The past several posts have been about specific activities that have happened recently, so this one is going to be a little different. I have way more viewers than I had originally hoped for - which is fine with me 😄- and I know for a fact that lots of you know very little about me. So I thought a post about me and my life might be nice so everyone can know who all these posts are coming from. :)
As you may have already seen from my profile, my name is Emma Benefield and I'm a missionary kid in Cambodia. Cambodia is located in southeast Asia between Thailand and Vietnam. My parents and 2 older sisters arrived in November of 2000. Candace was 18 months old and Deborah was 6 weeks old! That would of course make me nonexistent...yet. 😜
I was born in April 2002 before our first furlough. I truly have been raised entirely in Phnom Penh (except for occasional furloughs). Because of Cambodia's sad history-which includes the Pol Pot Regime-the medical standards here weren't very dependable or trustworthy at that time. Thank God that recently a nice hospital opened not too far away from us and will hopefully have the proper treatment should an emergency ever arise. Because of the medical standards back then, my family went to Bangkok, Thailand to ensure a safe delivery. Several MKs here have been born in Thailand at the most well-known hospital among the missionaries, Bumrungrad Hospital, in Bangkok. I am proud to say I was born in Thailand and raised in Cambodia. :)
I know different MKs have different views about their lives in their respective countries and I'm not trying to belittle any or say any are wrong. For me personally though, I won't say I've loved every moment of living here, but overall I definitely think it's cool and I'm blessed!
As a youngster I had no idea what life in America was like. I wasn't aware of how much my life differed from the lives of my cousins in California. I didn't know what it was like to permanently live in a house with a rug attached to the floor. To me that was unthinkable! I've always lived in a house with tile while here. So carpet to me was such a foreign idea. :) I didn't know what it was like to run over to McDonald's for a McFlurry on a hot summer day or swing by Taco Bell to grab dinner if Mom didn't want to cook. I was always so confused about things like offering envelopes, highways, mail delivery systems, dryers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, drive-throughs, drinking fountains, automatic opening doors, automatic toilet flushers, chimneys and fireplaces. I could think of more if I had time. 😂
My life was simple and unique. My siblings and I were content with our surroundings. We loved to play outside in the courtyard where the mango tree is and we also loved spending time indoors with a book, movie, piano, or game. As we got a little older we looked for more opportunities to spend time with other MK friends and had lots of birthday parties and missionary get togethers with them! :)
Our family quickly grew which to me meant more playmates. :) Pretty soon all us 6 kids were old enough to enjoy playing outside together. Our landlord who lived on the property has several grandkids our age. They loved to play with us and even taught us some Khmer games. We taught them some games as well. The times we spent playing outside with the landlord's grandkids and also some neighbour kids are some of the best memories I have from our old house.
The more I think about it, the more sure I am that God definitely placed us in the right country. Being here for my whole childhood has definitely had an influence on me. True, I grew up a lot different than other American kids, but having that opportunity has helped shaped me into who I am today and who I will be in 10 years. I have had experiences that tons of kids in America have never had.
"What is it like being an MK?" I got asked this a lot on furlough and I never could come up with a very intelligent answer on the spot. :) However, I've thought about it a lot while writing this post and I believe I've come up with 5 things that most MKs will think of when asked to explain how our lives differ from others and how that in turn affects us. These things have impacted me in some way during my upbringing. Some are definitely positive; some may be considered negative, but I'm trying to cover all of the bases. Maybe some of these will relate to some of you reading who are MKs as well.
1. Front-row seat to missions
Permanently living on the mission field is definitely different from your average American family. I've gone with my dad on tons of visits. I have seen first-hand the hunger in people's eyes to know more about the living God. People who have been left empty and hopeless by a false religion and long for the truth are so intrigued when the Gospel is presented to them! Their souls have been starving for so long and then finally someone shares with them God's plan of salvation. They listen intently as my dad teaches them several times and at last the moment arrives when they are asked, "Do you believe that Jesus is God and that He died for your sins? Would you like to ask God to forgive your sins and trust Christ as your Savior?" Most of the time the person will say they do. Then with head bowed and eyes closed and perhaps a few tears, they call on the Lord to save them. Joy fills their face as they lift their eyes!!! They now have a home in Heaven!! I've seen this time and again and it's always thrilled my heart to witness it. For generations and generations these Cambodian people have been spiritually blinded by the devil. He made them believe they could save themselves by doing good things, going to the temple, and praying to idols. But now...now they have eternal life! They now know the truth! Christ lives in their heart now! Remembering how spiritually dark this nation is always makes me even more excited to see someone get saved! That's another soul rescued from hell! Being around this during my upbringing has made me more aware of missions work and how important it is to "go...and teach all nations". The Lord has really softened my heart living here among a spiritually lost country and I pray that God's will for my life includes missions.
