We had been praying for someone to come and run the school at the Pnong Project while the Greenfields were in the States for Daniel’s cancer treatments. In the interim, we had to put a student missionary in the principal position until someone came to lead. Maryke Reynhardt was a wonderful transitional leader for the school, but she was nearing the end of her time, and we didn’t know what to do. Thankfully, God did.
Mariette Diedericks arrived from South Africa in May 2016. She had signed up to serve for a year in a creative-access country, but because of her business experience and our need, she was asked to come to the Pnong Project. We are very thankful she accepted.
What a difference one life committed to Jesus can make! Her initiative and drive ignited so many things at the school. Her self-motivation to reach out to others pushed her to pursue friendships with local people despite her lack of language skills. Whether she was visiting the elderly, consoling a young woman who had lost her fiancé, massaging another woman’s sore legs or sharing the gospel through an audio version of the New Testament in the Pnong language, Mariette lived her mission.
We recently got to see another way in which God used Mariette. One of the teachers was in labor with her first child. When we arrived at the hospital, Mariette was on the bed with Jen rubbing her back as she was having contractions. Jen’s family stood and watched, but it was Mariette who helped her. This meant a couple of sleepless nights for Mariette as Jen relied upon her throughout her long labor.
The bonding between Mariette and Jen was beautiful to watch. Clearly, God not only changed the lives of those Mariette served, He also changed her life through these experiences.
Mariette once told me that God had impressed her that her time at the Pnong Project would be limited, so she decided to do all she could in the time she had. This reminded me of a quote on page 200 of Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5: “We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us.” Mariette’s 15 months at the Pnong Project were a wonderful illustration of this! As her time is now over, and the Greenfields are back in the field, we rejoice over the blessing Mariette was to so many in Cambodia.
Lord, please send more people willing to give of themselves. The harvest is great, but the laborers are few!
