GRIFFITH GLEANINGS JULY 2017

Whilst the dramas we encounter in Cambodia may not be on the scale of the famous ‘Spaghetti Western’, we have experienced more than enough drama in our June visit to Phnom Penh. An overnight health check up turned into a different cultural learning experience than we could have imagined. On the way to our morning appointment just metres from our destination a bag snatcher skilfully manoeuvred his motorcycle to grab Deb’s bag. What followed was a day of undesired adventure; the mixture of the good character of a number of locals who assisted us and some ugly and bad aspects of crime and its fruits in Phnom Penh. Between our medical appointments we inspected some 8 different police stations, tracked down the laptop using a clever phone app. and GPS signal and with the help of one hotel staff member and our Tuk Tuk driver participated in the police response that captured the culprit. After the investigation, arrest and police reporting process we not only received back the laptop, but fitted in all our days medical appointments. An additional surprise a day or two later was seeing Deb’s photo and some of her personal details feature in a newspaper article covering the incident that we thought had only been information gathered for the police evidence for the purpose of convicting the bag snatcher (there are no privacy laws in Cambodia!). The bag snatcher interestingly was described in the news article as a “handsome thief” and had been caught on 3 previous occasions over a number of years. We pray that the thief has his life turned around while serving a sentence and finds a new and better profession. Our Khmer friends back in Siem Reap were apologetic that they had not specifically warned us about the dangers of a visit to the Cambodian capital. We are thankful and humbled that we were unhurt and that we had the uncommon outcome of receiving back stolen goods. Thank you for your prayers that do make a difference to our everyday life here in Cambodia.

The team here in Cambodia valued the recent stay of Heather Coleman our General Director of Global Interaction the mission agency we serve with. Heather previously lived and served with her husband Ron in Cambodia and it was good to glean some of her insights. We also in past years were together in Blackwood Hills Baptist Church, South Australia. We are conscious that their are many who have gone before us and we have much still to learn as we listen with them. We will always be learners in Cambodia and seek to listen and be open to wisdom as we navigate bringing a blessing where we are placed here.