January 21: Daughter Sarah takes me to the airport for my 12:30 flight. Forty plus pounds of books split between suitcase, duffle bag and carry-on. Heavy! Fortunate seating next to man from Berlitz translation group who’s going to China to teach English to clerks, taxi drivers, etc. in preparation for the Olympics. Spend much of 13-hour flight to Tokyo discussing teaching, Civil War, religion, Luther. Can’t sleep on a plane. January 22: Flight to Tokyo and Bangkok smooth (7 more hours). Landed at midnight and was met by Joe. Pastor Ted NaThalang said “Joe” would take care of me, and he did. I was skeptical about coming halfway around the world to be met at midnight by a mysterious “Joe.” He took me 30 kilometers to a hotel near the offices of Concordia Gospel Mission where he works. I slept poorly. Too much anticipation for an old man. January 23: At noon, Joe took me to the Concordia Gospel Mission offices and explained his translation work. Many familiar Lutheran books were on the shelves. I met Pastor Kannarith Pheng. It’s after dark and the taxi ride through the streets reveal another world: bustling crowds, swarming motorbikes, small shops with metal gates, litter everywhere (even knee-high at intersections), people scavenging through plastic bags. Pastor left me at the hotel. Room 13 is gloomy with a parquet ceiling, but I slept like a baby. January 24: I watched Phnom Penh wake up from the hotel window. I took a motorbike taxi (called a tuk-tuk) to the bus station. Pastor and I boarded the bus for Sihanoukville (5 hour trip). The bus was all over the road with constant horn to fend off numerous motorbikes. The bikes carry huge loads of lumber, poultry, food, who know what…and often three kids between dad and mom! Plastic litter is everywhere. Many houses are on stilts due to dust (it’s the dry season) and snakes. The rice paddies are dry. Skinny cows wander anywhere. When I arrived in Sihanoukville, I met Pastor’s wife and Pastor Vanarith. January 25: It’s a day to relax. Pastor Vanarith takes me out for dinner. We had a great discussion on religion and faith. This man is Lutheran! January 26: Cambodians drive on the right. The Thai drive on the left. When you cross streets, stay awake! Walked the beach nearby. Beautiful white sand for miles! January 27: We worship at Pastor Kannarith’s home. Pastor Vanarith translates for me. The singing is vigorous, and we hear a true Gospel sermon. Supper is pizza at an outdoor restaurant while listening to Glenn Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy.” How far from home am I?! January 28: First day of class. Pastor Kannarith’s son, Kosal, picks me up on a motorbike for a two-mile ride to their home. My students are two pastors and Kosal. It appears the one struggles with English, one is okay, and one is advanced. Lunch is pancakes with Hershey’s chocolate. January 31: Motorbike rides to class reveal much. The main streets were only recently paved, and there are no sidewalks. There’s construction everywhere. Many dogs (all ugly), no cats. The grammar book I used when teaching seventh and eighth grade becomes our main text. Pastor Kannarith takes it to the printer to make copies for all. No copyright problems here! We spend much time on the parts of speech and the power of words. February 1: Class cancelled – neighbors’ wedding means music all day. Loud! Kosal gives me a tour of Sihanoukville. I shopped at the market for raisins, peanut butter, cereal, Oreos…I need my TV snacks! Cows walk everywhere and scavenge from the restaurant garbage left on the curb. I watched the Clinton-Obama debate on TV. February 2: Read, study, eat, sleep. February 4: Walked new streets tonight. I’m always intrigued by the mixture of smells: cooking, garbage, cows. The signs on the back streets are only in the Khmer language. Blaring music from some restaurants. One advertises “underground entertainment”…hmmm…I watched the first half of the Superbowl before class today (Sihanoukville is 12 hours ahead of Michigan). I finally heard the results three days later. February 5: We’re establishing patterns in class: vocabulary, discussion of yesterday’s writing, grammar exercises, reading and translating Small Catechism or Large Catechism or Apology of Augsburg Confession (especially justification and the sacraments). We did more writing, especially working on sentence structure. Back at the hotel, I have a three-inch