“ You are our friends – you always come back”. That sentiment, voiced by a Cambodian student two years ago, was reiterated over and over again as we made our latest journey around North-West Cambodia, visiting not just our twin parish of Svay Sisophon but also a number of other projects. Six of us made the trip: parish priest Father David, Jan, Carol and her husband David, and Bob and Katie who were making their 8th visit to the country. The laughter was flowing from our first stop…. for tea and toasted teacakes en route to Heathrow….and that continued throughout, making for a very enjoyable experience as well as a very rewarding one. PAILIN: The pace was fairly relentless as we travelled via Bangkok to the fast-developing border town of Pailin where an exciting outreach programme in health and education is just starting. We saw four targeted centres, all miles off the beaten track down roads of the ‘red-dirt-and-pothole’ variety, all of them serving very poor rural communities and three of them with no reliable access to water. The difference in attittude, appearance and learning in the 4th school, which did have water, was astounding. Water is indeed, life. Watch this space…
BATTAMBANG: From there we proceeded to Battambang, centre of the Diocese of Battambang with which East Anglia Catholic Diocese is officially twinned. On the way we visited the Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau – a chilling reminder of man’s inhumanity to man under the Pol Pot regime, less than 40 years ago, and for us at least, well within living memory. We spent 2 days in Battambang sharing supper with students from the Tep Im Student Centre, visiting an orphanage, church kindergarten and the newly opened garment factory employing disabled workers [look out for Made in Cambodia at M&S!] and taking the opportunity for some detailed discussion on the twinning link. The Poringland/Yarmouth group were visiting at the same time so it was good to meet with them over the weekend and celebrate Sunday Mass with them, always a is always a highlight at Battambang with wonderful music from Mr Vuthy and the student choir and a chance for some of us to try out our Khmer language skills. Thanks to Bishop Kike, Father Totet, Fathers Pedro and Manoj, Ros Moung and Rakesh Kerketta for making us so welcome.
next chapter…… Kompong Chhnang and the South…..
