End of First Month in Phnom Penh

There is not a lot to report about the end of this week. I have not heard back from VSO about the position I applied for there and it closed on Monday. So, I am thinking that I will not be getting an interview with them. There are, however, two consulting positions with the United Nations Development Programme that look like a good fit for me. I have begun the lengthy application process with them. Today I tried Good Time gym and it is really nice. The pool is about 5 metres longer than the pool at Diamond and being an outdoor pool it is also a little warmer. The equipment is also new and nice. They have fairly good spin bikes, a nice rowing machine, kettle balls, and even nicer jump ropes than the AusFit gym at Diamond. They also have a new squash court, two beautiful tennis courts, badminton courts, and 4 separate table tennis rooms. I thought that it was kind of like the Bellevue Athletic Club or Village Club of Phnom Penh.

The cost of living is certainly much less in Cambodia. I stopped by this 60 cent store this week. There were things like butcher knives and bowls that were 60 cents. I also got the oil changed in my moto today and it was only $5 for the whole service. Considering gas and service costs it looks like my monthly transportation costs will be about $12. There is no insurance requirement and the registration cost is nominal. When you go to a nicer store or restaurant there will be “valet” parking for your moto. This involves a young man wearing a guard uniform parking your moto and putting a bike lock on it – handing the lock key to you. When you return with your key there is a customary expectation of 500 Riel tip, which is about 12 cents. It is amazing to me that no matter how busy it is the guards always seem to remember what you rode in on.

60 Cent Store

This is the rainy season in Phnom Penh. Since I have been here it has been generally nice weather during the day and only rains at night, but it is remarkable how quickly the rain clouds come in and how hard it rains here. I took these pictures today – within minutes of each other. In the first picture it was like there was a cap on the sky. There was still decent daylight and the city was clearly visible. There was a layer of blue sky above the city, but you can see that there was a distinct line where dark rain clouds covered the city. Within a minute of taking that first picture the dark clouds traveled to where I was and it rained very hard. A few minutes later I took the second picture where you can see how dark it became very quickly, but also see a couple of small holes in the tail end of these clouds.

  

First Medical Facility Experience in Cambodia

Most of you who are reading this already know that I have severe osteoarthritis in both of my hips. At the gym there is a Khmer physical therapist, Sanang, who I decided to see about my hips. Last week, after working on me for 5 minutes Sanang said that my issue was too great and that he would have to send me to his master teacher who was then out of the country. This morning (Tuesday) I went to see the master teacher, an Australian named Steve. On the way to Steve’s Sanang asked me if I had my X-Rays with me. I said that they were still in the US and so he pulled over to side of the street and stopped at what looked like a store front pharmacy. He walked up to the counter and had a conversation with an elderly man, then returned to say that I could get X-Rays there. I asked him if it was safe and he assured me that it was. Well, this was an interesting experience. I do not like getting X-Rays. I do not even like taking aspirin. But here I was in the small back room of this Cambodian office trying my best to communicate with an X-Ray Technician who spoke no more English than I speak Khmer. I could tell by the way that he was gesturing that I was to supposed to undress and put on a large print skirt (that is “skirt” not “shirt”). When the Tech returned he gestured for me to lie down on the X-Ray table and then he started pointing to different areas of my body. I could tell that he was wondering what area(s) he was supposed to X-Ray.

Twenty minutes and $10 later I walked out with two X-Rays of my hips and went to Steve’s.

My Cambodian X-Ray Skirt

Steve has been in Cambodia on a faith-based mission for 10 years. He is a gifted Physical Therapist from Brisbane. Steve took my medical history, asked questions about my activities and symptoms, and performed a perfunctory exam; then he reviewed the X-Rays and began speaking in Khmer to Sanang. I could tell by some of the words and intonation that it wasn’t all good news and that there would be no magic bullet solution to fix me, but then Steve showed me the X-Rays and pointed out where there should be cartilage between the ball and cup of my hip joint. He said that on both sides I had no cartilage visible on the X-Rays and then he showed me how the bone on the edge of the cup was bright white because without the cartilage the bone has been absorbing all the pounding that the cartilage is meant to absorb. He worked on me for about 1 ½ hours (largely using this as a teaching time for Sanang) and ended by giving me some exercises to do. Steve recommended that I discontinue running and focus more on cycling and swimming. My days of playing squash are over as confirmed by Steve’s laughter at the idea. Badminton and tennis in moderation are still ok.

I just found an athletic club close to where I live that has two beautiful tennis courts, a nice pool, and badminton courts. So, I may be trying out that athletic club this week. It is called “Good Time”. It is quite a nice club with a restaurant, athletic clothing store, and fancy locker room. It just has kind of an odd name. Earlier this week I passed a school with a banner boasting “Children is smarter”. Ah, the charm of English translation in Phnom Penh. There is something new to smile and laugh about each day.

This morning, I was reflecting more on my hip injury in the context of some of the Scriptures I have read recently. I also was forming a response email to a friend (most of this is a cut and paste from that response). The book "The Shack” came to mind. It is somewhat controversial in the Christian community, but I loved it. One of the things that I took from this book is the difference between “expectations” and “expectancy”. For most of my Christian life I have lived with expectations for God. I have prayed for specific things to be given or taken away. What was missing from that was a deepening of my relationship with Him; instead of earnestly seeking what His will was, I thought only of what I wanted Him to give to me. Even Jesus wanted the cup to be taken from Him, but He prayed that not His will, but His Father’s will be done. As I understand it, the difference between expectations and expectancy  is that in the former I have a preconceived idea of what should be done and in the latter I have a trust in the character of God and that fuels my patience to wait in trust.
 

