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MISSION TRIP TO CAMBODIA 2005 – NARRATION OF EVENTS

The Inception Stage

It was on 28 February, when the new structure for Adults Region was about to kick off. Our new sub-district leader, Wendy Tiu, decided to have a meeting with all the care leaders and unit leaders of the new NG2 sub-district. One of the topics of discussion was for each unit to organize its own short-term mission trip, and the list of countries that we could choose from included Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Having been on numerous short-term mission trips to different countries, I wasn’t terribly excited at that point of time. My unit leader, Rosaline, suggested to me that we organize a mission trip to Cambodia, since that is the country that I have a burden for. “But it is not in the list of countries we can go to” I objected. Then I added “Why don’t you ask Wendy?”. She did, and Wendy was all right with having a mission trip to Cambodia. Her only concern was that Cambodia was full of landmines. This time, I was excited. Finally, we can organize a mission trip to Cambodia, and it is officially recognized by the church. It was a simple suggestion that Rosaline made, but this simple suggestion would lead to significant events during the trip.

The Planning Stage

After the annual church camp in June 2005, I got to work planning for the mission trip. It was not a mundane responsibility but a great challenge, especially since it was the first time I was planning for a mission trip and leading it, rather than being a passive participant.

The Date of the Trip

First, I had to think of a date to go. I chose the school holiday period from 4 to 10 September because it was then that the school teachers in my unit would be able to make it.

Making Contact with People

Next, I had to make contact with people doing ministry in Cambodia. Unlike the other mission trips I had been involved in, I knew of no contacts from Hope churches who were in Cambodia. I had to therefore try to find people whom I could liaise with while I was there. Hillary and I have a friend named Linda, who was doing humanitarian work in Takeo province in Cambodia, and we easily made contact with her through email. But for pastoral ministry, things were a bit more difficult. In Bible school, I have a classmate named James who used to pastor Victory Family Centre in Phnom Penh, and another classmate named Jimmy, who is the current pastor. Jimmy told me that the church did not have many activities during the weekdays which I could participate in. But both of them gave me the contact details of their friends who were doing pastoral and humanitarian ministry there. I made contact with the friends of Jimmy and James, and I also contacted Campus Crusade, inquiring about ministry opportunities in Cambodia in the short term. Some of James and Jimmy’s friends were busy hosting other mission groups during the same period of time that we would be in Cambodia, and I did not receive any reply from Campus Crusade in Cambodia. The only positive reply came from a friend of James and Jimmy named Joko. Joko is an Indonesian missionary sent by his church to Phnom Penh, where he rents a large house for US$300 a month and sublets it to young Cambodian guys who come to Phnom Penh from the provinces to either work or study, and are in need of accommodation. He would share the gospel with them through lifestyle evangelism and quite a number of them have become Christians.

Travel arrangements

At the same time, how we would travel to Cambodia proved to be another big headache for me. Only Silkair has direct flights from Singapore to Phnom Penh. But at almost S$700, the price was beyond the reach of most of us. Even at S$580, an indirect flight using Malaysian Airlines was too high. There was news that Tiger Airways (a budget airline) intended to start direct flights to Cambodia, but I heard nothing else about it for a very long time. I spent plenty of time on the Internet searching for the most economical and time-efficient way to travel to Phnom Penh. Flying to Ho Chi Minh City and then traveling 200km overland to Phnom Penh seemed a good option, but the cost of two Vietnamese visas per person would escalate the cost. I almost concluded that the best way to travel was by budget airlines to Bangkok, and then endure almost one day of traveling on bumpy roads to Phnom Penh. It was at that point of time that I made a great discovery – Vietnam no longer required entry visas for Singaporean and Malaysian citizens! We can save time and money traveling via Ho Chi Minh City. I quickly booked six air tickets on Vietnam Airlines for six of our team members. The travel agent informed me that only four seats were available for the flight on 4 September, but there were some seats available on 3 September. I decided to travel with Hillary on 3 September and let the other four travel on 4 September. There were also two other team members who were unable to go for as long a time as us, and they had to travel direct to Phnom Penh on 7 September. But one had plenty of frequent flyer points and he used this to get discounted tickets for himself and for the other team member. Thus, the mission team would be traveling in three separate groups.

Accommodation

I needed to look for suitable accommodation in both Vietnam and Cambodia, and what I did was to look into the Internet. After looking at the details of several budget hotels and guesthouses in Phnom Penh, I conferred with Hillary and decided that at US$15 per night, Asia Hotel (http://www.cambodia-phnompenh-asiahotel.com/) would be most suitable. So I made a booking with the hotel for a few rooms via email. I have to commend Asia Hotel for their service; both the general manager and the assistant manager replied me very promptly.

As I had been to Vietnam before, I thought that the best place to stay would be Pham Ngu Lao street (http://www.saigonnet.vn/english/travel/backpackers/), an area with many budget hotels and frequented by backpackers. I have a care group member named Bradley Quek whose father works in Ho Chi Minh City. Bradley told his father about our brief stay in Vietnam, and about the area we intended to stay. Mr Quek felt that Pham Ngu Lao wasn’t a very safe area, so he booked rooms for us at Bong Sen Annex Hotel (http://www.channels.nl/71017b.html) and even paid the bill for us! That was God’s provision from a non-Christian! An even more exciting piece of news was that Mr Quek came back to Singapore to settle some business matters on 2 September, and was scheduled to fly back to Ho Chi Minh City on 4 September. He would be on the same flight as the four members of our mission team who were going on the same day!

Visas

Malaysian citizens do not require visas when they enter Cambodia, but Singapore citizens do. Having seven Singaporean team members meant that I had to apply for seven Cambodian tourist visas at S$38 each. It is possible to get Cambodian visas at the border checkpoints, but I was reluctant to do so because I knew that corruption was rampant.

When it comes to visas, the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Singapore has a very peculiar system that is deliberately designed to be inflexible in order to maximize extra income. Monday to Friday mornings from 10am to 12 noon are strictly for the submission of visa applications; collections can only be done in the afternoon from 2 to 4pm. But that’s not all. They also provide “express service” where you can collect your visa within five minutes, but at an additional cost of S$5 per person. They even have this information printed out and stuck on their notice board in full view of all visa applicants! Anybody who could not adhere to the strict timetable would have to either pay for express service, or go through the inconvenience of coming again at the “right” time. Since most people in Singapore cannot afford to be inconvenienced in terms of their time, and also cannot tolerate inefficiency, they are willing to pay for “express service”.

