Fried Crickets

I meant to get this post up a couple days ago but the modem unexpectedly died again, this time while skyping my sister; not a pleasant experience (sorry Elyse!). The teaching has been going well though, besides the students not always doing their homework. That one has been hard to figure out since they come to the classes out of their own choice in the first place, it's not a required thing. Seeing as how they won't be receiving any kind of grade that sticks to a transcript as well, I had to be more creative with how to punish them in some way. Made up a lazy song, partly, I really can't take much credit for it since it's just the poem “The Lazy Nothing-Doings” by Shel Silverstein put to the tune Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star... or the ABC song... or Baa Baa Black Sheep (take your pick). The words went with the tune well though! Plus Cambodians seem to hate singing in front of their peers so it seems to be effective. One of my Buddhist students expressed her dislike of the Bible to me on Thursday, I don't want to shove it down her throat but don't want to stop reading Scripture in class either because of one student. I'm still going to talk about it daily, but only one verse a day so it's easier for them to swallow and doesn't take up as much class time as before. Please be praying for my students though.

My friend Lai invited me to go with him to Pursat last Thursday as well. It's not too far of a journey, at least on a map. It's probably about the distance of the western suburbs of Chicago to the Wisconsin border, but it takes roughly two and a half hours by moto. I still had a good time though. We visited a pagoda at the base of a large hill named Phnom Puk, gave us a nice view of the country around us. It was nice to see another province as well and get out of Kampong Chhnang for a little while. 

This is what the ascent up the hill looked like

Lai on top of Phnom Puk

The next day I went to teach with Sina again but afterward he wanted to go watch the fishermen by the rice paddies. They all used nets, similar to the ones that were used during Christ's ministry on the Earth in Israel. Made me think of when he called his first disciples, asking them to follow Him so that He could make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17). I had been asked the day earlier by the teacher from Tree of Life if I would preach at his church that Sunday. I had no idea what I was going to talk about, but watching those fishermen and hearing the words of Christ in my head I had my idea. That we are to engage in evangelism as fishers of men in this sea of lost people in Cambodia drowning without Christ and teach them to make their own fishers of men. One of the nice things about having to give a message in church is that there is a translator so you get to think about how to phrase the next sentence while they are talking, super convenient for a first-timer like myself.

After watching the fishermen in the rice paddies though, we were about to head back when we started talking to a seller. She had a huge pile of changrah, or fried crickets on her table. I'd been asked a few times in the past if I wanted to try them but had found ways of dodging it until then, and just figured I better bite the bullet (or cricket). I was surprised by their taste though, more like salty Cheetos without the fake cheese on them than anything else. I can check intentionally eating insects off my list of things to do now!

You're supposed to buy them by the canfull

Please be praying for Chan and Chinda as the weeks wind down before she has her first baby. I visited a friend's wife in the hospital yesterday who had just given birth to a baby girl. Mark said the women here are generally hospitalized for a week or two after giving birth. She said she was very cold and they kept piling blankets on top of her, so prayers for her recovery and the health of her newborn would be good. Also for the business that Mark is running, God has been giving it a lot of success and it brought in almost 500 dollars in its fourth week which is truly His doing. I read a verse this morning that I wanted to share as well, reminded me of a song that I like a lot by Josh Garrels called “Rise” and I wouldn't be surprised if he took some inspiration from it. It's from Micah 7:7-8, which says: “But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.” 

Thought I would include the song in a link too if you wanted to listen to it, forgot I could do that :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOEU3xt29Lk 

-BM