ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

AUGUST 16 - No nursery for children here.


This is what the young children do during worship.

SUNDAY MORNING AT KHNAR THMEI UMC

AUGUST 16 - Pastor Sem Sokha called everyone into the sanctuary at 8:30 a.m. to begin morning worship service.

Worship service leaders are all youth except for message/sermon, announcements, and benediction. These are led by Pastor Sokha.

Our Bible text for this service was I Corinthians 12...many gifts, one Spirit. I followed the Psalm and I Corinthians readings in the English translation of the Bible. Pastor Sokha preached on this theme. I can understand some...when I am not sure, I lean over and ask Mony "what?" Pastor begins behind the pulpit then moves away from it to make some important points. Because unfaithfulness between spouses is so common, Pastor Sokha often weaves this point into his message. In this case, he takes some time to talk about how important it is for each spouse to use his and her gifts for each other, too, to make a strong marriage and have a good relationship with each other.

Announcements included:

1. Pastor Sokha, his wife, son, daughter and Mr. Sok plan to visit women prisoners and will take milk, juice, cookies and personal hygiene items they bought for presents for the women prisoners. It has taken some time to get permission from the Kingdom of Cambodia Penal Ministry to have contact with the prisoners.

2. Pray for 4 youth from Khnar Thmei UMC who are going Mon-Wed, Aug 17-19, to training at UMC in Sisiphon Town, Banteay Meanchey Province adjacent to Siem Reap Province. Last year when they went to similar youth event for 3 days at UMC in Sisiphon Town, all their money and jewelry were stolen...later found out it was by the village chief (you can understand this as the mayor of Sisiphon Town).

3. Pray for Rev. Pirhum, a friend, colleague and good study/mission partner of Pastor Sokha,
who is going to teach in Koh Kong (province in southwest Cambodia on the coast and far away from Siem Reap).










Pray of thanksgiving over the offering.

TRAFFIC LAWS -- REALLY!

AUGUST 7 - I observed a new pattern in Siem Reap Town. Teams of police constituting check points located throughout Siem Reap Town...main streets and side streets. One morning, I glanced out my 3rd floor guest house window to see our drivers and hotel personnel standing at the street gesturing southward and talking. I looked around and could see a check point less than a block south of the guest house. I got out my camera and started taking pictures...through the glass.

Later I went downstairs...the check point still there...and folks were happy to tell me everything about this new enforcement of traffic law. Cambodia has a new law that all motorbike drivers must wear a helmet. Police are pulling over motorbikes when they don't see or to check if the driver is wearing a helmet, correct rear view mirrors are fixed and the import tax is paid/license plate. When a vehicle is brought into Cambodia, the buyer/owner must pay an import tax...only upon proof of payment can the buyer/owner register the vehicle and get a license plate. Cambodia is cracking down on enforcement of this now.

And for cars, buses and trucks, too. For the import tax and license plate and for wearing seat belts. Although usually police would not pull over a vehicle that had tourists in it. I think because they wisely thought that this kind of delay would be a nuisance for tourists and not be good for tourist business.

To overcome corruption and get good enforcement, police from Phnom Penh are stationed in Siem Reap Town to do enforcement...because they do not have family here and do not know the people, so they have nothing to lose when they enforce the traffic laws.

Several of the tuk tuk/motorbike drivers had appointments in the next several hours to pick up tourists. They did not want to get onto the public road with the police nearby because they did not pay the import tax, did not register the vehicle and did not have license plate.

Mony did not renew his car registration for 2009. I sent him over to the Department of Motor Vehicles to do this. He also did not have his car registered for business use--another fee. Instead his brother-in-law gave him the decal which Mony affixed to his right front windshield.

On the way to afternoon class at Khnar Thmei Village, we got pulled over. Mony could not show the policeman the receipt for purchase of the business use decal, and made excuse that he forgot to put the receipt in his car with other car papers but had it at home. After some negotiations, Mony paid 10500 riel ($2.50US) and the policeman let us go on.

Next day I sent Mony to the Department of Motor Vehicles again to buy his 2009 business use permit...get decal and receipt...put in car. So far after all this...Mony's car is legal now...we don't get stopped.

COTTON AND THREAD

AUGUST 2 - At Sunday morning worship during announcements time, I presented items which were given for Khnar Thmei Church.

