The term student missionary implies taking time off from your own education and goals to spend a year serving God before you finish college. But that doesn’t begin to describe what actually takes place.

My SM year was a once-in-a-lifetime internship in the science of salvation. I had a chance to shadow Philip Kiwi, an expert missionary who for years had been pouring his soul into building up a strong foundation for a future well-instructed, well-adjusted body of Great-River Christians. If he picked up a board, I was on the other end. If he was stuck, I was digging. If he needed to find out what was at the bottom of a well, I was swimming. When we got arrested at a conservative Muslim camp meeting, I was smiling, listening and learning. When we were at an important meeting negotiating the hierarchy of the Cambodian public school system, Philip said, “Let me handle this,” and I was glad to.

Though I am on my own now here in Cambodia, I still consider myself a learner missionary. The Great River People is an oral, semi-transient culture of tightly guarded communities. They are converts to Islam but still practice shamanism when they need hands-on spiritual power. Philip taught me that this is called syncretism: when new beliefs are external decorations while spiritual motivations and worldview remain the same. Philip and Hope wrote a culture study of this people group as a toolkit to avoid the pitfalls of syncretism as people come to Christ.

Learning from the Kiwis turned my modest little bundle of Western ideas about evangelism inside-out and began to broaden my vision of what complete Christian culture for believers here will look like. We wrestled with questions like how to keep people from falling away once they have knowledge of salvation and how to measure growth on the long road that will eventually lead to baptisms. Philip and Hope’s patience rubbed off on me. From wishing it could all be done at once, I was brought to the point of being willing for growth to be in God’s time and in His way.

I took over Philip’s baptismal studies with Navee, who will soon be the first baptized Adventist of his people group. We have to drive to a secluded spot to open our Bibles, or we could bring down the wrath of his family and village. He has no idea about other people in the world who believe like him—the Pathfinder camporees and churches full of people singing, praying and adoring Jesus. Someday, I hope he will understand more about the body of Christ he is joining.

While studying business at Southern Adventist University, I had several exciting job offers. First there was Aflac with a big crowd of hopefuls around their booth at the job fair. A diamond store nearly begged me to join their sales team, and a tax assessor from Mississippi tried to set me up as a business manager. Instead, I am in Cambodia. Last night, I was sitting on the floor reading the creation story to a grandma who had never seen a Bible before. I chose to let God direct my education, and He made me a student missionary—a learner missionary. Thanks, Pastor Philip. Thanks, Hope. Thanks, Grace and Jacob. I miss you guys.

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