As many were rolling out of bed in Phnom Penh this past Saturday, I was rolling out of the capital in the EMM van. Destination? Kompong Cham, one of Cambodia’s rural provinces. I proudly drove the group of 11 university students and Sophal, the women’s dorm director to visit the family of Chairon, a third year student. What incredible young people I had the opportunity to travel with! The eleven hour round trip was filled with loud conversation, laughter, and the singing together of a wide selection of Christian worship songs. The purpose of the trip was to strengthen the relationship between Chairon’s family and EMM's dorm, to recruit potential dorm students, and to discern ways in which the current students can be praying for her family and her home village.
Highlights of the trip include:
--Having my first taste of fried tarantula. I am being truthful when I say the little bugger’s legs actually did taste good. Hungry, anyone?
--Driving for 2 hrs. on the worst road I have been on in my life. (Not an exaggeration). This road made PennDot’s workmanship look good. The rainy season had created a muddy, bumpy, puddle-filled semblance of a road. Thankfully we only had to stop once on this road because the spare tire which was located under the vehicle was dislodged from its home.
--Most of my interactions with the dorm students have been in the setting of a worship service or a brief conversation at one of the dorms. Therefore, I was grateful for the opportunity to have an extended period of time to relate with them in a context where they could “let their hair down.”
--Coming home to my lovely wife and two children was the closing highlight of the day. It’s rare that I spend the whole day away from them, so it was good to be back home.
Enjoy the pictures below,
Ryan
Chairon's Family's house with the EMM van parked in front.
The stundents enjoying the noon meal on a traditional Cambodian rice mat.
Posing for a picture before we departed. Chairon's family in back and university dorm students and I in front.
1 comment:
What an adventure! And you counted it as a blessing. You really must have mastered the language, or it may have seemed like that trip could have drug on and on and on.
It's not so often we see our daddy in a day during these busy summer months...what a blessing you can usually spend time with your cute kids and cute wife! :)We are looking forward to a slow down here so we can do the same. Take care. Mis.
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