Back in Phnom Penh

Thanks for your prayers for the trip to the pepper farm. 
Soursddy, one of the 4th year women decided to go with me on the journey.  The 
students dont like us to do anything without their love and tender protection. 
She was to stop by the dorm for me at 7:15 and sure enough, she was at the door 
by 6:30 am. Fortunately I was up and ready and studying for the two Sunday 
teachings so off we went to the bus station.

Two motorbikes were waiting for us, in the rain...making the trip to the bus 
station a little more slippery. The bus was like an American tour bus. When we 
finally pulled away we were quite wet, making the air conditioned 6 hour trip a 
little chilly, but NO complaints from me about being cold! Sddy got us seat # 1 
and 2.... Great for many reasons like less opportunity to be car sick...The not 
so great reasons were minor, but I had clear view of the road as I sat behind 
the drivers left shoulder. Traveling at break neck speed with a full view of the 
road was interesting!!! And I would put that in the "not so great" category.
I also had front row view of the DVD of Khmer comedy and Karoke on the screen 
right above my head and   It was at top volume for the long haul. I am starting 
to FINALLY "hear" a little Khmer. I sometimes thought the whole country just had 
a secret language for me to not understand but now I can actually get the drift 
of conversations, especially if there are a few "Anglo " words to get me jump 
started.

After a quick stop at a McDonalds...hehe...just kidding...a road side place, 
about 5 stars below the places I have stopped at before,  we were on our way for 
the final leg. I kept getting multiple texts from Mesa and ,  our hosts.  They 
were waiting for us on motorbikes when we finally arrived. I had brought LOTS of 
bread and pastries for them as they live in a fairly isolated areas so it was 
QUITE a sight seeing us load it all on the bikes. Potra and Mesa are single 
guys, Wonderful Christian leaders and they are managing two of the plantations. 
They live in a 10x10 corrugated iron room, with all of their stuff, and farm 
stuff, yet they welcomed us with unbelievable enthusiasm. 

Potra made us lunch 
over his little wok in the back outside kitchen area ( hope that you can check 
those photos on the blog....and we all sat on the floor of their little room to 
enjoy a delightful Bachelor made lunch! It was fabulous.
 

Potra cooking

Mesa insisted on Grandma "resting" after the journey, but said we should be 
ready to go at 2:45 (10 minutes after the rest period started.)  Oh so precious.

I spent the next 2  1/2 hours on the back of his motorbike touring the 
plantations. It was lovely, though the remote red dirt/dust roads had us covered 
by the time we got back. The plantations have been hit by drought and 
pestilence. It is quite a stretch for these young college graduates to be 
battling the elements, when both of them are Preachers and Pastors at heart. But 
their desire is using this Business as Mission for Kingdom Purposes!

We came back and tried to bucket shower the layers of dirt from our bodies,  and 
hair but not very successfully, I might add. Limited water, and No hair dryers, 
of course, but we were ready to walk the long walk to the Kuy workers home and 
have dinner with them. A huge long table was set and I felt like I was home with 
our brood all around us.....laughing and telling stories over dinner. 

Pheatra, another single college Grad is one of the managers on this other farm, and he 
was hosting dinner. He asked me to share after dinner and it was fun to story 
tell about God's goodness with them. After dinner pheatra asked if I would pray 
for a young boy who lived with them who was  in severe pain. His family believed 
he was possessed by an evil spirit and they wanted him to return to their 
village. But he loved being part of the Small Christian family atmosphere here 
on the farm.We were able to pray and spend time by his little bed, even as he 
writhed with pain. They were able to take him to the clinic that night....where 
he was treated with an I'V drip.....with no explanation.

The walk back to Mesa and Potra's little room on the star studded night was 
quite breathtaking. The trip to the far away out house in the dark...not so 
much!  The guys graciously gave us their wooden mattress less bed and they hung 
nylon hammocks in the corner of the room. After talking for a long time, til the 
weeeeee hours, they tucked us in under a huge mosquito net, with the advance 
warning that it was much to keep the rats OUT as well as the Mosquitoes. Potra 
said they have been losing a lot of their chickens to these rats. I asked how 
big they were, and he grabbed his calf....and said, as big as a mans calf. 
SWEET!!!!" Potra said his first night out there, they scurried over his body and 
from then on he slept under a net.  On that note, we hit the pillow.

The cacophony of sounds thru the night made me wish I was taping it. The 
Rooster, who pretty much lives in the kitchen on the other side of the tin wall, 
speaks English. OR maybe all the other roosters I have encountered speak Khmer, 
but at 1, 2, 3,4, and 5 AM he "Cock a doodled" a few feet from our heads. The 
Mosquitoes were doing a Rendition of Beethoven's 5th....and the rats! Well, as 
predicted by Potra, they spent the night scampering, with their little toenails 
rat-tat- tatting a little tune on the screechy metal roof.

Morning came and we rolled....well I might have not actually rolled....??? How 
does someone with ample fat covering like me, find it so hard to sit, like the 
students do for hours on the tile or sleep on the wooden slatted mattress less 
beds, with never a wiggle?

 (side note....speaking of ample fat!) the sayings on Tshirts here never cease 
to bring a smile to my face. IF I can find it....I shall splurge and buy my 
favorite, "I AM NOT FAT......I AM STUFFED  WITH LOVE!"

I was asked to bring the morning devotions. At the end, a dear old man came and 
said he wanted to make a profession of faith in Christ. The time was so 
precious.

Accepted Christ

After our meeting, Potra went to buy our bus tickets and some take out 
breakfast. ( I could write a paragraph on that sentence alone....take out 
breakfast in a remote town....) he returned saying Grandma, there are no buses 
until Monday! Hmmmmm, I have three appointments today here in PP on Saturday and 
speaking two times on Sunday, but I was very much  at peace. He however, has a 
girlfriend who has not seen him in 2 weeks so he HAD to come back...haha. So we 
piled on the back of motorbikes to head for the main road and sort of hitch 
hiked. Vans drive by, and you flag them down and negotiate.  And they did. 

In 1/2 hour time we were on our way, ensconced on the back row seat of a 15 van 
with  21 other people :) Picture a Greensboro to Atlanta journey 5-6 hours long 
with one knee up around your chin the other leg....somewhere....sharing my 
headset for my iPod tunes with Potra, the two of singing along as the rest of 
the bus endured our Praise and Worship!

We arrived back, safe and sound...a little twisted in body, but I was so happy 
in heart. God is at work, in the most remote parts of this country. HE is 
breaking the bonds of sin and control of the evil spirit. GREATER is HE that is 
in us, than he that is in the world.

Amen and Amen