I collected each person’s passport, visa application forms, passport-sized photos, and visa fee, and then proceeded to the Cambodian Embassy at Gateway East on the morning of 23 August. The visas were due for collection on the afternoon of 25 August. When I came to collect the visas, it was 3pm. There were a few people waiting at the reception area of the embassy; they had been there since 2pm. Meanwhile, the poor receptionist was more than apologetic. She explained that Mr Vorng Ky, the person in charge of doing the visas, had the key to the drawer where the passports were kept, but he was nowhere in sight since lunch time, which started at 12 noon. “Maybe he is having a 3-hour siesta like what people do in Cambodia” I thought to myself. When Mr Vorng Ky finally arrived, one man was fuming at him, but Mr Vorng Ky simply said that he did not know that he would be “held up by certain matters”. Perhaps this is cultural, but Singaporeans who are used to efficiency find it hard to swallow. The lesson that I was reminded of was that in Cambodia and surrounding nations, getting angry brings you nowhere, but causes embarrassment for everybody.

Preparing my Heart

One night, Hillary asked me whether or not I thought that I had pride in my knowledge of Cambodia and the Khmer language. I replied very generally that pride is everybody’s problem, and that we will still not be rid of it by the time we die. Still, for some inexplicable reason, her question made me feel uncomfortable. From experience, I knew that she asked questions like this, it was something that she felt strongly about. So I asked her to tell me very honestly whether or not I had pride. She said that she felt I had, and that it would affect my heart for the trip. So I decided to repent of pride there and then.

Preparing the Team

Whereas most of the communication with the team prior to the trip was done through email and text messaging, I did arrange a few sessions to brief the team about the trip, their objectives, and the rules and regulations we were to observe:

General:

- We are representatives of Christ, representatives of Hope Church and representatives of Singapore (Matthew 5:13-16). Therefore, we are to do our utmost to uphold the name and honour of the various parties that we represent. We are to conduct ourselves in terms of thoughts, attitudes, speech and actions in such a way as not to bring dishonour to these various parties.

- God created all mankind in His image (Genesis 1:27), and He loved them enough to send Jesus to die for them (John 3:16). We are to therefore treat the people whom we come into contact with in Vietnam and Cambodia with the greatest honour and respect, regardless of race, religion or nationality. We are to do our best not to cause any offence to them, but respect and appreciate their culture, even though it may be very different from what we are used to.

- As a mission team, we are one temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16). Therefore, we are to respect the sacredness of this temple, no matter how imperfect the members may be. We are to do our utmost to uphold the unity of the team. Anything that causes fragmentation within the team constitutes an attack against the sacred temple of God.

- As lifelong learners, we want to learn as much as possible about the things that we experience in Vietnam and Cambodia, including the culture, people, and fellow servants of Christ (Psalm 119:73).

Things that team members are encouraged to do:

- Maintain unity within the team.

- Be quick to apologise and to forgive.

- Be submissive to authority.

- Maintain a strong personal relationship with God.

Things that team members are not to do:

- Complain.

- Make negative comparisons.

- Look down on people.

- Bear grudges and be unforgiving.

- Have an independent spirit and deviate from group consensus.

- Give people a hard time.

The Pre-Trip Stage

3 September

The Journey to Ho Chi Minh City

Hillary and I were rushing throughout the morning as we made our last-minute preparations. As we were slightly behind schedule in our preparation and packing, and it was raining heavily, we decided to catch a taxi to the airport, and we arrived within thirty minutes. Check-in wasn’t a big problem, and our little backpacks did not contain much, thanks to our numerous experiences on mission trips.

Our flight was delayed for half-an-hour because it arrived late. Since we still had some time, we shopped for a present to give to Mr Quek on behalf of the mission team. The salesperson helped us to select a pen for him, and she even gift-wrapped it for us. At the departure lounge, we spent some time surfing the Internet for free, and I gave some instructions to the other team members via Internet text messaging.

The flight itself was uneventful, and the food was nothing out of the ordinary. The flight attendants spoke to me in Vietnamese; they assumed that I was Vietnamese! Upon approaching the coast of Southern Vietnam, I looked out of the window and saw a huge maze of rivers and streams; it was the fertile Mekong Delta. Shortly after, we approached Ho Chi Minh City. The houses were narrow and tall, and they looked like toy houses from the air. Touchdown was smooth, and we saw military bunkers at the airport compound; they were used by the Vietnamese Air Force to store their helicopters.

It was a good thing that we were seated near the front of the plane because that made disembarkation easier. Although we disembarked quickly, we still had to line up in order to pass through the long and tedious immigration process. Then we cleared customs and exchanged some money for Dong. A transport company had set up a booth at the airport, and it was located just next to the money changer. We decided to use their service, and paid them up front for a taxi to Bong Sen Annex Hotel. After reaching the hotel, we were amused that the taxi driver said “Arigato” to us, assuming that we were Japanese tourists. The hotel reception needed verification that we had indeed been assigned rooms under Mr Quek’s name. So they asked for our passports, air tickets, and immigration forms. Only then did they check us in and let us have a room.

Preparation Work

Once in the room, my mind started racing once again as I thought about the preparation work that we needed to do. I wanted to find out how I could get a pre-paid phone card for my mobile phone, suitable places to shop (mainly for the team members arriving on 4 September) and how to get to Phnom Penh. I went down to the reception to make my inquiries. Pre-paid phone cards can be obtained from the post office, which closes at 9pm, the shopping area was further down the street, and the bus tickets to Phnom Penh can be bought at the hotel reception for $7 per person. After discussing with Hillary, I decided that it was not worthwhile getting a pre-paid card for such a short stay, and that we should explore other options for transport to Phnom Penh.

Using the room phone, I tried calling Spenser, a friend of some our members in the Vietnam missions team, but his phone was always engaged. So we could not arrange a dinner appointment with him. We instead decided to go on our own to a vegetarian restaurant at Pham Ngu Lao street. We had frequented this restaurant during our first visit to Vietnam in 1999, and the owner was very nice. However, the restaurant was no longer there when we arrived. It may have relocated or closed down, so we had dinner at another restaurant instead. Then we went to a travel agency nearby and made inquiries about transportation to Phnom Penh. The counter staff told us that we could either travel by bus with other travelers, or arrange for a private minivan at US$65. At that point in time, I should have asked about whether the minivan would bring us all the way to Phnom Penh, or only to the border, but I did not think of this important question.

A Free Concert

Since we didn’t want to spend money on transport, we decided to walk back to the hotel. We soon passed by a large stage set up at a park, with people doing microphone testing. We remembered that the day before was Vietnam’s national day, so this would probably be a concert. A large crowd of people sat on the floor, and since Hillary liked watching music concerts, I obliged and we sat down with the people. I noticed that most of the people took off their shoes and sat on them, and I also did the same. A female singer came on stage and sang a few modern Vietnamese pop songs. Then another came and sang some more songs. I felt that the second singer had a better voice. Since we were getting tired, we got up and left after listening to about five songs.

