Saigon City (Ho Chi Min)

Hierdie is 'n groter toets van geloof en vertroue as wat dit op die oog af mag lyk. Dit is nie toevallig dat my oë toe is nie . . .

Benoude boude in die Cu Chi tonnels. Na die bietjie wat ons gesien en gehoor het is daar geen twyfel in ons gemoed dat Amerika (of enige ander land) ooit daardie oorlog sou kon wen nie . . .

. . . vir die kinders was dit egter 'n "walk in the park"

Die Vietnamese gaan GROOT met hulle (Chinese/Lunar) nuwe jaarsvieringe en is definitief nie skaam oor die feit dat hulle 'n sosialistiese land is nie. Moet se mens kom dit nie regtig agter nie . . . behalwe dat die gastehuise, ens elke aand aan die polisie rapporteer wie by hulle geslaap het.

Marketing . . . Starting Young

Two Cham girls selling their "waffle" cakes.

Cham, Western People Group of Vietnam

We visited a village near Chau Doc this morning where 3500 of a minority group, the Cham people live - own languages and own culture.

(We have since moved on to "Can Tho". The internet here is open, free and lightning fast, yet motorbikes and bicycles are still the primary means of transport!?!?)

Eerste dag in Viëtnam

Eers per minibus en toe verder per boot op die Mekong rivier het ons die grens na Viëtnam oorgesteek. Het die eerste aand in "Chau Doc" geslaap.

"Kyk ma, niks hande". Ons boot bestuurder het darem hande gehad, maar blykbaar is dit opsioneel vir sy werk.

Het gedink die mense in Kambodja kan 'n motorfiets laai, maar lyk my nie of die Viëtnamese een tree terugstaan nie.

Sal liewers nie met die klein mensies van Viëtnam moeilikheid soek nie .....

Christoph het nou die "chopsticks" bemeester. Dit is meer as wat die res van ons (gesin) kan se.

Killing Fields

Absolutely mind boggling that one man in the space of 3 years was able to virtually destroy a country. Pol Pot became leader of Cambodia in mid-1975. During his time in power, Pol Pot imposed a version of agrarian socialism, forcing urban dwellers to relocate to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor projects, toward a goal of "restarting civilization" in a "Year Zero". The combined effects of forced labor, malnutrition, poor medical care and executions resulted in the deaths of approximately 21% of the Cambodian population.

Amazingly the new government for the sake of reconciliation decided to only prosecute the leaders of the Khmer Rouge. Many followers were forced to kill (even their own parents) or be killed. I can't even begin to imagine the guilt and baggage that these people carry and live with every day.

Oppad na Phnom Penh

Gereed om die pad aan te durf Phnom Penh toe. 'n Sending egpaar, Deon & Corne en hulle twee seuns het intussen by ons aangesluit. Die seuns het sommer vinnig maats geraak.

Hierdie dogtertjie het in die bus oor Christoph naar geraak ... darem net sy broek. Moet sê hy het dit baie goed hanteer.

Ons ry Phnom Penh binne, 315km en 7 ure later. Let op na al die mense op motorfietse!

Ancient Temples

My conversation with this nine-ten year old girl:
Girl (with a bit of a Cambodian accent): "Sir, Sir, do you want to buy .... from me, only one dollaaa?"
Kobus: "No thank you."
Girl: "Sir, from what country are you, what country?"
Kobus: "South Africa."
Girl: "Will you buy from me if I can tell what the capital is of South Africa?"
Kobus" (frowning): "What is the capital?"
Girl: "Pretoria sir, Pretoria"
Kobus (surprised): "How do you know that?"
Girl: ..........

One of several ancient temples, Preah Kahn, build during the 12th century. The temple is just as it was when rediscovered, with roots of banyan trees spread over its roofs and galleries . . . amazing!

Reis na Siem Reap in Kambodja

Minibus wat ons gereël het om van die grens tot by Siem Reap te reis. Die reëlery was 'n interessante ervaring gewees . . . daar was tot 'n polisieman in op die "deal" (sover ons kon agterkom).