When I think about the Scripture where the woman with the hemorrhage of 12 years is healed on the spot by God’s power I think certainly God can take away the physical infirmities that I have. But this morning I thought what if I didn’t expect that, didn’t pray for that, but instead prayed only that I would be drawn nearer to God in love and deeper in reverence? Then my healing would perhaps not be in the form of physical change, but in a spiritual transformation that changes the way that I live with the infirmity. What if the woman’s change was not a ceasing of the bleeding, but a Holy transformational change of how she was able to live with the bleeding because of her relationship with God? (I don’t believe that is the case because Scripture said her bleeding immediately ceased.) The other Scripture that came to mind this morning was from Matthew 19 – the wealthy man who by all appearances was a good person, respectful of the law. Yet, he knew that he was missing something in his life and he sought Jesus, but because he had so much in the world it smothered him and kept him from being able to give it all up and follow Jesus; at least in that moment. Maybe God is allowing me to have the physical infirmity that I have as a way of protecting me because if I didn’t have this I wouldn’t be able to be as close to Him.

I have grown in my love for God, but at the same time have also accepted that not everything I want does He want for me. So, rather than have an expectation that He will change something in my life because I have asked for it, I have an expectancy that His character is true and that as I grow and live more deeply in reverence to Him He will always deliver what is best for me even though I may not have seen it or known to ask for it.

Fire in Phnom Penh

When I settled in for dinner last night I could see a dark cloud of smoke rolling up into the evening sky. I knew from the dark gray color and intensity of the billows that it must be a business or residence fire. This morning at the gym I spoke with Richard, the owner of the AusFit gym, who said that there was huge fire at a popular downtown restaurant named Juliana’s – Khmer owned and one of the first successful restaurants in Phnom Penh. He said that the restaurant is located in a hotel and that 3 staff died in the gas explosion (in an online news story, however, I read that there was only one minor injury). Portable gas tanks are used in many businesses and residences here (in fact I have one in my kitchen) and this fire was caused by a chain reaction of multiple exploding gas tanks. Richard said it is sad that the fire department here has such poor equipment, “what the Japanese have thrown in the bin [garbage] and see no longer fit for use”.  He also said that you can watch the firemen in Phnom Penh just stand by and watch the fire, refusing to do anything until the owner of the building pays them. In the online article that I read it stated that the restaurant is a total loss – having taken two hours to extinguish. The article also stated that 44 fire trucks were called and that when the fire first broke out guests at the restaurant were asked by staff to leave, but ignored they ignored the staff until the initial fire caused a chain reaction of exploding gas tanks.  

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post about the shacks located next to the train tracks: Richard said that area is known as the “ghetto” and that the reason why people tolerate living there is because they hope to make a claim to the land against the government (similar to an “adverse possession” claim). The government will never give the land to these people, Richard said, because the train tracks are there and so the alternative is to relocate these families to other government owned property (usually rice fields) where the government will also have to build a residence for the families. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this; it is just what Richard told me. Richard is an interesting man. He is a former model and body builder. He has modeled in Cambodia and Australia. He has a scar on one of his legs and I asked him if it was from a burn. He said that it was actually from an infection that developed due to malnutrition during the Khmer Rouge. He asked me if I have ever suffered malnutrition and said that it is the worst experience he has ever had. Before being located at De Castle Diamond, Ausfit gym was located on the 9^th story of a building overlooking the Prime Minister’s home and was ordered by Cambodian authorities to terminate the lease less than one year into the 5 year contract. The authorities said that due to the location of the gym it posed a national security threat and would be held accountable for any safety incidents at the Prime Minister’s residence; and that the gym was a “breeding ground for terrorists”.  

This morning I had the honor of meeting with the staff at the Cambodian office of International Justice Mission. IJM was started in in the late 1990’s and is a faith-based human rights organization. Something like 95% of IJM staff are foreign nationals from the countries in which IJM operates. One of the many things that I admire about IJM is that every day all IJM staff around the world set aside time to pray together. This morning I had the honor to join the Cambodian IJM staff in their prayer time. During this time I shared a passage at the end of Psalm 85 that I have read and re-read many times the last two days. To me this passage is like a prayer and it reminds me of IJM’s work. “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from Heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.”

Walking

Phnom Penh is not a nice city to walk in. It is hot, the streets are in poor condition, and there is very little courtesy extended to people who walk. On the ladder of who has power on the roadways walkers are at the bottom; behind big trucks, cars, motos, and then cyclists in that order. So, I am impressed by the walkers who not only walk long distances every day, but they also do so pulling a cart and collecting recyclables from the side of the street (or selling food). One of the things that really impresses me about these walkers is that they do not have any kind  of detectable negative attitude. When I interact with them they smile and say thank you. Also, when I have seen children with them (which is not uncommon) the children always seem to be happy.