To Mr. Sok, I presented Avira anti-virus on a flashdrive, Photoshop on a CD, and a surge protector for the computer our program provided 4 years ago which is at his house in Bos Kralanh Village for the use of our students in the village. Sam Pritchett had evaluated the computer in July and he bought these items for it.

To Pastor Sokha, I presented 2 large bags of first aid (bandaids, gauze pads, adhesive tape, scissors, rubbing alcohol, triple antibacterial ointment, cotton balls, tweezers, disposable latex gloves, Q-Tips, etc.) and personal hygiene items (bar soaps, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, body lotion, shampoo, hair conditioner). These precious items were donated primarily by the good folks of Brodhead United Methodist Church. Pastor Sokha distributed personal hygiene items to the folks immediately and will use the first aid supplies to replenish the church's supply which is available to anyone in Khnar Thmei Village who needs something.

To Chantrya, president of Khnar Thmei United Methodist Women, I presented thread and cotton fabric. Two years ago, Suzanne Woggon and Pat Lyon, began sewing training for the Khnar Thmei women. They and their friends have bought 2 treadle/electric sewing machines, provided cloth book for young child training, making a simple purse training, field trip to Siem Reap Town to look at cloth products being marketed, planning for making clothes for family members, uniforms for school children and items to sell. On and on we provide sewing supplies and training for the Khnar Thmei women.

Pat and Suzanne and their friends donated a large box of thread. Memorial United Methodist Women, Greenfield, provided 3 complete sets of all colors of thread plus 2 large boxes of cotton fabric of all colors and patterns. This gave Chantrya a good opportunity to talk about the sewing project. Then she called all the women forward to sing "Thank you, thank you, Teacher, from our hearts" in Khmer and English!

I reserved a small portion of the cotton fabric and thread donated by Memorial United Methodist Women and I gave them to the sewing teacher at Kessararam Primary School in Siem Reap Town. Children in grades three through six, boys and girls, have sewing class as part of their curriculum where they learn to stitch perfectly by hand.

ENGLISH CLASS @ KHNAR THMEI CHURCH

AUGUST 3 - English class resumed at Khnar Thmei Church today. The students asked if I could teach about job application letters. In my class are high school students and our two sponsored university students ready to begin second year on August 11. Our two sponsored students: Sangleen Kheav front row second from left and Tap Soda back row second from right.

I happily agreed thinking this was a very practical request. At this distance from my usual base of resources in Wisconsin, the internet is a great resource. I bring very few specific printed resources these days for teaching classes as there are some available in print in Siem Reap Town in the older and especially newer bookshops plus the internet is a vast resource on any topic...text and pictures.

While English class goes on inside Khnar Thmei Church, take a peek at the scene outside!

PRASAT PREAH VIHEAR - THE BEAUTY

AUGUST 1 - Preah Vihear Temple is a Khmer temple situated atop a cliff named Pey Tadi in the Dangkrek Mountains.

On June 15, 1962, the International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that the temple and surrounding land lay in Cambodia territory and that any antiquities such as sculptures that Thailand had removed from the temple must be returned. On July 7, 2008, the temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Preah Vihear Temple has the most spectacular setting of all the Khmer temples built in the 6-centuries-long Khmer empire. It is a key edifice of the empire's spiritual life. It is unusually constructed along a long north-south axis rather than the conventional rectangular plan with orientation toward the east.














Construction of the temple began in the early 9th century. It was added to from to time as evidenced by the variety of styles. But most of the temple was constructed during the reigns of Khmer kings Suryavarman I (1002-1050) and Suryavarman II (1113-1150).

Shortly after 1904 when the French colonials took an interest in IndoChine and in their attempt to demarcate the borders of their IndoChine territories, the French discovered Preah Vihear Temple and drew their map with the Cambodian border north of the temple.





The temple runs 2600 feet along a north-south axis consisting of a causeway and stone staircases leading up the hill towards the sanctuary which sits at the southern end of the complex 390 feet higher than the northern end. it is 1720 feet above the Cambodian plain and 2050 feet above sea level.

One of the masterpieces of Preah Vihear Temple is the large bas relief panel in stone depicting The Churning of the Ocean of Milk (pictured below), the Hindu creation myth and one of the most famous episodes in the Puranas. This same bas relief is also found at Angkor Wat.

HERE, EAT THIS

AUGUST 1 - We arrived Siem Reap Town from Preah Vihear temple about 6:00 p.m. I invited Mony, my driver, to dinner...his choice. That meant traditional Khmer food...which is what I'm eating daily anyway except for my morning yogurt with daily vitamins. Traditional Khmer food is based largely on sour or fermented fish, soup, vegetables, rice...except for the largest portion of the diet which is steamed rice for every meal.

