So Here's The Story...

So here's the story all about how my life got twisted upside down... (so catchy). So bad news on Wednesday! After a long day at school I found out at lunch that the Prime Minister closed all the schools in Cambodia due to a spreading disease called Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease. Unfortunately this meant that we would no longer be teaching summer school with a week and half left to go. This also meant that I would no longer see my students again, as well as the neighborhood kids and orphans :( The hardest part about this change was that I was never able to say goodbye, it didn't seem fair. Thankfully our team is healthy but this decision left our team wondering what was next. Although I really don't understand why this had to happen and I am missing a sense of closure I know God has a plan and its not always my place to understand. Trust!! A few doors have been opened for our last week here thankfully. We are going to go help with an organization called Cambodian Christian Arts Ministry who we have been in contact with through friends since we arrived in Cambodia. Then in the afternoon God has really blessed us with the chance to go back to the orphanage we have been volunteering at. We cannot work at the school but we have gotten special permission to go to the children's home to play with them there :) yay!!

I mostly wish that I could have just explained to all of the kids I can no longer see why we cannot play anymore and remind them one last time how special they are and how much I love them. I do need to remember though that I have a God so much greater than I and he is watching over the kids here in Cambodia with a love I could never give. So please be praying for my team this last week as God uses us in ways we may not even understand.

The Orphanage!

We started volunteering at an orphanage called Asia's Hope about 2 weeks ago and oh my goodness its been wonderful! We went not necessarily planning to teach but hoped more to assist and just enjoy the kids; of course their plan was a little different than ours :) I walked into a class, the teacher looked at me and said, "You teach." I said, uhhh no, I think I'll just help but 2 minutes later I had some random book in my hand a red pen and about 13 first graders who speak little to no English staring at me. That first day I have no idea what happened! It was uphill from that day on thankfully (but just in case a code word was set in place).

These kids have won my heart over. I love that they are waiting with anticipation as we pull in. They absolutely adore the time we spend with them and so do I. There is not a moment while at that orphanage I don't have at least two kids hanging on me, holding my hand, or giving me sneak attack hugs! So stinkin' cute, even while teaching I need to remind them to sit down. They don't care that I'm a sweaty mess, they still share a love so strong that I need to pry it off as we leave.

One little girl this last Tuesday called me sister. Although I know it was her way of addressing me I couldn't help but think, yes we are sisters! Thank you Jesus for allowing me and this sweet, innocent, orphaned girl to forever be sisters in your name. How excited I am to one day meet up again in heaven, and there we can once again twirl, and dance, and experience a love so large.

Weekend Get Away

Still catching up...so back track to last weekend!

Friday night through Sunday was filled with really fun Cambodian traditions and relaxation!! Friday night a big group of us went to take "glamor shots." We were dressed in authentic Cambodian clothes, and had our make-up and hair done too. It was really a funny experience. 

Saturday morning we were invited to Vibol's (our Tuk Tuk driver) daughter's dance recital at the Cambodian Christian Arts Ministry. It was authentic Khmer dancing and music with a touch of adorable preschoolers, it was beautiful. I was really thankful we were able to go and share in this experience. Vibol was such a proud dad :)

After the recital we left for Kep, which is about a 3 hour drive to the beach. Our bus driver (for lack of really knowing lets just call him Seth) was quite the experience. Before we were even on the road to Kep we got lost going back to our house and that was just the start of it. Three hours later, after experiencing some CRAZY driving and constant, unneeded honking, and some Avril Lavigne we made it safely to our hotel, Vanna Hills. Ji Hae's friend, Ling, came to meet up with us and "Oh my stars" she is fantastic!!

Ling has an amazing story. She was in her early 20's, married, with 2 children when the Khmer Rouge hit. Her husband, both her sons, and most of her family were killed during this time. Skin and bones she survived, went to California and remarried a French man and restarted her life. At a refugee camp she was able to find Jesus which gave her such hope and peace. In 1991, she moved back to Cambodia where she lives in the most beautiful house I have ever seen; Bonnie described it as a little piece of heaven. Ling, so cute, cracked me up! She said, "I survived the Khmer Rouge, now menopause!! WHY THIS?!" haha. She took us to a great seafood restaurant where I got chicken :) and then we walked around Kep and the national park. Kep is absolutely beautiful with fresh, cooler, air, friendly faces, and STARS. It was so nice to get away from the crazy city.