2. Culture shock!!
You're probably wondering why I said that when I've lived here my whole life. Well, I'm talking about culture shock when we go back to the States. :) Despite the un-American surroundings, my parents make sure to keep an American aura alive in our home. We eat American food, we sleep in beds not mats on the floor, we decorate for the different seasons, we still celebrate American holidays, and we homeschool instead of us being enrolled in a Khmer school. Yet, we still seem to go through some culture shock each time we take a furlough. A million questions run through our minds as soon as we arrive in America. Why is it cold (even if we technically arrive in summer)? Why is no one staring at us? What are those machines that people are getting soda from? Why is everyone wearing closed toed shoes? Where are their flip-flops? Why is everyone actually stopping at the red light? Why isn't there a handle on the door? Oh, it's automatic. On and on the questions go inside our heads. If one mystifies us too much then we ask, but we usually come to the conclusion by ourselves. Many people (especially people of my same age group) will be rather shocked if I ask a question like, "Is the tap water fine to drink?" They might look at me really weird and finally answer, "Umm...yeah" kind of hesitantly. Well, sorry for asking, but if we drink the tap water in Cambodia we'll get sick. So just making sure. :) That's honestly a big fear a lot of MKs have. We are scared of asking a really stupid question. A lot of people though are gracious and will politely answer and explain to us what we have just been brave enough to ask.
3. Cool experiences! :)
Living in Asia has been fun and exiting!! I have lots of interesting experiences on a regular basis! Not many kids in America can say they've ridden an elephant or had monkeys personally visit their front porch and even steal an air-conditioner remote control and a pair of ear buds. :) Who else rides around town on the back of a moped with Dad or in a tuk tuk? I also think it's neat that I'm fluent in an Asian language. Can many other people say they sat one table away from the prince of Cambodia while at a Swenson's Ice Cream Shop? That happened to us once!!! What about things like the markets I've posted about? Things like that are so intriguing! Man, life here is never boring!
4. Missing a teen group
While we were in America from September 2016 through September 2017 my older sisters and I really really enjoyed being part of the youth group at our home church. We don't have a youth group here so it was really special to be a part of one. We're asked a lot during furlough, "What do you miss most about America when you're in Cambodia?" Well, to be entirely honest I would have to say being in a youth group. I loved the way our youth group did activities together and just hung out to talk or play a game. We all served the Lord in some way whether it was on the bus, in choir, going out on Saturdays, helping in junior church, or helping prepare things for church activities. Being involved in the ministry with other people my age was really encouraging. We were all pushing toward the same goal and striving to please the Lord. I have really missed having that type of thing.
5. Homesickness in reverse
We do really enjoy being in America with relatives and friends, but I got really homesick while on furlough. This is my home-Cambodia. No matter if we move tomorrow back to America (which we aren't) my heart will always be here. When I eventually move away to college I will miss this place a lot. This is where I grew up. Whenever we go on furlough people say, "Welcome home!" I always think to myself...this isn't home. This is my home away from home, because Cambodia is my home. :) My entire life has been wrapped up in this country. I've grown to love the people, language, culture, weather, and even some of the foods. So for me just to move away to America when I go to college will be hard.
My life was simple and unique. My siblings and I were content with our surroundings. We loved to play outside in the courtyard where the mango tree is and we also loved spending time indoors with a book, movie, piano, or game. As we got a little older we looked for more opportunities to spend time with other MK friends and had lots of birthday parties and missionary get togethers with them! :)
Our family quickly grew which to me meant more playmates. :) Pretty soon all us 6 kids were old enough to enjoy playing outside together. Our landlord who lived on the property has several grandkids our age. They loved to play with us and even taught us some Khmer games. We taught them some games as well. The times we spent playing outside with the landlord's grandkids and also some neighbour kids are some of the best memories I have from our old house.
The more I think about it, the more sure I am that God definitely placed us in the right country. Being here for my whole childhood has definitely had an influence on me. True, I grew up a lot different than other American kids, but having that opportunity has helped shaped me into who I am today and who I will be in 10 years. I have had experiences that tons of kids in America have never had.
"What is it like being an MK?" I got asked this a lot on furlough and I never could come up with a very intelligent answer on the spot. :) However, I've thought about it a lot while writing this post and I believe I've come up with 5 things that most MKs will think of when asked to explain how our lives differ from others and how that in turn affects us. These things have impacted me in some way during my upbringing. Some are definitely positive; some may be considered negative, but I'm trying to cover all of the bases. Maybe some of these will relate to some of you reading who are MKs as well.