This morning I noticed something for the first time. From my balcony I can see the train tracks and shacks line both sides of the tracks (no more than 10 feet from either side). But what I noticed for the first time today is that a lot of the shacks had cars parked by them. I was really surprised by this because I had assumed that only the wealthiest people in Phnom Penh had cars. (It seems to me like the ratio of motos to cars is somewhere between 10:1 -15:1.) But here, in the poorest area, where people live in shacks no bigger than a garage, with no running water or air conditioning, and garbage strewn all over the place - many of these people have cars.

Car taking up someone's full house space

Most of these "houses" also serve as businesses: e.g. sewing or selling food.

Woman with food cart (much smaller than recycle carts)

Laundry and garbage is strewn all along the train tracks

 

On Friday night I went to a movie house called “Flicks”. Movies at Flicks are played in English and admission is $3.50 for the whole day (they usually show three movies per day). The theatre seats about 30 and is mostly futons and pillows thrown on the floor, and bench seating in the very back row. It is very comfortable and cozy. For the Friday showing of “Backwards” there were only three of us in the theatre; a woman from Spain and a man from England. The film was a touching story about a 30 year old rower who had hopes to be in the Olympics. Despite talent and amazing work ethic she was only able to make the alternate slot. So, she quit the team and began coaching at a high school where she found happiness for the first time in many years. Then there was an injury on the Olympic team and she was offered spot on the boat which would have meant leaving her coaching position early. I found myself in tears at the end of the movie. I was deeply moved by the difficult decisions and sacrifices that had to be made. After the lights went up I was in the foyer talking with the man from England and he said, “Well, I am glad I only spent $3.50 for that!” I told him that I liked the movie to which he replied that it was shallow rubbish.  

I have been enjoying coffee at “Browns” lately. Their coffee is at least as good as Starbucks and the atmosphere and food are much better. As I walked out today I noticed someone feasting on a bowl of noodles with shrimp that looked scrumptious.

Graffiti outside Flicks movie house

Coffee and pastry at Browns

I have applied for a Programme Manager job with VSO and the application deadline is tomorrow. Hopefully I will hear something from them this week. If not, I may need to taper back on seeing shallow rubbish movies at Flicks and coffee at Browns.

Words from Oswald



Beautiful moon over Phnom Penh

This morning was my second week attending the Men’s Prayer group at the Phnom Penh House of Prayer. Being a part of this group is a real blessing. The same 3 other men were there this week as were there last week and we just sit together in the House of Prayer, sing worship songs, share what we are going through and pray for one another. After the group I got on my bike and rode to Bloom, a world-class cake shop. I was happy to see that Kat is still here. Kat lives in the guest house that I stayed in earlier this year. 

Peanut Butter and Lemon/Raspberry Cupcakes

Today I was challenged by something that Oswald Chambers wrote. (His words often challenge me and sometimes I have to really read/reread and give a lot of thought just to get to a place of understanding what he is conveying.) Leading with the passage in Matthew 3:11 (John baptizing with water states that he is not even worthy to handle the sandals of Christ Who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire) Oswald asks if we have ever come to the spot where we personally are at an end and cannot do a thing, but God begins there - doing the things that only He alone can do. Oswald wrote that unless and until we do get to this place we will never know what the baptism of the Holy Ghost means. Jesus cannot come in to our lives if there is anything blocking the way - either good or bad. He also writes, "Repentance does not bring a sense of sin, but a sense of unutterable unworthiness." I had to read this several times this morning and have just come to the realization that I was confusing "unworthy" as being synonymous with "worthless". There is a mountain of difference between being "unworthy" and be "worthless". Being worthy has to do with what we have accomplished, with our skills and abilities. Being of worth has to do with the value given to us regardless how worthy we may or may not be. We are all, each and every one of us, unworthy and unable to do in our lives what God can do in our lives, but we are infinitely far from being "worthless". God sees us just the opposite. He would give everything and has given everything for us because He sees us as infinitely worth His love.

 

Ancestor's Day

Today (August 21) I saw a lot of people placing elaborate food displays outside of their homes and businesses. In certain areas large crowds gathered. It is part of the Chinese Spirit Festival known as Ancestor’s Day. I am told that this food is offered for the hungry ghosts of recently deceased ancestors.

Two Weeks at Diamond

Today marks the two-week mark since I moved into Diamond. I continue to love living here and I am also continuing to find new “discoveries” in the neighborhood that I truly feel blessed to live in. Yesterday, I went to a nursery and purchased some orchids, which now hang on my balcony. I also purchased a pot that I have used to plant some vegetable, herb, and wild flower seeds that were given out to guests at my cousin’s wedding two months ago. I have met a lot of really nice people who live here at Diamond, people at church and NGO’s, and at the place where I am playing badminton. One of the people I met at Diamond shares the same name, Akiko, as my mother. Akiko is from Japan and is living at Diamond while doing work with a health care NGO. I have volunteered to do some proofreading in English of her work documents. She has a group of youth from Japan who are coming to Phnom Penh this weekend to do work the NGO. She invited me to join them. All of the trainers at the gym are really nice and very helpful. Two of them speak very good English. They are really helping me to find resources in Cambodia, have introduced me to contacts for work, and have even invited me to be on a team with them to research a business idea regarding recycling materials to NGO’s and other businesses in Phnom Penh. It is starting to feel more like home here. 

