Healing

This week started quietly.  As quietly as I could make it without getting bored of nursing my back!  I didn’t go out to the village ministry with the team as the road there was full of potholes and I thought it better not to jostle around.  Instead I washed my linen and clothes (mind you I wash what I’ve worn every night and wear it again the next day, I’m sure the students think I only have one dress LOL), mopped the floor in my room and kitchen, walked to ‘Lucky Supermarket’ to stock up on groceries (that I can’t find in the local markets) for the coming week, took the washing off the line as it had dried by the time I reached home, then retreated to Rosewood for a well-earned cappuccino in the luxury of their air conditioning.  Hmmm, the air conditioning is not very effective this morning or is it just that I’m sitting in the hot area of the restaurant!   I’ve been given a fan that certainly helps.   Its only 33 degrees at the moment with 44% humidity so I shouldn’t be complaining!

One of the Christian workers came over to have a chat.  He apologise that the Christian music went off, his battery went flat.  I think he wanted to practice his English which was surprisingly quite good.  He asked where I’m fellowshipping while I’m here and where it was.  I gave him last Sunday’s bulletin from the International Christian Assembly. He was also interested in what the Australian dollar looked like, so I went on line and explained we still use coins too which they have done away with as well as some of their notes.  The lowest note is 100 riel, I have also used 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 and 20,000 but there is also 50,000 and 100,000 riel.  Cambodia also uses US dollars alongside the local riel.  One US dollar is generally accepted to be the equivalent of 4,000 riel.   At the moment $1 AUST is equal to 3084 riel.

While we chat there is another guy stalking flies that have snuck into the cool as patrons enter.  The fly swat is in the shape of a small tennis racket.  A battery powers the electric webbing on the racket which zaps the flies as they are swatted.  There is a loud snap as each fly meets its sizzling death.  I thought this would be a great tool for the thousands of summer flies in WA.  I was wondering if I could import them to support HisChild.

Sat evening when I arrived at the children’s centre with the Malaysian team there was a huge wedding tent across the gateway!  No permission asked they just needed the space and decided we didn’t need to take the bus in and out of the centre even though we had a team coming and going throughout the day!  As I entered I asked if they could move the things in front of the side door so we didn’t have to trip over it as we entered.  Weaving between the tables and chairs decked out for the special occasion the team trouped in for their activities and dinner with the kids.  During this time the wedding celebrations took off in full swing with music blasting at full volume.  We left half way through the feasting and were escorted along the wall past the diners in their glamorous new costumes, in front on the temporary stage and singers with their live music, past the loudspeakers (with our fingers in our ears) with the base vibrating in our bodies, to the sanctuary of the waiting air conditioned bus. It was a relief to leave. I just felt sorry to the housefather who was sleeping just inside the gates as he later told us the music (noise) went on until after midnight.  Fortunately the children’s rooms are further away from the road and I’m told the awnings and canopy were removed, rubbish piled up to be removed and our gateway once again accessible by 8am Sunday morning.

Sunday started like any other with overcast skies and the city shrouded in smog.  I joined the team at the local church before leaving in a tuk tuk with three of the older girls who are learning English for the English speaking English church in PP.  It was a bumpy ride which jarred my back at every pothole.   I was relieved when we finally arrived and were comfortably seated in the large air conditioned auditorium.  It was a good service which was punctuated by a time of prayer during the worship.  I decided to go up for prayer for my back.  A woman praying for me felt the Lord was in the service to bring healing and as she prayed for me I could feel the pain subsiding.  I was asked if I was still in pain and said yes so prayers continued, soon the pain had totally gone!  Praise the Lord! I believed the Lord had totally restored my back.  The test would be on the return journey.  Sure enough no more pain and I could move freely!  Hallelujah!  Now four days later and not a twinge!

Monday 16 March I worked on the child protection policy for HisChild International before going with Yu Jin to pick up our new team member, Yumih, from a Korean church in Sydney.  She is planning to be with HCI for a month before continuing on to Korea.  I think she will be taking over my job teaching English to the children but before that we were both to join the Malaysian team to see some of the sights of PP.

Deborah had organised the same tuk tuk driver to take Yu Jin and I into PP to pick up Yumih.  We went to the same place where the team had booked their bus tickets, for their trip out of PP later this week, as Yumih had bussed it in from Thailand, across the border.  Initially we had difficulty finding her as there are many bus companies in this stretch of road.  Fortunately Yumih had given Deborah her mobile number so we were able to call her for the name of the bus company and roughly where she was.  From here we took her to Lucky supermarket then dropped her off where she will be staying, at Heera’s flat, before heading home.  I then cooked a simple dinner for Yu Jin and me before we went out for an ice cream treat while walking along the riverside.  This is a colourful sight with people of all ages jogging, strolling, bike riding, smooching (which is not really accepted in public here in Cambodia) and a group of women clad in yellow shirts doing their exercises to the sound of loud western music.  I’m told they are given a yellow shirt once they have paid for the lesson.  The instructor is at the front facing away from her clients unlike the gym where our instructors face us so that they can encourage and instruct us. We also noticed that the exercises where a lot less strenuous and I’m not surprised as it was still very warm and muggy not a breath of air to cool the participants.   Yu Jin was greeted by many of the street kids that knew her from the bus ministry which came on Thursday morning.  These children lived in the boats that were moored at the side of the river.  These children begged as their parents eke out a living from ferrying wares up the river systems in their rickety boats.  At the end of the walkway there was a shrine to the grandfather of Tahkmao (the district where we live), called the black father.  Adjoining this shrine is a Chinese temple with its gods.

