Breaking My Hardened Heart

I have been on many mission trips to numerous impoverished countries, and sometimes I feel that my heart has become calloused because I’ve seen so much destitution, starvation, and pain. But on every mission trip there’s that one moment when God works on the armor surrounding my heart and penetrates my hardness. That moment came at a most unexpected time yesterday.

Pastor Sina, who is our main contact in Cambodia, drove us out about an hour from the city of Kampong Chhnang where we are based to a small village where a church was doing the distribution of the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child gift boxes (shoeboxes). I was expecting chaos and screaming children, and I didn’t really want to go. We’ve been exhaustingly busy for over a week. 

We caught the tail end of a church service with speakers set loud enough that I jumped every time a P or a B was pronounced. Then we went outside where around 150 little children were milling about on the red earth ground. Large woven mats were set out so the children could sit in neat rows organized by sex and age, and so that the correct presents could be handed out to them. The children were very well behaved sitting quietly in these rows as their parents waited in the back. Pastor Sina presented the gospel so that parents and children could hear as they continued to wait for the presents. Most of the children and parents were from unbelieving families. 

Then the shoeboxes were distributed by the local church people. The children continued to sit obediently in place not opening the boxes and not running away. At Pastor Sina’s command, they were allowed to take a 10 second peek into their box, and then they had to close the lid again. After a short while, they were allowed another peek. I was observing and photographing this event when I was drawn to a young girl whose father was sitting next to her. A typical shoebox contains some stuffed animals, some clothing — more practical items than toys. When the father peeked into the box with his daughter, he was so moved that he kept bowing to me and thanking me as if I had bought and presented the gift to his daughter myself. I teared up. What American child would be grateful or even happy with the simple items in one of those boxes? And yet the joy I saw on children’s faces broke me. We Americans have so much and yet we take it for granted. I turned away so the Cambodians wouldn’t see me crying. I had not expected to react that way. 

Thank you for your prayers for our team, our health, and our safety, and for our usefulness here in Cambodia. Pray also for these children and their families. The ones who are believers have so much joy, despite their material poverty. It’s truly humbling.

Blessings from Cambodia!