Kampong Chhnang '09

This is a picture diary of three or four days spent in the province of Kampong Chhnang.  It was my first trip there, and I definitely want to re-visit again next summer!

With the exception of our time in Phnom Penh at the Bible college, all our meals were eaten out.  So this isn't a rare picture.  Every morning in Kampong Cham, each of us had a small loaf of crusted bread with jam, and a slice of pineapple.  For lunch and dinner?  Rice! (White or fried, with meat or vegetables of course.)

This is Pastor Kimsan, the President (or the Superintendent) of the Wesleyan Church in Cambodia.  He is a really kind man, and I enjoyed the few conversations I was able to have with him (between my very poor Khmer, and his poor English.)  Here he is doing what he usually did while our team was doing ministry, napping in the hammock!  hehe.

These are of course just cute little boys from our English classes.  I can't tell you any of their names, because at that point I didn't know how to ask "What is your name?" and I wouldn't have understood them even if I knew how to ask!  This particular village had never seen "whiteys" before, so it was exciting for us and them!

This is (Pastor) Paroath and the widow who graciously allows him to live with her, and to hold English classes and Sunday services under their home.  Our team fell in love with his ministry, so we decided together that we wanted to do something to support him.  We decided to cut back drastically on our living expenses and the 7 of us shared 1 large room at each hotel we stayed in.  We also made more humble decisions when choosing restaurants and menus. At the end of the trip, we had saved enough money to build a small structure for Paroath to use as a classroom and sanctuary.

This is very similar to the structure that Paroath will build with the money we gave him.

This is the widow's home, and below are a few desks and chairs with a whiteboard. Her yard is also very large for many children!

I used these homemade cards to teach the alphabet in my English classes.  I also had 2 foam alphabet puzzles, and the children loved competing to see which team could complete it first.

I loved playing ball with these little boys!  It was simple - we just tossed it back and forth.  This is how I learned my khmer numbers!  Muy, bpei, bpai, bpoun, bpram...

Visual aids is definitely the best way to teach English as a second language, so I collected small toys to teach a variety of lessons.  Animals was my favorite!  If you can click and zoom this picture, look at how happy Paroath's face is!

A Mobile Upload: My crazy brother

This is my brother-in-law Jeff.  I love him alot.  I bought him (and both my sisters and parents) this lovely I love Cambodia t-shirt.  When I get married and live in Cambodia, and when he comes to visit me and his brother-in-law and his nieces and nephews.. he will love Cambodia too!

Big Barbee Lake & Indiana Beach!

Sunday afternoon I drove to Warsaw to spend a few days with a family that my sister and I have babysat for about 8 years.  This winter the Haneys moved away about an hour away, and now live on Barbee Lake.  Sunday night we grilled out, and went boating.  I forgot how much I loved the water!!  Especially after I learned how to water ski last summer at Table Rock Lake, near Branson.  Then Monday, Tom and I (& another young girl) took the 4 kids to Indiana Beach.  We had beautiful weather, the lines were short, and the kids really were very good.  I also made a friend there, his name is Rafael.  It was a really good day.  Yesterday I was able to sleep until almost 10:30, then spent the entire day watching the Disney channel with Olivia (7 yrs), and playing outside with Garrett (right) and Grason (above).  I made the long drive home this morning, then met Dr. Pettis at Ivanhoe's for lunch.  We talked about his trip to the Philippines, my trip to Cambodia, and our next trip to Mozambique in May 2010.  Tomorrow will be my first full work day at IWU, then I leave for another week of Fairmount camp on Sunday!

Grandmom isn't dead.

If you're looking for a good story, this will be a good post to read!!

Background:: Shortly after Mother's Day, while I was in Cambodia, my grandmom got very ill.  She was taken to the hospital, and her body was filled with infection, her kidneys had failed.  She spent a few days in the intensive care unit, and finally came home a week later.  So the pre-cursor to the story is: Grandmom has been very sick, but is growing stronger and improving.  You should also know that I love my grandmom very much; she is very very dear to me.