Mony selected a sidewalk Khmer restaurant for carry out which we set up on one of the tables in the restaurant area of Siem Reap Riverside Guest House.

Steamed rice came out of one plastic bag and was piled onto our two plates. Meat with leaves (Khmer refer to as "vegetables")--contents of another plastic bag were dumped into a bowl. Small, small plastic bag gave up lemon sauce with red chilies. Another plastic bag emptied of fresh green papaya salad.

I picked up my chop sticks and began adding to the top of my steamed rice the one thing in the meat bag I could identify...chunks of pig intestines. Within a nanosecond Mony plopped other looking chunks on top of my steamed rice saying, "here, Deanna, take this, it's good; pig's nose, tongue and ears...it's good meat! Here, eat this!"

I did...all.

P.S. Passing on the pictures this time.

PREAH VIHEAR - THE TENSION

AUGUST 1 - There are tens of thousands of troops on the Thai-Cambodia border at Preah Vihear Temple--more Thai than Cambodian. At some points the Thai and Cambodian soldiers are face to face. My Cambodian friends tell me the Thai are better armed and outfitted than the Cambodian troops. This has been the situation since before UNESCO declared the temple a World Heritage Site more than a year ago as the Thais lobbied and demonstrated against the declaration that the temple belongs to Cambodia.

Fortunately talks between Thai and Cambodian diplomats and high officials continue. I tell my Khmer friends that as long as talks are going on, there is hope for a good result/agreement ultimately. Stop talks--bad sign.


Very few tourists today...about ten including me and my driver. All from the Cambodia side because the border crossing here is closed. Visitors from Cambodia side used to be able to walk across the border for a day into the Thai markets and visitors from the Thai side were able to walk across the border for the day into the temple and Cambodian markets.

Another difference is the thousands of soldiers--everywhere...on the temple, in the temple, around the temple, road up to the temple, along the border. There are foxholes with guns and rockets positioned towards Thailand.

On this day a delegation of high military officials and judges was inspecting the situation here. Soldiers stationed here and the visiting inspectors were all friendly. I was able to exchange greetings, short conversations and get pictures.

Did you see the soldier in camaflouge against the temple wall?

CMAC -- Cambodia Mine Action Center deminers are working to broaden the areas that are free of landmines and unexploded ordinances around the temple and along the border on the Cambodian side so the military can maneuver safely. CMAC is an organization of Khmer deminers -- trained by France and funded by France and Germany.

ON THE WAY TO PRASAT PREAH VIHEAR

JULY 31 - Tension is high on Cambodia's north border with Thailand at the site of the Khmer temple Prasat Preah Vihear. It's just a year ago July that the United Nations declared Prasat Preah Vihear a World Heritage Site, about 5 years after it ruled on the long-standing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia about whether the ancient temple belongs to Thailand or to Cambodia.

In fact, I hear more about this on the news here than about the Khmer Rouge trial due in part to Cambodia's national day of celebration of 1-year anniversary of the temple being declared a World Heritage Site. The UN setting the border about 6 years ago and declaring the temple a World Heritage Site a year ago means that Cambodia can list Prasat Preah Vihear on its country's list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Thailand cannot make this claim. Nevertheless the infrastructure in Thailand is very good, with a paved road to the Thai-Cambodia border for easy access to the temple.

I heard that the road to Preah Vihear is good now...yes, of course, to provide supply line to the Cambodian troops stationed there. I could not resist the chance to go to Prasat Preah Vihear, in my mind easily the most spectacular location of a large Khmer temple. I have been there 3 times before always on bad roads...a 2-day trip minimum.

By 2 pm I was on my way with water, munchies and overnight clothes. The road between Anlong Veng and Siem Reap is paved now with mile markers and road signs. Driving time about 2 hours on good road now instead of 5 hours on a terrible road. On the other hand, the road from Anlong Veng to Preah Vihear, while improved, is good only if not raining since it is not paved, but graded and sections are clay not yet with red topsoil. No rain, driving time is 2-1/2 hrs; driving time goes up as the road deteriorates with rain. And of course, there is construction equipment along this stretch with which we must share the road.

