Look who now has an 'Alongsider' walking with them in life?!  These 3!

Would you have walked past them in their less then clean clothes on the street? Shoo-ed them away from your table or car window if they were begging? Do they look too stereotypical for you to care? 

Well, they're being loved on and mentored by these 3 God-fearing men.

 

Would you have picked them out as believers, or if you met them would you hold your purse tighter?  (One is a pastor, pick which one.)

If you're like me, your concept or perception of the international church was this:

present, yet vague

Well these 3 men tangibly love God and signed on to mentoring 3 young orphans they knew from their neighborhood. It challenges my perception which could have even been a stereotype. Even when you're poor, you've got energy, wisdom, knowledge, hugs, advice, laughter, prayer, and time to give. No money required. Everything to gain.

You can't beat that with a stick.

The church is being a Body that reaches out and not just gathers together.  Does yours? Do you?  Do you love others like you love your own kids? Do you care for the widows and orphans? Do you even know a vulnerable child you could check on?

After a year of lots of interest in other places but no one pulling the trigger to implement the Alongsiders concept, 2016 been a great ride and we're only halfway done! Churches are using the Alongsiders concept and comic book curriculum to reach vulnerable children and teach young folks how to disciple someone in:

Rwanda

Pakistan

China

Kenya

Senegal

Myanmar

and Thailand votes soon on using our comic books as a curriculum in their youth groups.

Our website now has an alongsiders "academy" where folks can learn our vision, hear our methods, and complete modules in 12 languages! (part of the translation and set up was my work load earlier - whew!)

 Stay tuned for more blog posts with pics from Indonesia and Pakistan!

You'll never guess who our intern is!  I'll give you hints. Her relative is:

Fleming.  Pete Fleming. 

Don't know him?

Think Ecuador.

Now?

Ecuador in the 1950s. He and 4 other good friends.  

They didn't come home alive. 5 missionaries were killed by the Huaorani people.

His granddaughter is our intern for the next 6 months!! I hosted her at my house last weekend since her host in the city was giving birth.  We talked about sociology, love, college, road trips, Cambodian culture, callings, and God.  We stayed up late in our hammocks with a pizza and popcorn. We rode around on Molly-Moto to see rice fields and ferry crossings, buy sugarcane juice, and chat with neighbors. We shared about our experiences with missions - good and bad - and family influences.

She never once named names or bragged when she told of going with a large group for a reunion in Ecuador when she was 10, returning once to see friends, or later skyping with people who had to take dugout canoes to a city 3 hours away to get internet.

It took me 3 days to put the pieces together.

She said sometimes she hates the affiliation because then she's no longer just her, she's the story. 

I get that.  On a much smaller scale, I'd give anything if on furlough I wasn't Lori that works in Cambodia, but just Lori.

“You didn’t come when I was sick. I wondered where you were.”   My stomach flopped and I had to catch my breath. 

My favorite gramma said this to me this week when I stopped by.

I listened to her explain how she had to have 4 bags of serum but that they never knew what was wrong (ugh) and inside I was aching.  For 2 reasons:

1) I missed out on the opportunity to show love and compassion and support, 

but, hey wait!,

2) I’m still not ‘one of them’. 

No one called. No one came for me, or sent for me. We're only 24 houses apart. About a football field. 

'Her god has been known to heal people.'  
'We know she prays to the Creator god a lot.'  
'She’s been a part of our family for years.'  
'We need someone else to take a shift just like she did when Viesna died last year.'  
Was any of this said? 

But no matter how many wedding road trips, late night laughs, market trips, or afternoons in the shade ... we’re miles apart sometimes.

Lesson to be applied: see or be seen at least every other day :)  

(NOTE: at times some folks really get tickled and say I AM one of them... my moto instead of a car, no AC, $1 Cambodian shoes, ability to make Khmer food, etc. Sweet moments.)

What a fantastic, stupendous policy!!

My friends work for Servants Ministries.  And they have a policy. A policy that says their folks must stay at or below the standard of living of those they're serving.

I absolutely love this.

I love it because I hear the talk about "rich foreigners", I (and others) get offered children to take them to "a better place", and I see the look on their faces when they perceive we're not the same, worlds apart.

(And coincidentally people seem tickled when I say I don't have AC, or a car, or a house helper, or a driver.  To be perceived as "regular" is utmost to me - walking with them is easier when you're not also walking across a chasm that's separating you too.)

I know many organizations and folks would disagree - that it doesn't make a difference - but I'm one who stands by this particular idea.

I spent a few days at my friends' house in a slum community by the city's open sewer while they were away.  I didn't feel threatened, I didn't get sick. I enjoyed their banter, and had perfectly fine running water.

There was a window pane missing in the door - no problem. There was trash everywhere outside - no problem.  The ally smelled like urine - no problem.  The upstairs neighbor's drain ran into the propped open manhole in front of our door - no problem.

We yelled at kids the same way. We laughed at things the same way. We stood up, stretched and popped our backs the same way.

While possibly intimidating to walk into at first, after 5 minutes its hard to imagine having the nerve to say, 'I'm sorry, I'm better than this and I don't want to live and love incarnationally.'  (Yes that's a massive blanket statement - I'll leave it at that knowing there's a whole lot that could be unpacked on both sides. I like to do that sometimes :)  )

I'll keep this short and leave off at that festering last statement.  I'm not saying I'm moving to a slum.