 

None of the belongings that I sent from the States have been delivered to me yet. Essentially I have only what fit in one suitcase (since the second suitcase I packed was only gifts). Since being here I have had to buy one plate, one set of flatware, a tea kettle, a pan, and one set of bed sheets (which bled and ended up dyeing my underwear pink on the first wash). It is hot here; I sweat a lot. I don’t have a lot of clothes and have to run the laundry often. People are going to catch on quickly that I keep wearing the same 3-4 outfits. I only have one thing on my walls – a world map that my good friend, Madge, gave me at a going away party. But the lesson I have learned in all of this is that it is not only possible, but really quite a bit more pleasant to live with less rather than more. Mother Teresa spoke to the fact that we become smothered when we have a lot of things because the more things we get, the more of our time, attention, and resources it requires from us to take care of those things.

I am pursuing starting my own business here. I will keep you all posted of the progress. It is still too early to share with you, but it is beginning to come together.

Continuing to Explore the Neighborhood

Saturday - Today I rode my bike down a street I have never been on before (about ½ mile from where I live) and I stumbled upon my new favorite restaurant in Phnom Penh. It is called “The Shop”. They have a tremendous menu that changes weekly. They make fresh juice (today I had apple, carrot, and ginger root) and also have a great selection of homemade chocolates and pastries. I am definitely going there for breakfast very soon as they have some delicious offerings on the breakfast menu this week and coffee is only $1. Plus, bonus: they have free Wi-Fi and so I now have office #3.

View of the backyard at The Shop

Sunday - This morning I visited “The Shop” for breakfast before church. Amazing place! On my way to breakfast I stepped out of the building that I live in to find a line of picketers. They were in front of the building next door, the League for the Democracy Party. I couldn’t fully interpret the signs, but I assume that they have something to do with the recent national elections in Cambodia. The ruling majority party lost a large number of seats (although they still have a majority). There is fairly widespread belief, however, that there would have been more seats turned over except for voter fraud. The "LDP" on one sign must stand for League for Democracy Party and I believe that "VOA" is the Cambodian news, but I don't know what VOA did that LDP is requesting an apology (see tallest sign). Anyway, it is nice to see democracy in action in Cambodia.  

Picketers in front of the League for Democracy Party

Front of The Shop

Breakfast at The Shop (latte, yogurt with nuts and fruit)

Today there will be a going away party for my friend, Jenny, who has worked for Daughters of Cambodia for two years. Jenny has been an integral part of my journey to and in Cambodia. She will be missed by so many people here.

Does anyone following this blog know Martin Kessler? Every day in my spam inbox I have multiple emails from someone named Martin Kessler who says that he wants to buy my house. Never before have I known someone to be so persistent in completely wasting their time and energy. Martin, if you are reading this: stop sending me emails. I have no house!

Golden Sorya Mall

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Looking for Work/Driving in Phnom Penh

After taking the personal walk to Emmaus (see blog posting 10 August) I am very confident that there is not a particular job that God is calling me to in Cambodia. That is not the purpose for me being here. So, I am going forth with confidence in knowing that I have great freedom to look for a wide variety of kinds of work. This week I took my resume over to World Vision and met with Somrach in Human Resources. I don’t think that it will work out for me to get any of their current open positions, but I may be able to do some short-term volunteer or contract work for them. I also applied yesterday with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), a large and well-established organization headquartered in the UK. Their mission is to bring people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action, and change lives to make the world a fairer place for all. I really like what I have learned about them and think that this would be a great place to work. I am applying for the position of Programme Manager of ICS (International Citizen Service).

ICS is a very fascinating programme  (yes, they spell “program” differently in the UK) where a group of 18-25 year olds from the UK come to Cambodia (ICS is also in other Asian and African countries) for 12 weeks and are matched with Cambodian young adults to live and work alongside them in a community organization aimed to end poverty. After finishing the 12 week service the young adults return to the UK with a supported plan to share what they have learned, to encourage others, and to continue work themselves on a plan to support the end of poverty. The position I am applying for is a 7 month position and it pays 1/10^th of what I made in the US, but that will be more than enough to support my needs. For now, though, I continue to have two offices: 1) The coffee shop next door, and 2) the lounge chairs by the side of the pool where I am living. Both “offices” have free Wi-Fi and computer charge plug-ins. Now when I walk into the coffee shop they ask me if I would like my usual seat. My main job at this time is to find a job. I have been using a job listing site called “Bong Thom”, which Neth tells me means “big boss”.

Yesterday, I went to the Phnom Penh House of Prayer for a men’s prayer group and there I met a man named Dr. Glenn Miles. He invited me to go out with him this evening to do Christian outreach to expat men. I am excited about that. He also introduced me to the Director for International Justice Ministries, which is a group that I have thought about applying for work with.

Early this morning I went out for a bike ride to explore the city a bit. I wanted to capture both pictures and audio of the city. I wish that I had audio of the train and of the roosters in the morning, but maybe in a future installment I will get them. As it turns out I cannot attach the audio file anyway so you will just have to imagine hearing these things when you see the photos (below). 

1) The buzzing sound of Moto engines and cars at an intersection and then as I start down the road on my bike a woman pushing a cart and squeaking a plastic horn (this is a very common scene on the roadsides – women and sometimes women with young children pushing carts down the street and collecting plastic bottles and paper, I assume to recycle. I have begun to take my plastic bottles and cans with me when I go out and when I see someone collecting I will stop and hand it to them to which I always receive in return a bow and the word “Ocoon” – thank you.)

