I want to inform you about a great need, which is also an opportunity. A local university here in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) has asked me to help them find teachers of English so they can develop their educational standards. Although this is quite common here in Cambodia, the situation I am describing is very unusual. First, the university happens to be situated right on the premises of a Buddhist Temple, and although the degrees given are not specifically related to the Buddhist religion, a good number of the students are monks. Secondly, when I mentioned that my teammates and I were Christians and were requesting a chance to share our faith, the dean of the school did not object. Thirdly, he said that he was in discussion with the Ministry of Education (which supervises all the schools of Cambodia) about getting free visas for any teachers I might provide. In addition, he said if this works out, there could be open doors at other universities. Fourthly, he mentioned that a meeting with the King of Cambodia could possibly be arranged.
Let me carefully clarify a couple of points. I am a church-planting, soul-winning missionary. My aim is not to help a secular university find English teachers. However, in this situation, I perceive that they have their need, and as Christians, we have our need. The largest age group in Cambodia is the youth. Almost 50% of the population is from the ages of 0-24, and the ages of 15-24 comprise 18%. The youth are the future of this country, and the college-aged group is an important part of that. If we help fulfill their need of providing qualified instructors, our aim of influencing their youth with Gospel truths has a chance of being met.
I do not want to be misunderstood. We are not being asked to teach a Bible class. They are not asking us to preach the Gospel or pray before every class. They are saying there is no objection to a Christian teacher who may discretely bring in truths from the Bible as it may relate to the lesson, and there is certainly no objection to making friendships where you can interact outside of class or on social media.
As far as qualifications, if you are a native speaker of English (or close to it) and are willing to present a well-prepared lesson designed to help the students improve their English, then you are qualified. You do not need to be TESOL trained. If you can use the Internet to help you design some lessons, then you are qualified. I spent two semesters at this university and found all my materials on the Internet. If you happen to be trained as a teacher, so much the better. They may ask you to teach a master’s-level course in Philosophy of Education, or other higher level courses. The dean is a young man who is energetic and focused on making his university a quality institution and will do his best to accommodate us, if we can help him achieve his goals.
The last issue relates to our ministry here. Those who do agree to teach for these short terms would also be able to participate in our ministry.
• Soul winning
• Teaching Sunday School and preaching (I will translate)
• Going to various villages from time to time and doing evangelistic outreach
• Doing outreach among the different nationalities from all over the world and thousands of foreigners that either live here or visit as tourists.
• Reaching Jews for Jesus. There is a sizable number of Jews who make Phnom Penh their home, as well as many Israeli young people who vacation in Southeast Asia.
For those who do agree to partner with us, the main cost will be your travel expenses, but day-to-day living expenses can be minimized. There are low-cost and safe places to rent, and we will include you in our meal times. The visa is cared for by the university, and travel within the city is safe and cheap. More and more, people are speaking English, especially in the service sector and among students of all ages.
Short-term missionaries have been greatly used in the Lord’s service. Would you prayerfully consider this as an option as soon as possible?
Sincerely,
Walter Poole
