City Dump in Phnom Penh

Well I have quite the update for you!!

(side note: Pastor Bob is also keeping a blog of our events- he's going into better detail of our trip if you would like to read his writings- http://woostercar.blogspot.com/)

Last night on the way to get pizza, Pastor Bob, Dr. John, and I witnessed an elephant crossing the highway!! I wish I had a picture to show you that event! But it was fun!
In Cambodia, pizza is quite the deal. They have a thing called "Happy Pizza." We obviously ordered our pizza without the "happy" because "happy" refers to putting marijuana on pizza! Yes, it's legal here and most people like it that way with the "spice." But we declined.

This morning we went to the city dump where over 6,000 people live. There was miles upon miles of trash, sewage. As soon as I got out of the van, I gagged at the smell. It was so overwhelming. I've never smelled anything like it. There was no where to protect yourself from the stifling hot sun unlike in the city where the buildings cast shadows and keep it relatively cooler (well... 90-ish degrees). I felt like I was in a bad dream... this was the worst poverty I have ever witnessed in the world. I've heard stories about bulldozers moving the trash and running over the children looking for things to re-sell. That is these peoples means of income and source of food. I can't even imagine the diseases in that place.


Miles upon miles of trash.





That water was pitch black- the darkest water I have ever seen!! Full of sewage.

There was hope after the horrible sites.. we went to an organization called "PSE" which is the french abbreviation that means "For the smiling children." It was founded in 1996 by a frenchman and his wife. Over 6,000 kids from the city dump or who live close to receive schooling, a place to play, food, shelter for some, and a vocational school for the older kids. This incredible/enormous compound gives the kids/ the mothers of the children a way to make a decent income without going back to the dump.

Hundreds of bikes that most of the kids use to get to school.

One of the signs posted all around the school complex.

One of the gorgeous flowers at the school.

I have so much to be thankful for.....