Jesus Christ.

For those of you who haven’t had the chance to teach English as a second language yet, let me paint you a picture: Imagine playing UNO. Now forget that, because it’s is nothing like playing UNO. Teaching English is an attempt to reconcile the differences in pronunciation and cultural connotation that languages have adopted throughout centuries for the sake of attaining common linguistic understanding. Many phrases that are completely casual in one culture may be nonexistent in another. And even more frustratingly, there are sounds that are common to some languages that are completely foreign to others. For example, a couple days ago, I spent a decent amount of time working with students to pronounce the word “year” since the “ee” sound is essentially never used in Khmer. Oppositely, Khmer often uses the “sr” sound with a rolled “r,” which never occurs in English. On the bright side, students have gotten some good laughs out of me trying to pronounce their names.

In spite of some difficulty, the classes have been so much fun to teach here. As the son of a math teacher, I’ve grew up getting to see many people experience this whole “learning” thing, and I’m a fan of it. One of my favorite things about teaching, specifically in the public school, is that I’ve been able to try out some of the Khmer phrases I’ve learned. My use of those phrases is similar to Ron Weasley casting spells in The Sorcerer’s Stone. They almost never have the effect I anticipate (blank stares tend to be popular), but when they actually communicate what’s intended, it’s magic.

To discuss an experience teaching in the public school, I would like to draw your attention to the picture on the left, which is simply a cropped version of the picture above. Circled in red is a ledge that leads up to the chalkboard. Though proposed to be helpful for student sight and reaching high places on the board, there is a simple downfall of this mechanism (or at least in my use of it). Tuesday morning, I was teaching the numbers from one through ten and had them written on the board. I was randomly pointing at different numbers and the students would respond with the name of the number. Much like The Count from Sesame Street, I think numbers are pretty hype, so I was getting into it. As I swung back from the right side of the board to point at the “1” on the left side, I misplaced my back foot, slipped off the platform and nearly bit the dust about five feet from the classroom door. After regaining my balance (and whatever was left of my dignity) I took a bow, as the students enjoyed a great deal of laughter at my expense. I’m thankful for that moment. Even while being the subject of their amusement, I got to experience the sweet way in which laughter can completely transcend language.

Our hope is that my time teaching at the public school will create an even better relationship between the Smith’s ministry and the public school here. Perhaps some students will consider joining in the classes at the house. I will talk more about the language classes that go on at the Smith’s home in future posts, but this is all I had time for today. Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers, and support.

In Christ,

Caleb

Internship

Toto, we’re not in Phnom Penh anymore

June 8, 2016 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hello, my name is Caleb Robey, and I am serving as Luke and Sokha’s intern for this Summer. I will be posting my blog updates here!

After about four days of getting oriented to Khmer culture and language in Phnom Penh, I finally arrived with Luke Smith in Angk’jeay Village last Friday! Being in the village comes with a few challenges (e.g. there are substantially fewer English speakers here than in the city), but the perks of the village are plentiful:

The people are kind, generous, and always up for a good laugh.
It’s incredibly beautiful.
There’s none of this…

or this…

As soon as we arrived in the village, I had the chance to observe one of the main ministries being done through Luke and Sokha; English classes. By 11:00AM, students had begun to pour onto the grounds around the Smith’s home to hang out with each other and prepare for the noon English lessons. Three days a week, the Smith’s (along with the help of Samuth, the pastoral intern) use the recess hours of public school to host English classes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced speakers. For the next seven weeks, I will be assisting with the teaching of these classes.

As Saturday morning came, we had the chance to talk with the public school principal in hopes that I would be able to do some english instruction there during my stay in the village. Fortunately, he seemed to like the idea… or Luke threatened him; frankly, I didn’t really understand the conversation since it was in Khmer.* Either way, on Tuesdays and Saturdays (yeah, they have school on Saturdays here… so quit complaining) I will be teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th grade english classes.

