Hey everyone! I’m sorry this is so late; life has been really really busy here lately. We are in our last week of ministry and are moving to Siem Reap on Tuesday. I’m trying to take everything in as we finish our last week here in Battambang. I have really grown to love the city and am both excited and sad to leave. I’ve also just been processing a lot of really challenging things that the Lord is walking me through right now. Hopefully I’ll be able to share more about that soon.
Here’s the answers to some of the questions that you all asked!
Biking to and from places in Battambang is kind of crazy. There is a mix of paved roads and dirt roads, depending on where you are going. They are definitely well traveled though because there are pot holes everywhere and you have to be careful to not go through too many of them because the bikes we ride are prone to breaking. Biking anywhere was extremely chaotic at first as we learned how to navigate the many cars and motos on the road and the fact that they often go in different directions. Traffic rules just don’t really exist here. Now we’re all a lot more skilled at navigating the chaos. It’s more like organized chaos now.
Weather is HOT AND HUMID. You’re pretty much constantly sweating. Thankfully we’ve had more clouds and rain and cooler weather the last few days which has been such a nice break. There is a river that runs through the city, but it has very dirty water in it. Cambodia burns their trash, but there is also a lot of trash on the roads. There are lots of coconut trees and other trees but we live in a city so it is mostly buildings and stores and that kind of thing. If you start to go out of Battambang there is a lot more vegetation and there is a lot of grass and such. It’s pretty swampy in most of the fields.
The main ingredient in food is probably rice. It is a staple in our meals. There are also a lot of noodles but since I eat gluten free, I eat rice pretty much for every meal. Our cooking team does a really good job of trying to give us more variety though and are really creative with what they make our squad! If you go to any restaurant, it is mostly rice or noodles for you to choose from.
They have similar stuff here in the sense that things look the same or are the same brands as at home. For example, they have Heinz Ketchup, but it tastes different to me (but that could also just be me). The debate on the squad is if the Oreos taste the same or not. The only store that I’ve seen that is the same as at home is a KFC but I don’t think anyone has been there. There are many different town areas. There’s the big market and the park strip that is across the river. Mostly things are happening down by the river since that is where the most stores are. There are a few western stores here that have things like Oreos. You can get pretty much anything that you would get at home here but it might look different, work a little differently or taste different. It all is a matter of opinion.
A lot of the Khmer people say they know who Jesus is if you ask them. They either believe in him because they know he was a good person who did good things and want to know him because they believe something about having good karma if they do. Others just say that they know him because they want to save face or get something like a meal if they go to church. Saving face is a huge thing in Cambodia. We have to be very careful when we interact with people because we never want to make them feel bad for not knowing something. Often times if you ask for directions, they won’t know where you are talking about but will tell you something anyway to save face. There are very few people here who actually know Jesus and pursue him daily. But the ones who do know him have remarkable testimonies to the work he has done in their lives and it is so inspiring and encouraging to see. It gives me hope when it feels like we are going against the very strong current of the Buddhist religion.
As far as differences and similarities go, there are many. The biggest difference for me is their view on life and having good and bad karma. Most people believe that the quality of their life is based on their good or bad deeds in past lives which is different from what most people believe in the States, I think. They have big celebrations for important life events that often last more than one day. Weddings and funerals take place in tents in the street and normally are going on for about 3 days. Music and announcements that sounds like really strange sounds are pretty much playing all the time. Day and night. I wake up at 4:30 every morning to hear the monks chanting. Cambodia is a country that struggles with jealousy. I was talking to our ministry host the other day and she was telling me about how her and her family wanted to give clothes to the street kids but were not allowed to because of jealousy of others. We are not even supposed to give money to beggars at the market because more and more will start to follow you and it can become a safety issue. I’m not sure that jealousy like that is unique to Cambodia though. I think we often struggle with jealousy or comparison in our own lives, or at least I know that I do. At first glance, I feel like I am on the opposite side of the world (which makes sense because I am) since everything around me looks so different that what I’m used to. Even just the sidewalks are different with tiles instead of cement. But one thing I have love is that I am constantly reminded that we are all people just living our lives. We are all seeking things. We are not that different at all. Especially when we get to go to church here, I am so encouraged to see people worshipping all together in different languages. We all worship the same God. We are all His people and we are all brothers and sisters, united in Him. That has been an absolutely incredible thing to experience, especially when I feel discouraged that I am not understood because of my beliefs and where I am coming from. But people across the world who have experienced things that no one should ever have to experience, stand next to me and worship the same God because they believe in His power and goodness just as I do.
Thanks for reading 🙂 I’ll try and get a post up about the hospital and our events at Ezra Library and Cafe after this week when we are finished with ministry.
Prayers would be appreciated as we finish our time here in Battambang and transition to living in a new city! I would also really love prayers for boldness as I am stepping out of fear and surrendering something I never thought I would have to.
-Elena 🙂
