by Guy and Summer Benton | Dec 4, 2013 | Cambodia, SAMS Missionaries
Hey Family. We have regretfully been very slow on our blog and newsletter over the past few months.
We have been under the pump since our house flooded 4 times in 1 week! Cambodia has an annual festival called Pchum Ben which is in the thick of rainy season and this year was particularly bad. It rained so hard that even when it wasn’t raining the water was coming up through the ground. We weren’t the only ones hit hard, the open sewer running through the city flooded twice and reports say over 100 cambodians lost their lives.
We are now through having major reconstruction on our house to raise the bottom floor up about 2 feet in an attempt to avoid future flooding. We thought that we would share some of our journey with everyone so you can see what it was like.
Here are some pictures of what we went through over the last couple of months.
by Guy and Summer Benton | Aug 28, 2013 | Cambodia, SAMS Missionaries
I love my life
I love my city
I love waking up in the morning to the sound of roosters
I love doing school drop off on a moto
I love dodging pot holes
I love when people cut me off and then throw a wave to apologize
I love seeing children wear helmets
I love seeing people leave their house and wave goodbye to their loved one
I love seeing people walk their pets
I love the hustle and bustle of my neighborhood in the morning
I love the smell of street food
I love seeing people eating street food
I love seeing people sitting and yarning to one another
I love the before work interactions with the neighbors
I love my city
I love my life
by Guy and Summer Benton | Jul 30, 2013 | Cambodia, SAMS Missionaries
Last Sunday the Bishop of Singapore come over to visit what a special day it was.
Pirum took a liking to the Bishop.
We were privileged to go out for lunch with the Bishop and other clergy. (another post coming with information about these conversations)
Photo: Dean Kuan Kim Seng, Summer, Pirum, Bishop Rennis Ponniah and Guy
by Guy and Summer Benton | Jul 30, 2013 | Cambodia, SAMS Missionaries
Family and Friends. I hope you will forgive me from being absent from the blogisphere for sometime.
but let me fill you in on what has been happening here in The Kingdom of Wonder. (although there have been moments over the last week where I wonder if the slogan actually reflects the country)
A couple of weeks ago Summer and I jetted over to Thailand. now before you get any ideas and start thinking “I never get to jet off to exotic countries like they do” we popped over to get a full body scan 1 year after Summer had some surgery. what a week it was jam packed with Hospital visits daily and then trying to squeeze in some sight seeing and then a quick trip to visit some friends 2 hours south of Bangkok.
after being at the hospital all week and have numerous things pumped into her and a full body scan, Sunday was results day and what a relief. we had been praying for clear results and praise the lord thats what was delivered.
Thailand is beautiful. and dare I say it the roads are a lot more civilized that Cambodia!!
after we arrived back from Thailand we had a couple of days turn around
Then we had the Whitaker family arrive from America to start life here in Cambodia. The Whitaker’s are with the same mission agency as us and so we were super stoked to welcome them to town and help them settle in.
2 days after they arrived we had some great friends of ours, the Coleman family, arrive in country and we had a pretty full on week worked out for them
A family of 4 from New Zealand; James, Julia, Jacob, and Sam. James and Julia are both priest in the anglican church and I was fortunate enough to work with Julia at St Mary’s Karori and also have Jacob in my youth group.
So it was a special moment for me to welcome them to Cambodia.
The week started of with a hiss and a roar. church on the first day with loads of conversation with many missionary families and then that evening a dinner with the head of investigations for IJM and his family, followed by a drive around to see the underbelly of the city.
The week continued at the same pace with many meetings with many different people.
A Visit to the IJM Cambodia field office and a lunch with some staff there.
Coffee with the Dean of the Anglican Church of Cambodia.
Dinner with our new team mates.
A trip to the Benton household for dinner and football.
And Julia taking a trip to visit the trafficking shelter where Summer works.
Along with loads of fun touristy things to see and do.
And of course LOTS OF EATING!!!
As a family we just felt extremely blessed to share our life with the Colemans for 1 short week. we felt that we were able to show them a good chunk of Phnom Penh and Life in Cambodia for the week that they were here.
We hope and pray that we can continue to host and bless others as they come to Cambodia, for what ever reason.
let me finish with this.
my family and I have had the opportunity to spend time with some amazing people this week and talk and share about how God is moving in this country and around the world.
sooo
May you continue to Shine the love of christ in all situations, whether it be through giving way on the road in a country that doesn’t give way or a cheeky smile when someone is staring at you.
Bless you all and much love
Guy
PS my wife didn’t spell check this for me and i write how i talk so please enjoy but any grammar criticism can be fired my way 🙂