After our conversation with the principal, it was almost time to start guitar classes. Another large part of the Smith’s ministry to the village is teaching guitar classes to members of the church. Since Sokha is still in recovery with baby Asa, I will be teaching all of these classes (with plenty of pro-tips from her). Similar to the english classes, they are tiered into three groups based on skill level, and we are hoping to make them bi-weekly for my time here.

To my great pleasure, Saturday ended as most other days end here; playing sports. The students in the village love sports. They play soccer, basketball, and some others, but most of all, they enjoy volleyball. Not what you were expecting? To be perfectly honest, I was a bit surprised as well, especially when I was getting humiliated by students who are substantially smaller than me. You know what they say; it’s all fun and games until you’re getting spiked on by someone who’s six inches shorter than you.

Sunday was a huge encouragement as students that I had met earlier (along with some adults) came to church to teach Sunday School, play music, and participate in worship. Many of them live in homes that do not believe in Jesus Christ, but nonetheless they are committed to the church and its work here in Cambodia.

Already through all of these things, it has been such a privilege to interact with these young men and women. There is still much more to tell you about, but I’ll have to leave it there for now. Please be praying for the gospel to be even more clearly seen and heard in Angk’jeay.

In Christ,

Caleb

*For the record, Luke just confirmed with me that he did not, in fact, threaten the principal of the local public school.

Internship

Hello from the other side… of the world.

May 30, 2016 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hey, this is Caleb, the Smith’s MTW intern for this Summer.

For half of every year, the Country of Cambodia is exactly twelve hours ahead of eastern time (eleven hours ahead during EDT), which means that I am about as close to being on the other side of the globe from home as possible. Weird thought. Anyways, here’s some interesting stuff that’s been happening!

The four connecting flights were a good time. If you’re remotely curious, please read my Open Thank-You Letter to Qatar Airways for some thoughts. It was too much to write in one post.

Pre-Field Training!

PFT is a brief conference at Georgia State University where many of Mission to the World’s Summer interns meet to discuss a variety of topics related to our work for the Summer. Though I was aware of some things I will be experiencing in Cambodian culture, I hadn’t even considered many of the moving pieces regarding immersion in such a radically different country. Our time was spent discussing a plurality of topics including culture shock, adaptation, conflict resolution, child protection, how to ask the right questions, and much more.

What is that culture shock thing and how does it work, you ask? Frankly, I would be lying if I pretended to remotely know the answer before I’ve even spent a week in Cambodia, but I can tell you this: While in Hamad International Airport in Qatar, I experienced the desire to listen to country music. Like to actively seek out country music… and listen to it. If you don’t want that to happen to you, I can’t say that I would suggest traveling alone to the other side of the globe.

Undoubtedly, the best part of PFT was the chance to meet a lot of really amazing people going to places all over the world to do similar work for MTW and the gospel. Just from my group, there were people going to Japan, Canada, Belize, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Cherokee Nation. It was so exciting to meet so many people who are passionate about God’s work all around the world.

What’s up now?

Luke and Sokha Smith’s baby was born! They’re baby boy, Asa, was born yesterday in the afternoon about an hour before I arrived. Please be praying for Sokha’s recovery and the transition back to the village.

Chum Mey, one of the few survivors of S-21 prison.

Personally, this week is a crash course in Cambodian (Khmer) language and culture before I get to go to the village with the Smith’s. This morning, I was given a short lesson by a Cambodian team member on the do’s and don’ts of general interactions. I also had the opportunity to visit S-21, a prison used to by the Khmer Rouge to carry out genocide in the late 1970’s (the Khmer Rouge caused the deaths of over one quarter of Cambodia’s people during its reign; visit http://www.cambodiatribunal.org/history/cambodian-history/khmer-rouge-history/ if you would like to find out more).

This afternoon, I also had one of the three Khmer tutoring sessions that last two hours each. I never realized how consistently I zone out during my classes until today. With tutoring, you markedly do not get that luxury. I imagine language tutoring is kind of like being interrogated by a foreign customs officer, except they’re not suspicious of you, but they are deeply concerned about the way you keep on using your throat to pronounce the “dteh” sound. Shout-out to Nara for an unbelievable amount of patience.

