I was contemplating how much technology has changed my life.  I have been slowly getting rid of paper books and replacing them with digital copies, and even read my Bible on the iPad most of the time.  So how much has technology changed me.  I now fit into what they are calling “flashpackers.”   I travel with technology and even though it is simple and compact, it is laden with many cords and adapters.  Therefore, I find myself wanting to disconnect from the need to be “online.”  In Cambodia people buy coffee to hang out, be seen, and use the internet.  I use technology because, in many ways, it is simpler.  Yet, at what cost?  Technology is loud – as far as advertising, and can be addictive.  It causes a different type of clutter in my life.

I am wrestling with how to find solitude and silence but use the resources at hand to create the life I desire. For now that includes trips to Coffee shops to use internet and engage in business, so when I am at home I can rely less on technology and truly enjoy the silence of being offline. It is only during those times that I really hear God’s voice.  It reminds me of the passage in 1Kings 19:11-13 – God told Elijah to stand on the mount and Jehovah passed by, there was a great strong wind, an earthquake and a fire, but Jehovah was not in any of those things.  But after the fire, there was a still small voice.  That is the voice I seek.

A big realization for me, when I moved to Cambodia, was that business is primarily conducted through relationships. Even situations like renewing a business license every year is done based on who you know. There is a law that you must do this renewal each year, but there is not a standard set of fees. If you know someone the process and cost can be less than if you don’t. Yes, coming from the states this seems crazy, it leaves you kind of in a no-mans-land, a bit confused and frustrated. It requires time and effort, which pays off in the long run, but in the short term seems rather like a pain.

I was thinking about the difference in my relationship with God. I used to treat my Bible reading and prayer like transactions. The Lord has slowly been moving me to a place of deeper relationship. The benefits of hearing His voice are so much greater when I incorporate spiritual disciplines into more of my day instead of just… “check – took care of that.” When I find myself in a place of confusion and frustration, God leads me through to a new understanding of myself or of Him. This relationship, along with my faith, deepens when I participate in the relational aspects of my time spent with God.

After struggling to start his own business, Savann applied for a job at DPR and was hired onto the wait staff.  Having been recently married, he was very focused on providing for his new wife and starting a family.  Soon, we learned that they were expecting their first child.  The medical insurance provided by DPR enabled them to go to the health clinic for a safe delivery of their baby boy.  Consequently they did not have to go to the local money lender to borrow the funds to pay for a hospital delivery.  This allowed them to bring home their child without a crushing debt that so many families endure in this situation.  We are gratified to help this new family get off to a good start.

Joining the DPR staff from the very beginning, Thearath is energetic, devoted to making our business successful, and anxious to learn. She has been particularly committed to the training from Michelle Murray and took special interest in the weekly Bible studies that each staff member has the option to attend. She recently gave her life to Christ and has been growing in her faith and understanding of the Word of God. We are privileged to have Thearath on our team and pray that her walk with the Lord will grow deeper and her witness will have an impact on her fellow staff members and the community around her.

*not her real name and photo – to protect her identity

All of us at Divine Pizza and Ribs are right in the middle of a constructing and opening our newest venture called La Divina.

We will be leveraging our existing infrastructure by using the same kitchen and most of the same staff, because this restaurant is located on the street around the corner from DPR, yet we’re literally operating out of the back of our current kitchen.

One of the things I enjoy most about Cambodians is their desire to work as a group and the way they all jump in to help. You can see in the picture above, the kitchen staff and one of the waiters working together stapling fabric on our new couch for La Divina. Working together as a team to complete projects and goals has created a unity that is strained occasionally, but usually pushes each individual to participate and carry their part of the work.

This reminds me of the way Jesus asked the Disciples to participate in His ministry, to help when they did not fully comprehend the implications or the ultimate outcomes. I am aware of how often I want to see immediate results, and how my staff wants the same from me. I know the plan and ask them to trust me, which reminds me that I should be doing the same with God. He regularly asks me to trust him, but I’m like a puppy who wants constant attention and rewards along the way.

Teamwork and unity are one of those rewards.

When I was younger I really struggled with writing. I never wanted to take creative writing classes, because writing on demand scared me to death; maybe more than speaking in public. It’s not surprising that God knows what skills and strengths that we have and moves us to the places where those gifts are used.

On November 1, I began the 4th year of NaNoWriMo (National Write a Novel in a Month) I only started doing this because I have faithfully been writing my weekly prayer letters and ministry updates, and have gotten much encouragement to continue writing. Now I find writing enjoyable and creative.

50,000 words in one month takes concentration and dedication, but most of the important things in life have cost to them. My dedication to my Christian life and ministry sometimes overwhelms me but Christ paid a very high cost to make me free. I find that I moved from being afraid of writing to loving writing is like my Christian walk; God walks with me throughout the change, the process is slow but small changes are happening along the way.

As many of you probably know, one of the foods that I dislike is tomatoes. So I am not a very good salsa maker for obvious reasons. This past Sunday afternoon a friend of mine came over to teach the kitchen staff at Divine how to make a good salsa, because what we were serving was just ok. I must admit when they were done even I kind of liked it, but they all thought it was great and so did a few of my other friends who tried it later.

This got me thinking about how many foods are best when there are many flavors blended together. Foods like lasagna, all kinds of soups, and salsa, are usually better the next day, because it takes time for the subtle blending of the flavors and textures to make the dish the best it can be.

Working at Divine for nearly 6 months, I have watched as the various personalities have mixed together; some taking leadership and others just being hard workers in the background, have blended together to make a team. It is a strong team when they communicate and work together. They have learned their strengths and weaknesses and allow others to assist when necessary. I have been blessed to be added into the mix, like the lime juice at the end to make it just so, by helping to pull all the flavors together. It is delicious!

