We were awakened at 5:20 am to "Furelise" by Beethoven played through a megaphone. At 5:30 we met with the group from South Louisiana and prayed. It was good to share concerns and joys and then pray for them in a language that we could understand. Then it was time to exercise. "Exercise? It is six in the morning I really don't want to go run and exercise." Once again my expectations were shattered. Their form of exercise is dancing! Josh Riggs and I definitely enjoyed the dancing. We actually got in front of the entire 200+ youth kids with the Cambodian pastor, and one of the youth kids and danced! The one Cambodian youth kid leading the dances can break it down! It was so fun just to dance. Some dances were easier to catch on than others, but they were all fun. After dancing, another filling meal. Breakfast of eggs and french fries with coffee. It hit me again this morning at breakfast. We all sat down first, were served first, and had almost finished eating before the kids even entered the cafeteria. We were literally waited on hand and foot, and whatever we needed we got. Although our team was content with whatever we had, Jack asked for toast, and jam and some other things. All this while they are trying to prepare for the 200 kids that are about to fill the cafeteria. Why can't I serve these kids their food. This is a camp for the youth. These kids do come first. I want to serve them.
"Be patient Chase."
Okay God, but this is almost too far. It seems like we are celebrities.
"You don't have that mentality do you?"
No, but it feels like they do!
"You don't control them, and do not deny the Christ in them! Be patient!"
Humbled. After breakfast Kevin, and I spoke on purity to two different groups of about twenty boys. Each time was an hour and fifteen minutes. The first time was a little rough. I mean these talks take full trust in God. We are speaking words and then they are being translated into a language we can't even understand. We have no clue how it is being translated. Also we have no clue on where these kids stand on this issue. Have they had sex? Are they abstinent? Is this something they really struggle with? Is this something that is a subject that is even discussed in their culture? One thing I prayed for this morning is that God is bigger than that language barrier and that He would constantly break that down. God is bigger than heat, than us being tired, than a language barrier. The second talk we started out telling them our experiences. It was kind of tough to tell a room full of kids who barely speak my language, that I have struggled with lust and pornography, and even harder to tell them I have had sex. I don't know how this affected them, and they really didn't question us about it at all. I do know though that 2 Corinthians 12:9 says "For My power is made perfect in weakness." I know by showing these kids my struggles and faults God is going to move through that, but even more God is going to be glorified in my sharing of my forgiveness and redemption!
Then lunch time came, and we got to spread out amongst the youth! We were served just like they were and we got to sit and talk with them. Talking was kind of hard because the two kids beside me couldn't speak English as well as some of the other kids I could interact with. God broke that down though. I got to serve food to the girl to my right and the boy to my left, and they even served me. It was so humbling. I then began to ask them their age. Both were eighteen years old. They looked way younger, but that is how everyone here is. I then began to ask both of them what the names of the food in their language. They would then ask me what I called it. The only one I remember is Baii (not sure of the spelling) which is rice. Then at dinner it was even better. Kevin, Riggs, and I sat at a table with all guys. They taught us the words for certain foods and we taught them in English. They were all joyful, and would help each other out if one didn't know how to say a word. "Be patient." I then had the opportunity to share Galatians 1:10 (one of my favorite verses) with one of the Cambodian youth leaders. He was talking about how some people say He can't play guitar very well, but He knows that what talent God has given him, he uses. Whatever it is, how little or big, he is going to use it for the glory of God! "Be patient." At worship tonight they sang worship songs in Kumai (their language) that were familiar to us and we sang along in English. We worshipped with these kids and their fire for Jesus is so great! The fact that I watched how they worshipped last night gave me the opportunity to better appreciate and see how much these people have an all consuming fire for God! "Be patient." Oh how He constantly teaches and humbles me! Barriers are constantly being broken down daily not only between us and the Cambodian youth, but between our team as well! How great is our God!
--Discerning the Call
Chase Fallin
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