The Tale of The Comfort Rooms

One of the outreaches of Trinity Christian Fellowship (TCF) is in the Doem Sleing District of Phnom Phen. Resident of this district are known to be poor in hygiene and sanitation. TCF staff who goes to the community for their feeding and Bible Study programs often complain of the disturbing smell which are obviously from human waste.

Waste everywhere.

When I came to Phnom Phen in January, Rev. Sam Pacha, Pastor of TCF shared with me the need for a community toilet in this district. He asked me to prepare a plan for a community toilet. When I came back to PP, I prepared another plan. This time for the Doem Sleing District. Ptr Sam wanted to present this project to a group of students from the Singapore Management University visiting the Hope Learning Center, an educational assistance ministry pioneered by Pastor Sam.

These Singaporean students visited the Doem Sleing District in the past and gave similar observation of foul odor. Pastor Pacha told them that they, too, had been suffering from this stench since the time TCF started to minister in the area. He also shared to the group their prayer for God to send somebody or a group of people who would provide a community toilet even just to serve the children and some of the church members living nearby.

The Singaporean team with the locals.

And God answered the prayer of the church.

Just in time of my arrival in Phnom Penh, the fund for the toilet was ready and I was asked to handle the project.

The church explored to build the toilet in the houses of one of their members in the Doem Sleing District who readily agreed with a request that their floor would also be repaired. They had been praying for some time already that somebody would help them repair their flooring because it was no longer safe. They shared to the church their prayer concerns especially that the rainy season is fast approaching.

Indeed, God is a God who listens to the pleas of His children.

The bed is the spot where the toilets were constructed.

As an engineer, my first struggle was to decide what kind of material to be used to suit to the requirement of the project. I do not know the place and I do not know the language. So I asked Pastor Sam to give me somebody who can help me look around and do canvassing of materials that we can use for the project.

Tadah!!!

Since the toilet would be constructed inside the house and it needed to be finished in one week because the SMU students would like to do the ceremonial opening, I decided to use steel pipes with concrete flooring. I also have to use a squat type toilet bowl because most Cambodians are comfortable using the squat type than conventional toilet bowl.

Doing the canvassing, buying the materials needed and communicating with the construction workers was really an extra challenge for me. Google sketchup software proved to be handy and useful in drawing a 3D presentation to the workers and even to some material suppliers and to the people who helped me in the process.

It was happy day as dedicated the toilets to the Lord.

During the 5-days work, I always ask God to help me communicate with whomever I get in touch with who do not know either English or the language we use in the construction.  Despite our deficiencies God has empowered us to finish the project, to repair the damaged flooring and a roof extension for the feeding program and Bible study session. The Lord has His own way of filling up every shortcomings we have at hand.

Now their flooring is safer.

In all these things, language was never a hindrance. To God be the glory and honor forever and ever. Amen.