Lastly, tonight I had the chance to grab dinner with almost the entire MTW Cambodia team. They are pursuing the Lord in an incredibly inspirational way and are so passionate about learning from and giving back to the people of Cambodia. Joyfully, they are welcoming me with open arms, taking me into their homes, supporting me, and are laughing along side me as I make a fool of myself here.

Thank you all for your prayers and support,

Caleb

Internship

What and Why?

May 24, 2016 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hello, my name is Caleb Robey, and I am serving as Luke and Sokha’s intern for this Summer. I will be posting my blog updates here!

“Something went seriously wrong during your upbringing.” – my grandmother to me in regards to the tendency that my sister and I have to travel to “obscure” (her words) places in the world. She’s probably right. We are kind of strange. I talk while I sleep, secretly listen to T-Swift more frequently than I’d like to admit, and am not particularly fond of Netflix. For the sake of my life, I’ll go ahead and not give examples for Keelyn. But, in defense of my childhood, I’d like to talk about what I will be doing in Cambodia for the next seven or so weeks and why I am doing it.

What am I doing?

Good question. This morning, I am leaving for Atlanta, Georgia where I will be spending three days with a team of interns who are all traveling to various places in the world with an organization called Mission to the World. For me, the final destination is Angk’jeay, Cambodia (don’t try googling it; you’ll break Google). I will be spending eight weeks there. At this point, my responsibilities during my time in Angk’jeay could include a variety of things. Going overseas on a mission trip, I’ve been told that the best expectation to have is that your expectations are probably wrong. I like that. I do however know that I will be teaching English and guitar classes (possibly computer lessons and Bible studies as well) and generally be helping the church in the village any way that I am able.

More than all of that, however; I will have the chance to meet the people who live in Angk’jeay and spend time with them. A large portion of those people will be elementary through high school students, some of whom I’ve already talked to a bit on Facebook (shout-out to Veasna and/or Sophea if you’re reading this). This is the part about which I am most excited. I’ve never had the chance to be outside of the US for more than eight or nine days, and I certainly have never had the opportunity to develop sincere friendships with people who live in other countries. Thus, I am well aware that I have an amazing opportunity in this trip and am unbelievably stoked.

Why am I doing it?

If you have asked me this question in person, I have likely enumerated one of a hundred different reasons for why this trip is such an amazing opportunity. I promise that I wasn’t lying, but I seldom have answered with the most fundamental and the most accurate reason.

Namely, the reason is this: I believe that Jesus Christ was truly the son of God, that he was crucified on a cross, and that he rose from the dead to pay for the sins of anyone who would believe in him. I believe that he created a church, full of imperfect people, to continue his ministry in this world. I believe that this church is responsible to act just like Jesus did. It should help the oppressed, the afflicted, and the marginalized. It should gracious tell “all nations” (Matthew 28:19) about both the free salvation from sin and indomitable joy that come through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. And this church is neither American nor white nor black nor brown nor any one demographic, gender, or nationality. This church is universal.

That is why I am going to Cambodia. I desire to see, experience, and even assist in the work that Jesus Christ is doing in one of many nations that is not my own. In a place where Christianity is obscure and sometimes even ostracized, the church is growing rapidly in Cambodia. I am incredibly passionate about what God is doing there, and I hope that you’ll join in this with me.

Internship

Reflections on time in Cambodia – Brennan McCafferty

August 30, 2015 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Here are some excerpts from a seminary paper that Brennan McCafferty wrote about takeaways from his time in Cambodia and Thailand:

