Cambodian Reflections #1: Beginning To Process

After being home for only 2 days now, the most often asked question is how was your trip? Well, before I even left Cambodia I had already determined not to answer it. There is no summary statement, one main theme or lesson learned. So my answer to the question will be spread out over a series on blogs here on this site. As I began in the next few days and weeks to process my trip, experiences, journal entries and video footage, I will post it all right here for you to read and chime in on. Hopefully you will.
I remember near the middle of the trip asking the Lord what it was He wanted to teach me by leading me half way across the globe. His answer was “Poverty looks the same the world over, only the language it speaks is different.” As I tried to process what that meant it was really clear that most of what I was seeing was not life changing or shocking it was just poverty in another country.
I have seen houses like theirs on my trips to rural Georgia as a kid. In a strange way I guess I could relate to their poorness. It was just interesting to see how they handled it, with gratefulness and joy. Thankfulness for the help lent to them.
Would Americans respond the same or would we respond with entitlement on our lips?
In addition to be a Hip-Hop musician, I work with urban kids who wear entitlement like a badge of honor. As we handed out toothbrushes at the clinics we did, the Cambodians would say thanks (AKun) and walk away happy someone cared enough to bring them a toothbrush and show them how to use it. The kids I work with would say: “I don't like the green toothbrush, I want a red one. Or I don't like Colgate toothpaste, I want Crest. No gratitude, no joy, nada! Just gimme on my terms or take it back. Or even worse, they take it, complain and toss it on the ground a few steps later.That is not a need getting met, that is I'm taking because I can get it.
Even in these rough economic times, instead of being grateful for what we have, we are making demands on how to get what we don't need. We could learn a lot from the Cambodians.

photo by Ryan Gunn