Piep in Phnom Penh

To fly to India, I have to go through Bangkok, but I don't know anyone in Thailand and don't care for large cities, so when I found out my friend Kate was in Cambodia I decided to take the plunge and fly to Phnom Penh to visit her instead of being stuck in Bangkok for a few days.

So she has graciously taken me into her home and is letting me tag along with her in her work for World Relief Cambodia.

Things I've learned in Cambodia:

1. The church needs to be active here, like yesterday! Less than 2% of the country is Christian, and most are animistic buddhist. Yet 50% of the population is under the age of 18. In the 1970's, the Khmer Rouge was the silent, bloody massacre of 2 million Cambodians. Because of all the foreign aid that actually is keeping the country afloat, there are a lot of NGO's (Christian and not) that are doing some great work here. I attended a church here yesterday that is mixed English-Khmer with a small congregation but where there are 6 new believers. How exciting huh?! It has been awesome not only to see God's work in His church, but to catch up with Kate (who I knew back at MSU) who is still fighting the good fight of faith 6 years after I met her. Also, kind of cool in reflection of this whole trip to think of how most of the people I'm visiting in Asia I met at my home church in Lansing, MI and how now they're all over the world serving the Kingdom.

2. Rain takes a different meaning here. My first day, we were waiting for a moto, and I saw one raindrop (that was my warning) and then it was like someone standing behind me started pouring buckets on my head. I was drenched in less than 10 seconds. It was crazy.

3. Ants are nasty. Don't leave your bag near the door when it has had food (even though doesn't currently have food) in it, because otherwise you will unzip the backpack to an anthill. I'll leave it at that.

4. One of the cool livelihood programs not even run by Christians is an acid attack reintegration center - where women who have been scarred by acid attacks actually get trained to be masseurs. So Kate and her roomate Deanna (nurse from Indiana) took me to get massages yesterday. It was such a blessing, because you get a great massage from really neat girls while getting to support them in a legitimate livelihood.

5. Tuk-tuks are sweet modes of transportation. Pronounced "took-tooks"they are like carts with a motorcycle driver. Similar to the Philippines, it's not bad behavior though to stare - so three white women traveling in tuk-tuks are bound to get some attention. Like yesterday, when the motorcycle behind our tuk-tuk had a driver who kept trying to talk to us. "Hello""hi""what's your name?"were not infrequent sounds from motorcycles passing close to us. While I haven't gotten a marriage proposal yet (gosh, darn! I'm so bummed. hahaha.) apparently, it's not uncommon.

Did I mention that in Bangkok (during the one evening layover) I was saved from being lost by a handsome austrian, johnny depp look-alike? I was standing there with all my luggage, with a sweaty red face, turning my map with directions the guesthouse upside down and all around. He came up with an "Are you lost?" and I was like, "What gave it away?" Anyway he not only knew the directions to the place, but he walked me there and upon leaving me shook my hand and said, "Welcome to Bangkok." I wish the rest of the city were so friendly! (and so handsome)