Under Construction

                                             Under Construction

“For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God” Acts 3:4.

It is Friday morning as I write this post. Though we are still getting used to the new culture that we are living in, we are beginning to know our way in the streets nearest our hotel. As we’ll probably tell you many times, the streets are crazy. Imagine dozens of motorcycles and a few tuk tuk coming toward you and  swerving around as you quickly cross, holding up your hand to make sure they see you (as if it would actually stop one coming 35mph at you). In the words of Connie, “We have now beaten level 7 of Frogger.” 

Besides the traffic, the other thing I’ve noticed about Phnom Penh is that there is a lot of construction. Our hotel is right next to a store that sells metal roofing, gutters, and piping, and they are busy whenever we pass by. We see men laying bricks, welding beams, and pouring concrete. I asked our host missionary PK (his name is actually Pheakdey - say that five times fast!), and he said that the city is growing very quickly. According to Wikipedia, in 2012 there were over 1.5 million people living in the city, though I am sure that it is larger now. PK says that many people move to Phnom Penh for university and stay in the city to find a job.

That is what all of our readers have done. Their families live in the province but they have moved to Phnom Penh to study. We heard this story again and again when we met our readers yesterday for our first session. We call the Khmer people we are working with readers, not students. And we are workers, not teachers. As Jesus says in Matthew 9:37-38:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

And in Acts 2:47:

“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

So we are workers, and we show up to the construction site to help to build not a building, but the kingdom of God. As we talk with the readers, we are the laying bricks of our relationship so that we may learn to know and trust one another. We are welding with encouragement as we support them in their desire to learn. And we are pouring the concrete, trying to set in a foundation that is the work of Jesus in their life.

But although we are workers, God is the one who is providing the materials. He is the one who gives us patience and strength to continue working. And he is the one who has the blueprints, the master plan that will bring our readers to salvation through his love and grace. And though we are workers here, we know that God could use anyone to build his kingdom.

One final thought. It is easy for us now when it is our job here to be workers. Of course, as Christians it is always our job to be workers. But when we are home, as you are now, going through the daily grind of life, it is easy to lose sight of our greater purpose of building God’s kingdom. I pray that all of you, and us as we return, would not lose sight of our purpose as workers of God’s kingdom. For it is under construction, and He would use us if we are willing.

Some prayer requests:

Praises

• We have begun our reading sessions, and our readers are very excited for us to be here!
• Some of our readers are new Christians from the ministry!

Desires

• Our Buddhist readers may come to know Christ.
• Our readers would be bold in practicing speaking in English, so that we can have conversations with them.