amarjamitsutomi - Thanksgiving unlike any other

What a bittersweet thanksgiving week this has been. This week has been a week of mourning because of the water festival tragedy. Over 300 people died this weekend on a bridge that became overcrowded connecting to Diamond Island. It is still a mystery to us all how something like this could happen. There are theories but it is hard to pinpoint what caused so many deaths.

Many people here are superstitious and are afraid that this is a bad year and that the deceased spirits are haunting the streets. Today, a day that we celebrate Thanksgiving in the states was a day of mourning for the people of Cambodia. We began our day accompanying our teachers from language school to the now notorious bridge. We wore white and black as a symbol of respect and brought flowers to the site where many others burned incense and prayed for the spirits of their ancestors.

It has definitely been a week of learning for the team and I. There is no better way of getting to know a culture than witnessing it at its worse. That being said, I am thankful for life. We attended the water festival that same day and were thinking about staying later but our wise friends suggested we leave before it got too crowded. Praise God we did! If you would like to read more about what happened, click here.

Tonight the team and I went to an NGO called Hagar that hosted a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. Though it was nothing like Momma's thanksgiving cooking, it was still a blessing to have Turkey, mashed potato's and pumpkin cheesecake! I am thankful to the Lord for sending me to Cambodia to further His kingdom on earth! Blessings on this day to you all!