In the dark, we were not so certain about the way back to the hotel, and we did not bring any map with us either. I sensed that we were nearing the hotel, but still felt uncertain because all the roads and buildings looked the same. Finally, we reached Hai Ba Trung street and the hotel. Thank God for His protection and that we were not lost at night in an unfamiliar city.

4 September

Attending Church

At the hotel, we had a sumptuous buffet breakfast, and we particularly enjoyed the fresh, natural and unsweetened papaya, pineapple and tomato juices.

It was Sunday, and the other team members would have been able to attend the 9am service in Singapore. But it was a different story for Hillary and I, since we arrived the day before. We though of attending a church service in Ho Chi Minh City, so we looked up a telephone directory for the addresses of churches. I copied down an address and showed it to a taxi driver. He tried to find the place with much difficulty. When we finally got off, we couldn’t find any church. But there was a Roman Catholic church, so we went there to take a look. The sanctuary was filled with school-age children sitting on the pews, with a priest teaching them in an interactive manner. It was a traditional mass, and the adults were all waiting outside. We didn’t understand what was being spoken, or the significance of the rituals. But we decided that since God’s people were gathering in His name, there was value in remaining. So we remained until the end of the mass, and then took a taxi back to the hotel. It was a good thing that we attended the City Harvest Friday night service back in Singapore because that gave us a chance to be involved in corporate worship for the week.

Purchasing the Bus Tickets

Hillary wanted to stay in the room to catch up on sleep while I, being the more adventurous one, decided to buy tickets for the bus to Phnom Penh. When I inquired at the reception, the female receptionist (different person from the one whom I spoke to the day before), told me that I had to go to Sinh Café (http://www.sinhcafevn.com/AboutUs.asp) to buy the tickets. I noticed that what she told me was different from what the previous day’s receptionist told me. But I did not want to dispute with her because I could see from her body language that she did not seem to like talking to me, even though I had asked very nicely. Still, I thought that since the hotel had recommended Sinh Café to me, the transport that it provides to Cambodia should be smooth, economical and reliable. I tried calling Sinh Café, but could not really understand the lady who answered the phone, although she spoke in English.

Feeling frustrated at the way the receptionist treated me and at not being able to understand the staff at Sinh Cafe, I decided to go to go there myself. I had originally decided to walk there, but after walking a few blocks, I changed my mind when I saw a cyclo driver at the side of the road. I showed him the address and he agreed to bring me there. The big mistake was that I didn’t ask about the price beforehand and simply assumed that he would charge cheaper than the taxis. Along the way, it started to pour, and the cyclo driver pulled the hood of the cyclo over me. He also used his raincoat to cover my legs so that they would not be wetted by the rain. This gesture of kindness really touched me, especially when he had no covering against the soaking rain. We stopped at Sinh Café and the cyclo driver said that he would bring me back to the hotel after I’m done.

Being physically present at Sinh Café made the communication much easier because I could now communicate not only through words, but also through writing and through the use of hand gestures. I made the necessary arrangements and paid the bus fare. Then I realized that maybe I had not made such a good choice after all – The lady told me that the journey to Phnom Penh would take eight hours, and that all the passengers needed to transfer to another bus at the border, and this bus would bring us to Capitol Guesthouse (http://www.bigpond.com.kh/users/capitol/) in Phnom Penh. My heart sank when I hear the words “Capitol Guesthouse”. I remembered reading in an Internet article about a tourist complaining about the transport provided by Capitol Guesthouse, calling it “The bus from hell” because it took an extremely long time to travel and went into every pothole on the road (http://www.pattayacity.com/pattaya/news-1.html). But it was now too late to regret because I had already paid. With a heavy heart, I returned to the cyclo, and the driver brought me back to Bong Sen Annex Hotel, charging me US$6. For being so nice to me, I didn’t have any qualms about paying him that amount. But I learnt from that experience that it is always better to travel by metered taxi.

Hillary met me at the hotel lobby; she was worried for me because of the rain. We had lunch next door at a Vietnamese traditional noodle restaurant, where I poured out my regrets about booking a trip on “the bus from hell” and she comforted me. I thank God for giving me such a caring wife!

Meeting the Team at the Airport

It was about the time that the flight for the four other team members and Mr Quek arrived, and we took a taxi to the airport. I gave Mr Quek a call from the airport’s telephone service and spoke to him briefly. He told me that he had just disembarked from the plane and that he had met the other four team members. I met Mr Quek first, and he arranged dinner with us at 7pm. He would come to our hotel lobby to meet with us.

After a very long wait, the rest of the team arrived. We found a large taxi that could fit in six people, and all of us went in and back to the hotel. Checking in was a long process as we had to explain that they were registered under Mr Quek’s name, and the hotel staff wanted to check their air tickets, passports and immigration papers. After settling in our rooms, I gave the team a briefing and we prayed. Then we went down to the lobby to meet Mr Quek.

Dinner with Mr Quek

Mr Quek met us at the hotel lobby slightly after 7pm, and with him was a Singaporean friend named Henry, who was also working in Ho Chi Minh City. They brought us to Rex Hotel, where we enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese dinner and cultural show. Through the dinner, it was very obvious to us that Mr Quek wasn’t really enjoying his stay in Vietnam. He had been in the hotel line in Vietnam since 1992, and felt that it was like a prison. He also told us that he does not enjoy Vietnamese food, and that he can’t speak any Vietnamese. Whenever he had a chance to go back in Singapore, he would go, no matter how short the time was. And once he was back in Singapore, he would enjoy the Singapore food and even bring some back to Vietnam. It was interesting listening to his experiences. On the other hand, I sensed that he was happy that his son Bradley had church friends in Singapore who were a positive influence on him. Perhaps the paid accommodation and the dinner treat were his expressions of appreciation. Mr Quek also gave us the contact number of his friend in Cambodia, who would be able to help us arrange for the fastest land transportation back to Vietnam on our return journey. On the whole, we were greatly blessed by our time with Mr Quek, and especially by his generosity and hospitality.

The Actual Trip

5 September

Journey to the Border

We had devotion and breakfast at the hotel, then we checked out. We were concerned that the hotel would make us pay for our stay, even when Mr Quek had already paid for us. But they verified that he had indeed paid for us, and we only needed to pay for telephone and Internet charges. The hotel staff helped us to call for a large taxi, and we set off for Sinh Café. Once there, our travel documents and tickets were checked, then we were bundled into a large car and transported to a bus in another part of the city. This bus had more passengers, mainly foreign tourists, who were also going to Cambodia. The bus traveled through the city and soon hit the national road leading to the border. The journey was smooth and within two hours, we reached the border checkpoint at Moc Bai. Once the bus stopped, I saw some people unloading the luggage from the luggage compartment of the bus and placing them into a handcart. Touts also flocked to the passengers, asking whether they could help in things like changing currency, helping to obtain visas, helping to get passports stamped etc. I instructed the team not to pay any attention to the touts. Then we lines up for a long time to get our passports stamped and checked. As we walked towards the border, the people who transported our luggage demanded 5,000 dong per piece. We since learnt that we should transport our own luggage in order to avoid paying them. Immigration procedures took a long time at both sides of the border. At both the Vietnamese and Cambodian sides, I noticed that some people could cut queue in order to get their passports stamped. What they did was to place some cash into their passports, cut the queue and hand it to the immigration officer, who would quickly put the money aside and give them priority. Some people enlisted the help of touts, who would charge an amount for their service, and also give a portion to the immigration officers. People really have creative ways of earning extra money.

