One Cell Phone, One God

I must brag.  I am so proud. 

They call me “Mom” – my 8 teachers who daily I get the privilege to mentor in the Christian faith, train teacher skills, drill English and model before them a life centered on Christ.

They are young.

For the past year, I have spent many hours teaching and hanging out with this awesome group of young people prodding them to read their Bibles daily, act on what they’ve read, go to church, involve themselves in Bible study, teach their students the beauty and the faithfulness of our amazing God.  Most days I’ll be honest I wonder- do they hear me?  Am I making a difference?   Do they want to grow in the Lord?   (big sigh)

And then Wednesday happened.

Unbeknownst to any of us, a local drug dealer in the village had threatened one of our first graders that if he did not steal one of the teacher cell phones at school, he would kill him!

The child stole the phone, delivered it to the dealer but broke down in sobs when he got home and reported to his parents what he had done.

The parents marched their son right back to the school to confess to his teacher what he had done.  The child was mortified, scared to death and knew expulsion and condemnation was due.

But instead, grace ensued…..

My precious teacher hugged him, forgave him, ensured him of his love for him as Christ had loved him in his vileness (the teacher) and vigorously invited him back to school the next day.

This part-time teacher makes $90 for a half day teaching, attends university on his own dime in the afternoon and evening, buys nightly dinner and lives in a quiet corner of a church empty room.  A Samsung phone is a big deal, but His God was bigger!

Both parent and child were stunned…shocked…amazed!   This doesn’t happen in Cambodia.  Stealing would have been sure termination from the school and an unbearable shame to his family.

These Buddhist parents were overheard saying, ‘This school is different, it’s the Jesus school!”

As I was rejoicing in my quiet time for this young man and his Christian walk, God gave me this verse of praise for that teacher,

“ Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace (2 Corinthians 1:12).”

Way to go VanSol!  This “Mom” teacher trainer could not have been prouder!    

 

 

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