Sunday we were going to travel to Bokor Mountain but first breakfast! At breakfast we met on of Ling's neighbors, Andi. Andi has lived in Cambodia for about three years now and just recently began to foster 6 kids under the age of 18, as well as her own 7 year old daughter. Her story really tugged on my heart and I am so thankful for people like Andi who are willing to give completely of themselves! 

We traveled up the winding roads of Bokor Mountain, of course "Seth" kept us on our toes the whole ride, and it was really pretty. The mountain was really random with a giant statue of Buddha at the top, old run down churches, and a mega resort all in one. It was something to see so I'm glad we made the trip. The rest of the day consisted of lunch, ice cream (of course) and another crazy ride home. There was an accident which turned into quite the delay. Women were grabbing their purses and walking haha and this only made "Seth" more antsy. We spent the rest of the car ride passing vehicles that were also trying to pass vehicles, playing chicken with oncoming traffic, and a blinker that was left on the entire way home because really it was only a matter of moments before we passed something new. Home safe!

"Have low expectations, high hope, and trust, trust, trust!" -Ling 

Cockroach Fever

There is something really special about hearing a bunch of crazy street children sing praises to Jesus in a different language. It truly is a sweet sweet sound. My time with the neighborhood outreach has been incredible. Although language has been a barrier, it has only been a small one. Each day (Mon, Wed, Fri) these kids flood through the gate in pure excitement and for the next two hours I get to be apart of what I'm sure is the best parts of their week. I don't have to teach, I don't even need to talk, considering they have no idea what I'm saying, but we can play soccer, and swim, and sing songs, and swing, and as the girls continuously hug me and the little boys pretend to beat me up I surely hope they know how much I love them.

One girl specifically has really gotten a hold of my heart- Chakriya. She is so gorgeous and we have this bond that I know will last forever (I know for sure because she gave me a friendship bracelet haha). I can only pray that God watches over her and protects her from a world that knocks you down time after time, and brings her an incredible joy. I just found out that she is enrolled in Logos for this next year, what a miracle!

I've been lacking in updates so here are some slightly brief details on the last weekish...

So last week (7-9-12) started session two of summer school. I only started with nine kids and was definitely missing the rest of my class (I now have 15 kids so the class is feeling full and oh so lively once again)! Teaching, as well as life here in general, has become routine and its a good feeling to feel comfortable and confident when really I have no idea what I am doing.

At the beginning of this week I started not to feel too well but hoped that it would just pass with a good night's sleep, wrong! The whole week I felt so terrible, a sickness I really had never experienced before and it was hard to know what to do. Each day I told myself just get through the day, just get through the day!! One morning when I was trying to figure out how I was going to manage, one of my boy's popped into class early and brought me a pop-up picture that he created that read, "I hope you have a good day!" and that's exactly how I was going to manage for the day!
I had a lot of people looking out for me this week which really meant so much. My TA, Roth, offered to take me home one day instead of staying for the neighborhood outreach (first Moto experience) and then the next day Roth and Kosal took over the last hour of my class and I was able to go rest in the teacher's lounge. After a week of complete pain I was starting to feel better but at the same time a rash took over my body, haha. I was able to talk to an American nurse and she reassured that I wasn't dying of hand, foot, and mouth disease or dengue fever but it was probably just viral. By the end of that weekend I felt so much better, thank you for the prayers!!

I had an encounter with a cockroach! Squirmy thing tried to store away in my backpack at school, he didn't last too much longer. At home ANOTHER cockroach!! I guess they do exist, maybe not as ugly as I had imagined though.

I Ate A Bug Club!

Did you know that the sound trucks make as they back up is NOT the typical beep, beep, beep in Cambodia, but rather to the tune of "Its A Small World After All!?"

Happy Saturday :) Today was a touristy day but enjoyable! We started off the morning by making pancakes from scratch (thank you Ji Hae) which were so good and then headed to the city with Aaron! Today we went to the Central Market where I freshened up my bargaining skills! We then had lunch at a place that helps street children get an education, "Friends." I love all of these places that support people who really need the help to get back onto their feet, it's encouraging! After lunch we went to the Royal Palace which wasn't all that exciting but something to see I suppose. I think a King, or someone important, was there so a lot of the areas were closed off, shoot.

Now the exciting part of the day! All week we have been building up the guts to eat a tarantula and today was the day! Aaron took us to this restaurant, that outside had a sign that read "Creative Cuisine" (appropriate) and YUP we ate tarantula!!! That was only the appetizer, for my actual dinner I had a Red Tree Ant platter. MMMM. The tarantula was actually pretty good, after getting past the squeamish part, but I wasn't a huge fan of the ants. We'll see if my stomach holds up, fingers crossed!