The village picture is the village at the foot of the Dangkrek Mountains that form the northern border of Cambodia with Thailand and Laos. Prasat Preah Vihear sits on the mountaintop.

It's 4-1/2 hours between Siem Reap Town and Preah Vihear now absent rain...a 1-day trip! Amazing.

I shot some pictures along the way. Enjoy!

KOK TA CHAN VILLAGE PIGS - KIDS' POWER

JULY 30 - The couple proudly led us to the pig pen where I saw 4 pigs. Typically we place 2 piglets to a pigpen, but one pigpen is not completed. Four beautiful pigs! It's mid day...hot. Mostly they are lying in the shade of the roof and rouse for a picture only when my sound and movement around them provokes them.

I ask about the health of the pigs, if they had any sickness or any or any problem to take care of. No problems...no sickness at all. They are fed and watered three times a day...and showered from time to time to cool them off. This is not hard because the pigpen is built at one side of the well for near access to the water.

We usually place 8 pigs each year, but this year 10 pigs have been sponsored. On April 19 I went to speak about the Cambodia Project to Brodhead UMC and was surprised by the amazing Sunday School children with a check for more than $350 and the story of their months of saving their money to buy a pig. What fun they had "building" pig after pig piece by piece as their money accumulated and anticipation mounted. I heard there were pigs on the walls everywhere to watch how the project was going and to help everyone remember the project. Their big and successful efforts buys 7 pigs!

7 precious pigs for 7 families...a life changing event for Khmer family. The family can raise the 2-3 month old piglet on rice hulls and vegetables for about 9 months, then sell at market for $600-$900 (depending on the market season). This gives the family enough money to buy a piglet or two more and money for food, medicine, school fees for children, clothes for family.

Thank you, amazing Brodhead UMC Sunday School, for your generous hearts and long efforts to raise money for 7 pigs for Khmer families...changing lives in a big way for poor people.

KOK TA CHAN VILLAGE - WELL AND TOILET

JULY 30 - More precious gifts from Wisconsin people to poor families in Kok Ta Chan Village. I leave the car and walk the pathway from the road into a cluster of houses greeting people along the way. Children always curious gather round and follow me; I must look like the Pied Piper! I don't hurry, being careful to acknowledge everyone I pass and not to miss any opportunity to be a good ambassador. My adrenalin runs even as I try to calm myself for what I'm about to encounter. Will our precious gifts be well taken care of? What will I meet in this place? Always these questions!

It's not long and I can clearly see the colors and shapes of a well and toilet. They're beautiful. As you can see for yourself, they're loved. The family that greets me--as others are working in the fields this morning--are gracious and elegant. Khmer are a gentle people. So stark a contrast to the horrific Pol Pot Regime.

After greetings, I "examine" the well and toilet. I thank the people for taking good care of the well and toilet and tell the families that the People of Wisconsin wish for them that the well and toilet will provide safe cool water for them for many, many years and long lives for all of them!

The families say many, many, many thanks to the People of Wisconsin for thinking of them for a well and a toilet. They express their highest thanks by saying they wish the God will give good health to us, that we make lots of money for more wells and toilets for Cambodian people, that Wisconsin people are honorable to make such gifts to Cambodian people, and that God will give us long lives.

The families bring us fresh green coconuts, one end sliced off, straw inserted, as a cool drink. Jungle villages have lots of coconuts! They can gather them immediately, open one end, insert a straw and offer a cool beverage to visitors. These families in addition offered us lunch as we sat under a cool thatch roof and sipped green coconut water!

KOK TA CHAN VILLAGE WELL AND TOILET

JULY 30 - Our stop after Kok TaChan Primary School is a well with VN6 model pump and a toilet for a group of families. They hear our car doors and meet us as we walk the pathway from the road to the well through the cluster of houses. Everyone is greeting with traditional Khmer "chim reap suar" and "soxabai" simultaneous with hands raised palms together and bowing. Then begins the many, many thanks. I take this all in, paying attention to each person, and respond on your behalf, Good People of Wisconsin.

This year we are building 1-room toilets, otherwise same design and construction materials as 2-room toilets in prior years. This is a modification we're making because of the resistance of several or more Khmer families to cooperate fairly in the cleaning and maintenance of toilets over the long term. Even with training and followup to education, the cooperative model is difficult to "sell." We ask the Khmer families not to use their usual tools for cleaning of sticks, stones, sand, but rather to use the brush, broom, pail and dipper.

If you look closely in the picture of the well, you can see the toilet beyond.

