A Day at Angkor Wat

Rachel and Ellis arrived here last Wednesday. The travel seemed to go well for them. They have both spent a lot of time overseas so I think it is a bit easier for them to acclimate. Rachel has been soaking up the language since it's one of her passions and already knows about as much as I do! They gave me some support that they wanted to give me when we were both back in the States which gave me the chance to afford a trip to Angkor Wat! So after they sat in on all of my classes we hopped on a bus heading towards Battambang on Saturday morning to start the adventure. 

On the bus I sat next to a man from Nigeria who teaches English at the university in the city. We talked about a lot of things since it's a five hour bus ride and I found out that he was born a Muslim, then became a Seventh-Day Adventist, but now is more of a universalist. He was convinced that people can be their own judges, they know whether they are good or bad enough to go to Heaven or Hell. He seemed to have respect for Scripture so I asked him about where it said that there is none who is good and what the cut-off was for being a "good enough person for Heaven." That Jesus lived the only perfect life and it is only through him that we can live in Heaven with Our Creator. He changed the subject shortly after that, but I hope that it helped him reconsider some things.

Arriving in Battambang, the buses to Siem Reap were entirely full for the rest of the day but in order to get a full day in of sightseeing at Angkor Wat we had to get there that evening so we piled in a Toyota Camry with six other people and made our way to Siem Reap. Right away we got picked up by a man named Nang who became our tuktuk driver for the next two days of sightseeing. I had really high expectations of what the temples were going to be like since I've wanted to  see them for a long time, and they blew my expectations away. We got up before sunrise to start the tour at the main temple and visited about seven more temples afterward until the early afternoon. It really was amazing what these people were able to accomplish without any kind kind of machines or technology to accomplish the architecture. The level of intricacy in the artwork was mind-boggling as well. 

We did a full loop around the lake on our way back to Kampong Chhnang, and that time I sat next to the main sports writer for the Phnom Penh Post, one of the most reputable news agencies in Cambodia. He grew up in the Brahmin caste in Bangalore, India and we had some good conversation as well. By the time we got back home yesterday it was late and left just enough time to eat and then crash into bed. 

Be praying for my last week here in Cambodia and the start of Ellis and Rachel's time here. They're still trying to figure out what their place is in the ministry here and how best to serve God with their time. Pray for clarity for them and that Mark's ministry would continue to be blessed financially. Thank you and God bless all!

-BM

The back of Angkor Wat after walking through it

Bayon or "the Face Temple"

Rachel and Ellis looking tired at Ta Prohm

They had elephant rides! They cost 15 dollars, but pictures are free ;)