A pig’s head stares up at us from a table as we thread our way down the muddy market path. Cow noses, pig feet and other unidentifiable chunks of meat entice hungry buyers as flies swarm. Baskets piled with colorful fruits and vegetables look appetizing, but the market’s mingled smells of meat, fish, smoke and body odor is hard for me to get over. I have been assured that I will get used to the smells, but at this point it’s hard to imagine. I smile a lot as people try to talk to me. I somehow can’t remember how to say “I don’t understand.” Hands reach out to touch me and pinch my children’s cheeks or touch the blond hair that seems so strange to them.

Our lives in Cambodia are filled with reminders that we are in a different land. Things we used to know how to do are much more challenging now. Shopping at the market is quite different from the organized, sterile grocery stores of the West.

Driving is also a challenge here. The roads are like rivers that ebb and flow. Traffic has a general direction. However, at any time there could be a car coming toward you in your lane. Motorcycles weave all around the larger vehicles. The bigger the vehicle, the greater its right-of-way.

Another strong reminder of where we are is the constant heat. I knew it would be hot, but I couldn’t have imagined how oppressive and unrelenting it would be.

There are also pleasant reminders that we are where God wants us. As we visit in a village, a woman exclaims, “I knew a family with four children was supposed to come. And now you are here!” Warm hands grasp mine, and shining eyes welcome us into their lives. Gifts of jackfruit, mangoes, and lotus fruit are urged upon us as tokens of welcome. I was given a garment, which had been sewn in anticipation of our arrival.

Throngs of people follow us though the village as we visit. A worried mother asks us to help her daughter who has been sick for more than a year, and her gratitude bubbles over when we take them to a Christian clinic for diagnosis and treatment. (Later we learned she has Lupus and would not likely have been diagnosed or treated properly without help from our team.)

Life here is different, but God has provided wonderful reminders of His love and care. We have been blessed by teammates who have translated for us, helped us navigate unfamiliar city streets and barter for food, and so much more. Daniel and Cara Greenfield have also supported us as we transition into life here. Knowing the needs of a family, Cara took me shopping so I would have some idea of what to look for and where to find it. Daniel has given us advice on technical details, like stabilizers for electricity. They have been happy to answer our barrage of questions and give us helpful guidance. The warmth and friendship of the Adventist Mission staff and the ADRA staff here has been encouraging. We have been able to stay in contact with many people from home who have been lifting us up in prayer and encouraging us.

I will not say it has been easy for me to leave my family, friends, home, culture and everything familiar. But I will say that God has provided for us in every way. He has walked this path before us, leaving His heavenly home to live in a very different culture. He endured culture shock, difficulties, loneliness, attacks from the devil, and much more. Because He understands, He has filled our path with many reminders of His love for us and for the people He has asked us to serve. So we move forward, eager to follow our Lord in service.

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