Apparently escalators are a new thing in Phnom Penh. Yesterday we visited a mall with sets of escalators serving all 7 stories. An attendant stands at each floor to assist with the escalators. I watched as a little girl timidly stepped back and forth trying to work up the courage to use the scary moving stairs. The attendant grabbed her hand and forcefully put it on the moving railing so the girl had no choice but to move onto the escalator following her hand. Escalator anxiety was not just present among the children in the mall, but the adults often paused and hesitated. As a result, lines form around the escalators. I liked Morgan’s response to watching the locals on the escalators, “That’s probably what we look like to the locals when we try to cross the street.”
This evening we started our ministry at Hope Education Center. A restaurant around the corner from our apartment provided a meal and a drink for 6 of us for about $12. A tuk tuk driver had parked right by the restaurant when he saw our group, so we called him over for the ride. We had set aside plenty of time for the tuk tuk ride to the HEC, but our directions were not exactly clear. For over an hour we drove through the city taking main roads, back allies, and dirt roads. At one point all six of us had to get out of the tuk tuk, because it was stuck on a road that seems to serve as a garbage dump. The tires crunched over bags of garbage and glass. We got back into the tuk tuk to continue on the bumpy path. We were 45 minutes late when we finally arrived at the HEC and a group of students waved us down.
Pastor Chay was in the middle of leading about 2 dozen students in worship in English. After the worship we broke up into small groups. Andrew and I agreed to teach a class for new believers; five people joined our group. We spent the evening getting to know the students through a few games. Most of them come from farming villages 100-400km outside the city. They are all working or studying in the city; housing is very inexpensive for the students at the HEC. Their majors were Psychology, Economics, and Technology.
One girl explained that she is currently working because she does not have enough money to pay for school. College tuition for a year costs anywhere from $150 to $250. I was very impressed with the student’s ability to speak English. I am looking forward to getting to know them more over the next few weeks.
