I knew the moment we entered the restaurant that our decision to eat breakfast at our guesthouse was a good one. As we approached the roadside café, 12 shiny silver pots filled with largely unidentifiable objects awaited our selection. I enjoy Cambodian food, but can't handle traditional meals first thing in the morning.
After the breakfast stop, we continued on our way to Buffalo Village, so named for the hundreds of water buffalo that roam the area. This part of Cambodia brought a welcome change in topography, with hills and valleys adorned in green from the recent rains. We turned left off the main road about 25 miles northeast of Sihanouk Ville, and continued for about a mile on a narrow paved highway. This quickly turned into the typical Cambodian one lane red dirt road, which we followed for the rest of the journey into Buffalo Village.
We were going to the village to participate in an informal prayer of dedication for the new school building, which is 90% complete.
We joined in with the voices of a hundred children singing Deep Down in My Heart. Their little faces showed moments of joy and laughter. Alger shared a short message, and I led a prayer of dedication and thanksgiving for the building.
At 11:00, as the first school shift ended, Pastor Jonah opened the medical clinic. Children and some parents lined up to receive basic medical care and OTC medications. One after another, they sat on the short blue stools in front of the medicine table, and answered some basic questions of triage. Age? Symptoms? How long? The most common complaints were cough, fever, skin problems, aches and pains, and headaches. These precious, innocent ones would then receive their medicine…a dose of Robitussin for cough, antibiotic ointment for infections, aspirin for fever…their big dark brown eyes looking up at Pastor Jonah to provide some relief from pain and suffering.
For over an hour we watched this unfold, and were deeply saddened by the reality in front of us. It's relatively easy to state statistics…. they're impersonal and general. They don't have names and faces attached. But here in front of us were precious children, with a name, and beautiful face, and piercing brown eyes.
What is the answer? In a nation with 50% of the population under 18 years old, the numbers are staggering. There are many great NGO's and ministries, like Pastor Jonah and Samaritan Love Mission working tirelessly and sacrificially to meet the needs. But it still only scratches the surface.
Pray for God's wisdom and creativity as NGO's, churches, and others seek solutions.
Pray for more workers to dedicate their lives toward building a new Cambodia.
Pray for us as we continue to discern what our role is in affecting positive change for Cambodia's future, both physically and spiritually.
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD," plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "
1 comment:
Praying for you guys & Cambodia. What a beautiful people.
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