At a basic level, I had the opportunity to see what it looks like to live day by day on the mission field, and the different challenges associated with doing so. I was challenged immediately by the foreign languages. Both Thai and Khmer are incredibly difficult languages to learn and speak, and I received an up-front taste of the challenges associated with learning a foreign language and trying to communicate in a foreign language. I was also able to experience and also witness the challenges associated with living in a foreign country, particularly in regards to Visas. While in Cambodia, I had the opportunity to witness and partake in the work that is involved when a missionary hosts a short-term missions team. In addition to these common missionary challenges, both Paul Henry and Luke Smith also showed me the priority of caring for one’s own family on the mission field. Living on the mission field is not easy for families, and I was impressed by the commitment both missionaries had for caring for their families through activities like family worship. Though it would be easy to become consumed with the ministry work in front of them, they made time to spend with their wives and their children, and that is something that has stuck with me. Paul Henry also reminded me of the value of having a hobby and of taking time to rest. The missionary will quickly become burnt out if he never takes some time to relax, and that can be as simple as taking a day off or as extensive as returning to America during times of furlough.

I learned also that the missionary must be both self-propelled and flexible. It is often the case that the missionary, especially in an area where there is not yet much established work, does not have a set schedule. There is a lot of freedom in missionary work, probably even more so than a traditional United States pastor has. It would be very easy to become lazy and waste a lot of time doing nothing substantial, and there is therefore a great need to be self-disciplined. The missionary doesn’t have a boss constantly peering over his shoulder, and he spends a lot of time alone. So, self-propulsion and self-discipline are very important traits for the missionary to possess. With that said, the missionary also must be flexible. There were a number of times where there were plans to go and do something, and those plans quickly changed. Whether it was water problems in the house, an unexpected sickness, or people who didn’t show up for a meeting, there was a great need to be flexible and not become frustrated when plans unexpectedly changed.

Working in cultures that are so different than the one I grew up in was a challenge but also a great learning experience. During my time in Thailand, Paul Henry challenged me to understand culture. He showed me the need for humility and teachability, especially when working among people who are much different than you. It is best not to rush in with judgment when you have not taken the time to truly understand why people do the things that they do. In Thailand, for instance, there is much greater sense of “power distance.” That is, there seemed to be an usually high amount of social deference given to those members near the top of the social hierarchy. In addition, in both Thailand and Cambodia, there seemed to be a much greater sense of community. People genuinely seemed to live in community with one another in a way that they don’t in America’s individualistic culture. So, I was able to observe a number of different cultural practices, and I was challenged to recognize that these certain cultural differences are not necessarily wrong, but just different. And I was also able to see that there may very well be things that I can learn from these cultural differences and apply to my own life in America. But most importantly, it was instructive to learn how these cultural differences affect the way you do ministry in a foreign culture. In addition, it was helpful to see the ways that both missionaries strived to develop good rapport and gain respect among the people they were working with. While working on the mission field, I had the challenge of “adapting” or “accommodating” to a different culture. For example, while in Cambodia, I had to learn to adjust to village time. In an area when many people don’t have electricity, the day to day routine of people revolves around the rising and setting of the sun. For instance, mealtimes were at 6:00AM, 11:00 AM, and 4:00 PM, which was quite different than I am accustomed to in America. Sunday School before church on Sundays begins at 6:30 AM, and it began at this time because children would be less likely to come if it was any later. It probably would not be very smart to begin an American Sunday School class at 6:30 AM, because nobody would show up. But in a village in Cambodia, starting Sunday School at 6:30 AM is the best way to get people to show up. This is part of adjusting to a different culture…

There were also a number of church related issues that I learned about while on the mission field. I had the privilege of being able to witness what a church service looks like in a culturally different and less developed country. Along those lines, I had the opportunity to think through how one handles the regulative principle of worship in a foreign culture. I was also able to reflect on missionary issues related to money and support of indigenous church leaders, especially in a poverty-stricken culture. I was also able to see a small glimpse of the problems that arise when there is a dearth of theological training.

