A
I
D
O
B
CAM
ADVENTURES
WITH THE
BARNES
Episode
№2
Last time we heard from Craig and Kim they
were about to jump on a plane for Cambodia.
Now, they are fully-fledged cross-cultural
We are slowly
workers and quickly realising that life is
learning how to live
going to be more than a little different.
Did you know that you can bake moist
fluffy cakes in a rice cooker? Neither
did I until we moved to Cambodia
where I no longer have an oven!
Our family of six has been living in
Cambodia for six months now and
just like the rice-cooker trick, we are
constantly having to be creative in how
we do things. We just can’t do them
the same way as we did in Australia!
Having to rest in the heat of the day,
buying fresh meat, fruit and vegetables
daily from the market and learning
exactly when to pick our bananas and
papaya so they are ripe enough to
enjoy, but before they’re completely
irresistible to the birds. The list goes on!
And those are just some of the
practical adjustments… the cultural
differences add another layer of
complexity. Learning how to quickly
determine if someone is older or
younger than you and by how much
so as to greet them appropriately,
knowing how to sit at a meal and
how to get around the room without
walking in front of someone.
here, mostly through
taking risks, making mistakes, watching
others and asking questions.
Recently we celebrated Craig’s
birthday with a party and decided to
invite our neighbour. He doesn’t speak
any English and our Khmer language
is progressing, but conversations are
still stilted. A bit nervous, Craig went to
his house and they ended up walking
around the garden naming the fruit
trees. They came to a big lemon tree
that had many lemons underneath it,
rotting on the ground. Our neighbour
told Craig that he had never eaten a
lemon and had no idea how to cook
one. So Craig asked if he could take
some home, which our neighbour was
more than happy to make happen.
Craig invited him to the party and he
said he would come (at least that’s how
we think the conversation went!).
Quickly I made the lemons into a
lemon cake (yes, in the rice cooker).
Our neighbour was so happy to try the
lemon cake and see a delicious use for
his ‘worthless’ fruit! Since that day our
relationship has grown and he often
drops over, bringing more lemons or
a curry. One day we even came home
to a shopping bag of water and live fish
hanging from our gate!
Opening our mouth to speak to
someone is risky. At this point in
our language learning we rely on
creative ways of communicating…
it’s amazing how far expressive
hand gestures, polite pointing and
lots of smiles and laughter can get
you! Most of the time we feel like we
won’t have the words to say, will say
the wrong thing or be misunderstood.
Craig’s feelings as he went to our
neighbour’s house that day made me
think about being in Australia and the
risk it takes to share our hope in Jesus
with our neighbours there. Sometimes
it feels like we are trying to speak a
new language there as well.
Every day, as we immerse ourselves
in life in our Khmer community,
we are challenged to find new and
creative ways of doing things, ministry,
relationships and life… and we know
this is just the beginning.
Have you ever made
a cake in a rice-cooker?
resonate
· issue 32 · page 2