Cambodia part 3 - temples, history, and culture

During our time in Cambodia, we got to visit Siem Reap and the temples in the area. Ken was our tour guide, and since he has been there so much he was quite knowledgable. There are over 50 temples, but we only managed to see about 5 of them, which was plenty. Angkor Wat is the best known, and was quite impressive to see. It was built in the 1200s and is huge with very intricate detail and design. I enjoyed seeing Ta Prohm as it hasn't been reconstructed, so there are huge trees and roots going through it.

We also got a Cambodian history lesson as we learned about the genocide of the Cambodian people by the Communist Khmer Rouge. At the genocide museum we saw pictures of some of those who were killed, rooms and devices used for torture, holding rooms, and more. In the killing fields, people were buried in mass graves and you can now find clothes and bones coming up through the ground. It was very sad to see as a few million people were executed during the Khmer Rouge's time. Thankfully, things are much better in Cambodia today.

There are 14 million people in Cambodia. The village life consists mostly of subsistance rice farming. In the villages we drove by, the houses are built on stilts out of wood and bush material. The stilts help to protect against rain and flooding, make it cooler, and to have more space for growing rice. We saw some wildlife in water buffalo, oxen, horses, and dead snakes, but tigers and elephants can be found in the jungles. In Phnom Penh, there are a lot of students trying to make a better way for themselves and their families by going to university, but there is still a lot of poverty and people living on the little they make selling things in a market.

Cambodia part 2 - travel Cambodia style

After 3 days of travel, Becky and I got back to Kudjip this am. We were suppose to get back yesterday afternoon, but due to no plane being availabe we stayed the night in Port Moresby. I was thankful to get back this am and managed to nap, play tennis, garden, do laundry, unpack and now blog, so I am getting back into the swing of things here again.

As I looked at my pictures from Cambodia, I was reminded of the crazy things we saw as we drove around. The 4+ hour drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap to see the temples was quite a Cambodian cultural experience. The majority of people in Phnom Penh and other cities in Cambodia, use motorcycle taxis, tuktuks, bicycles, or cyclos as a form of transportation. The cars or trucks that are used are jammed as full as can be, even using the truck or roof (without anything to hold onto). There are no real lanes or driving laws it seemed. Motorcycles weave in and out, wherever they can; small kids navigate busy roads on bicycles; oxen pull carts of pottery at night without lights, boats are carried along the road, and much more.

It was quite impressive to see a motorcycle with a pig riding on the back upside down and apparently staying still. We also saw a motorcycle carrying a bunch of chickens to sell at market, and a guy with an IV hanging on a pole while riding the motorcycle. They also carry everything they possibly can while on the motorcycles with 4 or 5 people to a motorcycle and often a little kid stuck in between some adults. Thankfully, we had a great tour guide in Ken and were in no accidents, I am glad I wasn't driving.

Cambodia

I spent the past 3 days in Cambodia with Becky to visit her youth pastor from home, who is a missionary there. He has been in Cambodia for 10 yrs, so he was a great tour guide. I knew nothing about the country before I got there, but we squeezed in a lot in a short period of time. We went to Angkor Wat and other temples in the area (my favorite was Ta Prohm because it had all these huge trees growing up through it), saw a cultural show were both Becky and her youth pastor got to participate (I am glad I wasn't picked), shopped at the market, saw the end of the water festival, ate at numerous restaurants, went to the genocide museum, took lots of pics (check back for them to be posted) and played Settlers - it was fun.

Prayer Walk

On Sunday night, the missionary family and a number of our hospital staff gathered together to pray through the new hospital. After 2 yrs of building, 5 yrs of planning, and many yrs of praying and dreaming of what could be, the new hospital is ready to be used for God's service. Bill reminded us of some of the first missionaries to Papua New Guinea who started the work here and had a vision of what God could do here. The work of Nazarene Hospital has been going on since 1967, now it will just be in new buildings, and by His grace it will continue for years to come. Steph reminded us that the buildings, made of concrete, plaster, paint, and hours of work, are just a building without Christ. Christ is the cornerstone of this place. We are His hands and feet bringing forth His love and truth with the Holy Spirit binding and uniting us together as we do His work.

