The last few weeks have been busy with travel to Bangkok, driving to Phnom Penh and back, and attending a wedding. Each has been special, in its own way.
The beginning of November provided two weeks away from the ship. The clinic was closed from October 30-November 13. One week was the usual one week off, for the three weeks of work. The other was for the Water Festival and Independence Day, two big Khmer holidays.
We knew that Thailand had been suffering from tremendous flooding. We weren’t sure if we could make the trip. The news was full of video reports showing streets and business under water. The domestic airport was flooded and closed. Luckily, Suvarnabhumi International Airport was still open. We made it in and got to our hotel, and didn’t see any flood water. In fact, we didn’t see flood water during our entire visit. But, we did see the effects.
On Sunday morning, we visited with the Somprasong 4 Church of Christ. Some of their members were displaced by the rising water, as were brethren from other congregations. The Somprasong church opened up there building and many were staying there. One of the elders who spoke that Sunday morning, was staying at the building. The worship was outstanding. The speaker’s wife translated, via headphones. It made me think of our sweet sister, Odalis, who did the same thing for the Spanish speaking members at our home church, in Simi Valley. Thankfully, the songs were projected on a screen in both Khmer and English. We recognized most of the songs and were glad to sing with them. Instead of Bible Classes, they chose to have a prayer service. They spent the hour praying for their church and it’s opportunities for outreach. They prayed for their members. They prayed for their country. It was a tremendous example of putting your hope in God.
After our flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap, we drove to Phnom Penh. Or, I should say, I drove. This was our first Cambodian road trip. It was interesting. We saw the results of flooding, potholes, many villages, potholes, cattle in the highway, potholes, beautiful scenery, and potholes. In Phnom Penh, I received a traffic ticket – which is a topic for another blog!
We attended worship in Phnom Penh, prior to Piseth’s wedding. Because many people know and love Piseth, we were able to spend time with both westerners and Khmer Christians. An American friend of the local preacher preached, that morning. Sokhom, the preacher translated into Khmer. It was wonderful to see the young men leading in worship. Once again, we recognized most of the songs. Even though we didn’t know them all, we knew the Spirit of the Lord was present. It was beautiful.
We were honored to be invited to the wedding of Piseth and Srey Pich. It was not your typical Khmer wedding. Since both Piseth and Srey Pich are Christians, they chose to have a more traditional Christian wedding. It was wonderful. Debbie and I were delighted to be a part of the beginning of this new family, which is dedicated to serving God.
One of the missionary couples, Dennis and Sharon Welch, invited us to join them at a house church, that evening. It was near Toul Kork, where we were staying. After a bit of searching, we found Doris’ home. I wasn’t too worried about being late, since Dennis was preaching! It was encouraging to see this group gathered to praise God. Dennis translated for himself, which was terribly impressive to me! I liked that he engaged some of the children to read the passages he was discussing. We were blessed to meet these wonderful, dedicated people.
Next, we made our return trip to Siem Reap. Along the way, we saw potholes, many villages, potholes, cattle in the highway, potholes, beautiful scenery, potholes, and had to have the battery on the truck replaced. Our limited Khmer vocabulary and the kindness of the local people made the mechanical difficulties a bearable experience. I couldn’t help but think about God’s angels watching over us and helping us.
Before returning to the ship, we worshiped with the Siem Reap Church of Christ. Thanks to directions from the local missionary, Phanat, we drove directly to the building. This great congregation also has a Bible training school, and orphanage. When we were in Siem Reap, in May, we attended the church. It was nice to see some of the same children and how they have grown in six months. A visiting American team had been working with the church of a couple of weeks. One of the Americans preached. Chan, the local minister, translated into Khmer. The songs were all in Khmer, but we recognized the tunes and sang along in English. Once again, we were blessed to be led in worship by committed young men.
The time away from the ship was too long. We were more than ready to return “home.” BUT, it was very rejuvenating to worship with four different congregations, and share in their love for God. No matter where you are or what language is spoken, when the Spirit of God is present you know it!!
No comments:
Post a Comment