Guacamole Girl

More About Cambodia

Had a brilliant afternoon on Tuesday, catching up with some of the team from my trip to Cambodia. Even though it's 2 years since we wre there & no one knew each other beforehand, we gelled so well that we have kept in touch & met up regularly since. Our ongoing interest in & concern for the Cambodian nation is part of the bond, but the times we shared, both happy & harrowing, have forged deep friendships.

This was not an official reunion, but an impromptu gethering of 7 out the 12. The occasion was a "bon voyage" for Alastair, who is taking 5 members of his church, Garelochhead Parish Church, back to one of the towns we visited in 2005. It was wonderful to get together, (pushing the tables together in Wesley Owen, just like we did in every restuarant we went to on our travels!)  hear Alastair's plans & hopes for the trip, and reminisce about the amazing people we met in Poipet. We all wish we were going too, but just sending the Garelochhead team with our greetings & prayers will have to do for now.

We're looking forward to meeting up when they get back for the full report. We are the only ones who will really want to see their 3000 photos & video clips. Everyone else will be relieved to see the edited highlights! Meanwhile, the breaking news is available on The Poipet Post. Please pray for them & for Cambodia (more info on Tearfund website)

Viva Cambodia!

Two years ago, I spent two weeks in Cambodia. It was a Tearfund "study tour", so we were visiting local Christians who are working in partnership with Tearfund. We spent 4 days in a town called Poipet (known in the guidebooks as "the armpit of Cambodia") It's not a nice place - so Wild West, you expect to see tumbleweed blowing down the mainstreet! However, the people we met there are veritable diamonds in the dust. Here they are:

The happy band known as the CHOboys (CHO = Cambodia Hope Organisation) buzz around town on moto's bringing food to the hungry, skills to the teenagers, and the love of Jesus to everyone. They have so little, yet they are so content. They looked after us like royalty & we shared a genuine bond of Christian bortherhood (& sisterhood of course). We left after four days, determined to return....which brings me to the point of the post......

One of our team, Alastair, has rounded up 5 comrades from his church & is heading back there next Saturday. He was keen to get some from the original team to go too, but none of us can. I am toally grinding my teeth over this, because I would so love to be setting off next weekend, back to a country I love (just look at it...) and to people I have imense love & respect for.

However, I really believe God is saying "not this time". It's not the right time for me to go trailing half way round the world without my family. I also believe I will get there one day (possibly with family in tow)......

Meanwhile, I am going to enjoy hearing all about the trip & look forward to hearing news from the frontline. I have been studying Philippians over the last month, and this has turned out to be very apt. When Paul says "every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God", the CHOboys are always in my mind.

I went to Cambodia in 2005, expecting it to be difficult & challenging, and yes, there were some days I struggled to understand how God could allow some situations we encountered. However, my overwhelming sense throughout was one of joy. God is doing amazing things, through some amazing people & I know the 2007 team will find this out - have fun, bon voyage & haste ye back!