2) The song “Old McDonald” playing very loudly as I pass by a school. (Many of the schools here teach in English.)

3) Lots of cars and motos honking incessantly (just so you don’t disparage my driving and think that they are honking at me I recorded this section standing on the sidewalk).

4) Voices of people talking in Khmer at the Central Market.

One of the things that I like about the stop lights in Phnom Penh is that they have timers showing how many seconds before the light will turn green. It is common practice for people to turn off their engines at a red light and start back up with about 8 seconds before green.  Lots of people start going into the intersection with 3-4 seconds to go before green and that is when you will see a lot of dodging and hear a lot of honking because it is also common for a lot of people to run red lights. Driving in Phnom Penh is really good training in patience. It will do you no good to lose your temper or patience with the people and traffic here; it is what it is and it isn’t going to change. The way people drive here reminds me of the Patches O’Houlihan line in the movie “Dodgeball” about the five D’s “Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge”. People here will drive down the wrong side of the street straight at you, cut in front of you and stop, pull out into the street from a driveway without even looking, and all kinds of other crazy things. That is just the way it is and no one ever loses their temper over it. The honking is just a way of communicating presence and intent, not angry honking.  

My home "office"

Woman collecting recyclables
 

Stop light with timer

Traffic jam Phnom Penh style

I end this blog post with a picture taken from the balcony of my room at sunset.

 

What is Universal

In the past two months I have been in 6 different countries and close to 20 cities. I have experienced vastly different customs, languages, foods, cultural values/attitudes, and environments/architecture. Even within countries there are vast differences (such as the differences between Paris and the South of France; Barcelona versus Cadaques; London versus Thames versus Cambridge). As for language, I sometimes received just as confused of looks in London with my English as I did in Paris. There are just so many different terms. Today, however, I find myself reflecting not as much on the things that are different, but rather on the things that are universal.

It is universal that people will smile when they are happy and/or joyful.  It doesn't matter what country you are from and whether you are wealthy or poor, young or old, educated or uneducated, sighted or sight impaired, people will have a smile on their faces when there is joy in their hearts. At New Life Church this past Sunday I sat behind an older woman who was accompanied by two younger woman (perhaps her daughters, I thought). At one point in the service the congregation spent about 5 minutes greeting one another. I shook hands with this older woman. One very noticeable thing about her is that she was missing a portion of her skull. The entire left side of her face was caved in. But here she was reaching out to shake my hand with the biggest smile on her face. She reached out with both hands (I wasn’t sure if that was because she had difficulty spotting where my hand was or if that is just how she shakes hands) and she held my hand in both of her hands for a long time. She had joy in her heart. When we sang worship songs both of her hands were raised in the air – to praise God and give thanks. The world would say she has nothing – I would guess she has no bank account, is in poor physical health, and maybe has only a few years left to live, BUT she was probably one of the richest people in the worship service if you count what was in her heart. Who of us, even the wealthiest in this world, would not sell all that we have to be filled with the kind of joy she so obviously has!

On a completely different note: Today I met with Somrach, a Human Resource Officer for World Vision Cambodia. It was a nice meeting and I am hopeful that something will come of it. Afterwards I decided to get a different workout than the gym where I live. Badminton seems to be a very popular sport in Asia and so I decided to give it a try. I was told that the place to go is “Olympic Stadium” at 3:00 and so I went there after the World Vision meeting. A sign hands above the door to the gym, “Badminton Federation of Cambodia” – kind of daunting, but I decided to go in anyway (mistake number 1). Inside there must have been 40 people of all different ages. When I walked up in my street clothes the manager at the front desk looked puzzled at my presence. I said that I wanted to play and she said that I should change into gym clothes first and then she would see what she could do. She then asked me if I knew how to play badminton and I said that I could play (mistake number 2).  As I waited to get in on a match I was amazed at the quality of play on each of the courts. The manager, Any (pronounced “A knee”), came up to me and said that I would be playing with her brother. Her brother looked to be no more than 1/5^th my age and 2/3rds my height, but that kid could play. Fortunately, he was on my side as we were playing doubles. The best way to describe my experience today is IGMBK! (I got my butt kicked!) Those who know me well will probably not be surprised that this just lit a fire in me to get better at badminton and so I will be back tomorrow (mistake number 3?), but I was told that maybe the 2:00 group would be a little easier for me.

A little about Any: she told me that the Federation gives all the proceeds they make to a school and that she manages the club opening it up at 5:00AM every day and staying to close at 9:00PM. I have heard no small amount of criticism about the lack of work ethic of the Khmer people, but from what I have observed at Diamond (where I live) and with Any is that Khmer people work very hard and long hours and do not complain about it. Any is caring for 2 daughters while her husband lives apart from the family in one of the Provinces. Her 4 brothers also live with her since their parents also live in one of the Provinces. So, she is a single mother of 6 working 16 hour days! And she also smiled a lot and was very kind.  

It was a really nice morning today as I got to talk on the phone (using Viber) with my good buddy, Malcolm, and then following that had a nice Skype session with family. Thank you to all of you who are faithfully reading this blog. You honor me by doing so and I am grateful for you.