Overall, I am deeply thankful to the Lord for giving me the opportunity to serve Him overseas this past summer. It was truly wonderful to be able to see how the Lord is working in countries all over the world, and I am excited about what God is doing in Southeast Asia. As someone who has been considering foreign mission work for a number of years, this trip was so helpful. To begin with, it was my first real taste of the foreign mission field. Although I’ve been abroad before, this trip was my first opportunity to really see what ministry looks like in a culture other than America. On top of that, I had a great time while I was gone. I really enjoyed the work that I was involved in, and I miss many of the people already. I feel that I adapted well to the different cultures, and I did not seem to experience much culture shock or homesickness. I understand that I was only abroad for a couple of months, and sometimes culture shock and homesickness take longer to set in, but I was pleased with my ability to quickly adjust and fit in without many problems. In that sense, I found this internship to be very confirming, and it has been an encouragement to me to be searching for opportunities to serve on the mission field in the future.

Internship

Email Update from Brennan

August 15, 2015 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hi friends,

I’m writing from the country of Cambodia. More specifically, from Ankjeay village in south-central Cambodia. I’ve been in Cambodia for almost two weeks now, and I’ve been living in the village for 11 days. I’m happy to report that everything is going very well so far. Living in a village has been a really neat experience. There is a lot that is different, but it has been a great time for me to learn and absorb a different culture. And the missionaries I am working with have been very welcoming and encouraging.

Here in the village, the missionaries I am working with have a fairly extensive ESL program that they do with the village students. Three times a week they teach over 80 Cambodian students the Bible and English in a number of different level classes. I’ve been able to jump right in and am now teaching the intermediate class and also helping with the advanced class in the evening. A number of these students are also members of the church in the village. I’ve also been able to lead a Bible study through translation and had the opportunity to preach at the church last Sunday. Right now, there is a short term team from California helping out, so I won’t be preaching this Sunday, but I should have a few more opportunities to preach before I leave.

I’ve had a really good time working with the students, and I’ve had the opportunity to get to know a few of them well so far – their English is quite good for how young they are. A group of students and I have also been playing volleyball in the evenings after class, which has been a lot of fun. Please pray for the relationships that I have been able to build with some of the students so far. Pray that I would set a godly example for them, and that they would remember me for my love for Jesus. It’s hard to know that I will be here for only a few more weeks and will then be leaving, so pray that that would not deter me from pouring into their lives. Other than that, you can pray for the overall work that is taking place here in the village. There are a number of students that are not believers, so pray for hearts to be opened to the Gospel message. Buddhism has a very strong hold here in the village, which also means a fair amount of persecution for those Christians living in the village – specifically, when things go bad, the Christians get blamed, because they haven’t participated in all of the Buddhist rituals. So pray for the Christians here, that they would stand firm in the face of persecution.

Thank you again for all your prayers. They mean a lot.

His Unworthy Servant,

-Brennan

Internship

Preparing to Leave

July 23, 2015 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Hey Y’all!

My time in Cambodia is down to the last three days. I begin the journey home tomorrow. As I think back on the past two months, I am realizing that there is so much I have learned. From contentment to hard work, God is steadily teaching me wonderful things about himself, me, and the world.

The past few weeks have been a time of growth and learning.. and fun! I’ve been able to form stronger relationships with some of the students and learn more about who they are. One evening, while teaching the advanced english class, I was able to see a side that I hadn’t yet seen. We were going through a bible english book and the question was asked, “are you leading your family to Jesus?” One (very outgoing) student spoke up and said, “no”. I gave him a strange look and asked why he wasn’t. When I asked, Another student chimed in and said, “Afraid”. To that, I replied, “afraid of who?” Then a third student spoke up and said, “afraid of my parents.” I was very taken aback; so I turned to the whole class and asked the question, “is everyone afraid of their parents?” Multiple students shouted, “YES!” I paused for a few seconds, very surprised at what I had just heard. Before then, I did not realize how real the verbal persecution for being a christian is for these kids. Their families are not okay with them being christians, yet they are still faithful and come to church week in and week out. It is so so beautiful and encouraging to see and think about.

