A Day in the Province

Cambodia is a relatively small country, when compared to the United States. If the roads were highways, and there were no pot holes, cows crossing, flooded pathways, or millions of moto drivers.....it wouldn't be Cambodia. But, it also would take a lot quicker to get places! Cambodia is a bit smaller than the state of Oklahoma, and so if the roads were highways, I think it would take about 6+ hours to drive the thickest length of the country. Regardless, the roads are NOT highways....in fact, the "highways" here that take you from one major city to another are often barely big enough for 2 cars to drive side-by-side. It is a slow, bumpy, dusty, animal-filled, rice paddy traversed road to go anywhere outside of the capital where we live. That being said, I (Karie) LOVE to get out of the city because it is where you truly see the rural-ness of the Cambodian lifestyle. I truly find beauty in this side of the country! Of course there are plenty of animals I can look at and laugh at as well: chickens, running crazily around the road when cars pass by; water buffalo with their mean looking faces, wallowing in the muddy rice paddies; anacondas, crawling up the Cambodian peoples' legs...........ok, just kidding on that last one! Here's a great picture I found on the internet of a water buffalo: yes, they always look this ticked off.


All this to say, I love going out of Phnom Penh and into the areas otherwise known as the provinces. There the scenery is like none other: mountain peaks, lime green grasses, palm trees laden with coconuts, thatched dwellings, and LAND as far as the eye can see! I have had the privilege now twice to take a day and visit one of the surrounding provinces. See my previous post on going to the orphanage, which was in the ____________ province.

This past weekend, a friend of mine who teaches Kindergarten at our school, invited me to accompany her to the Takeo province, about 2 hours drive from Phnom Penh. I gladly took her up on the offer, and had an incredible, unforgettable day! Let me tell you the brief history of our visit: another friend of ours who is Cambodian grew up in this province, specifically in the village we visited. Polly (K teacher) and Srey (our Cambodian friend) visited this village last year; Polly's heart broke as she went to the local school and peered into empty classrooms. A school room with no books, no supplies, and some rooms even had no desks. It was from her initial visit that Polly decided to take action. With support from her church back home in Pennsylvania, she was able to get enough school supplies donated to create 500+ school kits for the kids in this rural village school. Wow. Her Dad and cousin flew out to Cambodia earlier this year with the kits in hand. This past weekend was the commemoration of a long, prayer filled journey to bring these school kids hope and joy.

So many stories came out of this day, but I will save them for when we are home and can tell them to you in person!!! (16 weeks and counting.......). Some brief stories I will share are that we were able to share the gospel message with these 500+ students, teachers, and even in front of a Buddhist monk! Some of the kids had never seen a foreigner at all; we got many stares and a few smiles! The kids were more beautiful than I had even seen, and they were so thankful and deserving. The classrooms were bare and the school has no electricity. The village is made up of traditional dwellings, up on stilts off the ground. There just might have been more animals in the village than people. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Here are some photos from our time. I cannot wait to show you the over 80 pictures that came from this beautiful day, again, in PERSON!

One of our 2 vans, loaded up with abundant blessings!!

One of the women selling sun-cooked meat to us when our van stopped at a local market area.

Beautiful school children, peeking out the windows of their school.

People come in different colors??!

This school was militant about straight, quiet lines.

Enjoying coconut milk with Soapon and Stephanie; they gave us each our own coconut when we arrived!

Passing out the kits to the grade 6 girls.

The small pond on the school campus.

The Kindergarten classroom.

Walking to visit some of Srey's relatives in the village: to our left are empty rice paddies.

Truly the simple life: I will miss this greatly when I leave here.

Shy, precious kiddos in the village.

Cows, loving the village life. Tied up to a tree all day with green grass a-plenty!