Farewell From Sam
As I enter the last number of days of working in the FCOP Cambodia office, one thing comes to mind: Gratefulness. I have been blessed since the first day I arrived in Cambodia in 2010 to work and serve with FCOP. In addition, I will always be grateful for the invaluable role FCOP played in my wife's survival story, being taken in by FCOP as a young girl. On both accounts, I am indebted to FCOP. Speaking on behalf of my family, we know that although my daily office hours will stop, we look forward to continuing in relationship with our FCOP family as we all work to be a "practical demonstration of Christ's love" in Cambodia.
"...For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned comes from the aforementioned verse, "one body." To paraphrase, it means unity in the body of Christ. On the exterior, I stick out like a sore thumb in Cambodia. It seems like I'm about a meter taller than almost anybody else (except for Pastor Ted), my skin tone is different than most (even when I have a good tan going), my native tongue is different and a lot of my customs and culture comes from a completely different background. Even with all those differences, there's one thing that dissolves them all: unity in Christ. I have constantly been reminded to not look with external eyes but to understand what unites us in Christ is stronger.
As I am grateful to FCOP, the final part of this passage from Colossians, a reminder to "always be thankful" comes naturally. First, I would like to say thank you to Pastors Ted and Sou Olbrich and the FCOP Cambodia family. As I say thank you, many names and faces come to mind; too many to name each one individually here. Some are pastors and leaders, some are students, some are doctors and lawyers and some are maintenance workers, as well as, everything in between. Since 2010, I have been blessed to serve with many incredible people in a shared passion to reach Cambodia for Christ. Many of us have literally shed blood, sweat, and tears through our time together.
I would also like to thank the many foreign teams, leaders, and partners of FCOP International that I have had the pleasure of getting to know along the way. It has truly been incredible to see the body of Christ come together from all walks of life and every corner of the globe with a common purpose to bring the Gospel to Cambodia in a practical way.
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