Arriving in Cambodia, I was a stranger in every sense. The language was foreign and the customs unfamiliar, but the landscape was dotted with opportunities. Despite feeling a little nervous, a bubbling excitement surged within me as I kicked off my first year of student mission work in this lively land.

As the plane descended towards unfamiliar soil, I immersed myself in last-minute research, eager to learn how to make a positive first impression on the local people. After our plane touched down, our career missionaries greeted us warmly, ushering us into a journey that began with a five-hour drive to the serene province of Mondulkiri. Saen Monourom, our destination, welcomed us with its bustling streets and curious faces.

During those first weeks, we dedicated plenty of time to navigating the bustling markets and settling into our new surroundings. My top priority? Sustenance. Despite the chaos, I was on a mission to track down good food at a fair price. Luckily, I stumbled upon a friendly fruit vendor whose stall happened to be conveniently close to our accommodation.

As I got a little more comfortable with the culture, I learned that when you want to visit someone’s home, it is polite to bring something with you to share. Armed with this knowledge and a bag full of fruit I had purchased from my fruit lady, I set out to make a positive impression on my neighbors.

That evening, I mustered the courage to knock on one of my neighbor’s doors. The lady inside opened the door just a bit and looked at me curiously with a little grin. “Jim reap sua,” I said with a nervous smile, putting my palms together in front of my face as a greeting, then handed her the plastic bag with fruit.

She tentatively reached out, took the bag and peeked inside before looking back at me with a confused expression. She said something in Khmer, which I assumed was a question but didn’t understand since I had only been there for a few weeks. With an awkward smile, I waved goodbye and returned to my house. What had I done wrong?
It took several weeks before the full weight of my blunder hit me like a ton of bricks. That’s when I realized that I had mistakenly gifted the fruit to none other than my fruit vendor, buying the fruits earlier that day. Talk about awkward!

Despite the embarrassment, the other missionaries and I had a good laugh. This mishap reminded me of the verse in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” It served as a gentle nudge to reflect on the value of true friendship and the importance of humility in navigating unfamiliar terrain.

Surprisingly, this mix-up brought me closer to this lady and her family, becoming friends and even starting to teach them about Jesus. It turns out that our relationship bore fruit in unexpected ways, after all.

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