Hard at Work January 30, 2010

After weeks of discussions about cow poo, we finally got to use it this week!

We spent most of Monday praying about how to spend the rest of our time here (we only have a few weeks left in Battambang), and Tuesday morning we started putting plans into action. We went to the Four Square orphanage and started moving a mountain of dirt to raise the ground where we plan to help the kids start a garden. We did this by shoveling dirt from the huge pile into small piles on top of sacks, then carrying the sacks (little dirt hammocks, if you will) to drop the dirt where we wanted it. This plot of land currently floods during the rainy season, but I think we’ll have the beds raised enough so that won’t be a problem this year. The soil is not very good, so before we plant anything we’ll use ash to help soften up the dirt, and animal manure to give it some much-needed nutrients. We worked there Tuesday and Thursday morning, and got most of the mountain broken down and moved (and a lot of trash picked out of the dirt). While we worked, the kids taught us Khmer words by pointing at things and saying the words (they taught me the words for trash, banana tree, mango tree, leaf, and candy) and they were also a huge help with the work. We had fun just playing around with them while we all worked – making funny noises together and just being silly at times. It was hard work, but great fun at the same time. We also spent Sunday morning (for church) and part of Thursday afternoon (we do a VBS-style program for the kids once a week) at the orphanage.

Wednesday and Friday morning we went to Seang’s house to finish the work we started there a week or so ago. We got the ground all prepared (which is a huge job, it turns out!) by chopping up the dirt and adding ash and … yup, you guessed it … COW POO! We planted snake beans and corn and morning glory and set up drip lines so the family doesn’t have to use watering cans. The drip lines will be much less work and will use much less water – which is a huge deal in the dry season. We’re pretty excited to see it working.

We went to the Youth Center every afternoon this week to hang out with the students and help out with the English classes. Anna and I have started building some nice relationships in a level 2 class that we go to and really enjoy. The students and teachers are so kind and welcoming. And many of the students are genuinely interested in learning about Jesus, so that’s pretty exciting. We started the week with a party on Sunday afternoon at the Youth Center where we performed our skit to “Where is the Love?” I gave a little talk afterward – I’ve never stood up in front of a group of people like that and “preached the gospel” before.  It was very cool.

Please continue to pray for me and for our whole team. The Blakelys are headed back to New Zealand this week and that’s going to be challenging for everyone – for the family that has to go, and for the rest of us who will miss them a lot. Many of us are also having some trouble hearing from God. Please pray that we will be able to set aside the distractions and focus on why we’re really here – to share the love of God with word and action; to do his will in Cambodia.

Genesis 2:15 – “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Healthy again! January 23, 2010

Hello friends,

I’m happy to say that all the students in our group are healthy today!  This is the first free day that has happened since we arrived in Battambang!

I had recovered from my stomach issues last weekend by Sunday and was able to join the group at the church service at the Four-Square Orphanage.  Liz gave a great message about God’s love and we got to hang out with the kids after the service was over.  Oddly enough, at one point it turned into a big dance party, something that happened often with our family back in Oxford – I couldn’t help but think, as I danced around with the kids, that the backpackers would have been proud of us.  We also spent Thursday afternoon at the orphanage.  We did a teaching on the Prodigal Son parable (Luke 15:11-32) with a craft and some games.  I think the kids really enjoyed it … we certainly did.

We had more Earth Care teaching with the Khmer Earth Care students (Pisith, Sath, Channoeun, and Lan) in the mornings this week.  We learned about grafting fruit trees and went out to look at several nearby gardens – a very successful one, and some not-so-successful ones.  Thursday we all piled into what was sort of like a giant Tuk Tuk (a cart pulled by a motorcycle) to see some gardens farther away.  There were about 25 of us in all and we must have looked pretty silly all squished into that cart, because we got lots of smiles as we passed by the locals, and at one point there was a group of western-looking tourists who laughed and took pictures of us!

We spent more time at the youth center run by the Battambang YWAM base in the afternoons this week.  I’ve found a couple of classes where I feel like I fit.  I sit in and help the students and the teacher when they need it.  My favorite part this week was standing in front of a level 2 class buzzing like a bee to try to help them say the “z” sound (and differentiate between “z” and “s”).  They laughed at me – go figure – but I think it helped.

