...and then came unexpected waterfall

No, there are not more plumbing problems, Water pipes are fixed!!!   This was more an internal problem.

My day had been packed with people. I had finished teaching a class and wanted to see if I could find a student coming home that I could jump on the back of a motorbike and get a few things from the store to make Chocolate Chip cookies. I didn't think to bring baking soda....so the packages of chips are still waiting to be cooked and I am running out of days. I know that my time here is ending because my second travel bottle of shampoo is almost empty. One of those little bottles last two weeks. I have been here almost four, and it was a stark reality when I washed my hair yesterday. The second bottle is almost empty.

The electricity came on at about 4:30 and Vuthea and I had tried to two "foreign" shops with no avail.........baking soda not to be found, so no baking today. I came to my computer to check email. I knew that I would probably not catch any family online since it was 4:30 AM East Coast, but there were FB messages from the kids here.

The one from Phearak, who I wrote about yesterday was my undoing. This past Sunday when his family visited the church, since they were in town to pick up Grandpa from Australia, I was up on the roof top early, reading my Bible and enjoying the morning. Phearak's little brother was flitting around the roof........so enthralled with all of our pigeons and the gorgeous flowers that now decorate the normally barren roof. He found a hive of bees and although we never met, with each new "find" he would rush over to me, and take my hand and pull me towards his discovery. I fell in love with him immediately and finally went down to get my camera to try to capture his JOY and his enthusiasm. That was impossible to do....he just glowed. I shared a little of their story yesterday, but it is quite unusual to find a whole family of Christ followers here.

Phearak  is in my English class. One day we were talking about names and he asked what people call me....Officially, Judith; friends, Judy; close friends, Jud; my Precious family calls  me Mom, some of my Grandkds call me Grandma and the younger ones, and my daughter in law, Madia....call me Gigi.  It was all matter of fact....and I never thought anything of it til yesterday's Facebook message came.

"Gigi....I had to come to my hometown today. I am sorry I was not in class. My Grandfather made me come. Remember, he is a High Priest in the Buddhist Pagoda. Please Gigi, would you pray. He has taken my two brothers and entered them into the monastery to be Monks"

What???

That precious, joyful bouncing 10 year old....filled with the Joy of the Lord was going to spend his life as a monk in a monastery?

I was incredulous. Hadn't we prayed every day this past week asking God to not allow that to happen.

God, really?

My heart was broken.

I went to the roof..there is always someone there.

No One.

I called over the edge of the roof to find some guys in the dorm to please come up and pray with me.

 No One there.

I phoned Vuthea....I knew he had just come back with me....and asked if he could come to the roof and pray

. "Oh Grandma, I just left to go teach an English class at the orphanage, Can I pray with you tonight after the meeting?

I can't even explain the tear flow. God was there and we talked...and he comforted, but for the first time in Phnom Penh, I felt really alone, and just wanted to be part of 2 or 3 gathered in HIS name to pray for the protection of that dear little boy.

I got my keys and walked down the road to the girls dorm.....which I would normally  not have been permitted to do alone. I found three girls at home and together we held hands and prayed.  Phearak is loved and his family is loved as well.

As has been the case many times the students  done the ministering to my heart. It was a precious 15 minutes with all of us crying out to God for protection and intervention.  One of the girls insisted on walking me home. My phone buzzed as we walked...........an  SMS from Chetra....Mom, I found a Coke Zero and brought it home for you.  Another huge hug from God. NOT the coke zero so much, but the love and thought behind it. They are hard to find.....but Vuthea, who could not come pray because he was going to a class, called Chetra who was almost finished work and said, Please go find Grandma and Pray with her. She is hurting.

The body of Christ in action.

Last night we started off our meeting with the 85 college kids, as upset and concerned as I was (well, maybe without the waterfall of tears) and we spent a LONG time as a group imploring God for that precious boy.

HOW THANKFUL I AM PART OF HIS BODY.

Love to you.

Jud