When I first saw her, I didn’t realize that I was looking into the face of poverty.

On one of my early trips to Cambodia, I was walking along an urban street and noticed this street vendor frying and selling rice cakes from her cart.  I had been warned not to eat food from street carts, but I was compelled to patronize her little business.  The cost for two cakes was 500 Reil (about 12.5 cents – and that was the tourist price).

Munching on the cakes with a small amount of leafy vegetable inside, I quickly did some math in my head to figure out the profitability of her sale.  Considering cost of goods and other overhead, she might have made a couple of cents on my purchase at best.  With some more figuring I calculated that this young woman, most likely a mother, makes around a dollar a day.  Even double that amount places her below the poverty line by third world standards.  When I offered her a few hundred more Reil as a tip, she looked confused because tipping isn’t part of their culture.  I gestured that it was a gift, and she hesitantly but gratefully thanked me, “aw khun” she said and smiled.

What is Poverty?
Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job; it is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.  The poor are also the most vulnerable to extreme forms of exploitation like human trafficking and slavery.

Business as Mission
My concept of effective ministry was changed by my encounter with the young woman selling rice cakes.  Knowing that the immensity of the need in that one community alone far exceeded my resources, I wondered if there was a way to address the root of the problem.  Traditional charity creates dependency and is not a sustainable solution to poverty.  So later, when I discovered the Business as Mission (BAM) movement that is sweeping through the Church and human relief organizations, I was captivated by the possibilities.

As you probably already know, I have subsequently been privileged to partner with some good friends to form an organization called Marketplace Ministries Worldwide.  Through MMW, we built and opened a restaurant (Divine Pizza & Ribs) in Phnom Penh, the capitol city of Cambodia.  There we provide jobs, skills training, and transformational development to eager Khmer people.  It is a Holistic ministry, showing the love of Jesus to people in need by ministering to each of them as a whole human being. This means addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  It has been remarkable to see the effects of giving someone “a hand up instead of a hand out.”  By providing jobs that pay a fair wage, we can immediately extract a family from the crushing grip of poverty.  Being able to offer this kind of opportunity to people in the name of Jesus has been one of the greatest thrills of my life.

Transformational Development
With our emphasis on sustainability, reproducibility, and empowerment, we sent Michelle Murray, an American expatriate fluent in Khmer language and culture from 10 years experience as a church planting missionary with the Evangelical Friends Church, to be our “business missionary” at DPR.  There she manages operations, provides training in vocational and life skills, and shares the Gospel through word and deed with our staff, vendors, suppliers, customers and neighbors.

We need your help
As we near the end of the first year of operations for Divine Pizza & Ribs we are incurring some unexpected costs and also need to raise additional support for Michelle.  Please consider a one-time gift or even better a monthly commitment to support our business as mission.  A little bit from a lot of people goes a long way.

We are grateful to our supporters who have already pledged and provided the vital funds needed to bring this ministry platform into existence. As always we depend on you to pray for us and for the staff at DPR. May God richly bless you as you have blessed us.

Shalom,

Jeff Davis
MMW – Board of Directors

I recently heard the Kingdom of God described as “Jesus’ big dream for humanity.”[1] The picture above is of the Cambodian Friends National Youth Council enjoying a meal at Divine Pizza & Ribs.  For me, this represents a dream come true.

When the Lord put it on our hearts to establish a business-as-mission in Cambodia, I dreamed of the day that a generation of unreached people would interact with the enterprise God enabled us to create.

Ever since Evangelical Friends Church began its church planting work in Cambodia back in 1995, we have dreamed of the day when national leaders would shepherd the Church without dependence on us.  Just like parents who have dreams for their children to surpass them in life, we have envisioned a self-supporting, self-propagating church that carries the Gospel throughout Southeast Asia.

Michelle Murray was instrumental in establishing the National Youth Council among the up and coming young leaders of the Church in Cambodia.  From the onset she knew that she was working alongside the future of our Lord’s big dream for the people of this region.  Now, our MMW Marketplace Missionary is introducing yet another segment of the community to the principles of the Kingdom of God.  The mission of DPR is empowering them to realize their own potential in the marketplace and in the culture.  I believe we are witnessing a convergence of the movements that flow from God’s missionary heart.

“Hello lovely customers please welcome to Divine Pizza and Ribs. We have a lot of food you want don’t forget come here!!!!! Thanks xxxxxx” – Hong

The above comment was written by my night shift Cashier/Supervisor, on the Divine Pizza & Ribs Facebook group. He is a young man of 27. The 6th child of 7; he has 2 brothers and 4 sisters. Unique is the best word to describe him. He still has both of his parents who are in their 60’s. They were farmers in the Prey Veng Province, which is probably why they survived the Khmer Rouge period, with their lives and their family still together. Prey Veng province is to the west and south of Phnom Penh.

Hong is the only child in his family to complete high school, and therefore shoulders the burden of being the main support for his aging parents. So the fact Divine offers health insurance, which can cover his parents because they are his dependents living in the same house, has helped him with this responsibility. His other siblings are factory workers, and he still has two sisters that live in Prey Veng and are farmers with their husbands.

He learned English the old fashion way, by being bold and courageous and just talking to people, making many mistakes and improving through the help of tourists and local expats. He has worked in other restaurants along the riverfront, but was seeking to move up and gain some supervisory skills, because his dream is to open his own store.

It has been my privilege to spend time with this young man, who always has a quick smile and a kind word. As we work together developing his skills, so that hopefully he will someday open that shop; he continues my education about all things Khmer. It is truly a mutually beneficial relationship.