One Hour of Profound Grace

My first time in Cambodia was both awe-inspiring and surprising. I was captivated by its beauty and chaos. There are no strollers there ( well there were, but very rare) There were no babies being carried in slings, but there were plenty of one year old’s standing on motorbike seats. Or people holding babes with one arm as they sit on the pillion.

Everything appears like its moving fast but there are no road rules, so everyone drives slower and intermingles the pedestrians in with trucks, buses, tuk tuk’s and mopeds.

One of the biggest shocks is that 70% of the population was born after 1979. This is because of the terrible war and genocide that occurred at the hand of the dictator, Pol Pot. Everyone who could speak English, or had been educated; doctors, nurses, scholars, teachers were rounded up and killed.  There is a simmering peace here. There is no welfare or provisions for the few elderly that have survived.

We had an amazing glimpse into all sorts of life in Cambodia. On one day we went to a village about an hour away from Siam Reap. We were visiting Samuth’s village of origin. His Father is chief of the small cluster of huts with families. Samuth is our tuk tuk driver and close friend of our guide Ros McHenery. Samuth and his wife Sepal met us there as we rolled in on our little mini bus.

The purpose was to visit the elders of the village and present them with some food packs. Treats for another day for them to savour. As we disembarked the bus, the elders ambled down the path to greet us. As we sat down together on the dusty tarp, there was a moment of awkwardness. We don’t speak the language and so we attempted to convey our purpose and gratitude that they had come to visit with us through Paul, another of our Tuk Tuk drivers. For me, the emotion was overwhelming. We felt so much respect and awe for the life they had lived. They were very thin, and frail looking and yet we sensed how they were strong and robust women. We were told that they live off the land and what they can scrape up each day.  Our food bags suddenly felt and looked sadly inadequate. The more we learnt, the more we were in awe. These women by western standards have nothing, but they are happy and joyful. They had rotted to no teeth, their hair shaved to avoid the heat and lice and, as we held hands and looked into each other’s eyes, we bridged all differences and communication barriers. We cried we laughed. They gave us blessings and wishes for long and healthy lives and we told them thank you and that they were beautiful in our best but sadly limited Khmer.

For me, It was a profound hour of grace. The joy and the emotion just leaked uncontrollably from my eyes. We were reminded of our humanity, the importance of connection and the power of touch. Not speaking the language was no barrier. I will remember this moment in time, all of my life. I cant wait to visit them again. There is so much I would love to ask them.

Afterward, Samuth shared his story. He remembers as a child being told to hide in the hole that was built in the ground under his family hut when the Khmer Rouge came.. Tears welled in his eyes when he spoke of guerrillas wandering the countryside in the 80’s and 90’s, His father fighting for his home when challenged and protecting his children. These gentle people have been through so much.

Other things I noticed throughout our time there. If you hurt yourself, there is no ambulance, no provisions. You must drive to a clinic or hospital and offer the doctor as much money as possible to provide treatment.

I did not hear one ambulance or fire truck whilst we there. There is no community nurse, follow up or Tresillian type places for new mothers or babies.

We met young businesswomen and local women to talk about what life was like. A decent wage there is about 200-300 USD per month.

We connected with Chhorvoan and the Little Café School. You may have seen my social media posts. We have some initiatives we wish to launch in 2019. I will update you more in the new year.

I found this country to be full of contrasts, but love and community were in abundance and I fell a little in love. A huge thanks to Ros McHenery for sharing her vision and organising the Inspiring Gratitude Retreats. It did its job and I want to return with my family to meet new friends and lend a helping hand to this developing nation who lost all of their passed down wisdom and teachings.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and we will see you in 2019

Until next time

Love and hugs

Andy xxxx