It was a very interesting walk but I was relieved to arrive home as my stomach and been churning the whole way with a familiar ache.  Sunday night I had started getting a saw throat and now it was my stomach churning away!  To my horror the toilet was blocked AGAIN!  Despite the ‘ban on paper’!  I later found out the team as well as the other long term staff have also had similar toilet problems and have a plunger ready on standby!  I think the plumbing is not the same size as in the west!  Praise God, the blocked cistern responded to the fervent plunging and my system to the Imodium, charcoal tablets and medication kindly donated by the Chua doctors before I left Malaysia.

Tuesday I was so listless I spent the day at home, drank coconut water to rehydrate myself and slept.  Wed was a little better, nothing in my system, tummy not churning and feeling stronger so started with home cooked rice porridge (congee) in the afternoon.  It’s amazing how something can taste so amazing after not eating for a day!  I have never really liked rice porridge but wow taste buds are on high alert when they haven’t been dulled with food for a day.  I felt much better having something in my tummy that I later had some veg and tofu.  It gave me an extra spring in my step which had been missing for a few days now.  In the meanwhile I lost 4kg which is good news as I can now make up for that which I lost by feasting.  It’s ok I’m only joking, I will not be over taxing my system for a while yet at least!  Note I didn’t say ever again. LOL

Thursday I woke a new woman!  Looking back on the previous few days I realised how much I depend on the Lord’s intervention in my life.  By 11am I was back at my favourite air conditioned jaunt, the Rosewood, to cool down as the day was heating up fast.  Hmmmm they are still having air conditioning problems, the fan is definitely needed!  I’m thinking maybe the restaurant don’t have enough patrons ordering food therefore not enough income to fix the air conditioners.  Maybe!

The guys at the next table are playing what looks like chess! Don’t they have a job to go to?  They were here when I arrived at 11am and its now after 1pm!  Could it be they are on an extended lunch break?  Who else sits observing the crowd making up little stories about the people around them?  😉   hmmmm maybe I have too much time on my hands LOL I later heard one of the guys singing along to the Christian music so asked if he was Christian.  He confirmed my thoughts and told me this afternoon at 2pm they were going to the local prison where they teach conflict management to the prisoners.  Oh! So that’s why they had time on their hands. I also asked about the game they were playing, yes it was a form of chess but unlike the Western rules where the queen has most power, here in Cambodia the King had the power. Understandably, Cambodia’s monarch is a kings.

Oh yes, good news my good friend Dr Wong is coming over to minister medical assistance to the poor at Kampong Chum where her son Joshua is living.  I hope to take this opportunity to join them.  Since my arrival Joshua has been very busy traveling back and forward from Vietnam organising a project he is working on.   He has some amazing hydroponics ideas which he hopes to introduce to the poor to help them become self-sustainable.

During this week’s quarantine I came across a quiz which on completion opened up others.  Amongst these was a heading which caught my eye ‘Which Passage Of The Bible Best Describes You?’   The results from this were also very interesting:

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 ESV

You’re an idealist. You see what could potentially be while others stick to what they know. You spend a lot of time trying to convince others to your ideals and you also try to live your life as an example of those principles. People often misunderstand you as dogmatic or over-zealous, but what they fail to realize is that you strive to make the world a better place for everyone.

Even though it’s just a fun quiz I was encouraged by the outcome.  Here is the link for those who would also like to have a go: http://www.playbuzz.com/tardis10/which-passage-of-the-bible-best-describes-you

Have a great weekend!

 

Pictures:   1. Goldern Shower Bloom   2.  Cambodian Ruel   3. Children’s Centre gate obstructed by wedding   4. Girls and I at ICA  5. Dusk Tahkmao 5.  Some of the Malaysian team    5.  Popular street tree   6. Chinese gate over looking Mekong River

Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for His awesome healing.

Praise Him for watching over my life and for His leading and direction.

Please continue to pray for mine and the team’s health as well as safety on the roads.  It is getting very hot here, pray also for all our workers as they fight fatigue due to the high temperatures and humidity.

Please continue to pray for Deborah as she leads the visiting teams.  Pray also for Dr Wong and her medical team from Malaysia that the Lord will minister to the poor through their work.

Please continue to pray for someone to teach conversational English to the primary school aged children at the centre.  This is mainly a fun class for conversational everyday English incorporating games, songs and activities. If you or anyone you know is interested please contact Deborah at office@hischild-international.com   No qualifications needed.

Thank you for your prayers for my Mum’s health she has just had a wonderful time with her sister who has visited from the UK.  Please keep her in your prayers as she sees her doctor this week re the growth that was removed from her face.