So here is the story: Thursday afternoon I was at Pine Lake with Fairmount Camp and I received a text from an unknown number.  The text read something like "Jewel, I'm sorry about your grandmother's passing.  We are out of state.  Please tell your mother & family that you are in our prayers."  LET ME TELL YOU -- A TEXT MESSAGE IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO LEARN THAT YOUR GRANDMOM HAS DIED.

I freaked out.  I was standing talking to friends, and I quickly handed my sister my phone and I sat in the grass and started to sob.  Jessie got out her phone to call home, and I texted this mystery person back and said, "I'm sorry I don't know who you are, but I hadn't heard the news yet."

Jessie talked to Mom and asked what they were doing.  Mom said her and Dad were getting ready to leave the house, Jessie asked where and Mom said Lowes.  Jessie thought that wasn't right, so she shared with Mom what we had just learned.  Well Mom wasn't sure what to think, but knew it wasn't true because she had already been at Grandmom's 3 times earlier that day, and Grandmom is fine!

So I texted the person back and told them that it was a very mean joke.  Just a few minutes later, our youth pastor asked me how my day was going.  I chuckled a little with tears still in my eyes, and told him the story.

He said "Wow, I should have told you."  I said, "HA excuse me what?"  Well evidently rumors have spread that our grandmom died.  My grandmom's name is Jane Ache and another woman named Mary Achor just died, and evidently our prayer bulletin was either printed wrong or was read wrong.

Grandmom hasn't been to church since Mother's Day, but she plans to go tomorrow morning.  It should be interesting for those that have believed she died earlier this week.

Needless to say, I'm glad the rumors aren't true!!!

So last week was good!

So last week was good!  I spent a week at my old stomping ground, Fairmount Wesleyan Campgrounds.  I was a counselor for 10 high school girls.  I didn't get enough of "my own space" all week, but I can say that it was worth it when I could lead that "clinger" to Christ and His love on Friday night.  I had never actually led someone through the sinner's prayer, so I was quite terrified but God gave me the words as I first prayed for her, then prayed with her.

The campers arrived Sunday afternoon, and Sunday evening after the rally we had a Luau and dinner on the rec field.  I enjoyed listening to karaoke, and had a great conversation with New Zealand missionary Josh Bowlin, and 2 youth pastosr - Jeff and Tony.  Josh really encouraged me to contact Global Partners (Wesleyan mission organization) now and share my heart with them. The thought is pretty scary, because I'm not ready to go and it's still 2 to 3 years away - but it's also really exciting!!  Monday we had tournaments on campus, and I got sunburnt watching volleyball all afternoon.  Then I relaxed in the NOW AIR-CONDITIONED cafeteria.  Monday night we went go-karting and I won my race!  We also went mini-golfing.  Tuesday afternoon we spent doing a variety of activities at IWU.  Tuesday night we went to Alexandria pool and I played Uno.  Wednesday afternoon and evening was spent at Pine Lake and it was a very hot day with lots of sun.  Because there was no rain, we were able to stay there and have our service on the lake.  I love meeting with God in nature, so it was a great time.  Thursday we had water and mud games on campus, and everything got pretty stained with dirt.  Thursday night we had a no-talent talent show.  I did a dance with my sister and 6 other girls from church, and it was alot of fun.  Also, 4 of us counselors did a little mock skit of Brittan Bush that was pretty exciting.  I missed the Friday morning festivities to work at IWU, but joined the camp Friday afternoon for swimming at Splash House.  Seriously.. like 3 out of 5 campers were already sun burnt!  Then Friday evening Ambre got saved!!

Sr. High Camp

You haven't heard from me in awhile because I have been at Fairmount campgrounds for youth camp.  I have 11 girls from Hillside, Westview, and Three Rivers.  I have been a camper at Fairmount Wesleyan Camp since I was a quite young, so it really is my stomping grounds.  I have also been a Junior Bible Camp counselor there for 4 summers, but being a high school counselor is quite different.  These girls can read their handbooks, and know where they are supposed to be when.  They aren't fighting to sit beside me or on me, and they know how to use utensils and napkins.  They don't need night-lights or anyone to persuade them to take a shower.

