The nightlife of Siem Reap is infectious and the lights add to the splendor of Asia. You can go down Pub Street and see all kinds of nightlife from karaoke to street performers. Siem Reap is a 24/7 kind of city. If you walk around you can get sucked in by all the activity.
My first few days in the city that is exactly what happened, I bought all the Thai pants, all the ice cream and all the street food I could find. Now none of that is bad but it wasn’t until I walked the city at night to really see it. I saw many closed doors and secrets. I was turning a blind eye for a week but it wasn’t until I was instructed to look closer I started to see why God had brought me to Cambodia.
I was walking the streets with Emily, we were meeting people and starting conversation with the locals. We met two masseuses whose smiles were contagious and they were so open to talking to Emily and I. We prayed together, thanked one another then moved on, going where God called us. I had the idea of visiting the night market so we set off because it was a few blocks away. Of course we got distracted by the Tuk Tuk drivers offering rides, little kids and the fried ice cream. By the time we got to the bridge we had less than an hour before we had to go home. Then the most unexpected thing happened, there was a woman holding a child begging on the bridge. Emily and I stopped so we could speak with her. I sat on the ground with this woman while Emily held her baby. We asked her how old her baby was to which she said two months and she was only twenty three. It broke my heart to see that woman sitting on the bridge begging for money when all she really wanted was someone to show her kindness. We sat with her for over ten minutes, holding her hand and praying for her. The look on her face was worth everything, her smile was so beautiful and she was so happy to have us there. My heart was so full in that moment. Everything was fine till I looked up and saw the way the tourists were looking at us. They looked at us with disgust because we chose to sit on the ground. Most people only chose to see the dirt not the pure joy in the woman’s face.
The truth is most people who are begging, just sitting there, would rather have a conversation than actual money. To see that woman’s face light up when I said the simple word hello was worth more than any money could give. At the same time it was disheartening to see the way tourist looked at Emily and I. For those who ever find themselves in this situation don’t wonder why that woman is begging on the street, go sit with her and ask her why. There is a good chance she will want to tell her story like everyone else in this world does. No person should be ignored because of their circumstances, people are people and should be treated as such. The way people are treated should not depend on the dirt on their clothes or the amount of money in their pockets. Look at people the way God sees them because when that happens you see their hearts.
