As we embark on the journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, we had a 6 hour car ride to explore the country. The day before, the team went on a walk throughout the surrounding neighborhood from which many of our students came from. Passing by from the main road, the homes didn't seem to be as bad as expected, but we stepped deeper into the village and there we saw worn down shacks, torn rags and clothing, and dung everywhere. Little boys from our school were urinating on a building because there was a lack of indoor plumbing. In one of these homes, we saw Sang again, the bubbliest 6 year old boy we were blessed to meet this year who we earlier found out had HIV. Yet, as we drove about 5 minutes away from the shacks, we came upon a wealthy neighborhood. Bright white walls with glass windows and large wooden doors were accompanied with fancy gates and cars in the front. There was even a golf course. Not more than a 5 minute car ride away. It was such a large wealth gap but so close in distance. For most of the ride, conditions weren't much better. We went to Pastor Hung's second school he helped out in a village along a river and we saw a child defecating in the river and a toddler came to the school without any pants on. None at all. This past week, we were mostly confined in the walls of the church and did not fully understand the hardship that the students we've been teaching faced. We now are coming into the second half of missions among a village along the river. For many of us this will wake us up to how other parts of the world really live.
