Stories from my phone

Cambodian children off to school on a rainy morning.

Kids waiting to see the dentist at the clinic in Prek Pneu.

Kids coloring on the floor of a home in a relocation village.

Cambodian soldiers waiting for the next dignitary to drive past.

Recently I have had a difficult time blogging because I feel like my words are repetitive or the avid blog readers have heard so many stories about Prek Pneu, Logos, our Tico or our trips around Asia. However, I realized this evening that my phone is still the one tool I use to capture moments that are not mundane to me anymore. My phone is a glimpse into the conundrum that is Cambodia. The four pictures above are from four recent events and each image tells a story of an event that I found to be poignant. So, here we go, stories from my phone.

Image #1: This is the least interesting image of the four because it is the view I have on my commute to school each morning. However, this particular morning was not like most. It was sprinkling rain, the breeze was cool and the road was relatively quiet. Leanne and I were in the middle of a taxing week and when I turned the corner onto this road, saw the girls on their Khmer bikes and felt the cool air on my skin, I could not help but praise God for the glimpses of heaven he gives us in the middle of trying times.

Image 2: As Leanne blogged about last week, Asian Hope sponsored a medical team from the States which came to Prek Pneu to deliver basic medical services to people in that community. There was something right about this event because it brought tangible, immediate help to so many people. When I am sick I go to the doctor but that is not an option for most Cambodians. They were able to get the care they needed and deserved.

Image 3: This week my students from Logos are participating in "Service Trips." The goal of this week is to get our kids to see the work being done by so many NGO's throughout Cambodia. This particular image is taken in a community an hour north of Phnom Penh. These Cambodians had their homes destroyed by the government last January and were given a blue tarp, a bag of rice and a 10-gallon bottle of water. That's it. What would I do in a situation like that?

We have been having these massive thunderstorms at night with heavy rain, wind, thunder and incessant lightning. I was annoyed because these storms, though impressive, interrupt my sleep. I wonder how the people who live in a tarp deal with this rain. Tough thought.

Image 4: The Association of South East Asian Nations is having a conference in Cambodia this week and with these leaders come the heads-of-state from the United States, Russia, South Korea and China. The organization of this conference seems to have befuddled Cambodia. Roads are closed, flights are cancelled, streets have become parking lots and schools have cancelled class. These soldiers are standing guard right near our house in case someone decides to get out of hand. There were groups of five AK-47 toting solders about every 100 yards on the main road leading to the airport (which is also the busiest national highway). Pretty crazy scene around here but interesting nonetheless.

That's it, that's all. These were the four most recent images on my phone and they tell a long and complex story of the country that we have called home for two-and-a half-years. I find these pictures help to explain a lot about our life and this country, I hope you do was well.