“The Bus from Hell”

After the immigration formalities were completed at the Cambodian side, we were herded to a bus from Capitol Guesthouse. This was “the bus from hell”, and it certainly felt like hell in the beginning. A Cambodian guide employed by Capitol Guesthouse stepped into the bus and collected everyone’s tickets. It was when he approached an Italian tourist that all hell broke loose. The tourist could not produce a ticket, and the guide told him that he would have to either pay US$4 to continue traveling on the bus, or get off and find alternative transport. This made the tourist angry, and he argued with the guide and also with a coffee shop tout who was also on the same bus. Finally, the tourist searched his bags and found his ticket, and this was when the coffee shop tout taunted him and the incident almost led to a fight. The guide intervened and things calmed down. Then he apologized to the tourist for the problem caused and explained that if the number of tickets collected does not tally with the number of passengers on the bus, then his boss would cut his salary. The mission team felt that the guide had handled matters professionally.

We reached a coffee shop, and the tour guide told everyone that it was a lunch stop. The tout got to work handing out menus to everyone, and it was obvious that he had made arrangements with Capitol Guesthouse to stop at his coffee shop for lunch everyday, and in return he would pay a commission to Capitol Guesthouse. Once in Cambodian soil, I felt very much at home because I could speak some Khmer. I ordered food on behalf of the mission team, speaking to the coffee shop assistants in Khmer.

After some more traveling, we reached the town of Neak Loeung, located at the banks of the Mekong River. There was no bridge, and the bus had to go into a ferry in order to get to the opposite bank to continue on its journey. As we waited under the sweltering heat for the ferry, many locals flocked to the bus. There were children, beggars, and vendors selling things like drinks, cooked prawns and pomelos. Whoever they were, the one thing that was on their mind was money for survival.

Asia Hotel

We finally reached Capitol Guesthouse in Phnom Penh at 5pm in the evening, after traveling for eight hours. It was a long journey, but at least there were no potholes. The mission team members were relieved. But we faced another problem – many motorcycle-taxi drivers were waiting for passengers at Capitol Guesthouse, and they were aggressively trying to get business. I knew that Asia Hotel provided free transport, so I called Peter Xing, the assistant manager, and asked for transport to the hotel. While waiting for the transport from Asia Hotel, having to face a mob of motorcycle-taxi drivers hungry for business was quite an unnerving experience for me. A 4-wheel drive finally arrived and brought us to Asia Hotel. There, we checked in and were shown our rooms at the third floor. The facilities were acceptable, but I soon discovered that the hotel also offered prostitution services under the guise of “massage”.

Dinner with Linda and Matthew

I called Linda from the hotel lobby and we fixed a time for dinner. She soon arrived with her 13-year old grandson Matthew, who had grown a little taller but otherwise still looked boyish. We walked quite a long distance along Monivong Boulevard in order to get to a restaurant. Halfway down the road, Wan Che felt tired, and Matthew accompanied her on a cyclo to the restaurant.

While Linda talked to Hillary and I about her involvement in humanitarian work in Cambodia, Matthew was entertaining the other team members. It seemed that they enjoyed playing with him. We noticed that the food came in small portions and that the chicken was very scrawny. I guess that the chicken was not injected with growth hormones. As a result, the chicken was bad for our tongues but good for our health. Two touts came into the restaurant to sell additional food to us. One sold cooked prawns and fried spiders, while the other sold pomelos. We bought a pomelo to substitute the meager portions. After dinner, we were too tired to walk back, so we took a tuk tuk back to the hotel. I knew that the team was tired after traveling for the whole day, so I allowed them to rest until 9am the next day.

6 September

A Relaxing Morning

I had announced to the team that devotion would be at 9am, but I was already up before that time, and doing my Bible study and journaling. Then Kar Leong woke up and we decided to do some exploration. We inquired about the laundry service, and brought some of our clothes down for washing. Then we crossed the road and I inquired about mobile phone service for foreigners. The procedures were too troublesome and expensive, and I felt that it was not worthwhile. Then I went to an internet café and checked my email for 20 minutes. It cost me only 800 riels. We went to Rosaline and Hillary’s room for devotion. Since Wan Che needed more sleep, we carried on without her. The passage that I selected for devotion was 2 Samuel 7, where David intended to build a house for God. Although he had good intentions in mind, God did not choose him to directly build the temple. Instead, his son Solomon build the temple while he supplied the raw material and gave Solomon the support. God promised to build a spiritual house for David, and this caused David to respond in worship. I learnt that I may have great plans for God, but He has even greater plans for me.

Kar Leong wanted to try the local fast food, so we went to Lucky Burger. The food was like most other fast food places, and I selected the cheapest items. Since the team wanted to shop, we went to Psar Thmei, the “New Market” as it is known to the Cambodians. We passed by a shop selling guitar strings at a cheaper price along the way, and Hillary and Kar Leong each bought a set. No matter how much bargaining we did at Psar Thmei, we knew that we were being overcharged. But the owner of the cloth shop was very nice to us, and he allowed each of us to have a free item after we made our purchases.

Lunch with Joko

When we got back to the hotel, I called Joko and he came and brought us to an Indonesian restaurant near his house at Toul Tompong. The restaurant served very nice food, and it was owned by an Indonesian missionary. Joko told us about how God had called him to Cambodia, and how his burden for the country gradually increased through the years. He also told us that we should not come with fixed methodology, otherwise we will be disappointed when things do not meet up to our expectations. We are to instead take time to observe first and be open to God’s plans. He identified disunity as the biggest problem plaguing Cambodia. Therefore, if Cambodia were to be won for the Lord, the Christians there have to be united instead of squabbling among themselves. He told us his vision of Christians from Cambodia spreading the gospel to the surrounding nations. He had a weekly prayer meeting at his house every Tuesday, in which Christians from different nations, churches and ministries would meet and pray.

An Impromptu Evangelistic Meeting

Joko told us about his ministry, and that there was still a non-believer staying in his house. He suggested that we run an evangelistic program that night, for the benefit of the people staying in his house. We thought that it was a good idea, so we went to his house and planned for the evangelistic meeting. Kar leong, Hillary and I were involved in a skit, while Wan Che and a Khmer guy named Krissnaq were involved in a song item. Joko helped us to contextualize the skit to the Khmer culture.

