#16 - Reflection on Safety and Health

Reflection on Safety and Health

1. Safety:  

We have only been here for less than 3 months and we have read so many fatal car accidents on the news.  It is even more devastating when at least two major accidents involved Christian workers’ families.  The first family was a Christian missionary family in late May 2013 on their way back to Phnom Penh from Sihanoukville and recently another Korean Christian missionary family who taught at a Christian International school were involved in a deadly car crash (see pic below).  The parent and two of the four children were killed instantly and two children were seriously wounded.  They were moving to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh for a new ministry.   Besides car accident, don’t forget the news of the Singaporean Christian missionary who was robbed and murdered near our HHEC in May 2013 and many news on Chinese businessman being robbed and beaten.  

Please pray for the safety of all the Christian workers here in Cambodia and especially for our family as we will be traveling back and forth on one of the deadliest ‘highway’ between the city and HHEC in Kampong Speu.   

From The Phnom Penh Post on 18 June 2013

2. Health:  

If you are from Hong Kong, you probably are aware of the 9^th fatal case of the H5N1 Bird Flu in Cambodia.  A 6^th year old girl from Kampot (only 150km south of Phnom Penh) dies on July 2^nd during her treatment at the Phnom Penh Hospital.    Please pray for our health and especially Gryphon’s and Joelle’s health as they are still very young and vulnerable to many diseases.

Reflection:  

We, as believers, certainly have no doubt heaven is real and heaven door will be open for us and there is no fear when we face death.  But when you hear so many deadly news of Christian workers in this small city and disease killing innocent 6 year old, the same age as your child, it forces us to rely on God more and walk closer with God each day among all the busyness.  And it certainly encourage us to be more bold and courageous when we serve Him.  We should all learn the sense of urgency that Jesus taught us and go now to share the Gospel with the ‘unreached’ and be a witness to the ‘unreached’, even among your workplace and neighbors.

1 Peter 4, 1-7

"1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2 As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ………… 7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."

This passage seems so simple and straight forward but it gave us a whole new meaning when we gave up our jobs to serve Him full time in this new place.  Verse 2 really hits our hearts, when we looked back we did live a life full of ‘evil human desire’ even when we are a Christian, served in church, attended fellowship & etc.  Our life are filled with earthly desire: bigger house, early and bigger retirement, children learning more music instruments. However, these are exactly what Jesus want to tell us NOT to focus on but rather for the will of God.  And verse 7 is a good reminder for us each day, be clear minded and self-controlled --> so that we can pray.

When we lived in the US, you would hardly think you will involve in a fatal car accident as long as you follow traffic regulations, and follow proper precaution like “don’t drive if you are too tired” etc…  but here in Cambodia, even if you follow all these rules, it is not up to you, as almost no one follow the traffic rules, no proper maintenance on their cars and almost all cars here were imported from the US were declared “totaled” by the insurance company.  How do we know?  We were shopping for car and we ran the VIN for over 30 cars and 28 of them have salvage titles before they were auctioned and shipped here.  They looked perfect and the mileage clocks have been winded back so they look very nice and new.  This is one of the main reason some of these cars cannot sustain its structure in a “less than fatal” crash if you have a vehicle that hasn’t crashed before. 

Please remember us in your prayers and pray that God will give you the desire to serve Him in ways you cannot imagine.

Cars shipped by containers (mostly from the U.S.)

Crashed car at the lots that waiting for car dealer to 'renew' them before selling them.
Cambodia still prefer these crashed import cars because they believe
westerner take better care of the cars (oil change, repairs) than Cambodians.