So, immediately upon arriving in Cambodia we headed for a village about five hours outside Phnom Penh called, Chhlong. This is where one of the teams has been working for over ten years. I really can't begin to explain how different it is than city living!! Even though Donovan has spent some significant time here it was still vastly different than what he was used to.
We had been told to bring a mosquito net, but that's about it...this was third world country living on steroids! You can see our bed to the right with our mosquito net...the really "pretty" bed covering was just a bottom sheet because there was no need for any covers because there was no air conditioning...only a tiny fan to circulate the hot, sticky air! The bed was actually quite comfortable and helped get our minds off the loud, barking dogs outside and the rats crawling in the ceiling! =) After the initial shock it was actually quite pleasant!
To the left is a picture of the bustling market that was right outside our window, literally. It starts at 4am every morning! It actually worked out well for us because we were still recovering from jet lag so we were already up! While we were in the village we had the opportunity to visit with some of the families of the people group we'll potentially be working with...they were incredibly friendly and welcoming! During one of our visits I'm pretty sure the entire village came into the house to see us, there were at least 30 of us crammed into a 10x10 room. One night we joined the Chhlong team for a dinner to thank the government leaders in the village for allowing them to minister freely. This was really special to witness the team have the government's blessing in a country like this!
This is just the first of what we're sure will be many adventures! =)
Below: Our to go iced coffee - Village style!
To the left is a picture of the bustling market that was right outside our window, literally. It starts at 4am every morning! It actually worked out well for us because we were still recovering from jet lag so we were already up! While we were in the village we had the opportunity to visit with some of the families of the people group we'll potentially be working with...they were incredibly friendly and welcoming! During one of our visits I'm pretty sure the entire village came into the house to see us, there were at least 30 of us crammed into a 10x10 room. One night we joined the Chhlong team for a dinner to thank the government leaders in the village for allowing them to minister freely. This was really special to witness the team have the government's blessing in a country like this! 
Amazing - praying for you guys. Thanks for allowing us to share in this journey with you! We love you!!!
ReplyDeletenothing like full immersion :) thanks for the posts, keep 'em coming! still praying for you guys!
ReplyDeleteWow! It is so great to be able to keep up with your day to day adventures. I must admit you had me til you said "rats" in the ceiling! However, I know you guys are together....it is your anniversary and you will have stories to tell so we can't wait! God Bless and safe travels from the Masseys!
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly fascinating. Thanks for keeping us on the other side of the world informed. This is a great reminder for us to pray for you, and -- who knows -- may it will nudge others to listen closely to God's calling them to foreign missions. I look forward to the next post!
ReplyDeleteCyndi Darnell