1. Front-row seat to missions
Permanently living on the mission field is definitely different from your average American family. I've gone with my dad on tons of visits. I have seen first-hand the hunger in people's eyes to know more about the living God. People who have been left empty and hopeless by a false religion and long for the truth are so intrigued when the Gospel is presented to them! Their souls have been starving for so long and then finally someone shares with them God's plan of salvation. They listen intently as my dad teaches them several times and at last the moment arrives when they are asked, "Do you believe that Jesus is God and that He died for your sins? Would you like to ask God to forgive your sins and trust Christ as your Savior?" Most of the time the person will say they do. Then with head bowed and eyes closed and perhaps a few tears, they call on the Lord to save them. Joy fills their face as they lift their eyes!!! They now have a home in Heaven!! I've seen this time and again and it's always thrilled my heart to witness it. For generations and generations these Cambodian people have been spiritually blinded by the devil. He made them believe they could save themselves by doing good things, going to the temple, and praying to idols. But now...now they have eternal life! They now know the truth! Christ lives in their heart now! Remembering how spiritually dark this nation is always makes me even more excited to see someone get saved! That's another soul rescued from hell! Being around this during my upbringing has made me more aware of missions work and how important it is to "go...and teach all nations". The Lord has really softened my heart living here among a spiritually lost country and I pray that God's will for my life includes missions.
2. Culture shock!!
You're probably wondering why I said that when I've lived here my whole life. Well, I'm talking about culture shock when we go back to the States. :) Despite the un-American surroundings, my parents make sure to keep an American aura alive in our home. We eat American food, we sleep in beds not mats on the floor, we decorate for the different seasons, we still celebrate American holidays, and we homeschool instead of us being enrolled in a Khmer school. Yet, we still seem to go through some culture shock each time we take a furlough. A million questions run through our minds as soon as we arrive in America. Why is it cold (even if we technically arrive in summer)? Why is no one staring at us? What are those machines that people are getting soda from? Why is everyone wearing closed toed shoes? Where are their flip-flops? Why is everyone actually stopping at the red light? Why isn't there a handle on the door? Oh, it's automatic. On and on the questions go inside our heads. If one mystifies us too much then we ask, but we usually come to the conclusion by ourselves. Many people (especially people of my same age group) will be rather shocked if I ask a question like, "Is the tap water fine to drink?" They might look at me really weird and finally answer, "Umm...yeah" kind of hesitantly. Well, sorry for asking, but if we drink the tap water in Cambodia we'll get sick. So just making sure. :) That's honestly a big fear a lot of MKs have. We are scared of asking a really stupid question. A lot of people though are gracious and will politely answer and explain to us what we have just been brave enough to ask.
3. Cool experiences! :)
Living in Asia has been fun and exiting!! I have lots of interesting experiences on a regular basis! Not many kids in America can say they've ridden an elephant or had monkeys personally visit their front porch and even steal an air-conditioner remote control and a pair of ear buds. :) Who else rides around town on the back of a moped with Dad or in a tuk tuk? I also think it's neat that I'm fluent in an Asian language. Can many other people say they sat one table away from the prince of Cambodia while at a Swenson's Ice Cream Shop? That happened to us once!!! What about things like the markets I've posted about? Things like that are so intriguing! Man, life here is never boring!
4. Missing a teen group
While we were in America from September 2016 through September 2017 my older sisters and I really really enjoyed being part of the youth group at our home church. We don't have a youth group here so it was really special to be a part of one. We're asked a lot during furlough, "What do you miss most about America when you're in Cambodia?" Well, to be entirely honest I would have to say being in a youth group. I loved the way our youth group did activities together and just hung out to talk or play a game. We all served the Lord in some way whether it was on the bus, in choir, going out on Saturdays, helping in junior church, or helping prepare things for church activities. Being involved in the ministry with other people my age was really encouraging. We were all pushing toward the same goal and striving to please the Lord. I have really missed having that type of thing.
5. Homesickness in reverse
We do really enjoy being in America with relatives and friends, but I got really homesick while on furlough. This is my home-Cambodia. No matter if we move tomorrow back to America (which we aren't) my heart will always be here. When I eventually move away to college I will miss this place a lot. This is where I grew up. Whenever we go on furlough people say, "Welcome home!" I always think to myself...this isn't home. This is my home away from home, because Cambodia is my home. :) My entire life has been wrapped up in this country. I've grown to love the people, language, culture, weather, and even some of the foods. So for me just to move away to America when I go to college will be hard.
Us on the elephant having a blast even though Deborah and I were a bit scared. :)
The monkeys coming to play around our house!
They loved to go across the wires. It was fun to watch. :)
This guy is totally cool! 😎
Deborah and I on the moped with Dad. 😊
Me and some guests from America in a tuk tuk.
This is the most recent picture I have of a tuk tuk.
You might remember this picture from the post about my sweet sixteen. :)
Thanks for reading! I've shared my heart as best as I know how. I really do love being an MK; I feel so blessed! Comment below if you'd like and have a great day!
Thank you for sharing your experiences! I love to read all about what you guys do out there on the mission field!
ReplyDeleteReally nice post! We have had some awesome times here in Cambodia. It’s good to read about some of the things that are not-so-awesome too. Everyone’s life, no matter where they live, is a mix of mountains and valleys, sweet and sour. I think it’s good for people to see and know that missionaries (and their kids) are no different than anyone else. The most important thing is to know that we are where God wants us to be, and God will help everything else fall into place.
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