Breakthroughblog’s Weblog

Well, I am feeling a bit more recuperated now. 
What a trip!  There was Tim Johnson, Bruce and Carolyn Carson and me. We were warmly welcomed by Mao An- the pastor and many Breakthrough adults and children at the airport. We all piled into the van.  The first thing that hits you is the heat and then the traffic.  Motorbikes piled high going every which way!  Babies in between adults standing or sitting on motorbikes. No helmets. Cars and utes piled high with all sorts of things and then people sitting on top of the piles. Livestock, like chooks tied on by legs alive to sides of vans and bikes.  Organised chaos and “suggested” road rules.  Amazing not more accidents.  The people must be very patient as Aussies would be raging in this type of traffic.

  I felt like the Lord was saying that these were His scattered sheep that were without a shepherd. I started to pray for the Lord to raise up His shepherds in this nation. The piles of things represented the burdens that the people carried. At times the enormity of what needs to be done in this nation hit me. It was overwhelming at times.  The number of people, busyness, the dirt, the smell, the poverty of the surrounds.  But the people very lovely and generally appeared happy. We went to our hotel and it was very comfortable and air-conditioned. Praise God! We shopped later at Sydney for a few basic items like water, milk and snacks and had dinner at  Khmer Thai Restaurant.

On the Tuesday, we went to the Breakthrough Centre church.  Again we are very welcomed.  Up 5 flights of steps to the church meeting are on top floor.  Families live on the other floors.  There is a drop toilet on this floor.  A Western toilet in Mao An’s office that we were privileged to use. (I did not get my squatting certificate on this trip.) We had a worship time and Tim and Carolyn taught.  You take your shoes off before entering the building and the floors are very super- polished and clean.  I noticed this which led to me falling off my plastic chair twice –once during Tim’s teaching and once as I leant forward to pick a crumb up off the floor. I leant forward and because the weight was more forward and polished floor, leg went skidding out from underneath me.  I sat and laughed as people rushed over concerned I was OK.   I did actually obtain a couple of bruises under my arm and somewhere else.  Sore tailbone for a couple of days. Tim incorporated falling off chair into his talk.  Carolyn used it, laughing her head off and unable to speak, when she prayed about falling and getting up again!  News travelled back to Perth about Al’s mum falling off chair not just once –but twice!  We had lunch of rice, salad and stew washed down with a Coke. I ministered on compassion and then we prayed for some people there and many were released from anger and bitterness. Praise God!