Gift #283: a handful of weeds.....from an adoreable little girl at the daycare....

 

{These weeds reminded me how my sister used to be so delighted with the many [MANY!] handfuls of weeds that my neices would give to her--almost ran out out of cupboard space to display them on! Yet she always fussed over how beautiful each 'bouqet' was! :-) She was a good mom.}

 

 

The little brother is...married!!!

Here are just a few photos from the big day:

 

the lovely bride

the handsome groom

the bridal party....who cooperated very well especially considering the VERY cold weather!! 

 

And the best for last.....

my adoreable neice

 

All photos copyright of Krista Roth 2013

 

 

I [should] could have been decorating a cake today

....had life been different.....

 

Instead, I am left to wonder what type of birthday parties Jesus throws

???!!!???

Do they even celebrate birthdays in Heaven?

Maybe you are celebrating by spending time with your sisters there.

 

 

I wonder what type of cake I would have had to decorate this year

Black forest cake?

Chiffon cake?

A fancy cake?

Or a crazy fun cake?

 

I wonder what your personality would be like by now, Bro......

Would you still like to tease and joke around?

Wonder what career you would have decided to pursue....

What would your life goals and dreams been like?

Would you have been married by now?

Would you be a big Maple Leafs fan like your brothers?

 [If so, you probably would of celebrated your birthday here watching the game tonight!]

 

So many questions....

Life would have been so different....

My little human brain can't make sense of it.

 

But THIS is the way that God intended life to be!

[Life IS hard].

But life is good.

GOD IS GOOD!!!

 

*But my human heart still kinda wishes I could send a birthday wish to Heaven.....

I miss you, Craig!  

 

 

 

 

 



How does one say "goodbye"?

 

I've had to say goodbye to some very important people in my life before....

I've said goodbye to friends as they moved on....

I've said goodbye to people that I lived and worked with very closely...

 

And I'm convinced that the process doesn't get any easier.

 

So many emotions.

So much to process.

 

These little people have not only wrapped their dirty arms around my neck, but they have wrapped themselves around my heart. I love seeing how they faces have changed since I have been here. They used to be shy or just wanting the attention of the moment. Now their faces light up with recognition and love when they see us come to the village. And as soon as they see us, they come running and screaming "ni kru, ni kru" ["teacher, teacher"] and waving. 

I have seen how they have loved and welcomed me into the community and saw me as some form of a stablity in their lives which know very little stability. Then I watched as their faces got so sad when they heard we are leaving this week. {I will never forget one little boy's face when he heard.....he turned and looked at me with the biggest, saddest puppy-dog eyes I have ever seen. He was sooooo sad...It broke my heart....Don't worry, I have made sure that he has got lots of extra love and attention [and extra treats!] after that! :) Oh, how I will miss him!}

 

 

 

The words from Sara Groves' song "I saw what I saw" keeps running thru my head....

 

I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and i can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it

 

something on the road, cut me to the soul

your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of
and what I know of love

 

I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have but I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction

something on the road, cut me to the soul

 

your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
your courage asks me what I am made of
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love
and what I know of God

I have neglected this blog.

Not for lack of things to write.....

[possibly for lack of time.....possibly for a lack of proper priorities!]

I have many thoughts swirling about my head.....

So instead of trying to sort all the thoughts out, I decided to just let you see a small window into my world....

 

*this should be the #1 vacation spot in the world!!

*L.O.V.E. these kids!!

The little boy is my "Khmer Todd"---who I met 2yrs ago! :)

The girl is my "Khmer Raquel"---she acts so much like Raquel! :)

* Vera, I was totally reminded of your 'A Broken Sea Shell' story when I saw all these beautiful broken shells mixed with all the perfect shells. :)

I see so many people who remind of broken shells....they are stories that God is just waiting to finish...stories of which I can't wait to read the last chapters!

*Life with the kids is never dull....or quiet! ;-)

 ....That's why I love them so much!

*Yummy fish! :)

*Vietnam....an adventure from the very beginning = good times! :)

*A hand to hold....

Such a simple thing...

Yet evidence of the lack of love in their young lives.

I have found that it is not just the little kids that climbing all over me in an attempt to be loved.

 True, it was the little kids that came running and jumped all over me that first day.

But it's also "the big kids". They desire love as well.

 It just comes in a more subtle form---or for some of them it's subtle.....I will be sitting on the floor when suddenly an arm is linked thru mine, or a little hand is stuck into mine. I look down and here it's the 10 yr old boy who is usually busy looking after his 2 younger siblings.