Week 3, Check!

This second week of teaching went really well, praise Jesus! I finally feel like we have a groove to the day (minus missing music class today, woops) but I'm having a lot of fun with my students. This week we finished our Space Unit! The students, researched and presented posters on the different planets, participated in the GALACTIC GAMES, created their own constellations, creatively wrote what it would be like if they were astronauts, and crafted their own astronaut helmets- ready to blast off into space! It was a fun week with a sad ending. Today was eight of my students' last day of summer school so they won't be returning for the second session :( Some of my favorites too but I truly hope they enjoyed their time and learned a little something along the way! I forced them to give me a hug before they left, haha. I love them all.

P.s. Thank you so much Piggly Wiggly for the incredibly generous paper bag donations! :) They worked out perfectly.

So CONFESSION! I finally took advantage of the wonderfully cheap massages here in Cambodia. We went to a place called Daughters of Cambodia. It is this "organization" that helps girls who were once apart of sex trafficking get back on their feet. Pretty neat! Anyways, a one hour head to toe massage for only $13. It was so amazing :)

Three more weeks to go and it is all going by so quickly! I am trying to take in as much as I can and let God use me in all the ways He sees fit. I am so thankful for a God who loves unconditionally, a God of such creativity, a God who is so incredibly patient, and a God who appreciates laughter more than I could imagine.

Fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you! 2 Tim. 1:6

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA!

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY EVERRRR so of course I force fed it to my non-American students :) I made it very clear today that it was Miss Holm's favorite holiday and everyone better be excited, haha and they should be considering we didn't do much schoolwork and I bribed them with presents!

Happy Fourth of July everyone!! In school today we discussed the importance of parades (and how there is no better moment than getting pelted by free candy), fireworks, and hotdogs :) played a few holiday games, colored with chalk, and created 4th of July lanterns. It was a fun day with the kids whether they completely understood or not!! Neighborhood kids came today too, so so wonderful.

Tonight Aaron took us all to Mike's burgers to properly finish celebrating the 4th! Mike, the owner and the cook, lived through and survived the Khmer Rouge, moved to California for 30 years where he learned to cook really great food, and then moved back to Cambodia where he know serves the best guaranteed burgers. They were really good and his story is really cool!

MMM an American meal at its best! Today was a great day; I hope everyone back home has a fun and safe holiday! OOOO and AHHH during the fireworks for me :)

The Killing Field

Saturday was a day to remember, a day everyone should remember, but a day I along with millions of other people rather forget because the heartache is too great. We spent the day visiting the Khmer Rouge prison camp and killing field (one amongst hundreds). At the prison there were empty rooms that were heavy with the truth of what happened. There were torture tools, stories, and so many pictures of the innocent people that were executed. It was brutal and inhumane and unbelievable but it was real and all too recent. Men, woman, and children "lived" in repulsive living conditions, starved, were raped, abused, tortured, and murdered. It all broke my heart but just to be broken again at the killing field.

 As I walked through a place were thousands of people died I listened to the history and to the stories. There were mass grave sights everywhere, building spots that previously housed torture weapons and chemicals in which were used to cover up the decaying smell and finish killing those who were buried alive. Soldiers blasted music to cover up the screams of those being murdered. On the ground you could still see scraps of clothing stuck in the soil. The hardest part of the day was the mass grave of 100 naked women and children which was next to the execution tree. Babies were slammed into this tree and then thrown into a pit to be buried. Bracelets covered this sight in remembrance. It was terrible. The last stop was the memorial stupa. This is a 17 tier building that held the bones that were dug up from the mass graves. I don't understand how something like this could happen. This country is slowly rebuilding but there is still a lack of hope throughout the streets.

Lord,
Let your love, your strength, your healing hands roam through this country. Let your light illuminate the lost hope and joy.

Pray for Cambodia. 

So I can't stop sweating!

So after my underwear fell out of my suitcase for all to see in the CA airport, classic, and we kind of skipped Sunday, and had a layover in Taiwan, I'm finally IN CAMBODIA!!! Now week one is done... so here is a quick recap and then hopefully I can keep up with this!

Got to Cambodia on a Monday, it took a matter of seconds before I started sweating-JOY, and jumped right into teaching on Tuesday (real JOY)! The first day consisted of setting up my awesome room, pronouncing and re-pronouncing AND re-pronouncing my TA's name and my students' names. I have 17 amazing students, haha actually for the first few days I wasn't sure how many students I had- is that bad? :) Anyways, they are great and know English well and we have a good time. I'm starting to get to know these kids as individuals and how they learn, where they struggle, and who they are which has been neat!

