Peanut Butter Friends in a Chop Suey World

This week marks the one year anniversary of our family moving to Cambodia. I vividly recall many unanswered questions  as we boarded the plane for Cambodia. The issue of taking Micah, Reece, and Kyler to Cambodia and raising them overseas was a difficult choice for Wayne and I. Our families asked us, “Will they be safe? How will they be educated? Will they have proper medical care?” Some say that one of the most challenging tasks for many missionaries is that of raising their children on the mission field. While Wayne and I both asked ourselves these same questions when we decided to make this move, the one answer we did have was this:  God called us as a missionary family to serve in Cambodia. He has a plan for our family to live and minister as successfully in Cambodia as we could in the U.S.

Micah handing out snacks at "Joy Club"

This last Thursday Wayne had an opportunity to take Micah out to the slums with the “Joy Club” at our church to minister to over 200 kids through Bible stories, hygiene lessons, and handing out snacks. When we asked Micah what he thought about it all he said:


“I feel sad for them. I feel blessed.  I feel like I should do something for them. Like more than just 10 cents or 20 cents. More like $25,000 so I can build a house for them.”

Micah, Reece, and Kyler are confronted daily with special opportunities and unique challenges. Wayne and I continually take steps to help them understand the world through their eyes.  While it’s true the USA is considered the land of opportunity, we believe that Micah, Reece, and Kyler are experiencing 'other' opportunities while living in Cambodia. They are seeing things and experiencing things differently than those living in the United States - but equally as beneficial. They are learning to relate on a new level to others who are not like them and learning to appreciate those differences. They are learning how to step out of their comfort zones. They are experiencing different cultures first hand - rather than just reading about them in geography books. They are learning to be resourceful, flexible, and adaptable.

Watching Bible Lesson

In preparation for our move to Cambodia a year ago, I read a specific children’s book to help me understand what the boys would go through and the challenges they would face. This book describes the experience of a little girl  moving to Taiwan with her parents to become a “missionary family”.  I recently recalled an excerpt from the book as I was reflecting over what the boys have experienced over this past year. 


 “Sure, my peanut butter (American) friends would never be the same as my Chinese friends. But  I had a wide variety of peanut butter friends, and I was beginning to realize that my Chinese            friends weren’t all alike either.  Friends came in all kinds of flavors.  And all of them were good.” ( Peanut Butter Friends in a Chop Suey World by Deb Brammer)

Thank you God for the amazing journey you have brought us through this last year. Thank you for our family and our friends both abroad and here in Cambodia. 

-Tricia