Honestly, after a year and a half of putting in the good fight to send a weekly email every week, my desires to continue are quickly fading. It seems like I just learn so much every day, and especially every week, that I feel sometimes it might be pointless to even try to share the experiences that I had this week. But thank you for reading!
Anyway, a theme that was very prevalent this week was death. Haha, now I know that, that doesn't sound like the happiest thing, but let me give you some stories to why I wish to write about that today. On Monday night, a beloved member of the church's grandmother passed away. We wanted to support her and we decided that we would attend the funeral, to show that we care about them. We attended the funeral (very different from the US of A) and it was difficult to describe and put into words the experience of attending a funeral. They make food and all of the family gets together for a couple of days. One thing that I thought was really amazing to me was the fact that even though this families grandmother had passed away, they were doing everything they could to serve the Elders and make us feel welcomed and get us food, etc. I realized how Christlike these people are. Even when they are going through trials they take time to look around and serve those around them.
After eating they invited us to the Hai Sop (literally no idea how to spell that in english) which is when they do a march in all white and pull the casket all the way to the pagoda where they burn the body. We figured because they invited us, we had better attend. Because only part of the family is Christian they did a traditional Buddhist funeral and burned the body. It was quite the experience, marching under the burning hot sun, and then arriving at the pagoda watching the monks bless the body and then place the casket into the designated place where they started the fire and closed the door. An experience that I will never forget. I was grateful to be a part of it and embrace a little more of the Khmer culture.
During one of our lessons this week, the our investigator that I talked about before shared something that really stuck with me. She said that before, when she believed in Buddhism, she feared death. In this culture you have to pay a lot of money for funerals and pay a lot of money for all of the traditional Buddhist things that are necessary for the spirit to enter into Paradise. She was worried that if she died that her family wouldn't have enough money to pay for all of that, and she had so many questions about what would happen when she died. She said that now because she believes in Christianity she doesn't fear death anymore. Because she believes in Jesus Christ she knows that it will all work out. She has clear understand about where she is going and why we all need to die. How hopeful this message is. I love sharing this gospel with these people and helping them understand that because of Jesus Christ death and the grave have no victory.
This morning I read in 1 Corinthians 15:
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am so grateful for the knowledge that although death is heartbreaking, it is one small step in our eternal progression toward ultimate happiness.
Also I came up with a play on words that I really like:
Helping
Others
Prepare
Eternally
Funny story:
Yesterday at the end of Sunday School we sang Angels We Have Heard on High haha and the foreigners visiting where like, "don't they know that this is a Christmas hymn?" I simply responded, "Welcome to Cambodia."
P.S. My motto for the transfer is "Put your shoulder to the everything!!" The wheel isn't enough. We must put our shoulder to everything
Love you all!
Elder Gochnour
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