Road to Emmaus

Shortly before leaving the United States for this adventure I was deeply moved by the account in the Gospel of Luke of the two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus; a journey of about 7 miles. Along the way they were discussing the life and recent crucifixion of Jesus Christ when they were joined on their journey by the resurrected Christ. At first they did not recognize Him and even were kind of critical of Him for asking what they were talking about. The things that moved me most about this passage  were: 1) It must have been such an incredible experience to have had that time with Jesus Christ – even though at first they did not even recognize what a blessing they were receiving (but later reflected “did not our hearts burn within us” from the things that Jesus spoke to them); 2) I need to be like these disciples and take a long time (7 miles walking would be at least two hours) to just reflect on Jesus Christ; and 3) It is OK when I feel lost and if I don’t fully recognize all the blessings in my life at this time. The main point is that I am continually seeking God and in due time my eyes will be opened to see the truth.

I made it a priority that when I got to Phnom Penh one of the first things I would do (and perhaps do it more than once) is to take a long walk – praying and seeking God. I did that today (Saturday). Here are some of the things that happened along the walk.

1)      I had a difficult time settling into praying while walking

2)      I was easily distracted (especially early on in the walk). I noticed a lot of people, businesses, animals, etc.

3)      Once I started to pray I had expectations that God would really “speak to me” with a clear voice and at first He did not (or at least I didn’t hear Him)

4)      I got hot and tired of walking fairly quickly and wanted to turn around after only walking for 30 minutes

5)      After persevering on the walk it became easier to pray and to sense communion with God. I no longer was bothered by the tiredness, heat, and soreness that I was feeling earlier. I was not as much “praying” as I was hearing God speak to me through Scripture (perhaps a very real kind of prayer). A lot of what went through my mind and heart were the statements and promises made by Jesus Christ – some of the convicting and many of them comforting.

a.       Sell all your possessions and give to the poor

b.      Where I go, you cannot come

c.       Seeing you believe; blessed are those who do not see yet believe [but, oh, how we do see you Lord!]

d.      I will rise on the third day

e.      I will breathe the Holy Spirit upon you and you will be counseled and comforted

A part of my desire for doing this walk was to seek God’s guidance and direction for what I should be doing in Cambodia. I didn’t get anything specific – such as, apply for this job with World Vision or spend time with a certain person. What I have been receiving and continue to receive is that God is with me always and that I am to seek and glorify Him. I am really sensing that I am not here in Cambodia for any particular job, but rather for how God is going to use this time to deepen my love for Him. By the way, I did get lost on this walk. On the way back I decided to take a different route, which is one thing when on bike or moto and quite another thing when walking, but even though lost I did feel a deep comfort from God and even a relaxation in the purpose of the walk and just trusting that I would get home safely when I needed to.

I will also share with you some of the distractions that I noticed along the way. This “house” is a block away from where I live.

 

Yet, just within 3 miles there exists block after block of “businesses” like these. While walking (and you wouldn’t notice this driving or cycling) I noticed that there are clusters of types of businesses that are clumped together. For example, the first few blocks was all furniture stores, furniture fabrication sites, manufacturing businesses, and lumber yards. Then it transitioned to textiles – and for probably one mile the businesses were mostly thread, yarn, or fabric stores, sewing or sewing machine repair.

 

And there were a lot of places that were so run down. It made me wonder how many people really stop in at any of these stores on a typical day and how many sales do they make? I just don’t know how they can afford to stay in business.   

Close of Week 1 in Phnom Penh

It is hard to believe that it has only been a little over one week since I have been back in Phnom Penh; so many things have been done in this time. Today (Thursday) I am feeling like more of an official Cambodian because I opened a Cambodian bank account and also now own a moto. In my daily neighborhood exploration I found a terrific restaurant about ½ mile from my home. (There are a lot of other restaurants closer in that I have still to try.) I also found out that there are two modern hospitals within ½ a mile of my home. Neth tells me that one of these hospitals is known to be the best hospital in Cambodia, although it is expensive. “Expensive” is a relative term, however, given that many Cambodians who work as professionals make less than $5,000 year in salary. It is amazing to me that even on salaries that even after being adjusted for cost of living differences are still very low by American standards most Cambodians are very generous with their earnings, especially toward supporting their families.

My moto

My $5 "Honda" helmet

The restaurant I found is called S-Café. Today I had a delicious fried rice, shrimp, egg, and vegetable lunch with tea and Premium New Zealand ice cream for dessert. All this for under $5. This morning I posted my blog from a nice neighborhood coffee shop that has free wi-fi. I almost felt guilty because I was there for over an hour and paid less than a dollar for an ice latte and tea.

This is the coffee shop that is next door to my apartment - it is very fancy and since I don't have Wi-Fi yet I do online work from here or the athletic club that is in my apartment building

My first time out on the moto was fun, but I actually feel more in control and safer riding my bike. Still, I will probably use the moto a lot since I can get to places further away without arriving dripping sweat.  Since I bought a used moto I didn’t really have any choice in color or style and so my moto is yellow and white with a Winnie-the-Pooh floorboard. My Honda helmet cost $5; new, but probably is not really made by Honda. I am somewhat surprised that the logo on the front of the helmet doesn't read "Hondah"

It has been interesting meeting the people who have helped facilitate my setting up a Cambodian bank account, getting my Visa extended, and getting a Cambodian driver’s license. The people here are just as interested in why I am here as my friends in the US were interested in why I was leaving. This has provided a great opportunity for me to share about my faith. Most of the people I have met who live in poverty here desire very strongly to have more wealth and to live in a nicer place (like the US) and so they have a difficult time wrapping their minds around why I would leave that kind of environment. I don’t have a great answer for that other than God wants me to be here now and I love this adventure. Also, that at least for me the accumulation of things or money does not interest me and is not healthy for me. I do miss family and friends. I miss Gizmo. I miss clean air. I miss being able to communicate easily. But as Oswald Chambers stated, in the strain is the strength and I do feel like I am growing stronger here - in large part because of the difficulties that I am experiencing.

