Our team has returned from Kratie to Phenom Penh. We arrived on Sunday and expected to have no electricity except at our hotel in the evenings. Good news -- we had electricity our 2nd day. It was a long 5-hr drive. After being told there was no electricity, and knowing that it was a 5 hour drive, I had wanted hoped for another option, but.. God is good and I had an AMAZING and blessed time in Kratie, Cambodia. We worked alongside Tess and Chamnol and Vandy at A New Life Wesleyan Church and New Hope English school. They are 3 incredible people and have a special place in my heart. Tess is a World Hope missionary from the Phillipines teaching English at the school. Vandy is the pastor of the church, and Chamnol works for both the school and the church. The school and church share one small property. Tess spent 2 nights with Karen, Mel and I at the hotel because she did not have electricity in her home. Tess is amazing and beautiful and it was so encouraging to see her so faithful to doing the Lord's work through tough circumstances. Chamnol (Tito) and Vandy have great testimonies too and I had a great time laughing and playing Mafia and Signs with them. I hate goodbyes, but we had to do it. We will be attending a wedding on Saturday, and Tito & Vandy will be attending with us, but I know I likely may never see Tess again.
My hotel room had a slight plumbing malfunction. For three days it was gurrgling and bubbling in the middle of the night. However, being in Cambodia, we simply ingnored it. Well…funny thing, while I was showering Saturday afternoon someone else's (key word: not mine or Karen's or Mel's or Tess') fesis exploded into our toilet bowl (key word: ours). Obviously it needed attention so I went downstairs with Jun, told the right man, and a guy with a plunger and a comb (yes, only a plunger and a comb) spent 15 minutes clanging around behind closed doors. Not sure quite what happened... but we definitely didn't open our toilet for two more days.
We awoke this morning to discover it had rained all night. Yesterday was the 1st night I have slept all the way through without disruption, so maybe I have the peaceful rain to thank for that, but the rain caused great difficulty on the dirt roads. Our 5 hour journey home quickly became 9 hours when we hit mud, which took our '92 Camry all over the road. It was comparable to a terrible snow/ice storm in Indiana, except... it was ridiculous and terrifying. The roads were built on dirt mounds 1-3 stories above ground to prevent flooding in the rainy season. It was a high stress situation, I was really nervous for our drivers, Tim and Jun. Yet I was more worried about the adults and the children (covered in mud from head-to-toe, some also naked) who thought it amusing to chase our car and push our bumpers. We reached a rough spot not half way through our journey and were stopped for 2 hours because a gas truck and a large bus were stuck in the mud only inches from one another. Tim, Tiffany, Noel, Mel and I journey through the muddy street to reach our other half in Pastor Jun's van, where we played Mafia to pass the time. The Lord was faithful to answer our every prayer (many were lifted as we treked miles of mud) and we were protected, as well as the people around us.
A few random things you may be wondering: We do have air conditioning in our bedrooms here, but the only showering option is cold. I have not had milk. What I miss most from America is milk. I haven't learned any more Khmer since I have been here. A huge part of our ministry here is teaching English though, so many we encounter have little-great English-speaking abilities. It's really hot, but tolerable. I haven't eaten a tarantula or duck egg, but I did hold a really large elephant beetle.
This week we will be staying at Tim and Tiffany's house in Phenom Penh, working with the students at the Bible school. I am so excited to spend quality time with the students and build relationships with them. Pastor Jun and his family are returning to the States on Sunday, so there will be more sad goodbyes on Saturday.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I love Cambodia.
1 comment:
Good to hear what God is doing through you thus far. It takes a special person to give of their summer and spend time in less than ideal living situations. I admire that trait about you.
May God do amazing things through your obedience and the others you're serving alongside. Someday in heaven Jesus will give you a big smile and reward you for this time of serving Him.
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