From the first day I arrived in Cambodia, I expected that sooner or later I would have an accident, because the traffic here is very messy, and people (both drivers and pedestrians) seldom observe the traffic rules. Moreover, police along the streets also cause the situation to deteriorate because they often abuse their authority by stopping cars or motorcycles for money, whatever the reasons. November 22 was the day it finally happened - I had a car accident. However, God had mercy on me so that I survived and no one was injured. I praise God not because I never face problems, but that in midst of problems, I experience His kindness and understand more about my weaknesses.

On that day, I transported a missionary couple back home at about 5 o’clock in the evening. When I started to leave their place, I did not notice that there was a school van passing by, so I collided with its rear end. Both of us stopped immediately, so only minor damage occurred. I had a little shock, and the first impression was that settling it might drag on for a few hours. Just a little before the accident happened, my colleagues had called me to have dinner with them, so I called to tell them about the accident, and also telephoned the insurance agent to come to the location. I prayed to God for His presence because anything could happen - it was out of my control and and I didn't know what to expect. About 5 minutes later, the manager of the school (I think that was his position) came and asked US$500 for repairs and renting another van for picking up students. He yelled loudly and threatened the insurance agent and me that he would call the police if it could not be settled that way. Actually both we understood that if the police came, they would ask for money from both parties and take the cars back to the police station, no matter who is liable for the accident. However, I did not panic and sat quietly. At the same time, God protected me in His unexpected way.

First, when I called the insurance agent, I realized that my insured period only had 2 days left and the new agent was not yet confirmed (and probably not with the same company). However, the agent was very helpful to negotiate with this school manager. We waited for almost 2 hours there. Since the location was in front of the missionary couple’s house, they kept me company and gave me hot ginseng tea to calm my shock. Furthermore, I sat on their neighbor’s traditional Khmer bed outside and chatted with the children. Usually when a car accident occurs, many people come and see what will happen, but thank God, it happened on a side street, plus there was a power outage suddenly. Hence, the school manager reluctantly settled the case accordingly to the insurance company’s policy. The most interesting thing was that at the end, the manager came to shake hands with me with a smile, which was totally opposite to his manner before. Consequently, the issue was settled satisfactorily.

The whole incident was like a drama. I discovered that children of God need no violence or bad words to ask for protection or justice in the midst of difficulty. In Cambodia, when a car accident happens, people will quarrel with each other (some even fight), show off their background to threaten the others, or do something silly when they lose ground. In the whole process, I did nothing but be patient and rely on God’s help. I knew that I was weak because I could not speak Khmer fluently to communicate with the locals. I was scared about the police and worried about what might happen next. Life is full of dangers and trials; however, God is good and has pity on our helplessness.

Prayer points