Poverty

What do you see in this picture? I see an example of the poorest of the poor, trying to scrape out a living, probably wondering if he will have enough to eat today. I don't know this man's name, where he lives, or anything about him. I was standing on a busy street corner in Phnom Penh watching the world go by. The temperature outside is approaching 95 degrees. His cart is full of plastics, glass bottles, cans, and other metals. He spent his night picking through trash to find these items so he could sell them for whatever he can get.

Or how about this man begging at the largest Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh. Blind, lame, alone. What is his name? What is his story?

If that doesn't grab your heart, seeing the children of Cambodia who live in such poverty is so heartbreaking. When I look at my children, I am so thankful for God's blessing in allowing me to provide for them. By the world's standards, I am spoiled, and so are they. Take some time and think about all you have, and all the people of this world who have so little. Give thanks to God for what you have, and give to those in need.

Blessings,

Dr. Paul

Firefighting in Cambodia

Who cares about firefighting in Cambodia? Well, Cambodians do! One of the reasons is that the capitol city of Phnom Penh, a city of 2.5 million people covering 145 square miles has only one firehouse. An independent contractor runs the fire service for the international airport, but they do not cover fires in the city. The missionaries in Phnom Penh I came to minister to found out where this lonely firehouse is located and arranged a visit. Whenever I visit a city, I try to work in a stop at a local firehouse. There is always an opportunity to minister in addition to swaping stories around the kitchen table.

One of the pictures you see is me standing next to the only ladder truck for the entire city, a late 1970's era American LaFrance 90 footer donated by a group of firefighters from the United States. They also have a collection of pumpers from Europe and China. There is no interior firefighting, and no resscue capability. These men fought fires with no bunker gear (protective clothing) until a couple of years ago when some firefighters from the United States donated their used gear. The fire chief (see picture top picture below) expressed his gratitude for all of the donations they have recieved, and his concern for all of the new highrise buildings under construction (travel tip: if you visit this city, stay on the ground or second floor!).

Needless to say, if your house catches on fire, you are in trouble. Last year a fire broke out in the garment district and five factories were destroyed. Stories continue to circulate that when the fire department arrives, you are asked to make a cash donation or else the water won't flow (these guys only make $70 a month and are required to work 6 days a week, 24 hours a day).

One of the things this illustrates for me is the can-do, make-do spirit of the Cambodian people. These guys still respond even though they are poorly trained, woefully under-equipped, and haivng to work in 100 plus degree temperatures. They make do with what they have. As one of my friends on this trip said, in admiration of the people, "What the Cambodians could do with a roll of duct tape!"

One of the morals of this is, the next time you see a fire truck, be thankful that when you dial 911 you are going to see a fire truck within a couple of minutes.

Blessings,

Dr. Paul

Caring for Cambodian Kids

One of the saddest parts of my trip to Cambodia is seeing the children. When you travel in a country with so much poverty, your heart really goes out to the kids. Kids who are drugged by their parents to use for begging purposes. The drugs keep the kids more cooperative during a long day of begging, and makes it appear to visitors that the child is sick. The woman in this picture is one of many examples we saw. Kids who live with practically nothing, are mal-nourished, and if they go to school, the parents must pay a bribe to the teacher so they will actually be taught. Kids who might be lucky enough to work in a factory and make $1.50 for a 10 hour shift.



The most horrific examples are the girls who are forced into the sex trade. Some are kidnapped off the streets, others are acutally sold into it by their parents who are desperate to provide for the rest of the family. It is so bad that if you are a male visitor who is travelling without his wife, it is assumed that you are there for sex. The rate of AIDS is one of the highest in Asia.

If you are a parent here in the USA, give thanks that you are able to care for and provide for your children. We are truly blessed! Pray for the children of Cambodia and those who are serving to meet the vast needs of this country. Pray that the people of Cambodia will rise up and say enough is enough when it comes to the neglect and exploitation of children. Pray for the missionaries I had the priviledge of serving that God will use the power of the gospel to transform the hearts of the people.

Blessings,
Dr. Paul

A Tale of Two Homes

One of the things that strikes you when you arrive in Cambodia, besides the incredible heat and humidity, is the depth of the poverty alongside of glimpses of wealth and modern technology. An example which comes to mind is one of the Bible studies I attended with our host missionaries. it was located in the city of Phnom Penh. We pulled up in front of a large home surrounded by a wall, barbed wire, and a locked gate. The Bible study didn't take place there, but in a corrugated aluminum, roof top home of a poor family. the home consisted of a living area with no chairs, a mattress on the floor for the mother to sleep on (behind some curtains), and a small closet for the toilet (a bucket). There is one flourescent light hanging from the roof rafters, and one small window with no glass or screen, just two wooden shutters. Food is cooked in the corner of the room.
The mother of this family lost her husband to cancer last year and is now unemployed. She used to see rice on a street corner until the government ordered all street vendors at that location to be removed. Her oldest daughter now works in a garment factory for 10 hours a day, and earns $1.50 per day. The rest of her siblings go to school, but unless you bride the teacher for about $300 a year, your child is not educated. Needless to say, there is no money to provide an adequate education.
At the end of our study, this dirt poor family offers us some bowls of fruit in appreciation for our visit. They wait until we eat first. It brings a tear to my eye as a wealthy American (by Cambodia standards) eating food from a family who can barely survive. I talk to Greg (our missionary host) about giving them a generous money gift before we leave and he agrees. Then I walk over to the window and I see a large satellite TV dish on the roof of the three story home I described when we first pulled up. Looking down, I notice lots of toys on the second floor balcony, and three cars inthe driveway, two Lexus and a Mercedes. Talk about a tale of two homes! There are hundreds of examples as you travel this country. The needs, spiritual, physical, economic, medical, etc., are vast and deep. It reminds me of Jesus as He ministered in Matthew 9:35ff, "And Jesus went travelling among the cities and villages, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every type of disease and sickness. And seeing the people, he was moved with compassion, for they were distressed, and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest."
Pray for the people of Cambodia and those who serve them.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul

