We tend to take them for granted, just a way to get from here to there. Now that Phnom Penh is mostly paved  it is hard to remember that 12 years ago when we arrived it was mostly unpaved! In recent years the major roads in the country have been improved and many are now paved. Nevertheless there are still many roads in the countryside here in Cambodia that can look like this photo in the rainy season and can be sand traps in the dry season. The main road up to the largest Kuy area of the country is currently being improved and will soon be a nice wide paved road. Tom discovered on a recent trip to Preah Vihear province that even the smaller road off that main road heading out to some of the most isolated Kuy villages is being readied for major improvement. There is now a bridge where there did not used to be one, so that it is accessible even during the rainy season.

Just as the incredible roads of the Roman world helped spread the gospel in the first century, these new roads will make it easier for Tom and others to get out to these remote sites for evangelism, church planting and development work. They will also make it easier for people to get their products to market and to obtain things they need from outside. Where there did not used to be phone coverage there are at least two cell phone companies operating. All this aids development and hopefully brings more prosperity and better options to the people living there. However, not all the things brought by better roads are good. Better roads means greater possibilities for exploitation of the forest and exploitation of the people (especially human trafficking), better access for land speculators and for illegal drugs..

Pray