Delightfully Exhausted: Cambodia Days 2 and 3

It is 5:45 pm Thursday evening here in Cambodia. I am exhausted beyond words but it is the good kind of exhausted - the kind you feel after a very productive day of work. I am excited about all that has been accomplished these past two days.

Early to bed, early to rise is how I roll here in Cambodia. I am sound asleep no later than 9pm. I wake up at 4:30 am and spend some time with the Lord and prepare a devotional for the girls in the SEAPC office. Breakfast is at 7 and at 8 I hop in the tuk tuk and begin the adventuresome journey to work.

The first devotional I did with the girls was cute and funny. We read Jeremiah 31:3 and discussed the fact that God loves each of us with an everlasting love. I then asked the girls if they loved accounting. They like it, but they don't love it the way Raquel does. I then told them that God likes accounting and they both had a confused look on their faces. So I read Luke 12:7 that says the Lord numbers the very hairs on our heads. They smile and laugh. I then read Colossians 3:23-24 where we are instructed to work as unto the Lord and not for men. I shared that we can use our accounting as a way to show love back to the Lord.

The first full day in the office was productive. I gained an in-depth understanding of their work and they were able to ask me many questions on how to handle things. We were able to get a newer version of Quickbooks installed on their computers. I was completely blown away by how impeccably they work. Even more impressive was their heart for the Lord, their country, and the children they serve. We had powerful discussions about the ministry work being done in Cambodia, how far we've come, how we have helped the kids, and obstacles we still need to overcome. I will have much to share with the folks back home.

Wednesday's devotional discussed who we are in Christ. We read Scriptures about God knowing us even before we were born and that He has called us out of darkness and into light and He gives us everything we need for life and Godliness. We then read Exodus 31:3 that says that God gives people gifts and skills to enable them to do work, such as accounting. We ended our devotional time with a song and I printed the lyrics to "I'm No Victim". The truth of these lyrics have changed my life and I hope it does for them as well.

Wednesday's work consisted of entering every single December transaction into our new version of Quickbooks. We analyzed and discussed each one - and there were many. It was tedious digging through the minutia but all our hard work paid off when we produced a detailed Income and Expense report for the month of December. It was a beautiful work of art - at least I thought so.

You may be wondering how all this accounting qualifies as "mission work". As I discussed with the girls, charities and non-profits are audited. The more detailed records of financial accountability they have, the more folks tend to trust them as good stewards of their resources. By allowing SEAPC to prove their impeccable stewardship of resources, it paves the way for more sponsors and donors and continued ministry efforts.

I Corinthians 10:31-33 says: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

This is what we are doing in Cambodia.