Hey there! So we were in Cambodia for the past 5 days without internet access, with tons of stuff happening, so it's going to take a while to get everything out from the trip. Because of Cambodia's recent history, there was a lot of stuff that we saw that is heartbreaking- and I'm not quite sure how much to say on here. Anyway; we saw a lot; we thought a lot; and I think all three of us have a lot to say. A lot of questions. This is just my views, and what I saw; you can take it or leave it.
But first; Thailand! It is becoming top news on international news stations that Thailand is experiencing huge floods, and people are dying, and it is super dangerous here. Media, of course, exaggerates and/or misses stuff, so I just wanted to let you know what is happening, and what is really of concern. First of all; there are floods every year. Thailand has three seasons: Hot Season, Rainy Season, and Cold Season. Right now we are at the end of Rainy Season, moving into Cold Season. We get tons of rain, the ground gets saturated, and cannot hold anymore water; thus it builds up. The problem this year is that it is a lot of things occurring at once that is making it particularly bad. First, the rains were particularly heavy this year. Second, as the water rolls through the country, it is supposed to reach Bangkok in the next day or two. Third, the majority of Bangkok is below sea level, and sinking. In the next few days, the tides will be at their highest, which means the water has nowhere to go. The news is reporting that people are dying; this is true. Personally, we aren't in any danger. But the people surrounding us are. Clean water is going to run out, food is going to be hard to find, and diseases from the water are going to be the biggest problems immediately after the water recedes. Later on, mosquitoes are going to have many many many places to breed, and they can carry disease as well. So please pray for resources to help people, people to help people, and God's love to be present throughout this. And for news on the flooding, you can go to the Bangkok Post. It's in English, and is a very good source of information for Thailand. So yeah. Don't worry; just pray.
Okay; so Cambodia. Cambodia was difficult for me. It was difficult emotionally dealing with the extreme poverty. It was difficult physically. It was difficult mentally trying to absorb the amount of horror that could be done by humans. Unless you have been in a country as poor as this one, you can't possibly understand what it means. I thought people in Mexico were poor; but where we went, they were doing better than people in slums in Bangkok. That became the new "poverty" to me until we saw villages outside of Bangkok. But even that didn't compare to Cambodia. So emotionally, on that level, that was hard. Physically, which seems so petty after seeing how other people live, was hard too on some levels. Okay; spoiled American coming out right now. There was no air conditioning, and it was a little hotter there, so it was hard to stay hydrated and comfortable. There was no hot water for showers, and it took a couple of days to get used to the food. Mentally... oh boy. I think that the best way to do this is to just write one day at a time and kind of let the story develop like it did for me, one day at a time.
Tomorrow. Or later today. Bye :)
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