Teaching the noon class

On a lighter note, we took a trip to the mountain this past Sunday! It was so much fun! There is a banana farm on the side of the mountain that we hiked to. Many of the students came and we all rode motos to the base of the mountain and hiked up. The students love going to the mountain and I thoroughly enjoyed it myself. A very special characteristic of the kids is that they are very caring for one another and for others. On our way to the mountain, one of the girls lost her shoe… So in order for her to get up the mountain, another student carried her on her back all the way up (it was not an easy trek). I volunteered to carry her down but failed at my duty and slipped on a rock, so a different student stepped in and carried her all the way back down the mountain (an even harder trek because the rocks were slippery and we had gravity working against us)! Witnessing this self-sacrificing kindness and generosity was truly indescribable. I’ve found that most people I have had the pleasure of coming in contact with have these same attributes. They will give freely… whether it’s a chair, their time, or their food. Generosity is something that I have learned from the people of Angk’jeay.

Our trip to the mountain!

On the way to the mountain.. They can fit so many people on one moto. It’s amazing to watch.

We are also able to take a quick 24 hour trip to Kep (the beach) a few weeks ago. It was such a great trip!

Reaksmey and I in Kep!

The students came to send me off this morning as we left the village! I received so many caring notes and letters!

My send off!

Sokha was wonderful in teaching me how to crochet(among other valuable lessons that I learned from her)! I was able to crochet a headband, a hat, and a dishcloth!

Our crocheted hats!

Things I have learned:

God’s strength is truly made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I have been blessed to be able to see the depth of God’s strength when I am weak and only have him to turn to.

We need not to be anxious. (Matthew 6:25-26) Why? God will take care of everything.

Pray about all things. (Philippians 4:6) When I have needed strength, when I have been totally weak, God provided.

What next?

Needless to say, I am still processing my time here and thinking about all the things I have learned and how to apply them in my life. I am so grateful for my time in Cambodia. It has been so different than I could have ever imagined and for that, I am very thankful.

You can pray for:

Me as I transition back into the states and figure out what to do with what I have learned.
The ministry here in Cambodia
Luke, Sokha, and Hannah as they continue their english teaching ministry in the village of Angk’jeay.
All the other MTW interns around the world as we travel back to the US for debrief.

Thank you so much for praying for me, thinking of me, and supporting me!

Blessings,

Whitley

Internship

Fourth of July… Cambodian Style

July 4, 2015 Caleb Robey Leave a comment

Happy Fourth of July, America!

Today, here at the Smith’s home in Angk’jeay Village, we celebrated America’s independence day with a good, old fashioned cook out! Sokha grilled some chicken on an open flamed grill, and let me just tell you… it was some of the best chicken I’ve ever tasted. She marinated it with soy sauce, garlic, and some other really special ingredients that I cannot remember right now, but it was wonderful! Luke also cooked some potatoes that were delicious, along with carrots and bread! I couldn’t have enjoyed the meal any more than I did. It was just what I needed to celebrate Fourth of July in Cambodia!

I also taught the bible class on John the Baptist today! We are going through a really helpful and simplified book (because they are learning about the bible as well as english). On Saturdays, after the bible class/ guitar lessons, they have a Kmer bible study. It is kind of cool because what they have been studying the past few weeks goes over the death of John the Baptist, so it correlates to the bible class that I am teaching. I’m pretty sure that was not planned intentionally.. by us at least. It is always fun to see the ways God works.

The Kmer bible study.

On a lighter note, yesterday one of the students found a baby bird and picked it up for me to see. The bird was so cute. Although, there are birds everywhere around the house and they constantly poop so other people don’t really think they are as cute as I do.

We went to the city this week for the team meeting/worship/dinner together. The team meeting is once a month and all the MTW missionaries who are serving in Cambodia come together to worship and fellowship. So, for this meeting, we were able to celebrate the Fourth of July by having a cookout/ potluck dinner. There was Korean Barbecue (soo delicious), fruit (not the fruit you’re thinking of), spaghetti, and potato salad, among other things. It was a great celebration!

The Fourth of July celebration at the team dinner.

I have three weeks left here in Cambodia! Thank you so much for supporting me, praying for me, and thinking about me. I can feel your prayers and am learning so much! One of the things being… anxiousness is not worth it. We have no reason to worry about tomorrow.

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep.” Psalm 127:2

Blessings,

Whitley