Soon, the guys staying at Joko’s house started returning home. A guy named Vuthy brought home with him two jovial, young and beautiful Khmer girls named Deena and Socheata. Although they were non-Christians, they enjoyed our friendship greatly. I found that the Khmer language and Khmer songs (which I like listening to) were two reasons why I could quickly establish rapport with these young Khmer people. Hillary and I introduced ourselves by our Khmer names: Bopha and Visoth respectively. I was gradually able to remember all the guys’ names: Sopheak, Sopheap, Krissnaq, Vuthy, Sothea, and Torn. I would get to meet Lam the next day.

I had to come up with an evangelistic message, and with much prayer, I managed to come up with a message that was simple and contextualized enough for the audience to understand. It was rewarding to see that everybody enjoyed the evangelistic meeting, although nobody received Christ that night. But the seed was planted and the fruit would soon come.

The International Prayer Meeting

By the time the evangelistic meeting ended, many foreigners started coming to Joko’s house. It was the weekly prayer meeting that was open to everybody who wanted to see God’s work done in Cambodia. The leader, Bruce, spoke about the Israelites mourning the loss of the ark, which represented the presence of God. God would only intervene when people value His presence enough to mourn for its loss. Then he asked representatives from every nation to pray for their own nation. Finally, we ended by praying for Cambodia. I was glad to meet Jimmy at the prayer meeting, and we spent some time catching up with each other.

Joko’s Suggestion

When Wan Che asked Joko whether there was any specific area in which we could help out in his ministry, he said that the guys needed to be taught on Spirit Baptism, and he arranged for us to come to his house to teach about it the next day.

The Journey back and the Evaluation

Joko managed to hire a motorcycle taxi to transport some of the team members back to the hotel, while he got some of the guys from his house to transport the others back on their motorcycles. Hillary and I were being transported back on Vuthy’s motorcycle. Rosaline traveled on Krissnaq’s motorcycle, but they arrived later because the motorcycle had some problems. While waiting for them, we heard a loud bang. It was a traffic accident that occurred at night. Vuthy said that he saw a motorcycle turning in one direction and a car turning in the opposite direction, and they collided. Many people ran to the scene of the accident. Perhaps they wanted to help the injured.

When everyone arrived, they were hungry and wanted to have supper because they had not eaten dinner. I was too stressed to think about eating, but still followed along and we had evaluation over supper.

7 September

Breakfast at the Hotel

After devotion, we decided to take a look to see whether the hotel’s restaurant really provided free breakfast. Kar Leong had pointed out to me the day before that breakfast was free for hotel guests. We seated ourselves at a table and I pointed out the “free breakfast” page of the menu to the waitress. She said that I had to collect the breakfast coupons from the reception. We collected our coupons from the counter and had our free breakfast. I was wondering why the receptionists did not automatically hand us the coupons on a daily basis, but instead waited until we asked. It is so unlike the practice of other hotels.

As we went back to our rooms, we saw the cleaners at work replacing the bed sheets and pillow cases. It was interesting to see them using the pulley system to bring the items up and down the different levels.

Picking up our Remaining Team Members

I knew that Esther and Teong Hoo would be arriving direct from Singapore today, and I also knew their time of arrival. While Hillary and I went to fetch them, the other team members did some shopping at Psar Thmei. We asked the hotel reception about airport transfer, and the assistant manager quoted me US$6 for two-way transfer, which I thought was too steep. Instead, we hopped on a motorcycle taxi, which brought us to the airport for US$1.50. Esther and Teong Hoo had arrived earlier than I expected, and had been waiting for us for an hour already. We got on a taxi, and the driver quoted me US$7. When I objected, he said that it was a fixed price from the airport. We went back to the hotel, where the assistant manager was telling me that I should have taken the hotel transport. If I hadn’t been ignorant of the fixed cost of taxis from the airport, I would not have had to pay so much. We checked Esther and Teong Hoo into the hotel, and did some internal swapping of room mates.

Toul Sleng Museum of Genocide (http://www.dccam.org/Archives/)

In Singapore, I had already told the team members that Toul Sleng Museum was a must-see for everyone in order to understand the Cambodia’s tragic recent past. Now, we would see the museum for ourselves. Entrance fee was US$2 per person. For this visit, I acted as the tour guide, bringing the team around the museum compound. It was my third visit to Toul Sleng, but the first visit for most of the other team members. Photos of the victims were displayed all over the museum. Some of them were photographed alive, while others were photographed dead. Also on display were the torture instruments and paintings of the atrocities that took place there. It was a gruesome sight, and Rosaline felt like vomiting. So she stayed outside else while the others continued touring the premises.

Toul Tompong

We had a lunch appointment with pastor Jimmy of Victory Family Centre, and needed to buy some food before going to his house. So we traveled on two tuk tuks from Toul Sleng to Toul Tompong market, where Kar Leong and I looked for newly cooked food, which would be more hygienic. We bought some fruits, Cambodian satay, and a kind of dough cake filled with spring onions. The others shopped around Toul Tompong.

When it was time to go, some people were busy shopping and haggling over prices. Beggars were also coming to us, making me feel especially uncomfortable. There was a hideous-looking man who was particularly persistent in begging for money. In place of one of his eyes was skin, and it looked as if he had suffered from an acid or chemical attack. With difficulty, we got the group going. It was difficult to know the direction to pastor Jimmy’s house, and motorcycle taxi drivers were offering their services, which I felt was unnecessary for such a short distance. Thank God that a French Christian worker whom I met during the previous night’s prayer meeting pointed me in the right direction. We found the street, but it was difficult to find the house because the houses were not numbered sequentially. It was only after I called pastor Jimmy that he came out of his house to meet us.

Lunch with pastor Jimmy

Pastor Jimmy was my classmate in Bible school, and is now pastoring Victory Family Centre in Phnom Penh. He had taken over from James (my other classmate) since May 2005. His house was similar to Joko’s house, and it doubled up as a tuition centre and a church. He had cooked some food for lunch, and Kar Leong helped him to cook some more food.

Pastor Jimmy explained to us that the young leaders of the church gave tuition during the weekdays as a means to attract people to the church. He had also slotted in Bible classes in between the tuition classes, and was surprised that people were still interested in attending. We were encouraged to hear that ever since he took over the church, it had grown from 15 to 40. He felt that Cambodia was very suitable ground for church planting because the people were open to the gospel, it was easy to get an entry vehicle, and there was no persecution from the government. That was the reason why he chose Cambodia over Cyprus. The older generation of Cambodia had gone through the Khmer Rouge regime and as a result, they cannot trust people easily. But the younger generation is open and eager to learn, that is why the key to reaching Cambodia is to reach the younger generation with the gospel. We also noticed that unlike the situation in Singapore, guys dominated the churches in Cambodia. In fact, all the leaders of VFC Cambodia were guys, and they were very good looking. Maybe sisters from Singapore who are looking for a life partner can consider looking for one in Cambodia. We ended our time by praying for pastor Jimmy and his ministry.

