MKLM Retreat

30-31 August to 1 September 2013 The Maryknoll Lay Missioners in Cambodia have a tradition of an annual retreat or reflective experience together. This year the retreat was held at Les Manguiers in Kampot Province.

Friday, 30 August 2013 We left Phnom Penh after lunch for the 90-mile drive to Kampot Province. Outside of Phnom Penh, we stopped to get ice in our coolers because the center we used does not have refrigeration available for the guests. Here Sami Scott and Steve Chinnavaso watch as a shop attendant breaks up a block of ice with a chopper (meat cleaver). Like most of Cambodia, the major crop in Kampot Province is rice and the paddies are beautiful shades of green at this time of the year. Kampot is also known for growing pepper. A simple house in Kampot. This would be a "starter" house for a poor family, just thatch walls and roof. If they are lucky there is a community water supply nearby and a toilet that they can use. Les Manguiers is a getaway and recreational center frequented by foreigners. They have different size houses and bungalows available for a couple or for a family or for a group like the eight of us Maryknoll Lay Missioners. I was in a bungalow with Steve Chinnavaso and had this little porch overlooking the Kampot River just fifteen feet away. Les Manguiers is just a mile or two outside of Kampot City but that is far enough to create a beautiful pastoral setting along the river. They have several small docks like this and two or three other covered docks where they serve breakfast in the morning. We went into town for the evening meal and then on our return we had an opening session for our retreat in a large room we used for a meeting room. Here Maria Montello, James Havey, and Nancy Davies look energized after the opening session.

Saturday 31 August 2013 Each morning the Les Manguiers staff serve breakfast on the little covered shelters built out over the river. They offer French bread and lots of toppings or a plate of noodles. It's a nice way to start the day. After an opening prayer time led by Charlie Dittmeier, the group focused on lifelines, a pictorial presentation of major events or periods in the life of each one. Steve Chinnavaso and Nancy Davies worked in the meeting room which was also James Havey's bedroom because of a mix-up about the rooms. Dee Dungy and James Havey prepared their lifeline posters out on the porch of the building where we had the upstairs meeting room. Lindsay Doucette opted for a chair on the porch to prepare her lifeline. We presented four lifelines in the morning and then the second four in the afternoon. Maria Montello was in the afternoon group. Sami Scott was also an afternoon presenter. Charlie Dittmeier had brought an emergency stash of cookies in a hard plastic container with a tight-fitting lid to keep out ants and bugs and other undesirables. While we were at supper yesterday evening, a rat chewed the box open. Then during the night the rat returned and kept Charlie awake for several hours as he repeatedly shooed it off his bed.

 

Saturday Afternoon After finishing the lifelines, the group spent the rest of the afternoon in a scavenger hunt organized by James Havey and Nancy Davies. One item was a swing out over the water for each member of the team of four. Here Maria Montello shows her form. Another activity was to kayak to the middle of the Kampot River, wave and have your photo taken, and then paddle back. Here Charlie Dittmeier heads for the middle. Another activity required a bike ride for a group photo near a local landmark. Here Dee Dungy, Nancy Davies, and Maria Montello pause on the return journey. The "other" team was composed of James Havey, Sami Scott, Lindsay Doucette, and Steve Chinnavaso. They actually won although their scores could not be independently verified. Dinner was in Kampot town again and then the group gathered on the porch of the large house where the women stayed for games and a lot of conversation.

Sunday 1 September 2013 Right after breakfast, the eight of us gathered for a closing liturgy on the porch of our meeting room. We had our lifelines spread out on the floor in the middle. This is one of the bungalow rooms at Les Manguiers. They are nice, simply decorated, but they are basically just for sleeping. At night the lighting is so dim that to read one must go into the bathroom. The reception center for Les Manguiers is actually a busy place. Guests sign in and out there, but they also have board games, ping pong tables, computers, and a wifi connection. They also serve meals in this area. Here our team is checking out. The grounds of Les Manguiers are quite extensive and are well kept by a large crew of local men and women.

Go to MKLM Activities Page
Go to Charlie Dittmeier's home page