I went to the doctor about my persistent cough yesterday and got some medicine – I think it’s helping already.  I’ve already laughed twice today without going into a coughing fit!

Tomorrow we’re going to a party at the youth center and our group is performing a skit that goes along with the song “Where is the Love?” by Black-Eyed Peas.  I’m giving a little talk after it’s over to explain it – please pray for us!

God is doing great work in Cambodia.  I’m so glad to have the opportunity to join in.

Lots of sick people January 16, 2010

Hello!  I have very little time right now, but I wanted to post a quick update.  This week we’ve been having lectures with some Khmer students at the YWAM Battambang base about Earth Care principles.  It’s been really interesting.  Next week we’ll do some practical things (not just lecture, I mean) together.

Our team has also been helping out at YWAM Battambang’s youth center, where they teach free English classes.  Anna and I took a class on “God day” and shared about how we met.  Our main points were that friendship is a gift from God, and while our friendship is great, it’s nothing compared to our friendship with God.  God wants to be our friend and that is so cool.  We’ve been hanging around talking to students on other days, and that’s been fun.

Lots of people on our team have been ill on and off, so please keep us in your prayers.  I had my turn last Sunday, then again last night.  I’m feeling better, but still a little weak.  Regardless of that, I am so glad I’m here.  God is good!

Settled in Battambang January 9, 2010

Hello Everyone!

A very belated “Selmat Naptal & Tahun Barut” to you all!  (That’s Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Indonesian.)  Our team has made it safely to Battambang, Cambodia, and we’re getting settled in and figuring out what our roles will be here.

We spent almost three weeks in Bali, Indonesia, with Rus and Made Alit at BATI (Bali Appropriate Technology Institute).  We had a very refreshing time of learning, serving, and rejuvinating ourselves and each other in a beautiful place.  We helped people in the nearby villages with several projects – carrying rocks up from the river to build a bridge over an eroded part of a road, constructing a large above-ground water storage tank, and carrying sand and other supplies to help with another road project.  It was fun to get to know people a little bit and have a good time, even across the language barrier.

On Christmas Eve we went to a western-style carol service in the large city of Denpassar.  We had a team celebration on Christmas day with food, music, games, and a secret-santa gift exchange of hand-crafted gifts.  The day after Christmas (the evening of Christmas day in Kansas) we went to a Christian Balinese village on the west coast of Bali and joined a church service during which 29 people were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ – very cool!

On New Year’s Eve we performed a Christmas play for people from the villages near BATI.  It was part of a Christmas service that Rus and Made hosted – few of the attendees were Christians, but I think everyone had a good time and I think they enjoyed our play.  They especially enjoyed that we had a Balinese baby to play baby Jesus, if you can judge by the camera flashes and exclamations of “aaaw!” coming from the audience when we brought him out.  The celebration ended, of course, with a feast.  We are eating very well on this DTS!!

We went back to Denpassar on Jan. 1 and had a delicious fish dinner on the beach, and left our hotel at 3 a.m. the next day to catch our flight to Cambodia.  We got here with no trouble on any of our flights.  We spent a few days in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, and then we took a bus to Battambang, where we are now.  We’ll be here until around the middle of February before we head to our next location. 

Our team is doing pretty well – we have our ups and downs.  Several people haven’t been feeling well for the last day or so.  I’ve been feeling OK, but I have a very annoying cough that can be painful at times – but usually only when I laugh (and those of you who know me well know how often that happens).  It’s also a little difficult emotionally, but we’re staying strong and charging along.  Please pray for us; it isn’t easy.

We’ve spent some time playing with the neighborhood kids on the street of the house we’re staying in here in Battambang.  That was fun and strenuous – these kids are craving love.  They just adore attention from loving adults.  We also spent time at an orphanage yesterday playing games and having fun with some other kids.  It was a fun time.  We also visited the home of Seang – our Cambodian leader/translator/friend.  It was very cool meeting his family and seeing the things he’s done to nurture a garden around his family’s property.

We’re still working out and setting up the things we’ll be doing here.  It’s going to be a exciting road ahead.  I’m looking forward to it, and I’ll try to keep you posted.