Here I am in lower 12 front.

You should also notice my new T!  I love Cambodia!  I bought these for both my parents, my sisters, and my brother.  Every Christmas, Dad buys us matching shirts.  1 year they were sweatshirts with our names on them, another year we had matching fleeces, last year we all got Cubs t-shirts... so I couldn't resist when I saw these at the Russian Market in Phnom Penh.

Well my battery is dying and I can't seem to get a charge, so I'll have to say this is all for now!

Goodbyes aren't forever...

Cause I got a phone call from Cambodia today!  It was almost noon here, so almost 11pm in Cambodia, and my friend Tito called me from his bed.  I can receive calls and texts internationally, but I cannot send or call.  So I downloaded skype yesterday, and I plan on buying credit soon!  Skype is an online program that lets you call or text internationally, and it's cheap!  So that will be a great resource for keeping in touch until I return next summer.

Here are pictures taken my very last day in Cambodia.  I don't think I have to tell you again that it was a very sad day!

Everyone at the airport. In the back: Pastor Vandy, Pastor Tito, one of my bests Channa, 1-yr volunteer Adam Nash, So Phol (bending over), and Srey Lis; next: Zanda, one of my bests Theavy, missionary Pastor Greg, and one of my bests Nekru (teacher) Channy.

Tito and I

Me and the girls at the airport.

I know this is the same group of people.. but I wanted to highlight how tall Adam is!  In reality he is only 6', but Cambodians are very short!

This is at my farewell fellowship at the Bible college.  I brought chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers from America and we made s'mores!

So Phol, Channa, Theavy, and Srey Lis in a tuk tuk (link to image).  A tuk tuk is a small cart pulled behind a motorcycle, hired for public transportation.  Seven of us fit comfortably, but I wouldn't put more than four in each seat.  In fact, we had to hire a 2nd driver after our 1st tuk tuk blew a tire!

Zanda, Resie and I.  Resie is a Wesleyan missionary from the Philippines, and is a teacher at the Bible College.  Her and I became very close after my team left.

After lunch on my last day, I took Resie and the five female WBI students out for manicures and pedicures.  It is a real treat for the girls to leave campus, and we really had a lot of fun in the three hours we were there.

Adjusting to America...

Little update on what has happened since my return:
Well you know that I wanted to stay in Cambodia, but if I'm going to come home, then there is no place I would have rather gone on the 1st day than to my church. Brookhaven! It was really good to see everyone. My pastor greeted me from the pulpit and I was swarmed by people afterwards asking me about the trip, if I was feeling better (it was miscommunicated to my church that I had been IN the hospital for 4 days) and saying that they were praying for me. I rested in the afternoon and enjoyed time with Jessie before she left and went to camp for 2 weeks! Then after the evening service, we had a going away party for the Browns (a family that I am close to.) I told others that they are not allowed to go anywhere, because I am DONE saying goodbye for a couple weeks! It's rough stuff! haha.
After the party I went to Starbucks with my friends Phil and Stephanie (who are the leaders of my Wed night small group Bible study) and we talked about Cambodia.
Monday I enjoyed an entire day at home, resting. My luggage finally arrived before dinner so I started laundry (which had quite the odor!) I went to visit my grandmom for 2 hours. She was very very ill while I was in Cambodia, and actually spent a few nights in the intensive care unit. She is home now and growing stronger and improving. My mom lived with her for 3 weeks, after a week in the hospital. I certainly didn't want to leave Cambodia, but I did want to be with her while she was in the hospital.
Because Grandmom is able to live on her own now, Mom has gone back to work - so it's just Dad and I this week. Last night we went on the motorcycle to Ivanhoes and I enjoyed a greasy cheeseburger and tater tots (not quite white rice and green peppers), then drove through the country, and went on a long walk.
I am feeling quite jet-legged and wasn't able to sleep until almost 4am. I forced myself awake at noon, then had a bowl of frosted flakes. I promptly took a nap at noon and woke again at 2:45. I'm told UV rays will help me adjust, but there aren't any!
Enjoy the pictures and stories in the previous post and look forward to more!