In an unlikely place, a far more unlikely event unfolds. Perched on an open rooftop in an unfashionable suburb of Tuol Kork, the sun slowly sets and the breeze begins to cool the hot bodies. Loud music drifts across from the neighbour's party, but all ears are directed at the three men standing at the front of the crowd - each searching for the familiar tones of their countryman. They sit on bright red and blue plastic chairs or sprawl uncomfortably on bamboo mats. There are a lot of them, about 110 if you took the time to count.
The gathering looks odd and it certainly is momentous. We are on the rooftop of the Bethezer dormitories. There are about 16 Khmer brothers and sisters, 40 from Australia and another 40 from the dormitories. Seventeen Vietnamese brothers and sisters have just joined us. For most of them, it is their first time out of their country. And they don't speak English, or Khmer, so the speaker has two translators. Khmer and Vietnamese.
But the physical symbols of a small piece of sweet Lucky Supermarket bread and a small cup of wine transcend any language.
I'm thrown back to the time I spent in Cambodia last year. At times, there just three or four of us sitting around the table downstairs in the BEC, sharing our faith, feebly attempting some kind of singing. And now, BOOM! Something we would never have imagined. Never dared to imagine.
Not enough chairs?? What do you mean not enough chairs!?!
I think of the passage in 1 Cor 3 which talks about how Paul planted the seed, and Apollos watered, but it was God who gave the growth. It has been such an amazing privilege for all the fieldworkers who have been able to take part in this cultivating.
And like we like to say, with God all things are possible. All we have to do is but allow him to do the seemingly impossible through us.
So. Wishing we all had Vietnamese phrasebooks in our back pockets, we sidled up to the newcomers; shaking hands, our grins becoming wider to compensate for the lack of dialogue. Conversation ran out after we pointed to ourselves and said our name, but the Khmer quickly became inventive. It's not so important to know how someone's plane flight was, or what they do for work - what matters is that two traditional enemies can stand around in a group, learning traditional Khmer dancing, and using that other transcendent form of communication - laughter.
God has blessed our week together. I can feel it already.
Sara-Rose
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