Gecko Tales

Reflections on a Short Trip to Cambodia

It’s almost like I never lived in Seattle. Being in Cambodia was like existing between two differing states of reality. In some ways, it was like I had never left Cambodia and knowing that it would only be a two week stay altered my sense of the Cambodia reality even more. The life and ministry of my Cambodian and expatriate colleagues has carried on without me for the last seven months and that was ok. KEY felt more Cambodian and in a way that is both positive and negative. My expat friends looked a bit rough around the edges as the stress was piled up in heaps upon them. Some have called me to meet to let me know of their new spiritual leap into universalism and syncretism. Stress, burn-out and vicarious stress disorder meanwhile take their tolls. Other missionaries call to meet with me for advice about their future or strategies concerning ministry. It is strange being called the ‘old hand’ now.

I was invited to preach at a Cambodian church yesterday called Cornerstone. This faith collective is led by two of those I have mentored and one of my KEY staff personnel. There was no one there over thirty mainly because the church is informal, has rather contemporary music, is led by a group of 3 Christian leaders, rather than a sole authoritarian figure micromanaging the church. It has a real friendly atmosphere and is actually fun to attend-no status barriers exist as in this church as in the bulk of other Cambodia churches which are largely American imports. I was rather dismayed when I saw my staff person preaching in Sunday school when I arrived- he knows better! When I was on deck, I decided I would ask permission to organize the group in a circle, and share the word from a chair with the leaders sitting next to me. I often turned to the three leaders to interpret and reiterate what they thought I was saying, and often asked the participants (yes, they participated in the sermon) what they thought. In the end, I had each leader summarize my sermon. I did not leave room for a whole lot of passiveness. And it was fun. There 50 young people there with about 40 missing due to traveling to the provinces for the holidays.

Alana and Matt were along for the ride. I did not see much of Alana as she slept over friend’s houses quite a bit. Matt saved up quite a bit of money and eventually I did not see much of him in his prone position on a couch in front of the television which eventually became barricaded behind pizza boxes that were almost touching the ceiling. Members of the International Church who worked for the US Embassy allowed us to stay in their house which was extremely comfortable. What a stress reducer it would be to live in that house.

Since the couple using our house had to give it up due to an increase in rent, they stowed all our stuff at their house. I spent a few days sorting through it, re-packing it, and getting things Debbi wanted. Everything was in terrible shape as seven months with out use just seems to cause rapid disintegration. My motorcycle that Abe borrowed seemed to be in decent shape. Our car’s frame seemed be almost rusted through so the car and our stuff was sent off to the KEY drop in center. KEY will probably get the car as a donation as it will cost us too much to repair the damage of the last seven months.

Apart from a staff wedding, and the Diamond Program 1 and 2 Graduation, I spent the other half of my time catching up with both Cambodian and Expatriate colleagues. A lot noodle soup was consumed in the process- not to mention squeezing in treatment for a sinus infection and getting two crowns done.

It was nice to see that some of our former DP grads are picking up momentum toward putting human rights issues on the Kingdom agenda. I have to shake my head in wonder as some in the west have told me that this is a distraction in light of sharing the Good News. The Kingdom of God is found where justice and righteousness are found, and according to the Old Testaments God had a lot to say about his people who ignore the oppressed. The few Cambodian churches willing to take risks concerning human rights and which serve from margins are making Kingdom gains. When I speak in churches (usually not institutional churches) they always introduce me as the foreigner who went to jail to protest the incarceration of Sok Someoeun and Bon Samnang who were innocently jailed (4 years now) for the assassination of union leader Chea Vichea (they were finally released on Dec 31, 2008).

I left Cambodia still convinced that a focus on holistic development of emerging church leadership the way we are doing it can only lead to hope for the present and future. As I write this short brief, I am now sitting in soul-less Seoul after 13 hours waiting to board the final leg of journey back to Sea-Tac where I will be sleepless in Seattle for at least a few nights. I am looking forward to seeing Debbi and Jordan, and to give some good reports to the Seattle churches concerning their investments in God’s Kingdom initiatives in Cambodia.

Brian

# posted by Brian Maher @ 7:03 PM