There have been a few times on this trip that I have had to stop and think about where I am. That’s pretty bad, when you’ve hit so many places in a short amount of time that you wake up trying to remember what country you are in, where your going and where you came from and it takes a good 30 seconds for it all to come to you. “I’m in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I’m going to Bangkok on Tuesday”, I rehearsed silently in my head. When I arrived in Bangkok 3 and a half weeks ago, I remember being surprised by how normal it felt. This was my second time in Thailand, but I can hardly count my brief 3-day visit 5 years ago. For practical purposes this was my first time to experience Thailand. And when I arrived I realized that experiencing new countries is becoming...old hat to me. Really? Did I just say that? Not old hat in a bad way, but in the way that it’s more comfortable than it is new and exciting (like a familiar broken in, old hat). Part of me is proud of that, and part of me mourns the naiveté I once entered new cultures with. This is not to say that I don’t still appreciate cultural variety, nor am I implying any expertise in variations of cultures. I am still fascinated by it, it’s more that I am not shocked by crazy drivers dodging tuk tuks and motos or strange “hairy” fruits or noisy street vendors lining the road at night — I’m not shocked, but I still enjoy it. To be clear, I still love and desire to know more about the variety that God has allowed to flourish in this world. Maybe I should say I appreciate it at a new level.
I have mentioned before that when leaving a place, I don’t ever leave thinking that I will never return. When I left Cambodia 5 years ago, I felt certain that I would return again someday. Ever since that 10-day visit, Cambodia has stood out to me. Returning in the same way I entered the country 5 years ago, through Siem Reap, was somewhat surreal. As we descended I admired the rice fields and canals we had meandered through on our boat trip to Battambang. I had forgotten how flat it was here. The airport routine was exactly as I had remembered it — a line of about 20 officers seated behind a continuous row of desks that pass your passport down the line, each completing his special role in the visa process (I’m told there is one guy that just turns the page). This trip was different from the last one because I was not coming as a tourist (though I had hoped to explored Angkor Wat again). I joined Katherine Gould, a friend and co-worker of my parents in China, to visit some of the street kids that she had built relationships with through a short-term mission trip in March. We spent 5 days hanging out with, loving on and just having fun with some of the street kids from Siem Reap. Many of them are the kids that go around selling postcards and bracelets to tourists. We tried to provide a chance for them to take off their pitiful vendor hat and just be kids. By God’s grace, I think we somewhat successful. With the older kids we enjoyed some good quality time, lots of tut tuk conversations and rounds of Uno. A few of them even joined us to serve at a local orphanage, and even more came to church with us on Wednesday. It was a blessing to spend time with them, but in some cases it was hard to see the reality they live in each day. I want to look away and plug my ears, but I can’t ignore it. I want to protect them, but I can’t. All I can do is continue to encourage, and to pray.
Following Siem Reap, Kat and I parted ways, she on to Singapore and I boarded a bus to Phnom Penh. I arrived in Phnom Penh, not exactly sure what I was doing there. Good friends from Harding, Chris and Casey, had invited me to come stay with them, so I had accepted. I wasn’t really interested in being a tourist in Phnom Penh (there’s not that much to see and much of it is heart wrenching reminders of the pain the Khmer Rouge inflicted—don’t care to see that twice). I arrived praying and hoping that in some small way I could be a blessing, at the very least, not be a burden to my hosts. I enjoyed spending time with this sweet family and sharing experiences from my MK background. Chris and Casey are doing such a great job raising their three children to love the Lord and the people around them. I was taking notes. Saying goodbye at the airport was hard for the kids, and it made me wonder at what point I began to understand and be okay with goodbyes. (I’ll have to ask my mom how I handled goodbyes at 3 and 5 years old). While in Phnom Penh, I also had the opportunity to observe and serve with a nutrition program that brings food and education to surrounding villages daily through GRACE for Cambodia. I also taught a 2 hour beginner English class on my last day.
As I finish this post up, the last of the passengers are boarding our B747 to Tokyo. When I boarded, I couldn’t remember if it was morning or night. It was dark outside and after sleeping in the airport, I was a little disoriented. The sun is just starting to brighten up the sky, confirming the time of day for me. It will do me good to be back in a routine, but I’m not sure when that will be as I still have at least 2 weeks of travel ahead of me upon my return to the US.
I have mentioned before that when leaving a place, I don’t ever leave thinking that I will never return. When I left Cambodia 5 years ago, I felt certain that I would return again someday. Ever since that 10-day visit, Cambodia has stood out to me. Returning in the same way I entered the country 5 years ago, through Siem Reap, was somewhat surreal. As we descended I admired the rice fields and canals we had meandered through on our boat trip to Battambang. I had forgotten how flat it was here. The airport routine was exactly as I had remembered it — a line of about 20 officers seated behind a continuous row of desks that pass your passport down the line, each completing his special role in the visa process (I’m told there is one guy that just turns the page). This trip was different from the last one because I was not coming as a tourist (though I had hoped to explored Angkor Wat again). I joined Katherine Gould, a friend and co-worker of my parents in China, to visit some of the street kids that she had built relationships with through a short-term mission trip in March. We spent 5 days hanging out with, loving on and just having fun with some of the street kids from Siem Reap. Many of them are the kids that go around selling postcards and bracelets to tourists. We tried to provide a chance for them to take off their pitiful vendor hat and just be kids. By God’s grace, I think we somewhat successful. With the older kids we enjoyed some good quality time, lots of tut tuk conversations and rounds of Uno. A few of them even joined us to serve at a local orphanage, and even more came to church with us on Wednesday. It was a blessing to spend time with them, but in some cases it was hard to see the reality they live in each day. I want to look away and plug my ears, but I can’t ignore it. I want to protect them, but I can’t. All I can do is continue to encourage, and to pray.
Following Siem Reap, Kat and I parted ways, she on to Singapore and I boarded a bus to Phnom Penh. I arrived in Phnom Penh, not exactly sure what I was doing there. Good friends from Harding, Chris and Casey, had invited me to come stay with them, so I had accepted. I wasn’t really interested in being a tourist in Phnom Penh (there’s not that much to see and much of it is heart wrenching reminders of the pain the Khmer Rouge inflicted—don’t care to see that twice). I arrived praying and hoping that in some small way I could be a blessing, at the very least, not be a burden to my hosts. I enjoyed spending time with this sweet family and sharing experiences from my MK background. Chris and Casey are doing such a great job raising their three children to love the Lord and the people around them. I was taking notes. Saying goodbye at the airport was hard for the kids, and it made me wonder at what point I began to understand and be okay with goodbyes. (I’ll have to ask my mom how I handled goodbyes at 3 and 5 years old). While in Phnom Penh, I also had the opportunity to observe and serve with a nutrition program that brings food and education to surrounding villages daily through GRACE for Cambodia. I also taught a 2 hour beginner English class on my last day.
As I finish this post up, the last of the passengers are boarding our B747 to Tokyo. When I boarded, I couldn’t remember if it was morning or night. It was dark outside and after sleeping in the airport, I was a little disoriented. The sun is just starting to brighten up the sky, confirming the time of day for me. It will do me good to be back in a routine, but I’m not sure when that will be as I still have at least 2 weeks of travel ahead of me upon my return to the US.
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