This evening was a special time as we prayed through the wards for the nurses, the patients who will occupy the beds, the wasman who care for them, the chaplains and their ministry, the volunteers who come, Dr. Todd Winters and the Nazarene Hosptial Foundation and others who support us, the maintenance workers and the work they do, the cleaners, the surgery team, the babies we care for, the ones who will come to know Christ, the doctors who care for the patients, the clerks and business office folks, the pharmacy and the medicine that would heal by God's grace, the machines and equipment that support our work, the lab and xray staff and the work they do, those who worked to build this hospital, unity, PNG to be transformed, the love of Christ to be apparent in the lives of all who work here, and much more.

The move will start on the 4th and continue through the 6th. Pray for the move and the transition as we get use to doing things in our new hospital. Unfortunately, I won't be around for the move. I am heading to Thailand for a Samaritan's Purse conference with Becky. So Friday on call was my last time to work in the old hospital, and when I come back I will start afresh in the new hospital.

Harvest Party

On Saturday night, we had our annual Harvest Party and hobo dinners. This is the first time I think I ever was excited about my costume. Becky found a white jumpsuit and an ortho surgical hood that could be made into an astronaut. As a youngster I had wanted to be an astronaut and enjoyed watching Space Camp and still like watching movies about space. So when Becky brought me the outfit, I was excited. I went to the storeroom and found some tubing, and printed out some logos to complete my astronaut outfit. Also at the Harvest Party, we had hippies, jo skywalker, a knight, a robot, football players, dominoes, dorothys, a scarecrow and more. We had a fun time.

Just One More . . .

Just one more smile, one more opporunity to see the sunrise and sunset, one more time to play with his brother, one more day to spend with his mom and dad, one more opporunity to learn of God's grace and love, one more day to play and ride his bike, one more day to run through the grass, one more day of school, one more chance to see God at work, please just one more day.

One more day is what I am asking God for in regards to Ismeal. Ismeal has ALL - acute lymphocytic leukemia. He was diagnosed about 1 yr ago and had tolerated his chemotherapy well and seemed to be in remission. He was back in school, riding his bike, playing with his brother, enjoying the life of a 5 year old. That all changed last week and now his cancer is back, full force. I have no medicine to give him to cure him of his cancer at this point. So the options are we don't try and fight the cancer and let him die, or we try to give him just one more day. . . week . . . month.

As I was walking to work this am, I wasn't prepared to have this discussion with his mom because I wasn't prepared not to fight, not to try, to let him go. I have cared for him for 1 yr now and have grown to love this little guy. He went from the Michelin man after taking so much prednisone to a skinny little kid who broke his leg when he fell off his bike a few months ago. When I saaw him this morning, he was sitting up, he didn't look like he was going to die today, there was still some life in him. I told his mom his cancer had come back and she just looked at me in disbelief. I told her the medicine we have been using isn't working and that eventually his cancer is going to kill him, but I don't know when. She didn't say anything for a while and neither did I as I was looking at Ismeal praying for one more day. I told her I can try the IV chemo again, and she quickly agree. She, too, isn't ready to say goodbye and hopes for one more . . .

The reality of the extent of this situation - knowing I have nothing to cure him, isn't easy to swallow. This isn't true only for Ismeal, but it is true for Nason, Buldung, Nathaniel, Simon, Cathy, and more. I am going to lose the fight against their cancer in most of these cases, but I am definitely not ready for it, as I was crying today discussing this with Bill. I don't have all the answers to the whys going through my head, but I do know that God is watching out for each of us and we can trust Him. I recently read in Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." God has a plan that I often don't understand, but I still need to trust Him.

Pray for Ismeal to enjoy each day and opportunity God gives him. Pray for his family during this time. Pray for this doctor to have wisdom in caring for him, and to have courage to face the hard times with the patients, and to trust God with his life and the life of all her patients.

Happy Birthday Jim

Today is Jim Radcliffe's birthday. Andy gathered up the docs and a bunch of the student nurses and we went to D ward to sing our birthday melody to him. Jim is a HUGE part of this hospital and who we are. He is the only surgeon here, and has been for the past 24 yrs. He is on call every night and is often cutting people long after the rest of us are home for the night. We really appreciate him and the service he gives to our pts and to our Lord. One of the things I appreciate the most about Jim, is how he seeks to minister to pt's spiritual needs as well as physical. He always prays with the patients and shares Christ with them. He often preaches at nearby churches and organizes ward evangelism for the missionaries to do. Pray for him and his family as they continue to serve as God has called them. He has 3 kids at home, one who is expecting twins, and 3 here.