We’re staying in the heart of Phnom Penh in one of the few hotels capable of handling a group of our size while located nearby a plethora of places to eat and things to see and do. It’s a bustling, big city. It reminds us somewhat of Medan, though the feel (as a capitol city) is definitely more cosmopolitan. There are plenty of foreigners walking around and we don’t elicit the stares we do in Medan, which is nice. Still, we’re a decided minority here. And like Medan, here the disjunct between old and modern, rich and poor, can be striking at times. Beautiful, but jarring.
We get around the area near the hotel either on foot or with the aid of tuk-tuks, the local conveyance for 2-4 people that has evolved from bicycles (or people simply running on foot and pulling the cart!) to motorized versions. They look a bit more modern than the becaks in Medan.
Our mornings are spent in worship and study. Adults in one area doing Bible study on the book of Job, youth and smaller children in two other areas. But the youth also had the opportunity to help lead some of the singing in worship on our last day.
We were also introduced to some of the pastors and leaders in the Cambodian Lutheran Church that JP works with. Some of them would be graduating from their Masters’ studies the following day. It was a blessing to meet them and hear a little about their work. God is doing amazing things in this part of the world and we’re honored to be a small part of that.
The Nelson Family Indonesia 