When we arrive this morning, the well and toilet are spotless. There are flowers and herbs planted around the perimeter of the well.

Side picture of the toilet lets you see the settling tank and the concrete foundation to elevate the toilet from flooding and critters. The water tank provides water for flushing the toilet, washing hands and cleaning the room.

The toilet is a sanitary and safe place for families, especially women and children. Without a toilet, people must walk away from their houses, dig with sticks, then cover afterward...leaving this to dispersion in the frequent Cambodian rains...accessible to tracking around even farther by people and animals. Especially at night, it's dangerous for women and children when scorpions and snakes are about.

With the wells and toilets come domestic hygiene and sanitation training and health kits for all families on the well. We do this to promote a safe environment for children to grow up in.

KOK TA CHAN PRIMARY SCHOOL - KIDS' POWER

JULY 30 - I was up early preparing for an 8:00 a.m. meeting with our well driller and water resource consultant, Mr. Chea Phan, at Teuk Sa'at Organization office north of Siem Reap Town.

We spend an hour going over the details of the 2009 project. One good thing about so little rain this rainy season -- Teuk Sa'at Organization is far ahead of schedule on the progress of the project. Originally scheduled for work from March through early December 2009, the project is 85% completed. We review pictures of the project sites, the stages of construction, formation of maintenance-repair and cleaning teams, quality control issues, and compared budget and actual costs. We decide to do some upgrading of the 10 sinks that we installed at Kessararam Primary School in May 2009. Otherwise the quality and design of our work and structures are excellent!

Our plan for this morning is to go to Kok TaChan Village, a village where we began developing basic infrastructure in 2004...step by step: wells first, domestic hygiene, then toilets, sanitation and trash containment, nonhybrid seeds, and pigs.

Those are the nuts and bolts of the story. The real story is the many, many special and generous people of USA and Canada who make this possible. I am a messenger and representative and I carry with me the message to the Cambodian people that many people in Wisconsin, Canada and Stockton, CA give money to make this possible. But as Chea Phan said to me one day when I was protesting my picture on the signs at some wells, "You are the face of the Wisconsin people here." I never forget the responsibility this is. This is going to be an emotional day. No matter how many times I visit our villages, energy is high, people are so grateful and I can scarcely take in all that we accomplish.

Our first stop in Kok Ta Chan Village is the primary school, recipient of a clean water well funded by the students of Clairmont Elementary School, Stockton, California. These amazing students fund a charitable/humanitarian project each year. They located the Cambodia Wells project on the web, researched the project, and selected it to fund one well for a Cambodian school. They prepared... clearly lots of prep because in their 2-week fundraiser, they raised enough money for 3 wells: 2 Afridev model pumps for high volume use ($1200+ per pump), and 1 VN6 model for ordinary volume use ($875) plus 2 sinks.

I cannot see this little school building so far from the main road. The picture is taken from the entrance gate to the school grounds. It is the only primary school in Kok Ta Chan Village. It was given by the Nagoya Naka Lions Club of Nagoya, Japan, in 2001. It is school to 268 students and 6 teachers. By mid July exams are underway and only a few students and teachers are at school. I spend time talking with the teachers and students, visiting their classrooms, asking students about them and complimenting them...going between Khmer and English to coax some of their English from them.

Included with the well are 4 health kits: plastic bucket with lid only for carrying water from the well, metal kettle with lid only for boiling water for drinking, rake and hoe to help with trash containment. A health kit is officially presented to each of 4 teachers.

This is an Afridev model pump on the well, suitable for high-volume use. A laminated color picture of the beautiful students and teachers of Clairmont Elementary School will be laminated, then placed under the plexiglass at the upper left of the sign at the well.

We'll be adding a hip-high wood fence with a couple openings around the outside perimeter of the well area. They've already planted flowers and herbs around the perimeter.

The teachers and students say "thank you very much" for this well, for the clean water. I wish you could hear their voices and see their faces and bright eyes as they say thanks many, many times for this gift of life...wonderful clean water for the students and teachers at Kok Ta Chan Primary School from the Clairmont Elementary School students in Stockton, California.

There is now clean, safe water for the children at the school. Some of these students go home to go home to families served by our wells. Now the teachers and students can practice healthy hygiene habits day and night whether at school or at home to reduce sickness and disease and promote a healthy long life! disease and promote a healthy long life! Way to go, fabulous Clairmont Elementary School!