Going to the Slums

We had an hour before the guys in Joko’s house were due to return home. Joko came to pastor Jimmy’s house and brought us to slum area so that we could see for ourselves the living conditions of the urban poor in Cambodia. This slum area is located near the Tonle Sap and Bassac Rivers, and is smaller compared to the famous “garbage mountain” at Stoeng Meanchey (http://www.pbase.com/maciekda/stungmeanchey2005), which Esther and Teong Hoo visited on 9 September. Joko told me that the government wanted this piece of prime land for development, and had been trying to get the people to move out. A few years ago, a big fire destroyed many homes there (http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-fires.htm). That part of the slum is now a piece of vacant land awaiting development, but another part of the slums still remain. It consists of dilapidated buildings which people settle in, and very muddy, dirty and flooded streets. The people there were involved in gambling, prostitution and drugs, and they had been feeling a sense of hopelessness.

Some people had been ministering among the slum dwellers, among them was an Indonesian girl whom we met the day before. She told us that the children were quite badly behaved when she taught them, but after starting off in worship, they behaved better. In fact, when we walked through the slum area, the children greeted us politely. Joko introduced us to a woman who was the main contact person when they carried out their slum ministry.

Spirit Baptism

We returned to Joko’s house so that we could teach the guys on Spirit baptism. Joko had to leave for a meeting, and left us to run the teaching session. We started off with a very funny game, and Wan Che felt that we should worship before starting on the teaching. But I felt that since the guys are not Spirit baptized, they would not really appreciate deep worship. In fact, they did not understand the songs that she was playing and singing. So we instead sang a very simple Khmer song “Thank you Jesus in my heart”, had a short time of sharing, and then proceeded on to the teaching. We met Lam for the first time, and he was a very shy guy. We also had a Christian visitor named Reaksa, who decided to stay the night in the house. Sothea was also present, and being a non-Christian, he would not be able to understand or appreciate what I was teaching. Wan Che got Teong Hoo’s help, and they led him to another room, where they shared the gospel with him.

Having been trained in a Bible school that emphasizes heavily on teachings about the Holy Spirit, I knew the facts from my mind and could easily teach a lesson without reference to any notes (which I didn’t bring along with me anyway). But, the challenge for me was to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to do as He directed. I taught the facts in a manner that was understandable to the guys, but I still sensed that they understood only intellectually rather than in the heart and in their spirit. Some of them also had misunderstandings about the necessity of speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit then directed me into more teaching on initial evidence, vision casting, and making the teaching more interactive. I asked each of them which province they came from, and whether or not they were keen to be used by God to spread His word to their province. This made them excited and eager to receive Spirit baptism. As we prayed for them, nothing seemed to happen. Then Rosaline sensed that disunity could be hindering the move of the Holy Spirit. I referred the guys to Psalm 133 and explained that God cannot bless us when there is no unity. Rosaline directed them to join hands and kneel down before God. We then prayed for them to receive Spirit baptism. Torn and Sopheap received it, then we asked them to help in praying for those who had not yet received it. Soon, Sopheak also received it. I was spending a long time praying for Reaksa and teaching him at the same time, but without any visible results. Just when I thought of giving up, he also spoke in tongues and cried. He told me that it was such a relief being able to surrender his problems to God. God gave me a word regarding Cambodia. In the past, the Khmer empire was very large and powerful, occupying much of Northeastern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. But it soon shrunk in size due to internal disunity. God wants to do a work in Cambodia to make it great again. But this time, it will be spiritual greatness. Through Khmer Christians, the neighbouring nations would be blessed. And it all starts with unity among the Cambodian Christians.

After a while, Wan Che joined us, along with Teong Hoo and Sothea. They had good news too – Sothea had received Christ! I could see the way everybody in the team found a role to perform and carried it out well. That was a great encouragement to me.

Joko came home and was happy to hear about what happened. He invited us back again for the next night and told us that the guys would be cooking dinner for us. Transportation back to the hotel was arranged for us, and we evaluated the day’s events over supper at another restaurant.

8 September

A Very Early Morning Program

I knew that Linda would be bringing us to Takeo province today, but we had not fixed the time. I told the team that devotion would be at 7am. Before they met together in the room, I gave Linda a call and she told me that she was on the way to the hotel, and we would also be having breakfast along the way. I was shocked because it meant that we would have to change our plans. I quickly informed the team that devotion would be on the bus and that Linda would be arranging breakfast for us along the way. We were bundled into the minibus that Linda had hired, and dropped by to pick up Matthew with his guitar.

We dropped by at a rice mill while Linda went to buy some baguettes for breakfast. Linda joined us later and told us that the rice was to be distributed to the flood victims both in Phnom Penh as well as in Takeo. Devotion was held in the bus, with Teong Hoo leading.

Today, we would have a feel of rural Cambodia and the humanitarian work that is going on there. Along the way, the rural scenery was very beautiful. We passed by emerald colored rice fields dotted with sugar palm trees, wooden houses, water buffalos, pigs, chickens and ducks. We also saw farmers planting rice. Jiebing was taking photos of the rural life.

The Takeo Eye Hospital

The bus stopped at the Takeo eye hospital, and the chief nurse Cheam brought us around. We also met with Sok Chanmol, a trainer for English teachers, and she would join us for the day.

Many people throughout Cambodia would come to this hospital for treatment of eye problems at a low price. It was funded partly by the government and partly by an NGO. The facilities were basic, but adequate and hygienic enough. Matthew had been to this hospital many times, and he spent most of the time catching dragonflies or playing with Wan Che and Esther.

The Village

We stopped at a village, and Linda told us that we would be visiting an old woman who had been injured the week before. At 86 years of age, she had been trying to repair the leaking roof of her house when she fell and broke her ribs. She also hurt her back and was confined to the bed. She also had problems going to the toilet. To make things worse, her house collapsed, but the villagers helped her to build a shelter.

When we came, many villagers, especially the children, gathered around to look at us; they were curious. We visited the old woman and asked her about her condition and people supporting her. Linda told us that aid would only be given to people who had no way of supporting themselves. This meant that if a person owned a motorcycle, water buffalo, or a pig, or had relatives, aid would not be given. Wan Che felt led to pray for the old woman’s healing, and for her to receive Christ into her life. As she prayed, Chanmol translated, even though she was a non-Christian. Meanwhile, we saw Esther holding a child’s hand. The children seemed to like her, and they followed her around. Before we left the village, the girls bought sweets and distributed them to the children. We then had lunch at a roadside coffee shop, and then set off for our next destination.

