When There Is No Water
If you have been following our blogs of recent events here in Cambodia, you may realize that the temperature has exceeded 100oF almost every day here in the city. The rest of the country has been about the same, and at times, even experiencing higher numbers than we have here.
But, what do you do when there is no source of clean and safe drinking water, or any water at all for that matter?
While we were deployed here in 2013, we took a trip down to the province of Kampot to meet with several pastors. We sat outside a beautiful white church in the shade of the palm trees to get away from the heat. It was near the end of the dry season and after we had sat for several hours of discussion, we were preparing to leave when the pastors asked if Shary would take time to visit with the wife of Pastor Nop Sean. The poor lady was in abdominal pain with a swelling that had been with her for some time. Shary asked what had been done for her and they had sold the family cow in order to raise money for her to be treated at the local clinic, but the clinic had been unable to help.
Shary suggested that she be taken to Phnom Penh for further diagnosis and treatment, but there was no money available in the community to help. Thanks to the generosity of some donors from Colorado, money was made available for a donation and it was possible for Pastor Nop’s wife to be brought to a hospital in Phnom Penh. Because hospitals here require prepayment as treatment is done, Shary paid several visits to see her laying in a bed with her family sleeping beneath the bed to care for her,making payments as treatments were done.
Unfortunately. it seemed that the cause of her illness was the consumption of unsafe drinking water which had destroyed her body inside. As we asked more questions, we were told that 78% of the people in Kampot Province were at end of the dry season without safe drinking water. In order to survive, these people drank whatever water they could find, many times only to end up in the hospital.
It appears that women and children are most affected by the drought. When there is no water, the children will frequently get diarrhea and succumb to complications quite quickly from it.
This year, it is even worse. Last week, the Phnom Penh Post, reported that this has been one of the driest dry seasons in Kompot ever recorded.(and elsewhere too) Actual temperatures in many areas are as high as 115o F on a regular basis. The government is hauling in water to sustain the people. But it isn’t just in Kompot, but also is happening in Siem Reap. The Post reported that the barays (reservoirs) were at the lowest point ever recorded. These barays have been around for 600 years and make Siem Reap part of the bread basket of Cambodia. The banks of the Tonle Sap are also very dry and the water level remarkably low. And the forecast for the monsoon rains which refill all these reservoirs and wells is that they will probably not occur until June, at least rain on a regular basis, that is so needed.
Certainly drinking water is the water of life. But, this need also opens the door to talk about the water of Life and baptism. Concordia Welfare and Educational Foundation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia work together to provide wells and water filters for those needing the water of life. But, these physical sources of water also provide the opportunity to talk with the recipients about the water of Eternal Life in Jesus Christ. We are thankful for their passion to share both of these needs in their work, and welcome anyone else who would like to do so, to partner along in this life saving agenda.
.jpg)
Recent Comments