Cambodia

So, I should post about Cambodia...But since I don't want to write a novel on this thing, I think I'll just put up my testimony that I wrote for the Care Missions newsletter (w/ added sentences here and there...)

The body of Christ is an amazing miracle. It is made up of useless tools, who are weak, dirty and often mess things up, and yet, because of God’s great power, He is able to use it to transform people, cities, nations, and the world. I wasn’t sure what to expect on this mission trip. However, there was one thing I established in the beginning. I am nothing and can do nothing without God. If anything good is to come out of this trip for me and for the people of Cambodia, then God will be the one to make that happen. I’ve experienced the limitations of my sinful self, limitations that I also put on God when the work becomes self-glorifying. I’m partnering with the almighty God. What He can do is far beyond what I can do when I try my best. It’s inevitable that I will be transformed, just not in the way that I expected and thank God for that.
The following are just some thoughts I had about this year’s mission trip.
I’ve been on short term mission trips before. I actually went to Mexico about 4 years ago for about the same amount of time, in conditions actually harsher than Cambodia.
When I was in college, mission trips were almost advertised to me. Find God’s calling! See if mission trips are for you! In a sense, short term mission trips was like baby food for the baby Christian before you ate the adult food that came with long term mission trips. It seemed like they were desperate for people to go and that can lead to a sense of pride and self-worth for the people who actually went.
So when I went on the mission trip to Mexico, I was very self-centered. I thought I was someone that the people in Mexico really needed and couldn’t do without. I went, was blessed, changed, and left. I had no plan for follow-up. My vision of the trip was very narrow.
Fortunately, as time has passed, God has grown me a lot regarding my pride. Almost every aspect of this trip has been different. Instead of baby Christians needing to go on mission trips in order to mature, I realize now that any mission trip is for the already mature Christian who is ingesting spiritually substantial food. I have a greater understanding of Acts 15:38, why Paul did not want to take Mark. Missions are not for the weak in faith. It is your strong faith that sustains you, allowing God to actually work without you getting in the way, and allowing for others to be nourished through you. The mission trip is not really a time for one’s self to be spiritually nourished though you may be spiritually encouraged often.
I also saw the purpose of the short term mission trip clearly for the first time. It really sets everything up for the long term missions to be carried out efficiently. The name “short term mission trip” is actually misleading because the mission trip goes beyond the commitment of ten days. The vision is actually very long-term. For if one wants to really carry out the Great Commission and be a maker of disciples, then it cannot be carried out in just ten days.
All in all, I received a broader vision for following the Great Commission. Missions have been put on my heart and in my future in a very serious way. I also just wanted to say that it was one of the most joyful experiences of my life to work with such a team of humble, godly men and women, to learn from them and to grow with them. It was inspiring to see examples of kindness, goodness, and gentleness...fruits of the Spirit that had actually become characteristics embodied in these people. It was an experience that I will never forget and I thank God for blessing me in that way.

I know that the above doesn't tell you exactly what I did during those 10 days while I was in Cambodia. What I did was work the pharmacy section of our clinic. For the first couple of days it definitely took 4 people at least to work that station...2 nurses, me and a interpreter. By the end though, we had trained the interpreter to pretty much do it without one of us (he was really intelligent...I was actually extremely impressed with all the interpreters. All of them were pretty young and either in college or still in some kind of school. A lot of them have awesome testimonies...I miss them...) so technically we only needed 2 out of the 3 of us plus the interpreter. We saw over 300 patients a day...a day for us would usually be about 8 hours total with about a 2 hour break in-between for lunch and resting.
I do miss Cambodia and the mission team but it really gives me a drive and motivation deep within my spirit for med school now.
God is really doing some work in that country...though currently, the need is so great and overwhelming that I can see how it can be discouraging. But if the Cambodian Christians are not discouraged then who am I to be discouraged? I do love them with all my heart and I hope they are doing well...