Last night (Friday) I took the moto out at night - trying to get to the church where Neth was recording a CD. It was pouring down rain and traffic was horrible. I got soaking wet from cars and trucks splashing up water that was pooling up on the roads, from the rain that was coming down so hard, and from putting my feet down in puddles when traffic was at a standstill. I also got a headache from breathing in all the exhaust fumes. So, I never made it to the recording, but chocked this up to experience and a lesson that I don't want to go out in Phnom Penh on a Friday night in the rain.

This morning I read this from Oswald Chambers, "Notice God's unutterable waste of saints, according to the judgment of the world. God plants His saints in the most useless places. We say - God intends me to be here because I am so useful. Jesus never estimated His life along the line of the greatest use. God puts His saints where they will glorify Him, and we are no judges at all of where that is." True, true, Amen.

Update on Living at the Diamond

Today, there was a morning rain, but it cleared away within only a few minutes, revealing a beautiful sun-filled day. I set out on my bike to run some errands and explore the neighborhood that will be my new home for the foreseeable future.  A few hours later I decided to return home to have lunch and as soon as I pulled up to home the rains returned. I stood on my balcony looking out at the city and could see pockets of rain clouds over different parts of the city, but then I quickly became completely engulfed by rain clouds so low that I can barely see the buildings around me.

 

View from my balcony just before becoming engulfed by rain clouds

This was the kind of rain that drives hard toward the ground, creating a roaring sound. I left my balcony door open so that I could enjoy the cooler weather and the sounds of this rain. The rain was coming down so hard that drops bounced across the five-foot wide balcony and onto the bedroom floor. All the typical daytime sounds of Phnom Penh (voices, motos, honking, animals, and the repetitious music from street vendor carts) were completely muffled by this rain. After less than 20 minutes the clouds began to lift and pass through and once again I could hear the familiar city sounds: a rooster crowing, a whistle blowing, horns honking, and the humming of moto engines. In the afternoon I set back out on my bike to pick up my extended Visa and Cambodia Driver’s License. As you can see, some of the streets were flooded in Phnom Penh.  

I have been swimming and going to the gym everyday (all two that I have been here). Really great to have this where I live and does away with any excuses not to exercise! The trainers at the athletic club are really nice and very helpful.

Settled Into My New Home

In the immediate future I may not be blogging very often as I have just moved into my new home and until I obtain my shipment from the States (which includes my router) or purchase and install a new router I will not have internet service from home. So, I am writing this installment from a coffee shop located just a 1/2 block from where I am living. One of the things that I love about the coffee shops in Europe and Asia is that they serve "biscuits" (cookies) with coffee and in Asia many shops will also serve delicious tea. I recently had a massage and before the massage this place serves tea, gives you a cool, water-soaked and scented towel to wipe your hands and face with, and also scrubs and washes your feet. After the massage you get more tea and three small bananas. Anyway, this is a diversion from saying that there is also Wi-Fi at this coffee shop. One of the things that I love about where I have moved to is that there are a lot of nice coffee shops and stores very close. I am really looking forward to doing some exploring. I found a wonderful grocery store very close by and stocked up on groceries and even found kitchenware and bedding (I needed sheets and a pillow). I managed to get quite a lot of things into my backpack and the pillow and clothes hangers into the basket of my bike, but I still had a laundry hamper and groceries to carry and so I strapped that onto the rack on the back of my bike. This would look very strange in the States, but here I just blended right in with everybody else who overloads their bikes and motos. Except that my backpack was so full that it pushed the hamper off the back of my bike and so I had to pick up my groceries from the street and hand carry the hamper in one hand - riding the bike with just one hand. Again, not an unusual site here in Cambodia.

Latte, biscuits and tea at Kuse Bon Cafe

It is rainy season in Cambodia and last night there was quite a downpour with lightening and thunder. This morning, just as I arrived at the coffee shop, the rain returned and so I am now "trapped" in the coffee shop.  But just as I have written this it seems like the rain has stopped! And now (all within the span of two sips of coffee) the sun has come out. Tasks for today: pick-up my Visa extension and Cambodian Driver's License; file insurance claim for lost shipment from the United States; buy a fan (it is hot here!); explore the neighborhood. Tomorrow - buy a moto and open Cambodian bank account. On Friday, I have been invited to attend the CD recording that Neth will be doing. Then on Saturday I plan to take a long prayer walk - inspired by the post-crucifixion account of the disciples walk to Emmaus. I do not know all the details and full reason(s) why God has called me to Cambodia, but I do know that I must be seeking His will, praising Him and giving Him glory. This walk will be a time dedicated to reflect on His glory, to give thanks for His presence in my life, and to seek His direction. I want to do this before making any commitments here - such as to a job.

