Rooftop Reflections

Everything has been new for me here – new food, new modes of transportation, a new school with hundreds of new smiles – but the thing I’ve been thinking about lately are the new people I’ve met over the last couple weeks. There have been both brief encounters with random people and introductions to individuals with whom I hope to build deep friendships. The people of this country are wonderful, and I will spend more time talking about their love and certainly their resilience, but right now I’m really blown away by the number of foreigners who are woven into the fabric of Phnom Penh; some tourists, but so many who are living and working here long term with schools, businesses or NGOs. This truly is an international city, and I suppose my surprise that I’m not the only six foot white woman is only a sign of my ignorance. It’s a funny shift of perspective – I thought I was taking such a huge leap of faith in coming here, but I have quickly learned that I’m one of thousands. I sit on the roof of our villa at night and can’t believe that I’m here... but when I seek common excitement from people at the market, it’s like they respond with this nonchalant shrug that says, ‘What’s the big deal? So there are three monks and eighteen tons of sugarcane balanced on a motorcycle and a woman walking through traffic with a huge silver bowl of dried fish on her head. We're in Cambodia. Get over it.' But it’s still fascinating to me – how did everyone end up here?
Every person I meet has a story unique to his or her life. My roommate is one of the most inspiring people I’ve met. She is originally from Switzerland and has lived here for ten years, serving the Sihanouk Center of HOPE as a surgeon. She works tirelessly, making house calls at night and waking up early to tend to patients on her days off. So selfless – I have much to learn from her about service, perseverance, and especially faith. The family I live with uprooted in April and will be here for the next three years. I also have a new friend who is such a strong woman – she was born in a province in the Philippines, was raised in Russia, worked in the medical field for a year in Afghanistan, and has been at the hospital here for four years. Just today I met a man from Camaroon who is here studying and working for a couple years. In fact, he was playing soccer on a team with representatives from every continent. It was very cool to watch – it was like one of those Nike commercials … “Sports transcend language and culture, uniting the world. Just do it.” I guess there’s simply a calling, dream, vision, escape, wild hair – whatever you label it. It helps me feel closer to God in a lot of ways – it reminds me that He is orchestrating this master plan that is much bigger than me.
I don’t know who I’ll meet tomorrow or what events will take place, but I get excited about the possibilities. I hope to pull lessons from the lives of these people and enjoy sharing in the journey.