Our squad wasn’t originally going to Cambodia – it wasn’t on our route. We were going to travel to four countries in Central America, four in Asia, and three in Africa. Shortly after our training camp in October, we received notice of a route change… we would no longer be going to Mozambique, and instead we would be adding Cambodia to the south east Asia part of our route.?
I was so disappointed!! Of the 11 countries on my designated race route, the three in Africa were the ones that I was most passionate and excited about. I had no interest in and/or excitement for going to Cambodia instead.
…. And then we arrived in Kampong Cham, Cambodia.
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR UNANSWERED PRAYERS…. It was clear within the first few days that this is exactly where I and my team are supposed to be…. more details to come in the next blog.
This month we are working with the local YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base, the YDC (Youth Development Center). It is run by two missionaries originally from the Philippines. They reach out to the youth and young adults in this community by teaching them English – as well as hosting worship and Bible studies that the students are more than welcome to attend.
Here’s a rough outline of our schedule to give you an idea of what I’m doing on the other side of the world at certain times.
Monday through Friday:
8-9am: Team/Staff gather together to spend time in prayer, the Word, and in worship.
9-11:30am: We are out in the community visiting with locals, walking/riding our bikes and praying for the people of Cambodia, or certain places and/or circumstances…doing ministry in the village of 42 houses, participating in prison ministry.
12-3pm: Lunch, debrief the activities of the morning, planning for the day’s classes, and rest.
3-6pm: Teaching/Class, (Bible study, guitar, English)
Afterwards in the evening we eat dinner with our hosts, spend time in fellowship, have team time and feedback, and then take care of personal things.
Saturday: This is our team’s day of rest.
Sunday: In the morning our team, the staff, and a few students gather together for worship. In the afternoons we visit different churches to gather together in fellowship for services.
Our schedules varies each day which keeps things exciting, and is full and keeps us busy.
…Other miscellaneous facts about what life is like during this month in Cambodia.
Living Conditions: Our team is enjoying living at the YDC. The women share two bedrooms and the men share a bedroom. We have wifi access on site. We have bucket toilets and shower heads. My tent, sleeping pad/bag, and hammock miss being used these past few months, ha ha.
Food: We take care of our own breakfasts, but our lunch and dinner during the week is cooked by our two hosts who are wonderful cooks. They spoil us. They have the weekend off so we either cook for ourselves, or try out local restaurants and food from street vendors.
Travel: We get around the city by foot, bike, or Tuk-Tuk (which is my favorite). I am getting more comfortable on the bike… even riding two person to one when we have a break down, practicing riding without hands, and learning how to navigate through busy traffic on the roads – cars, motos, bikes, tuk-tuks all sharing the same limited space. I’ve crashed once, with only minor bumps and bruises.
Clothing: As far as our wardrobe this month, it is the most restricted I’ve experienced on the race. We’ve been asked to where more formal clothes, and nothing that doesn’t cover our knees or shoulders. Which cuts my clothing selection in about half and increases my laundry load.
Cultural Customs: We have to be more careful about our female/male interactions. We are not allowed to go anywhere alone with the opposite sex, even if members of our own team. Physical touch between the two sexes are limited, even hugs. It’s been harder for me, since physical touch is one of my primary love languages. Waving hello/goodbye to children is okay, but to wave to an older person/adult is seen as disrespectful.
Weather: HOT, HOT, and more HOT! I never stop sweating and I always feel sticky. It is also monsoon season. We’ve already experienced a few powerful rain storms… ones that flood the streets. We were out getting dinner during one of them, and riding through a street filled with water, my flip-flop broke due to the water pressure as I pedaled my way through the street.
Cambodia History: Cambodia has a history of extreme poverty and hardship. I am currently reading, “First They Killed My Father” Loung Ung, who was a survivor of Pol Pot’s Regime during the Khmer Rouge. It is very interesting, and heart wrenching – the 70’s isn’t too distant in the past, and we have horrible atrocities similar to this taking place presently around the world.. Reading it while I am in Cambodia is really neat, because now I have a personal reference for the places and people it refers to in the book.
