“Write they blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraven that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me from they love. Be thou to me a strong tower of defense, a comforter in tribulation, a deliverer in distress, a very present help in trouble, and a guide to heaven through the many temptations and dangers of this life. Amen. – Thomas รก Kempis
We are into single digits, suit cases are filling up with stuff accumulated over 16 months of living in the wonderful place. Its gotten to the point in the packing stage where I have to seriously look at everything and ask, is this something I really need to take with me. (most of these items are books that I have read while here)
As we get closer and closer to that fateful fourth day of March when I will board a plane and leave those things that are most precious to me, the things that I wish more than anything else I could take with me, the people that have changed my life forever. As right as it feels to be moving on, and moving forward its never easy to leave people behind. It sure wasn’t easy leaving the great people of FUMC of Katy to travel here. I remember back to my last night with the youth and how hard it was to say good bye, and here in a few short weeks I will be seeing them again.
The sad thing is I know it will be more than 16 months before I see my Cambodian friends. Everyone always asks me “You will come back to Cambodia?” I tell them that if I do it will be at least 3 or 4 years. I know that seems like an eternity but the fact is that it isn’t. When I read the prayer above it struck a chord in my heart.
Cambodia is one of those places that sticks with you. Everyone I talk to that has come here tells me how much they love it and hope that they can come back. That is a tribute to Cambodia, its people and its culture. As sad as it may be to leave these wonderful friends they have truly become “indelibly engraven” on my heart. That is something that I happily take back to my friends and family back in the states. I come back a different person, a changed person, a person that has been moved by a force that is not easily forgotten. I have been moved by love.
Posted on February 23, 2011
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