Partings, potholes and prospects...

After breakfasting together, well shaded from the brilliant blue sky and heat of the sun, we walked together along the River Sap which lies in the centre of Siem Reap, watching the water boatmen (aka floating 'dustmen') clearing the river and its banks from the abandoned chinese lanterns, fireworks and floating flowers left over from the water festival celebrations of the night before.  In addition to the fireworks, colourful rafts and boats, another noticeable centre piece of this festival was a giant waterwheel.  Celebrating the gift of water in this way, a commodity which we take so much for granted, might seem a little odd to us, but when we consider that this year the water level after the rainy season is still too low for a good rice harvest, and three years ago there was so much water the rice harvest was swamped to the extent that much of it rotted in the field it brings the delicate balance of the rainy season and the dry season into sharp perspective for us.  The increasing variability and unpredictability of the seasons has a huge and direct impact on the staple food of this region, affecting the quality of life and of livelihood for a whole year at a time.  When asked at Safen Haven School or school on a mat what they ate for breakfast the children will say 'rice'.  When asked about lunch, they say 'rice', and when asked about supper....guess what they say first?  You got it...Life here may not look all that hard in that the children are not skinny and starving, but they are not enjoying healthy mixed diets.  The vegetables and meat produced by the poor on land owned by the rich are destined to be sold, not consumed locally.

The partings I refer to have occurred throughout the day.  Firstly we said goodbye to Rod and Michelle as we left them behind in Siem Riep to start our journey back to Poipet. We wished them both a happy time and safe travelling when they do return home next week.  We will miss their company and already feel somewhat diminished as a team because for eight such diverse people we had become very attuned to each other and therefore not only worked well and enjoyed our time here as individuals but also very much as a team.

Rathana, who has been our driver and guide for the past three days then drove the remaining six of us back to Poipet; a journey of two and a half hours.  The road is largely wide and straight but it is a hazardous drive, due to large patches of mirage from the sun being almost directly overhead, vehicles ranging between pedal bikes loaded six feet high and wide with goods, through mopeds and scooters with five up plus luggage, to huge heavy lorries plying the long long road twixt Pnom Penh and Thailand all mixing in and out together in both directions.   Every wit known to man is required to undertake this drive safely as vehicles cross lanes, sides, undertake and overtake in what to us still seems quite a random pattern.  The potholes I refer to are just one among many additional hazards.  The middle section of this long journey, lasting a number of kilometres, contains some spectacular pot holes though.  These are not ordinary potholes, they are 'special Cambodian potholes' comprising large areas of unmade road with a surface of random rubble, with sudden drops into and out of them and no warning sign to suggest where they are.  Some are as wide as half the entire width of the road and they are of variable depth.  If not spotted ahead (and it's not easy!) then the result would be carnage with vehicles spinning out of control.  It all makes for a bumpy ride and Rathana deserved his well earned round of applause as we arrived back safely.

This evening we shared our final evening meal here in Cambodia with Andy and Katie who have become good friends to us all.  Please pray for them as they continue in their work here with CHO until mid December.  Saying goodbye this evening was tough but we look forward to staying in touch.  Tomorrow we will finally say goodbye to CHO staff who have taken such good care of us.

CHO are very clear in their request that we specifically pray for more and more church communities to be planted.  This year, 9 separate communities have been planted so far and 5 more are planned for the first half of next year.  As a team we have seen CHO at work at close quarters.  They are simply amazing and their aim of strengthening the quality of life of disadvantaged rural people and at risk and poor children and cultivating hope for the future is definitely being fulfilled.  No ifs, no buts and no maybes.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

Sue