Or it's not so subtly....I am sitting on the floor, and suddenly I feel arms circle about my neck--here it the 13 yr old "naughty" boy who has very few friends because he is known as the "naughty" boy.

All they want is to be loved!

How I wish I could speak their language and speak Jesus' love into their lives..

But.....Jesus, please touch their hearts and tell them that YOU love them!!! 

*Laughter

I love how God blesses these kiddos with the ablity to still laugh and have fun--even though their lives have been so difficult and full of hard work and pain already.

 But God is still good! He has blessed them with my wonderful team who has been working with them for the last 7 years, an excellent source of stablity in their lives! :)

* "My" little man!!!

xoxo

*Another one of "my" little boys

I love how God has opened my heart and given me an extra love for the "naughty" kids.

.....So much of the reason these kids are "naughty" is just so they can just recieve some form of attention.

Really, they are not trying to be naughty....they are just asking to be loved.....and to be given some quality time. Since I cannot speak the language and communicate with them that way, the least I can do is show them love by spending time with them----and giving an abundance of hugs! :-)

Life is good when I have lots of kids around to show Jesus' love to. :-) :-) :-)

Random musings.....

Meet my little man:

He is so adoreable.

He is "my" little man.

His huge chocolate brown eyes tell so much

....they are sometimes filled with pain & sadness 'caused by

things a child his age should never have to face.

How my heart breaks when I see this reflecting in his eyes.

But....then my heart will melt into a puddle...when this little man comes to the center

and comes running across the room straight to me to be hugged & loved & prayed over.

How I pray that Jesus will enter this little man's heart & fill it with

healing, true love, peace, acceptance and feelings of worth in God's eyes!!

 

This is part of the King's palace.

It is light up in honour of the King's coronation day.

{*Note: the photo of the King's Father--He passed away a few weeks ago.}

 

The amount of honour the people of Cambodia pay to their King & to the predeceased King, challenges me. I cannot help but ask myself: "If they feel it neccessary to show this amount of honour to a human king, how much MORE honour I should show to my King--because my King is not just another king that will come and go. My King is the KING of all Kings!! And I'm afraid that I don't give Him the amount of honour that He deserves." .....May I always show My KING the honour and respect that He deserves!!!

 

 Since visiting the temple ruins in Siem Reap, & reading thru the Old Testament, I cannot help but think of Heaven often. The beauty of the Old Testament temples of God & the beauty of the temples of the pagan gods is breathtaking. And the mansions in Heaven are going to be even MORE breathtaking!!! I can't wait to see MY mansion in Heaven!!

I can't wait to worship Jesus in all of His beauty!

I can't to see what that beauty will be like!!

It's going to be so much more than I ever have imagined. :-)

 

I wonder what it will be like walk down the halls of the mansions in Heaven

What will they be like? Will I even be able to walk down them?

[I probably will be stopping ever step to pause and drink in the beauty. :-) To savour the moment.]

 

What will it be like to walk up to the gate of Heaven?

 

When I walked up to this gate...I felt so small, so insignificant. Like I didn't deserve to be here. Here my feet were covered in dust from the red dirt road. I was not wearing my best clothes.

I did pause to enjoy the beauty of the mist coming off the water in the moat.

I felt like a nobody, an ordinary person who was about to enter a palace where I didn't deserve to go.

 

It's not going to be that way when I walk in thru the gate to Heaven! :)

 

 

Sua s'dei! {'hello!'}

 

These are a few of the kids we love on each week! :-)

 

A few of the kids that come running out of their houses

when they see the ministry van coming down the street.

They love to stand and wave to us

...or call out to us. :-)

 

Then they come running down here:

[This is the place where we do our ministry in the village.]

 

This is the view down the street from us:

 

It's so great to be on these streets again!!!! :-)

I am often amazed at how God had this time picked out as 

the perfect time for me to be here.

What a personal God I serve!!

 

I love how God is filling me with HIS LOVE for these kids!

 

In myself the dirt, the energy [and sometimes the naughtiness!], the lice,

the kids always jumping over me, and the smell of sweat

can get to be a little much!

But then God reminds me that that is exactly how I appear to Him!!

....and HE still loves ME!!!

So...

If an Almighty, Perfect God can love someone like me

---then surely I can love these kids who have no one else to love them!

These kids have no idea how to visualize how God loves them

---so, maybe in some small way I can show them a glimpse of God's love for them

......thru hugs, holding them, playing with them,

and just being their barang [friend]!!

That is my prayer.

Please join me in praying for these dear children!!