We have been working on math, science, and creative writing! The creative writing has been by far my favorite because these kids are actually super creative! The first day we created a story together as a class...
The Adventure of Princess Bubble Gum
Once upon a time there was a beautiful bubble gum princess with pink hair. She lived in a gigantic castle made out of candy. Princess lived with her blue pet alien named, Kirby! One day the Evil Spaghetti Dragon captured Princess Bubble Gum. Princess Bubble Gum was scared and sad. Luckily, Finn and Jake (still have no idea who these guys are) came to save the day. Finn and Jake threw candy at the Evil Spaghetti Dragon! The dragon died and the Princess, Finn, and Jake enjoyed a nice spaghetti dinner! The End.

The next day Solomon brought me my very own Princess Bubble Gum, which he created the night before! Its so fantastic :)

We also made creative pencils for creative writing and worked on decorating name tags. They love the crafts. Later in the week we created Friend Recipes, imagined if we were 1" tall, and worked with Add-On stories...more to come!

 This week was so much fun and I love working with these children. I have one student who does not speak any English so that has been a challenge. I think I made a small break through the other day though...I shared my snack, got her to go down the slide a few times, and we held hands as we soaked our toes in the pool. I think I saw a smile :)

I'm kind of living in "luxury," in this bubble of home and school but I've been struggling with that. I ride to school and see naked kids next to tent houses and then moments later switch on the AC to my classroom. I haven't quite figured out my purpose for being here but I truly know and trust that I am here for a reason and challenges are to come! Friday started to open my eyes a bit more...

Friday afternoon the neighborhood kids came to play at the school. Once the gates were open the kids came flooding in, it was awesome! These kids know practically no English but they are my favorite! I got to go swimming with some of the kids, play soccer, and had the best moment at the end of the day. I was on a tire swing with two sweet girls that I knew nothing about, not even their names, but we were able to share a moment of great joy and we laughed and we smiled, and I held onto these girls so that they knew they were protected...at that moment by me but forever by God! There is a love that speaks so greater than any words.

I'm continuing to search, continuing to grow, and continuing to learn a love so great for my Lord and Savior!

Hennrietta Mears

"Do you believe that you can change the world in this generation?"

At training this random man named Bill came up to me at dinner. He introduced himself and went on to tell me about this woman named Hennrietta Mears, a wonderful Christian leader that "birthed" amazing organizations and people of God. Hennrietta would ask her students, "Do you believe that you can change the world in this generation?" She had a faith and strength like no other. Bill prayed a blessing over our trip. It was a really neat conversation and completely God sent. Bill felt the need to speak into our lives and told us that "we were pregnant with a destiny." It was a moment in which I have never quite experienced before. Lord, what you have planned for me is unimaginable!

California Training Recap!

June 17th, I left for California for a week of training! I got to the airport with an exceptionally heavy bag, actually 16lbs too heavy and needless to say my mom went home with a handful of candy, crafts, and supplies. Good news though, my box of chalk, Christmas lights, and box of sparklers made the trip (the necessities of course)! My bag was forever marked HEAVY!

I safely arrived to California, figured out the random shuttle bus, and before even arriving God provided me with friends going my same direction! All week I was blessed with a peace and comfort that could only come from God, no first day of school jitters woo! During the training week I met my amazing Cambodia team (Crystal, Ji Hae, Bonnie, and Sybil) and many other full-hearted servants of God preparing to love all around the world. Throughout this week we sat through different sessions and ate food. The sessions consisted of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), culture, language, team bonding, practicums, and who knows what else...it all seems to blend together as one LONG week! We were ready to fly out to Cambodia before the week even really got started :)

Fun story, such a small world! I ran into my friend Michael Bishop from ONU at this teeny little university. A friendly face was just what I needed :)

After a week of people overload and draining days, training came to an end and it was sad to say goodbye BUT how cool it was going to be knowing that all around the world people were spreading God's love simultaneously! One relationship to note, we met the CUTEST korean man named Daniel! Our "BFFL" joined our Cambodia group during meals and even some practicum sessions! He warmed my heart like crazy :)

First team to leave...here we come CAMBODIA!

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 18:2-4

How joyful I can be for little kids with huge hearts! We should all strive to be children of this earth!

And so it begins...

"Why go somewhere were God can use anyone? Why not go somewhere were God can only use you? Months ago I prayed, Lord, lead me to your heart...and here I am in CAMBODIA! :)

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me!" Jeremiah 29: 11-13

Here I am, all of me. Take my life, its all for thee...