Sihanoukville, Cambodia - A Town I Could Hardly Recognize from My Last Visit

Friday, Jan., 2025 We went on our first car trip outside of Phnom Penh today. Because there were six of us incuding the driver, we needed to rent a van for the day. The last time I went to Sihanoukville was more than a decade ago, therefore I was excited to visit this town once again.

I didn't remember going on any highway the last time and it took the bus more than four hours to get to our destination. But with the new highway, it only took us a little more than two hours to get there. Along the highway, we aslo found new pitstop buildings, stores, restaurants and clean washroom facilities which didn't exist before. Progress takes time and we are glad to see that Cambodia is getting better each time we visit the country.

We made a stop at a rural church where a Cambodia minister was holding a bible teaching session for a group of Cambodian pastors and church leaders from the rural area. we learned that most rural pastors do not get a salary but they are tentmakers trying to support themselves. Unable to attend full time bible school, they are doing some intensive training and leanring on the weekend every month. I sincerely salud these dedicated pastors making these kind of sacrifices and serving their people in the rural communities. After visiting the rural church, we drove around Sihanoukville for a quick tour. I could not believe how much this seaside resort town has changed since I visited it last time. It used to be a quiet small resort tomw with only a couple of hotels big enough to accommodate our youth training group and the children of the vacation bible camp. But in a span of a decade, the facade and the feel of this resort town has completely been transformed. Now, there are numerous hotels, restaurants and casinos making Sihanoukville a much busier place than it used to be. These economic development might have brought more business to the city as well as the problems associated with them. It has also taken away the innocence and the tranquility of the Sihanoville we onced knew and loved.

I found one place that didn't change in Sihanoukville. The seafood restaurant by the river where we used to have our nice dinners with our team members. It is still there, just as beautiful as I have remembered it. It is still serving the delicious fresh seafood we so enjoyed a decade ago! We loved sitting by the water, enjoying the breezes the great food and with my current teammates! RT Sihanoukville, Cambodia