“Can we meet a day early for Bible study? I have to attend a relative’s funeral on Wednesday.” “Sure, Granny!” This was the third time I was meeting with this elderly Cambodian woman to study the Bible. (Read about the first two days in Part 1 and Part 2.) Soon […]
I Want to Escape the Cycle of Reincarnation: Truth Dawning P.2
“I believe,” the woman insisted. “I truly believe. But I also still light incense and want to participate in [Buddhist ceremonies and rituals]. Can I still do these things?” “Granny,” I said, using a relational term of respect, “for we who follow Jesus, we cannot participate in any other worship. […]
So Jesus is Greater than the Buddha: Truth Dawning P.1
“This is the Holy Bible of Jesus,” I said, picking it up. “Have you seen or heard of this book before?” The elderly woman across from me squinted. “No,” she said. “Never.” I had the opportunity to open up the Bible and teach an elderly Cambodian woman about Jesus. She […]
The Rabbit on the Moon and the Language of Sound
I was sitting in my kitchen the other night in Cambodia, staring at my bathroom door, and it occurred to me: the bathroom, of course, has a three-inch threshold. You have to step over that to get in. This detail of architecture is so ubiquitous I never stopped to think […]
Teacher, Do You Believe in Ghosts?
I once read a comment that said, “Southeast Asia is haunted.” Cambodia definitely is. People are deeply animist, worshipping spirits of all kinds and seeking to commune with the dead. People see ghosts, interpret dreams, and go to fortune tellers. The language has vocabulary words for categories of spirits that […]
Let’s Play! (But Cambodian Style)
Kids love to play. That’s true everywhere on the planet, but even in games you can find cultural differences that alter the experience. Since I work in children’s ministry, the issue of games and children’s play comes up a lot. As a teacher, how much effort do I need to […]
What Does It Mean to Be “Teacher” in Cambodia?
Kids are kids everywhere, but in different cultures there are different cultural practices around teaching, learning, and even play. As a missionary focusing on children’s ministry, I wanted to develop for myself a style of children’s ministry that would fit naturally into Cambodian culture and be easy for Cambodian Christians […]
Happy Khmer New Year! Pursat Songkran 2025
The following describes the adventurous journey to see the fireworks on Pursat City’s Golden Ship Island on April 15th, the second day of Khmer New Year, 2025. We brave the streets during the height of songkran, several days of public free-for-all water fights, where baby powder is included in the […]
Distant Stars: A Short Story
Author’s Note: This short story was written in 2019 when I was taking a Creative Writing course at university. It was intended to be a little window into the experience and culture of a Cambodian girl from a poor farming background. Up to now, very few people have read this […]
It’s Baffling Being Bilingual
I grew up with two languages, Khmer and English. My first word in Khmer was the word for “banana,” ចេក, and my first word in English was “cup.” I think of being bilingual as having two language trees growing in my heart. One tree is English. It is a strong, […]