Partners in Compassion: Wat Opot Project (http://www.synchronicity.bm/projects/detail.php?pn=partners)

Many people in Cambodia have AIDS, and Linda has a burden to work among these people. Next, we went to an AIDS hospice run by Theresa Hudler (http://66.117.48.40/missions/missionaries/hudler_theresa.html), Linda’s American missionary friend. Wat Opot was set up as a hospice for people with AIDS so that they could be cared for, and in turn help to care for others before they die. It is a joint project between Christians and Buddhists, as the help of monks is sought to educate people on AIDS.

Theresa first brought us to the crematorium, where she explained to us that prostitution is not the only reason why people get AIDS. Some women get it because their husbands, who had been having sex with prostitutes, pass it to them. Some have been raped by people with AIDS, some children get it from their parents once they are born, and some get it through blood transfusion, or from contaminated needles when they go to traditional Khmer witch doctors for medical treatment.

This centre houses not only people with AIDS, but also orphans and homeless people who are rejected by their families and by society. Theresa has been relying on external funding, but aims to make the place self-sufficient by teaching the people to be involved in agricultural activities so that they could support themselves. We were glad to be able to meet Theresa because she is one person who really demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit in her life.

Matthew’s Prospects of Studying in Singapore

We returned to our hotel in Phnom Penh, and along the way Linda went to the money changer to get some Singapore dollars. She explained that it was Matthew’s application fees for the certification test at the Academy of Principals in Singapore (http://www.academyofprincipals.edu.sg/). This test would determine how qualified he was to study in a public school in Singapore. Linda had prayed through the matter and she felt that it would be best for Matthew to have an education in Singapore. When I return to Singapore, I would send the application form and enclose a cheque for the application fees. Before we parted ways with Linda, we prayed for her and gave her a love offering.

Arrangements to travel back to Ho Chi Minh City

I had to make arrangements to travel back to Ho Chi Minh City using the fastest possible means, especially since I did not want to travel on the bus from Capitol Guesthouse, which took too long. Referring to the contact number that Mr Quek gave me, I made a phone call to William Tay, who happened to be in Shenzhen when I called. I told him about my need for transport back to Ho Chi Minh City, and he referred me to another friend named Mr Teo, who worked at the bus station in Phnom Penh. I called Mr Teo, and he helped me to book six tickets for the 9am bus. I was thankful to God that the tickets could be booked so easily!

Dinner at Joko’s House

Linda helped us to call for a tuk tuk to Joko’s house. Although the tuk tuk driver took a long time to arrive, he finally came and transported all of us to the house. Along the way, he was not too sure of the direction. I had Torn’s name card with me, and I showed it to the driver, who stopped to call him. Soon, Vuthy and Sopheak arrived on a motorcycle to direct the way to the house. Then we saw Krissnaq on his motorcycle carrying a bag of ice that he had bought.

The cook was Sopheap, and he cooked a delicious dinner of fried fish and sour vegetable soup. We enjoyed the dinner greatly, and then had a great time of praise and worship, singing both English and Khmer songs. Joko joyfully told us that he had noticed the change in the guys after they were Spirit baptized. He was especially glad that Lam was more confident and joyful. Previously, he lacked self-confidence and was often unhappy. Joko prayed for wisdom, and God revealed to him that it was the right time to start a church, with the guys at his house as his congregation. Joko knew that he could not handle everything himself, so he challenged Krissnaq to be in charge of music and worship, and Krissnaq expressed the willingness to do so. We were glad that our humble efforts had encouraged Joko and also contributed to a church being planted in Cambodia.

After returning to the hotel, we evaluated and prepared our hearts to leave Cambodia the next day.

The Post-Trip Stage

9 September

Phnom Penh Bus Station

Due to our tight schedule in the morning, we had to move fast, so we checked out first and then had devotion over breakfast at the hotel. After that, we walked to the bus station near to Psar Thmei. As we still had an hour to spare before departure, the rest of the team decided to go shopping (again) at Psar Thmei while I stayed behind to guard the bags.

As I sat at the bus station, Joko arrived on his motorcycle. He asked me to wait for him while he spoke to a group of people who were also at the bus station. He later introduced them to me. It was pastor Le Quang Son, a Vietnamese pastor and his delegation. Joko met them when he was on the same bus as them from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh earlier in the week. They were from a Nazarene church, and were in Phnom Penh for a conference.

We bade Joko farewell as the bus departed. Our other two team members, Esther and Teong Hoo, would be staying one more day in Phnom Penh before departing direct to Singapore the next day. Later on, Linda would bring them to tour the Royal Palace (http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/seasia/ppenh/rp01.html), the Stoeng Meanchey garbage mountain, and to her house for dinner.

The Fast Trip to Ho Chi Minh City

Unlike the earlier trip, the bus for this trip was larger, newer, more comfortable, and best of all, faster. It also went all the way from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City, and we did not need to change bus at the border. While on the bus, Kar Leong and I struck up a conversation with a young man from China. He told us that he was working in Cambodia because the pay is much better than in China. Now that his visa was expiring, he needed to renew it. So he was heading to the border to get a new visa, and then heading straight back to Phnom Penh again. Kar Leong inquired about business and employment opportunities in Cambodia, and also found the opportunity to share the gospel with him. He said that he heard the gospel before, but did not think that it was relevant to him.

At the Cambodian side of the border, the bus employees carried out the immigration procedures for us, saving us from having to go through the confusing process. Although our friend from China did not respond to the gospel, he commented on how joyful we were, and we knew that a seed had been planted.

As the bus traveled along the better roads of Vietnam, I struck up a conversation with pastor Le Quang Son. When I asked him about the state of Christianity in Vietnam, he said that the government restricted anything that would threaten its power, especially Christianity. He told me that the young people of Vietnam felt a sense of hopelessness, especially the non-Christians. The reason was because there was so much corruption and nepotism. There was no meritocracy, and the privileges often went to those who had connections, like the children of high officials, rather than to those who were deserving. He added that due to the emptiness that many Vietnamese felt inside, they turned increasingly to materialism. I had introduced myself as Bible school teacher, and also a Bible school student at the same time. Pastor Le commented that it was a great privilege to be able to go to Bible school and also to teach the Bible. He told me that in the whole of Vietnam, there are 83 million people, but the government permits only one Bible school to operate, and restricts the annual student intake to 50. It is just like being in a market with many thirsty people, and only one stall is allowed to sell one bottle of water. In the same way, the people of Vietnam are thirsting for the living water that only Jesus can give to them.

The bus came to a stop at Pham Ngu Lao street, and we disembarked. Pastor Le gave me his name card and we arranged for an appointment at night in his house.

