This past year has been a year of global stress demonstrated in the economy, wars, a national dialogue on all manner of politics, a huge environmental disaster in the form of an oil spill, the raging health care debate and any number of other "stressors" in and around our lives.
Despite all of this "stuff", half way around the world in Cambodia thousands of folks have been going along each day eeking out a living in a life so distant from ours that it can be at times indescribable. While you and I can still get health care, put food on the table, go to church every Sunday, and generally live in comfort despite all those stressors,these folks live without the luxury of any of what we so take for granted. For some Cambodians health care is a once a year event. For others the search for food is a full time endeavor.
There are 11 of us on the team this year including Cyndy! When I first asked Cyndy to come with me on this trip she was very hesitant. What about that long airplane flight she said. What about the hot and humid weather you know I don't do well in the heat she said. Can I get get good food she said, you know how sensitive I can be to diet changes. Then she said "and besides, what have I got to offer the people of Cambodia?"
Well, Cyndy will tell you that I asked her to pray about it. And she will also tell you that throughout the 36 years of our marriage I have always known that she was capable of far more than she expected of herself. After all she gave birth to four kids for a total of 116 hours of labor! Anyone who can do that can certainly travel half way around the world and find that there is more to learn about herself and more to realize about serving Christ just because of who she is and the value that has for other people regardless of the culture or country.
Our in country schedule calls for us to visit the villages of Kdol, Cheneak, Posat, Rokakiri, Kasskrolaw, Bakroutas, Sampov Mountain, Poipet, and the cities of Battambang and Siem Reap. Most of the places do not show up on any map.
Of the 11 of us on the trip this year we consist of three doctors and a nurse (from California, Illinois, Florida and New Delhi India) a rocket scientist from Florida, a water engineer from North Carolina, a Pharmaceutical executive from Ohio, and several other folks I have not met yet from the Mid-West and back East.
As I did last year I will be posting to this blog as day to day as I can. I certainly will write an entry each day, and get them posted when we have internet access.
What each of you can start doing to help us is pray for our trip! Pray that we meet the needs of those who need our skils. Last year we saw 8,000 patients, and this year is expected to be no different.
As many of you know, last month, my brother Chris went to be with the Lord. In Late May early June of this year Chris and I had the blessing of serving together on a mission strip to Tijuana Mexico. On that trip, Chris feel deeply in love with hands on missions. Those of you who have seen his heartfelt encouraging plea to all of us to answer the call of God and serve in missions trips will understand the depth of that love. Last year, while I was in Cambodia, Chris posted this on my blog:
"Rick, Than you so much for answering the call of God and doing what needed to be done. As I read your blog, each page makes me cry as you describe your experience. I can feel God working through what you and your team are doing. Praise the Lord."
The first thing that will be happening when the team meets in Phnom Penh Saturday night is a dedication of this trip to Chris Skala. I pray that we each get just a glimpse of the depth his passion for Christ and missions, and that we do our best for the Kingdom of the One Trip God and His Son Jesus Christ.
One final note before we get into the day to day of the trip. Please take a moment and visit the Transform Asia web site to get a full look at what this ministry is doing in the lives of Cambodians.
www.transformasia.us
More to come. draft 7:36:00 PM by Rick Skala Delete
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