Counseling Ministry in Cambodia

Yes, I am back from Cambodia and over my jet lag from 21 hours of travel back to the USA. God blessed the work I was able to do for the World Team missionaries. As you know, I went to provide a marriage enrichment seminar for the couples, and offered counseling sessions for them. In addition to the 3 seminars on marriage, I provided about 19 hours of counseling. One of the issues I touched on in the marriage seminar was the impact of stress on the mission field on a marriage. The next day I was approached by a couple of the missionaries and was asked to do a more indepth seminar on stress and how to reduce its impact on their marriages and families. So I got my brain in gear and put together an imprompto seminar on stress. We met for three hours and it was a priviledge to share some of that I have learned with them. I am a firm believer that God uses prior experiences to prepare you for future ministry opportunities. He certainly confirmed it on this trip.
In future posts I will share more impressions and experiences from this trip to the front lines of ministry in a lad of great material and spritual poverty.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul

Honoring Those Who Have Defended Our Feedom

This is the 8th Memorial Day since the attacks on our nation on September 11. As have entered the 6th year of the war in Afganistan and Iraq, each week we add more names to the list of our honored dead. As we think about our nation’s war on terror, it requires this generation of Americans to decide that freedom is worth fighting for, and even dying for. I came across these words of the first general to command an American army, General George Washington. As you think about Al-Qaeda and those who follow Islam who are committed to our destruction, I believe his words are as appropriate today as they were in 1776:
The time is now at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves, whether they are to have any property they can all their own, whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts can deliver them.
The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.
Washington spoke those words to his volunteer continental army. In today’s volunteer army, our heroes are not just career soldiers. They are architects, lawyers, businessmen, paramedics, police officers, fire fighters , mechanics, moms, and dads. They are men like U.S. Marine Lt. Donovan Cambell. He joined the Corps in 2004 at the age of 25. He didn’t join because he was unemployed, or unemployable. He didn’t join because he had no other options, or better future. He was a graduate of Princeton University. A school many in Lower Moreland would give anything to attend. He decided to join the Marines to fight for his country, and believed he could learn leadership skills better in the military than in the corporate world. You can read about his experienced in a book entitled, Joker One, A Marine Platoon’s Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood.
He and his 160 man unit were sent to the city of Ramadi, a city of 350,000. That meant there was one soldier for every 2,200 Iraqi’s. At one point there were so many insurgents and terrorists in that city that his unit was the most engaged in all of Iraq. By the time they left, they had suffered 50% casualties, more by percentage than any unit, Army or Marine, since Vietnam. He was asked by a reporter if he will commemorate Memorial Day differently now that he has served in two wars, Iraq and Afganistan. His reply:
Honestly, I treat every day differently now that I’ve served in two wars. I view each day as a gift, not an obligation, and I thank God for each one that I have. This Memorial Day I will pray for the fallen and their families, some of whom I know. I will take a step back from my life and thank God for all of the good things He has given me: my family, my health, my friends. I will take a few moments to reflect on the tremendous responsibility I have to live the one life I have well, for there are so many others who would love life but no longer have it.
Yes, there are many who have lost their lives, currently just over 5400 in Iraq and Afganistan. Whenever our nation is at war, we are reminded again of the cost of our freedom. Even though the number of dead is very small compared to the other wars our nation has fought, each death is a husband or wife, father, or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister to someone here. These deaths in the war on terror hover over the present, and especially for their loved ones, cast long shadows into the future.
We owe an incredible debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve our country today, and to those who have served in the past, and especially to those who have given their lives on the field of battle. Lets join with Donovan Campbell in praying for those who serve our nation, and remembering those who gave their lives. Let us live our lives well, and never forget that freedom is never free.
Blessings,
Pastor Paul

Powerful Intimacy

Do you know what is one of the most intimate and powerful experiences you can have with your spouse? No, I am not talking about sex. How about prayer? Yes, I mean what I say. I submit to you that one of the most powerfully intimate experiences you can have with your spouse is prayer. Something happens when a husband and wife pray together.
Let me explain why I say this about prayer. Think about it for a minute. When you pray, you are saying that you need God's help, you don't have all of the answers, and there is someone bigger than yourself and your problems. That takes humility, humility you are demonstrating in front of the person you love.
When you pray, you are talking to the God of the universe about the things that matter the most to you. Nothing is more personal and more intimate than that. And when you do this in front of your spouse, you are allowing them to share in one of the most personal and intimate experiences of your life. They are able to hear what is on your heart and mind as you talk to your creator.
When you do this together, you are able to share in what is most important in your spouse's heart. So make some time to take your spouse by the hand and pray to God from your heart. I guarantee you will be closer to each other, and have a stronger marriage.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul