In the past 48 hours, we witnessed 3 traffic accidents within few feet from us. First, as we are walking to our car after grocery shopping, an earsplitting ‘BANG’ followed by the loud crying sound of a toddler instantly pierce our hearts. When we walked closer, the boy stood up with only some light scratches and the father also stood up with the help of some bystanders. A car trying to pull out of the parking lot too fast and hit a motorcycle with a father and a toddler on it. On the other hand, the young couples from the car seem to have no regret whatsoever and just pick up their phone (I guess calling their insurance agent) and inspecting the damage to their own car, not even walk closer to the father or boy who got hit.
The next day, while we are scouting the bookstores for teaching materials for the new center, we saw a car with diplomatic license hit yet another motorcycle damaging the side mirror. Apparently the car is trying to make U-turn at a u-shape path designed for cars from the opposite direction to make u-turn. So even if he was able to make this U-turn, the car will be driving on the wrong side of the road.
The same day in the evening when I went to purchase water outside the frontgate (we need to use distilled water bottle at home as the water supplied by the city is not clean), as soon as I pulled up to the exit, and tried to look at the oncoming traffic, two young girls on a motorcycle slipped and fell less than 5 feet from my car. I am glad they were not hurt.
Every one of us probably has complaint about a traffic light, the speed limit or a no U-Turn sign because it caused us some inconveniences. But having been in Phnom Penh for 3 months, we realized how valuable are traffic regulations and having police enforcing the rules. It is extremely tiring and very dangerous to drive in a place where traffic regulations mean nothing of all drivers. But we, as Christians who knows God, sometimes forgot He is the chief engineer of this world, not us; Not only He knows what is good for us but He already has the plan. He also gave us rules and regulations to help us live a fulfilling lives. In our lives, we certainly don’t like to follow His rules and think we know what is the best for ourselves; just like the drivers here, they drive whichever direction they want ignoring whether the road is in the right direction and any traffic regulations.
Will you join me in prayers to ask God to renew us individually and live a life that He has planned for us and give us courage to stand up for Him; also pray for our children to grow up knowing His truth and living a life that is of Him as they are growing up in a time and culture which God’s sovereignty is depicted as shameful and absurd.
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We would like to share some of our photos in July:
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| On the way when we drove to Kampot (small town) in one weekend, we saw many of these van packed with people or goods. It is very common to see 2 to 3 people seating on top. |
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| It is really sad to see so many people packed in the van in such bad condition. |
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| On the road, we also saw people jammed into the small tuk-tuk. |
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| One night of rain provided much water for this area to farm and we saw many villagers farming in the rice field in the next morning. |
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| But the rain also caused big flood, In the next morning, we drove through muddy road and huge puddles. |
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| Many people enjoyed soaking in the water with their clothes! (They are all in the back of the photo) |
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| We stopped the car to take picture with the farm land. Behind Gryphon and Joelle is a field with growing rice. |
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| We drove by many of the field with cows. They are white and skinny. |
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| We consider this is a much better road than the muddy road with many potholes. |
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| We visited a pepper farm in Kep (a very small town). |
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| Hat knitted by villager nearby. |
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| Behind Gryphon and Joelle is Gulf of Thailand. |
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| Joelle's 5-year old birthday! First birthday in Cambodia, celebrated with Pastor Billy and Jeanne! |
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| Joelle celebrated her birthday with her summer school teacher, who raised their own fundings to Cambodia from the U.S. to teach the summer school. |
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| Joelle and her teacher |
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| End of summer school performance |
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