Breakthroughblog’s Weblog

We set off for villages on Wed morning -3hrs away- to Svay Rieng (to be our base for going out to other 3 villages) in Hilux ( 5 in cab and 6 on top) piled high with food for villages, and luggage!  We had to stop at times as we hit a few big potholes and dislodged someone or something! We went on a car ferry.  This overwhelmed me as beggars and hawkers on ferry tapping on windows to sell something or get money.  All sorts of ages, but children broke my heart the most.  No arms, crippled, blind. I cried as these children had to work to survive and did not enjoy their childhood.  It was the same on the way back on the ferry for me. I actually hated being on this ferry.  Finally, we arrived at our first destination and thought we would be freshening up at guest house first, but there was a change of plans.  We stopped at a bamboo house on dirt track and Mao An said we needed to leave our luggage behind to go to the village- Svay Kaeh.  We were to be in the village all day. I madly sorted through necessary items like, tissues, wet ones, aeroguard, sunscreen, mobile phone and camera and put these into plastic bag as we had to get on motorbikes to get to the village.  Mao An points me to a motorbike with this skinny little Cambodian man. My first time on a motorbike!  Motorbike mama!  I am telling myself I can do all things and prayed much! Many bumps and sore tailbone! The track was only one tyre wide with a ditch of water either side through a rice paddy for about 10-15mins.  We had to stop at times and get off as track was muddy. Some of villagers in huts laughed as saw this big western woman on back of bike and a skinny man in front!  I felt like a real missionary.  I was the first into village. All food for village and hygiene supplies had to be brought in by bike too.  Carolyn’s bike toppled into ditch.  I heard much laughing!  Adults were very welcoming but the children very reserved.  We felt witchcraft operating but got on with what we were there to do.  The village was just a baby in the Lord. We gave them food and clothes, thongs and hygiene supplies.  The kids loved the clothes.  Danny, Mao An’s daughter, did worship with kids and Tim and Bruce went with adults to teach. Tim taught on dreams and visions and interpretation.  Mao An did most of the interpreting but his son Timothy could also do some.  Danny speaks English quite well too. We were not as prepared as would have liked to be as couldn’t find stuff I bought for village kids in luggage in time.  The village people ate, and then we ate meal that Mao An’s wife cooked for us on gas burner. Carolyn and I had a rest in their bamboo hut on stilts and slept where 20 villagers slept all together in this one room.  It was a wicker mat on bamboo floor with leaking tin roof.  The rain poured down after lunch and made the land into one giant mud puddle.  The kids went out in it in their new clothes!  The pigs, chooks and dogs were very skinny and milled around our feet. We believe we took kingdom there by just being there.