We have officially been in Cambodia for 16 days. I’m not sure I have even processed that fully yet. It seems like it’s been longer, but at the same time it feels like we just got to our ministry site yesterday. Maybe it’s the fact that half our team is still recovering from injuries or I guess it could just be the heat. Have I told you how hot it is here yet?? If not, then consider this as me telling you.
We arrived in Cambodia on January 31st. We started our journey by leaving Chiang Mai at 6:00pm on a sleeper bus to Bangkok. That was a 10 hour bus ride in which we stopped at several check points and our bus was even searched by the police. I’m still not sure why. Once we got to Bangkok we hopped into 3 smaller vans and took a 4 hour ride to the Thailand/Cambodia border. We then got there and had to get all our packs on to do a mile hike across from Thailand into Cambodia. There was a bit of paperwork and things we had to do and then from there one team got into another van to head to their ministry site and the other 3 teams got into and nice air conditioned bus. We then took a 4 hour ride to Siem Reap (the larger city of northern Cambodia). When we got there another team took a van to their ministry site. We were then left with 2 teams in Siem Reap. This was the ministry site of the other team for the month, but we needed to stay there for a couple of nights before we finally headed to our ministry location.
We all got settled in and walked around their night market. It’s way different than the markets in Thailand. The next day our 2 teams decided to go to Angkor Wat which is the ruins of an old temple in Cambodia. It’s also where they filmed a scene for Tomb Raider. Just a little fun fact. It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. That evening our teams had a chance to visit one of our trainers from training camp, Scott, who has just moved to Cambodia to start a ministry through a hotel. It was a true blessing for us and apparently for him as well.
The next morning my team had to be up and packed at 5:45 to prepare for our 8 hour ride to our ministry site. I’d like to say that we had a nice comfortable van, but this is not the case. Instead my team had the privilege of riding in the bed of a truck for 8 hours to Kompong Chnnang, Cambodia. When we finally arrived, we were shocked at the living conditions. We are in the middle of nowhere and have pigs and cows for neighbors. I’m not really sure what we were all thinking when we first pulled up, but I’d love to tell you about the life we live this month.
*Sleeping arrangements: tents
*Bathroom arrangements: squatty potties and the woods
*Shower arrangements: bucket showers
*Cooking arrangements: open fire
*Internet arrangements: there is no such thing here… we go into town on Saturdays and pay an Internet cafe, which is really a room with a couple of computers, to let us get online and be able to talk to our families for the week.
*Air conditioning: What’s that? We are lucky to get some wind blowing here and there.
*Water: we pump it and filter it ourselves
As you can see we live a very “Little House on the Prairie” life this month with a little extra pinch of scorching heat. We have gotten a few days that have been a little cooler and more bareable and we view the wind as a true treat and blessing from the Lord each time it comes around.
Our ministry this month so far looks different from here to there. We have done things like fixing fence posts to keep the cows out, going to speak and sing at a church, shoveling broken brick, clearing out some land to be leveled, chasing cows from the property and getting grain prepared to turn into rice. We have been told that there is more to come as the rest of the month gets here.
Although this month is good for the quiet and restoration of so much, it’s also very hot and can weigh down on our team. Please be in prayer for us as we get through each day. Pray that God will bless us with a constant breeze, good attitudes, love for each other and a desire to seek Him in everything we are doing.
The Sunday after we first got here, we had a slight mishap with our tractor on the way to church. Our ministry host lost control and we end up going down a hill and straight into a tree. The translator and I were thrown off and my other team members sustained multiple injuries that have since healed. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt and we were able to get the tractor out and head to church.
Check out this picture of my awesome team before the accident:
I am so thankful for the love that God has for us and the protection He provided for us during this time. As for the rest of the month, we have each been safe and started taking Tuk-Tuk’s everywhere we go. Not that we go anywhere often. Typically we are stuck on the compound and enjoy the love of each other and the puppies, cat and chicken that live with us.
Thank you for all your support and I love each and every one of you!
Love,
Danielle
