Adventure to Sovanah mall

When I arrived at The House, I met Ada, the house helper for the Missionaries whose home this is.  She showed me around the house and helped me get a little more adjusted.  I asked her for a map of Phnom Penh and she brought out the yellow pages. We looked for the house on the small maps and found it. As an after thought she gave me her card and wrote her phone number on it in case I needed any help.  Little did I know how important that card would be later on.

Later as I was Facebooking I got a note Kim who works in northern Cambodia. She gave me her phone number and asked me to call her.  I know Kim and Ralph from our Faith Academy days many moons ago, so it was great to talk with her.  She told me her and her daughter will be in Phnom Penh (PP) toward the end of English camp.  Kim had thought they would be leaving in August, so wouldn't be in PP when we were here. However, they could only get tickets leaving July 27 (which is when Lorelei and the team leave) so Lorelei will be able to see her before they both head back to the States, which is exciting. 

Kim informed me of another family in PP who are sending their daughter to Messiah in the fall and was wondering if I would be willing to talk with them. I looked at my completely packed schedule (which in reality is completely blank) and decided to squeeze in a meeting with Rob.  I talked with Rob on the phone and we decided to have coffee or ice cream at the Sovanah mall not "far" way and he told me he'd pick me up.  He called me back a little while later (once he found my address), told me it was quite a distance on the other side of the city from where he was and asked if I could meet him there.  Sure, no problem.

Ken is staying here as well while he makes contacts for when he and his wife will come to work here later in the year.  I asked him the best way to get to the Sovanah mall.  He asked me if I had a helmet (one item that every short-term missionary should pack - I'm sure Deb would have) for riding with a motorcycle driver.  Here in Cambodia public transportation of an individual nature comes in the form of taxi cabs, tuk tuks (which are like peticabs for my Filipino friends) and motorcycle drivers.  I told Ken I didn't have a helmet, so he suggested I take a tuk tuk (which you will find out I completely ignored).  He then lent me a map he had been using so that I might be able to get around.

I showered and packed some stuff in a small back pack (one that I had bough for Marisa or Leanne to use) and, deciding to take Ada's card and the map Ken had given me, I set out.  I decided to walk to a major road where I might be able to find a tuk tuk.  While walking, a motorcycle driver pulled up and asked me if I needed a ride.  I told him I was going to the Sovanah mall and, like any good asian, he told me, "OK."  So we haggled over a price, which is fun to do when I speak no Khmer and he spoke very little English, but we settled on a price and off we went.  I was surprised when we actually arrived at the mall 20 minutes later. :) I found Rob and we had ice cream and a good time together.  Great way to spend an evening!  Then it was time to return.

Rob, who speaks Khmer quite well, got another motorcycle driver for me and, after showing him Ada's card with the address on it and haggling on the price, off I went.  Well, this time the motorcycle driver didn't know where the destination was.  He knew the general neighborhood, Toul Koak, and was able to get us close.  He had to ask directions several times, each time showing them Ada's card.  I knew we were close because we passed a hospital that Bill and Ilana had mentioned and a market that was shown on a small map on the back of Ada's card. I kept consulting the map Ken had given me until I believed I knew where I was.  At that point, I began giving my driver directions.  While asking directions yet another time, I tried to confirm where I thought I was (once again communicating in different languages with God providing understanding).  Once we got to a corner of a street I thought the house was on I told my driver to stop.  He didn't have change, so I went looking for change at a convenience store.  I paid the driver and off he went.  I then asked the owner of the store if he knew where the address was, showing him Ada's card.  After trying to figure out where it was, he confirmed my guess of the corner I was on. I began walking down the street praying that I would recognize the house.  About a hundred feet away, their young daughter called after me and came up and told me to be careful.  "This street is..." and she hesitated as she tried to figure out the appropriate English.  So I filled in, "with bad people?"  Yes.  That helped calm my nerves as I prayed harder to find the house.  I found it as the landlord who lives next door was returning home.  So I had company while I fumbled for the keys to unlock the gate.  I had made it. Or more accurately, God had brought me home safe and sound.

As I look back there were too many coincidences for this to be anything other than God orchestrated.  Ada giving me her card as an after thought, Ken loaning me his map and all the in-between occurances.  God had set up something for me to do that evening AND had provided transportation and safely!  Another grand adventure.