First Sunday in Phnom Penh (since my return)

In the mid-late 1970's the Khmer Rouge was responsible for the murders of one million five hundred thousand Cambodians including 90% of the Christian fellowship of believers then. Now, a mere 30-some years later, it is very clear to me that there has been a strong resurgence and revitalization of God's army of believers in Cambodia. Today, I went to worship service at the New Life Church in Phnom Penh. New Life is a Khmer Christian church where Neth, a Daughters of Cambodia social worker, is one of the worship team leaders. Services are held from 7:30 – 9:30 and 10:00 – 12:00. Maybe it is in part because of how young the church in Cambodia is, but there is such an amazing lack of restriction or reservation in the way that God is worshipped and praised by His believers in Cambodia. This is seen in many different ways. For example, yesterday I met a young man named Sanrath. He shook my hand and said with a big smile, “Hi my name is Sanrath and I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior." I do not know many Christians in the States who introduce themselves to strangers like that. In worship service today I noticed this lack of restraint in the way that God’s believers sung worship songs and in their facial expressions and body language – worship is so very free and unrestrained; it is glorious! Even though the service was in Khmer I was greatly moved through God's Holy Spirit, which supersedes language differences. In worship service today there was a refrain in one of the songs "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord" that kept repeating for several minutes. As we continued with repeating this verse I found myself begin to sing it in Khmer (to me it sounded like "Viso, Viso, Viso Moi" - I probably mispronounced these words, but I know that God heard them exactly how they were intended). I was immediately moved to tears; deep tears of joy. To have the honor of praising God in a different language with people who speak that language and to know that God hears and understands all languages and the words from our heart is so moving! I saw two friends in the worship service: Sokun and Neth. Then I went for a long bike ride around Phnom Penh, stopped at a grocery store and at a bakery, and had lunch in a park by the Independence Monument.


Tonight I had the pleasure of having dinner with my friend, Neth, and his wonderful fiancée, Ata. We ate at a restaurant that shares my name, "Ichiban".

 

Home in Phnom Penh

After seeing over a dozen rental properties (with three different agents) I found the place that really calls to me as being the right home. It is in the Toul Kork district of Phnom Penh and of all the places I have been to in Phnom Penh it is my favorite. I like the streets, the lack of busyness, the cleanliness (that is relative), and I just feel a peace when I am there. I did look at several places in Toul Kork, but the one I chose is the best value for the dollar and I liked that unlike most other places I saw the people at this one all seemed very happy and they are friendly. (This applies to both staff and residents.) It is called “De Castle Diamond” and my new address will be: Number 158, Street 315, Sangkat Boeung Kok 2, Khan Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia. Please come visit!

View from my room at Diamond

Lots of storage space

A small, but modern kitchen (some places I looked at had no appliances)

View from the entryway

View of the pool from doorway to my unit

My decision was made a little more challenging because I met three very nice people when looking at different rentals and so I began to feel somewhat allied with wanting to help them out by renting, but the bottom line is that they all lived in/showed me areas where there was a lot of noise and crowdedness that I just couldn’t see myself living in long-term. Toul Kork is peaceful. Diamond has a beautiful indoor pool and great views; a health club on one of the floors, and nearby businesses. It is by far the safest and most secure of all the places I saw. I did find one three bedroom, three bathroom with a huge living room for $150/month (1/3 of what I will be paying at Diamond), but to get to it you have to climb a narrow and steep spiral staircase and one of the floors had 5’6” ceilings. Now I know you all are thinking that height should be just fine for me, but it did feel claustrophobic even for me. Plus, at Diamond there are elevators (lifts), which will make moving in so much easier.

I also purchased my Cambodia commuter bike today. I bought it from a French women, Anne, who has a great job. She works for the United Nations as a Legal Assistant in the Khmer Rouge prosecutions. She is, however, on the defense side. Riding home on the bike gave me such a feeling of being able to really explore and experience Phnom Penh since I no longer have to rely on tuk tuks or motos for transportation.

The new ride

This morning I had a wonderful time with God. First there was the message from Oswald Chambers that God is the One who chooses us and that often we do not know at what He is aiming us and because of our shortsightedness we may think that He has missed the mark with us. This was comforting for me because here I am far from where I have considered home my entire life, far from family, with no job and still with no place to live, and I do not know for sure to what God is aiming me. I know that my mission is primarily to love Him, but I do not know the details of why He has called me here. To know that He does know what is ahead and He has a perfect plan for that gives me great comfort. I am to just love Him and remain obedient to His calling.  Next, there was the humorous lesson from Max Lucado delivered in the style that only he seems to be able to do. In that lesson Max put down the word “someday” – writing about how we often use it as an excuse to put off the things that we are being called to do. Well, once again, this was a comforting message since I know that this time I have seized the opportunity and not used a “someday” excuse. Then Mother Teresa wrote that if we want to have people who are poor be able to see Christ in us that we must first see Christ in them. This was one of the foci of my prayers this morning: that every person I came across today, especially those who are poor, I would see Christ in them. Finally, there was God’s very Word in Psalm 19. His Word is perfect. It converts our souls, makes us wise, and causes our hearts to rejoice. His Word is pure, clean, enlightening, and it endures forever. It is more desirable than gold! Do we truly seek and desire God’s Holy Word more than gold (more than money, more than “things”, more than recognition and respect)? Those who seek God’s Word will receive reward greater than all that the world has to offer.