gecko crawling on my walls. Where is he when the lights are out? February 6: The pastors show me my home in Marine City, Mich. on World Google. I can see my camper in the driveway! Pastor Vanarith took me to a “snake pit bar” with a great display of cobras and pythons, all in cages! Then we tried a Bavarian restaurant – German food! And beer! NO snakes. The power goes out daily. Most business and hotels have generators. Ash Wednesday is not observed here, but it is Chinese New Year. Fire crackers go off all day and night. February 7: Pastor Vanarith’s wife, Dalis, joins class. She gave birth to Jessica one month ago and had taught English at the local high school. She knows about direct and indirect objects! We had a great discussion on faith and doctrine today, prompted from the study of the Book of Concord. I read my English copy, and Pastor Vanarith checks with his copy. The Chinese New Year has brought out drum and cymbal bands, costumed actors and dancers who enter homes and hotel lobbies to expel evil spirits. Thousands are on the beach from Phnom Penh, China, etc. Kids love to put firecrackers in cowpiles with interesting results. February 13: Pastor Kannarith’s daughters are using my books after class. The pastors have a dream for a building to house English classes (using catechism) and worship. It would attract more souls. Had a meal of pancakes and beer (what can I say?). Februrary 14: Pastor Vanarith leaves class early to take Dalis and baby for vaccinations – on the motorbike! Pastor Kannarith says an upcoming LHF seminar in Phnom Penh will be attended by Reformed and independent pastors. Many are attracted to Lutheran doctrine through the Khmer catechism. He prays that by the year 2010, many of them will be Lutheran. My gecko friend is very active. February 15: We struggled through verb tenses today. The students are very intent on doing well. I taught them a card game called 3-13 at the end of the day, and they LOVE it! Pastor Kannartih took me along the north coast through fishing villages. It was a fascinating look at real Cambodia: bustling activity, deep poverty, naked kids abound, earthy odors. All stare at the American on the motorbike! He took me to visit a public elementary school. The kids are very disciplined, but there are few books. February 17: My fourth Sunday of worship here. Pastor Vanarith includes a summary of the sermon in English in the bulletin. Saturdays and Sundays are normal days here, no weekend. For dinner, we go to a Chinese restaurant. I have noodle soup with questionable beef. A small girl comes to the table begging and takes my remaining soup in her bowl to her home to feed her family. The pastors say this is common. February 22: Good class discussion on baptism, but I’m thinking of home… February 27: I asked the class to write about the person who has most affected their lives. All wrote about Christ! February 29: Our last class. I waited 20 minutes for a florist to prepare bouquets for the wives: 2 roses with a yellow flower in the middle, representing man and wife in marriage with Christ at the center. Our lesson in class centered on review and Jesus’ parables. We toasted with chardonnay at the end, to life in heaven. I walked to my remote spot at the end of the beach. It’s a great place for quiet and reflection. A young man and his girlfriend started fishing near me. I noticed he had an Ohio State Buckeye T-shirt. He spoke English and told me that he has an American sponsor near Columbus for his education in Cambodia. Small world in this “another world!” March 2: Our last worship together. They made me give a goodbye speech. The two pastors work very well as a team. I said my goodbyes to all but Kosal. Kosal took me back to the hotel and said it seems like yesterday when I came. I think that was a compliment. Had dinner listening to “Country Roads Take Me Home” (John Denver?). March 4: Pastor Kannarith escorts me to the airport. I will miss this true Christian friend. I have come to think of the pastors as Isaiah and John = forerunners for Christ! March 7: Twenty-six hours to get home from Bangkok. The last four hours were the hardest, walking the aisles most of the flight. Sarah and the grandchildren met me at Metro Airport, and we picked up a pizza on the way home. The cat was happy to see me. In bed by 7:30 p.m. Thank you, Lord, for SO many things!
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