I am however saying its necessary and not as bad as one might think.

As those of us who follow Jesus surrender and mature into being more Christ-like we can say, like Paul, after we've tried, stayed at, and done bizarre things for His glory '.. I've learned how to get along happily whether I have a lot or a little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I've learned the secret of living in every situation..'  Philippians 4:12  And it was worth it.

My "job" trajectory is taking a new course.  I've had a good conversation with my "boss" - a meeting of the minds.

I've served with Alongsiders International (www.alongsiders.org) since Nov 2014.  I've seen God's hand:

- in my own heart as I meet mentors (Alongsiders) and current and former Little Brothers and Sisters,
- in India, Indonesia, and Cambodia as more and more kids have hope and someone walking with them,
- allow my boss to speak at major 4/14 or World Without Orphans conferences to share his God-given vision for caring for vulnerable children,
- expanding and rooting this movement even without our help in Rwanda, Myanmar, Senegal, China, and Pakistan!

Its been a ride! 

And I've worked myself out of a job.

I've taught Karuna - our spunky admin assistant that couldn't afford college but is making herself indispensable based on her abilities instead of book smarts - to run reports, renew insurances, update job descriptions, track receipts, and make better tea and coffee to name a few :)

And I've walked with Darath - our young, lovable office manager - how to create and do staff evaluations, make a budget, use google calendar, and manage his time better. 

Excellent!

So I've been asked to switch to just 10% admin oversight and 90% capacity building. Based on my relationships with staff and language ability he wants them to learn computer, life, health, and spiritual skills that will improve them for their days to come.  

I LOVE this and I'll have to narrow down the 1000 things I want to share.  The window for this is now til August, when the office moves another hour further from my house. And after August?  

Well.  We'll seek God and see.  

    One generation away. From many things, but today in this way.... weaker faith. 

I   I was invited to the engagement ceremony of a neighbor and friend.  She has helped put herself through college, is the 5th of 6 kids, and loves to teach kids Bible songs and Bible stories.

    Her parents have arranged for her to marry a non-Christian. And she’s agreed. Let me note there are several, multiple factors in this, most importantly that in Khmer culture you’re never outside of the influence of your parents no matter the age.

But still. My mind is processing this...

She’s the 3^rd of a handful of ladies lately that love the Lord and have been praying and waiting for a godly husband, yet have accepted their parents' introductions.  

"Do not be unequally yoked.” 

There is an initial disappointment in my (western) heart – that they won’t immediately know the joy of being joined to and in a partnership with a godly leader of their family of 2. But we'll pray hard that this happens. 

Then, there is the point in the conversation where they say ‘but Lori I’ve already talked to him and he says my belief is no problem.’  And while this is a half of a check mark – at least he’s not upset you have a different religion from him – its not a full check mark.

Continuing, ‘… and Lori he says he’ll go to church with me after a year or so.’  Again. The check mark is half drawn based on a promise.

Today I'm talking about faith. It will sound dramatic to some, but its true when 2 opposite opinions or lifestyles join in any capacity. The odds are good that the the majority of the time the joint lifestyle leans the way of the "weaker" link. Nutrition. Travel and socializing. Faith. Spending habits. Savings. Disciplining children.

Their kids will be quick to see the difference in mom and in dad. 

"Do not be unequally yoked, but if you are...."  We're not just left with a command. We're left with a path. 

Hear that I'm not advocating disobedience to parents. 

I am saying that life isn’t cut and dry. I'm saying God understands the thousands of cultures He created. 

And I will pray for heaps of blessings and faith be heaped on these two - that this was a divine appointment from the beginning of time for this fellow to hear Christ's love for the first time. 

Life was incredibly hard when we all were asked to move on from our former NGO in 2014. It was a point of anger, a point of confusion, a point of isolation. A chance to be humbled and seek His face and learn grace and walk in faith when we couldn't see the road.

Sidebar:  I can finally now say I pray for them semi-frequently and wish them the very best - an answer to a personal prayer. Thanks for the healing, God. It was all You. 

The 7 of us literally scattered the globe: 

2 returned home to retire, 

1 is teaching English north of the city, 

1 moved to Myanmar,

I’m of course with Alongsiders, 

and now I can say that the remaining 2 got re-assigned to an 

unreached people group in Russia! 

This new news, while fun to live vicariously through, has brought up old and new feelings alike. My overwhelming and understated thought today is this – 'deep sigh'.

Of the top 20 stresses in life, I’m told folks abroad like us live under 13 pretty consistently. Ouch.  How did folks who struck out on their own like Gladys Aylsward do it?

We especially need community, accountability, and encouragement… and when that’s disrupted by losing a confidante and neighbor we hit yet another wall we’ll scale with God’s sweet tenderness and strength.

Wall # 787 hit - check.

But let’s end on a high note – after they learn the language for a year or so there will be one less un-reached people group in the world! 

Plus I've always wanted to go to Russia! Hosts?  :)  

God, protect them as they go and start over. Give their children belonging and new friends. Open their minds to another new language. Introduce them to people of peace and divine appointments. Bless their efforts, keep them humble, and acclimate them quickly. Give them love for those around them as they learn in the city, and later for their people group. And may what they did in Cambodia still impact hearts and bear fruit in the years to come.