“Knom jong jia jon-jiet americ. I want to be an American.”

The phrase still rings in my ear.

“Should I hire someone to marry me so I can move to the United States?”

The question made me want to cry and scream! No! No! No! No! “Dah yuu…no way!”

I’m not sure how seriously, but her parents have apparently talked about hiring someone to marry her just so she can move to the States. She knows that is a bad idea, but she still really wants to live there.

“Why do you want to live in America so badly?” I asked.

“Why do you want to live in my country?” She retorted.

Touché…good question! I told her, "I think God has a lot He wants to teach me through my experience here. I want to ‘help’ people in some way. I love adventure, seeing new place, learning about different cultures, meeting new people."

It’s the same for her. She has the same kinds of dreams—experiencing new people and places, meeting God in a new way, seeing what life is like for others, extending a hand to someone in need.

The thing that stops her from doing this? The thiing that didn’t stop me? I’m an American. I was born into a middle class family. I have all the right paper work to get me almost anywhere I could want to go.

These are snippets from a conversation I had with a friend recently, and it got me thinking. I am so blessed to be living the life I lead. I did absolutely nothing to deserve any of it, let alone this amazing opportunity to live in Cambodia.

Sometimes it feels selfish and irresponsible to do things that I know I can do only because of the circumstances of my birth. Sometimes I feel I should take more advantage of my ‘status’ by fighting harder for others who are struggling and voiceless. It’s times like this when I realize how ungrateful I have been for the place I have come from and how irresponsible I have been with resources.

Tonight, Lord, I am filled with thankfulness. I am filled with a desire to be more responsible with and aware of how I live the life I’ve been given. I also cry out for Cambodians to see the value of their country. I want them to invest in Cambodia. I don’t want them to believe that the only way they can be happy is to escape to the U.S. Because, contrary to what they may think, ultimately it is more than food, money, and a good job they are looking for. It is You we all seek, and we can find You anywhere.

Please come near!