We have arrived in Cambodia and oh what a journey. I left Thailand a week ago and from 15 hours on a bus to two nights in Phnom Penh, team changes and a one hour car ride to my ministry site, I have made it and I’m at my new home here in Cambodia.
I know a lot of you are probably wondering how Thailand and Cambodia compare and to be honest they are very similar but very different, a contradiction right?
1. To start off, both countries are beautiful. They have very similar landscapes in a unique kind of way. Rice fields and beautiful sunsets are everywhere in both countries.
2. Both countries value the same cultural rules such as expectations in dress code and expectations in religion
3. Thailand and Cambodia have a lot of the same foods, for example rice! We eat rice all the time with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
4. The people are amazing in both places. I have been so blessed to be hosted but two great families.
As of differences, there are some and they are very clear.
1. Cambodia is much more poor than Thailand. The first day we arrived in the country and crossed the border, we were overwhelmed with the amount of street kids begging for money.
2. Because of such poverty, most roads are dirt and are not maintained at all, unlike in Thailand.
3. The culture is dominated by men and it has been different to be surrounded by so many. Because I don’t have any brothers I feel blessed to have been able to stay with these people because that’s what they are to me, the brothers I’ve never had. Each one is special and I will miss them dearly.
4. There is such a need for God’s love in this place. Not to say Thailand doesn’t need this as well because the whole world truly does but I’ve never seen a place like Cambodia. There is so much corruption that it feels like such a dark place. By meeting the people it is clear to see that they are striving for so much hope and because of that this place is vulnerable to hearing what we are here for.
5. Cambodian people speak a different language and it has been difficult to go from just trying to understand Thai to starting all over again with Khmer (the language in Cambodia).
Home in Cambodia is now in the province of Kandal and we are living at a school/ church. We were originally told we would be working in an orphanage but God has had a different plan for us and has brought us to this place. We live withhost a host mom and dad who don’t speak any English but still show so much love. Their son, Lay is our translator and our main point of communication. My other two friends that I have enjoyed getting to know and who are so much fun to be around are Sokheng (Sun) who is nineteen and Teara (MJ) who is twenty two. In the parenthesis are their nicknames. They are at the house every day and they are good friends with the family who I have come to consider my brothers.
The place we are staying at is also a school for the more poor village children and orphans in the village. Part of our ministry includes teaching them in the morning but they have a teacher who is also here everyday. The middle of the day has been where we find our down time because in the evenings, around 6:00 we have a group of teenagers who come to our house//the church and we teach them English. They are my favorite! I have realized that I love working with their age group because they are so eager to learn and they are fun to talk to. The ages of these teens ranges from 12-19. I am looking forward to what it is the Lord has in store for our team and this ministry. I see so much potential in it and I’m looking forward to that most of all.
Oh and I have a new team! Amongst all the other crazy, everyone in our squad has been placed with different people. I am still on an all girls team and a team leader but this team is very special and holds something very sweet that my other team didn’t have. This news came as quite a shock when we were staying in Phnom Penh before going out to ministry sites and I was overwhelmed by it but the Lord has shown me how fruitful our potential is!
Thank you all for reading and please continue to pray for good health, safety and peace over all of our hearts as the transition to Cambodia was a rocky start.
God Bless!
