Little do they know!

When we first arrived in Koh Chin, Debbie and I put Reggie on the leash and took a long walk. We checked out our local pagoda. We walked to the market. We wandered to a neighboring pagoda. Next, we cruised the high school.

While looking at classrooms, we met four young ladies. They were all in the eighth grade. They were eager to use their English skills. It was funny how they wanted to ask good questions. To make sure the question was good, they would talk to one another and someone would ask. It was questions by committee. I was very impressed with their language ability. It is definitely the best I have experienced, for that age.

The girls walked with us, as we headed back to the ship, each one peeling off, in turn, and going to their home. As we neared the ship, two young men spoke to us. They, too, wanted to use their English. It isn't often the young people get to talk with native English speakers. We chatted for some time. They asked if they could come and speak with us later. I told them to come to the ship at 7 p.m.

By 7, we had about eight people waiting on the river bank. I went out and spent an hour asking and answering questions. They wanted to practice their listening by speaking with a an American, so there were many questions asked. They wanted to practice speaking, so they wanted me to ask questions about their country and culture. We formed a mutual learning society. They decided that I must be tired, so they left at 8 p.m. But, not until we made plans to meet again the next night.

The next day, Debbie and I went for another walk. When we came to the home of one of our visitors, we were asked to come inside and see the handicrafts that they were making. Most everyone in the village worked on copper bowls, vases, pitchers, and boxes. You could hear the tap-tap-tap of hammer and chisel all across the village. We were excited to see how it was done. We were so impressed with the craftsmanship. It was amazing to sit and watch. When we were leaving, two sisters, Dane and Sreynor, said they wanted to take us to take us to see Oudang Mountain. Dane, who is almost 20, was very enthusiastic about sharing more of her culture. We agreed to meet them, the next morning.

We spent that next morning touring a Buddhist Center and climbing up Oudong Mountain. This mountain was once the capital of Cambodia. On the top, there are a number of large stupas (large burial structures), some from the 11^th and 12^th centuries. It was quite interesting. It was nice to see Dane and Sreynor so excited about sharing the history of their country, with us.

As we were leaving, I gave the girls a brochure, in Khmer, which explains who God is and that he sent Jesus to save us. I told them that I wanted to share a little of my culture. I encouraged them to look over it and let me know if they had any questions. I gave a few extras for them to give to friends.

Each night that week, the “English Conversation Society of Koh Chin” gathered on the river bank. The number quickly grew to 12. They would get out of school, go and work, attend English class, then come to the ship, by 7:00 p.m. When they left at 8:00 or 8:30, they were as excited as when they arrived. We spoke about many, many things. I made sure they knew that we were here to help them, because that is what God wants of us. I explained that as Christians, we are here to serve God by serving others. This whole concept is certainly foreign to them.

When Dane, Sreynor, an aunt, and their grandmother visited the clinic, Dane stood with me and watched as the people had blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature recorded, before they met with the doctor or dentist. She turned to me and said, “Wow, Christians are wonderful.” I told her that God is wonderful. We are just people who love Him and are trying to do what he has told us to do.

During the week, Dane expressed interest in learning more about Jesus. She had learned about world religions and wanted Debbie to tell her more. They talked about God and His plan for the world. Debbie asked if she would like to begin the World English Institute beginning Bible lesson, and she agreed. Dane has continued to study, and emails Debbie with lesson answers and questions. She has come back to the ship, in our new villages, twice. She is an extremely intelligent young lady with a strong desire to learn. Please, pray with us that Dane will continue to study and can be a Godly influence in her village.

Before we left, on Saturday afternoon, a small group came to tell us goodbye. They brought beautiful hand-crafted gifts. We were so touched. Most of the gifts were things they had made themselves. Dane gave us a crucifix, beautifully etched in copper. She copied it from the brochure I had given her earlier in the week. They have relatively little, but were so excited to share.

We will go back to Koh Chin, later this week. We plan to meet with the students and share more about God. I hope we can return to the village, frequently, and encourage them to study.

It’s funny. The junior and high school students we met think that we were a blessing to them. Little do they know.