The Search for Food and Accommodation

We arrived at Pham Ngu Lao street slightly before 3pm in the afternoon, and the team was hungry. We had to find a place to have late lunch and also a place to stay. We found a restaurant and settled down to order food, which turned out to be quite delicious. As I did not want to inconvenience Mr Quek, I called him and informed him of our intention to search for alternative accommodation. He was quite agreeable to that.

During our first visit to Vietnam in 1999, Hillary and I stayed in Le Le Hotel for around one week after we were robbed of our possessions. We liked the service, and the facilities were adequate. We thought of staying there again, but found the price too steep at US$20 per night. We were considering finding another hotel when the receptionist asked us to take a look at Le Le II hotel (also known as Vinh Guesthouse) located at De Tham street nearby. While the others waited at the lobby of Le Le Hotel, Hillary and I went to take a look at Le Le II. They had a big room that could house the four girls, and a smaller room that could house the two guys. All in all, both rooms would cost us US$25 for a night. We told the others about it and they liked the idea, so we checked into Le Le II. I called pastor Le to confirm our appointment, and also tried calling Spenser, but his phone was off. I tried calling his wife instead and informed her that I had tried unsuccessfully to call him. She explained that he had been very busy at work. Before hanging up, I informed her that the Vietnam mission team would be coming tomorrow on an SIA flight.

Ben Thanh Market

Knowing what the shopping addicts in our team wanted, I brought them to Ben Thanh Market, where they had an hour to shop. Ben Thanh Market looks cleaner, more modern and more commercialized compared to Psar Thmei. I shopped with Kar Leong, but we did not buy much. After we met together again, we took a taxi back to the hotel and waited for pastor Le.

Our Time with Pastor Le

Pastor Le arrived, and arranged for a large taxi to bring us to a coffee shop near his house at District 8, where we had dinner. We all had noodles, but with plenty of vegetables and internal organs. I must admit that I didn’t like eating internal organs, but still ate them anyway so as not to appear picky about food in front of our host. We also tried the canned birds nest drink.

After dinner, pastor Le hired some motorcycle taxis to bring us to his house. For some of the girls, it was their first experience riding on a motorcycle taxi. They were initially afraid, but enjoyed it.

Pastor Le’s house also doubled up as a church. He told us that his son was in national service while his daughter was married and had recently given birth to a child. His church was not licensed, and as a result, faced persecution from the government. The main hall looked like a cosy place for close fellowship. There, pastor Le shared about his conversion story, and also about the hard work he was doing for the Lord, and the persecution that he faced. During the 2003 South East Asian games in Vietnam, he helped to print and distribute evangelistic pamphlets. When the authorities found out about it, they arrested him and locked him in a police station for 24 hours. His church members discovered that he was missing, and they searched for him in all the police stations in the city. When they came to the police station where he was held, the policeman on duty simply said that he did not know where pastor Le was. Pastor Le told us that he had in fact been arrested, interrogated and locked up several times. He showed us his photographs too and said that he was happy to see young people who were enthusiastic for the Lord. Before leaving his house, we prayed for him.

End of Mission Trip Celebration

After returning to the hotel, I decided to have an end of mission trip celebration. We went to the fast food joint next to the hotel and had friend chicken drumsticks and ice cream, evaluating and enjoying ourselves.

10 September

Devotion, Breakfast, and a Rushed Check-Out

We had devotion in the morning, and I shared about the Holy Spirit’s divine leading as we do His work. Le Le II did not provide breakfast, so we went opposite to Kim’s Café for breakfast. While waiting for the food, the shopping addicts were out (again) to do some last-minute shopping. Meanwhile, I went to a nearby hotel to make some international calls to the Vietnam missions team using the internet phone. I could not get through to Joseph or Cara, but managed to speak to Thong Seng. I told him about pastor Le and gave him his contact number, thinking that he may be a useful contact in Vietnam.

As we were behind schedule and had to catch the flight at 10.35am, I was in a panicky mood, but still managed to be in control of things. While the girls were finishing up their food, Kar Leong and I went back to the hotel, brought down the luggage and checked out. I called Mr Quek and pastor Le to bid them farewell. Then the girls joined us.

Traffic jam, Last Minute Check-In and the flight back

We managed to catch a large taxi to bring us all to the airport. I thought that the journey would be fast but unfortunately, there was a traffic jam. We finally reached the airport and went to the check-in counter. Thank God that although we were late, we were still allowed to check in. A “last-minute passenger” sticker was pasted on each of us. At least we were not too late for the most critical stage.

The situation at the airport was confusing. We had to find out where to go in order to pay for our airport tax and also to clear customs. Jie Bing was almost not allowed into the departure lounge because her hand-carry backpack was big enough to be check-in luggage. She was only allowed in when we told the authorities that we were traveling as a group. Clearing immigration was also a painful slow process, with long lines forming at every available counter. The immigration officers were very stringent in their checking. Still, we all managed to clear immigration on time to catch the flight.

With no more aerobridges available, a bus transported us to the Vietnam Airlines plane parked at the far end of the tarmac. The doors closed soon after we entered the plane – talk about being last-minute! The flight back was smooth and uneventful, and all the while, I was reflecting on God’s faithfulness towards us.

Meeting the Vietnam Missions Team at Changi Airport

We touched down at 1.20pm Singapore time. I knew that our missions team to Vietnam would be departing today at around 3pm. So I called them using the free phone at the arrival lounge and successfully contacted Cara and Joseph. Hillary quickly rushed to Terminal 2 of the airport, and spoke to the Vietnam mission team and prayed for them to have a good and fruitful trip, just as we had.

Personal Reflection

What I Thank God for

(1) God’s grace and faithfulness upon us and also His divine appointments

(2) A very balanced trip, with ministry, compassion projects, fellowship, eating and shopping

(3) Team members clicked together quite well, mainly because all are from the same unit

(4) God used us to make an impact on the people whom we came across in Cambodia

Subsequent developments – I subsequently received an email from Linda, with good news that the old woman we prayed for in the village in Takeo province was healed, and that as a result of the miraculous healing, many people are turning to the Lord:

PP Wednesday 14 September

Visoth, thanks for everything and we're pleased to hear of your safe return.
Please could you let all those who visited us know about the following:

Dear Brothers and Sisters

You will remember the 'yiey' (grandmother) we visited in the village, the lady
who had fallen off her roof and had not been able to stand or sit up.  
You prayed for her, for healing for her back and broken ribs and for healing for
her problems with her digestive system, and Chan Mol translated for you about
the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Chan Mol visited the lady again on Monday morning
and she is up and walking around and her digestive problem is healed
(without any medication - Chan Mol was taking something to her for this problem).
Haleluja!  And the effect on the family, neighbours, and very much so on Chan Mol
has been amazing.  They have opened their hearts to Jesus and are letting Him in.
Chan Mol asked me especially to tell you!

Our love to you all.

Linda and Matt