Van ons gastehuis se balkon af.

Kinderhuis wat ek en Hanneke besoek het. Interessante opmerking van Switserse vrywilliger wat nou al vir 8 maande daar werk: "I discovered that I do not need all the things that I have in Switzerland to be happy. You can have nothing and still be very happy."

Leaving for Cambodia Tomorrow

We're leaving very early tomorrow morning (or should I say later today) for Cambodia. Five hours by train and then another four by bus with a border crossing inbetween. Its going to be interesting . . . Not sure what Internet access will be like there?

Prayer

While we walk through the streets of Bangkok, we are grouped into 3 teams of 3 people each. One member of the team will on a "relay bases" carry a ball like the one Christoph is holding. The purpose of this ball is to remind you that it is your turn to focus on prayer.

While we were traveling in a river taxi (often very crowded "boat bus") this girl stood opposite me and I felt compelled to pray for her as I have never experienced before considering that I don't know her at all. Please join us and ask the Holy Spirit what is on God's heart for this girl.

'n Vol dag in Bangkok

Ons dag het van 06:00-22:00 gestrek en ons kon heelwat te siene kry van hoe die mense leef en aanbid. Ons is baie dankbaar vir hoe Christoph se energie vlakke gehou het. Hier onder net 'n paar foto's.


Ons beplan nie op die stadium om van die uit te probeer nie. (Hoop nie ons gaan nodig hê om die sendeling se gebed te bid nie: "Lord I'll swallow it if you'll keep it down")

Een van die meer "gewilde" afgode voor 'n massiewe reeks van 4 winkel sentrums wat opgerig is om die geeste wat op die terrein was voor die geboue opgerig is te paai en 'n nuwe woonplek te gee..

Snaakse emosies wat mens beleef as jy sien met hoeveel toewyding veral jong mense hulle afgode aanbid. Kan nie regtig verduidelik nie . . . dink mens moet dit beleef om te verstaan.

Ons eerste oggend in Thailand

Ons oggend het 06:30 (01:30 SA tyd, ish) begin met 'n halfuur "stilte tyd" wat Rita gelei het.

Daarna ontbyt: Gebakte eier, roosterbrood en worsies.

Arrived at our guesthouse in Bangkok

Finding our first overnight location was a bit like "The Amazing Race". Under instruction from JP, our team leader, we had to:
1) Change 50 USD of the "team money" for Baht
2) Buy a simcard
3) Buy 50 Baht worth of air time
4) Let him know that we made it to Bangkok
5) Take a train from the airport to Makasan Station
6) At Makasan Station take a "meter" taxi and ask the driver to take us to "Saam Sen Soi Saam" . . .
Sounds easy enough . . . and judging from the pictures below . . . it was not all that difficult in the end (with a bit of help from two Thai's who approached us . . .?

Emotions at the moment not too easy to describe, except for excitement of course. I guess, a growing awareness of how amazingly in control God is and an expectation of what He has planned for us for the two weeks ahead of us.

Die groot oomblik het aangebreek

Uiteindelik het die groot dag aangebreek! Ons kan net met groot dankbaarheid getuig dat die Here veral vandat die gebedsaksie Maandag begin het, sonder twyfel, ons paaie kom gelyk maak het. Alle eer net aan God! Dankie vir elke persoon wat vir ons intree . . .!

Laaste gebedsbyeenkoms voor ons vertrek

Wat 'n voorreg was dit nie om vir 'n laaste keer voor ons vertrek saam met 'n groepie van ons gebedsondersteuners die Here se aangesig te soek en tot Hom te nader in gebed.

My gebed is dat God elkeen wat die reis met ons meemaak op 'n besonderse manier sal seën tot eer van Sy naam.

Laaste Groep Voorbereiding Sessie Voor Ons Vertrek na Asië

Ons het vandag ons laaste voorbereiding sessie as 'n groep voor ons in "pare" vertrek na Asië elkeen op 'n ander vlug en datum . . .