Simple really

In many respects life here is very simple. Many of us liken it to a camping trip, a very extended camping trip. That is because when we headed to Cambodia, we, like so many before us, bought only our standard air ticket luggage allowance. You can't fit a lot in the car when you go camping, and you can't fit a lot in your luggage when you move overseas.

Many of you would think of life here as limited rather than simple. True there is not a lot to do, no great parks to run around in, or picture theater, or nearby beach or mountain or sports field. There is plenty of noise and smells and dust though. But the definition simple, will do fine for me.

We own very little and yet even that we do have far outstrips most of our neighbours. We do have have a gas hotplate, a small oven, a fridge, a water cooler, a toaster, hand held electric beater, an iron and a washing machine. We don't have a microwave, coffee machine, dishwasher, set of kitchen scales, rice cooker, crock pot, sandwich toaster, waffle maker, blender, coffee grinder and whatever else exists in kitchens that I have forgotten.

Just this week I was reminded of how much we do have. I opened the front door (metal gate) to find a woman selling breakfast a couple of metres across on our paved frontage. Like many others she carries food balanced on the ends of a long pole that she places on her shoulder. It must be quite heavy, because the poles bend a great deal and often these sellers stagger more than so than walk. I can so easily imagine the house in which she would have prepared this meal.

Recently too I reflected upon Nathan's bedroom. When you look at Nathan's room you would think it was a guest room. He has a bed, a fan, a clock and a wardrobe. Nathan does own a couple of electronic items, but they fit amongst his meager belongings in his wardrobe. It is not that he is desperately poor, just incredibly frugal!

Nathan though counts himself as comfortable. Recently I visited the Aji (recylcing family) whom I have featured in my blogs before. The whole family lives in a slanted wooden shack about the same size as Nathan's bedroom. When you step inside the floor is dirt. There is a broad timber ledge taking up most of the room and on this they sleep and live together. The raised portion is necessary because in the rainy season the floor would flood.

The portion of the floor that is not covered by the raised ledge is less than a metre wide and a few metres long. This hosts a small camp stove and drink esky, a pan and a few utensils and plates. The family do not have glass windows, matresses, cupboards, appliances or their own bathroom. There only furniture is a few old blue plastic chairs.

I was shocked to see the conditions in which they lived. Now I understand so much better why the children's are so unclean when they visit. Why the mother washes them under our front tap on occasion. I confess that I wrongly considered that maybe she brought them around here shabby so that we would feel more sorry for them! How naive I was!

There have been so many challenging things occur in the last month, which I shall share with you soon. But for now I will just let myself delight in the simplest of things which bring me such joy. Why even this week, the one fitted sheet that we own for our bed finally wore out and tore. I brought a brand new bright blue fitted sheet and excitedly washed it and put it on our bed. I snuggled that night on the fresh cotton and boy oh boy did I feel special!

Yet I know that it is not who I am or what I own that is important, but Whose I am. I am God's child, made in His image and He has provided me with abundant blessings beyond material measure. I pray that "my" little aji family will come to realise too, their own identity in Christ and the abundant blessings He desires to pour out upon them too.

Fiona