12. PHNOM PEN, FRIENDLY SMILES AND OLD FRIENDS

SMILE, YOUR IN CAMBODIA; In Vietnam you just might extract a smile from a passing stranger ... if you try hard enough. In Cambodia on the other hand, you just have to begin to curl the corner of your mouth as you look at someone and you almost always receive a warm smile. Be it child, old man or woman or teenager, most everyone had a smile for us and it really makes us feel good in a strange place. Even when you smilingly reject the offers of the insistent tuk-tuk drivers, miming with your fingers that you are happy walking, they graciously smile back and say, "ok, ok".


DID YOU KNOW? Ethnically and culturally, the Cambodians are similar to Lao and Thai people. The languages are related, the greeting with the prayer-like hands is similar too. The Vietnamese people and culture are a Chinese offshoot, whereas, the Cambodians have very different facial features, probably of Indian origin.

Kids smile

Guides smile

Market ladies smile

Tuk-tuk drivers smile

Even security guards smile a bit

More little smiles

Even the stones smile

And of course, we are smiling right back at them

Almost everyone is smiling

OK, OK, not everyone smiles...

 

THE RUTGERS; On Sunday we were picked up from our hotel and whisked away on motorbike to the KH by Phil and Naomi. You may have seen their faces in the recent Gilead Graduation photo... They have recently been reassigned from the field to work at the Translation Office. So good to get to the meeting when we travel. Its always a highlight. Half of the congregation of 60 something are pioneers. We didn't realize that there were some restrictions on the work in Cambodia, nothing that poses a big problem though, so it's full steam ahead and plenty of people queuing up for studies. We had such an encouraging day with these guys. Keep up your good work.

Phil and Naomi, smiling

The congregation

More smiles

The field

Studying despite opposition   

This lady who's daughter has come into the truth, is studying the Bible.  She had the job of cleaning the bones at the killing fields after they were discovered

THE SCHWARTZ; We were surprised to discover that Peter and Rany are no longer at the translation office but are now special pioneering. Peter and I go back a fair way, we were neighbors before I started school. He was in the second MTS in Australia and was later assigned to Cambodia where he met his lovely wife Rany. Like most Cambodians, Rany lost several family members in the genocide. Prior to the mayhem, the family had been rich but when the Riel was declared worthless and left blowing in the street they lost everything. When the Vietnamese forces liberated Phnom Pen people were allowed to return but gradually. It was a case of first in best dressed. Meaning that if you found someone in your home, which was very likely, you had to go elsewhere. All legal records were lost. Rany learned the truth when someone came to her door. So far she and her sister and two of her nieces, are the only ones in her immediate family serving Jehovah. We enjoyed a lovely evening with Peter and Rany. Keep up your good work guys.

Rany and Peter, smiling

Our last Cambodian meal... Until Cabramatta 

Love-you-bye

Lloydnalex