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.
Angie, It is so good to hear all of what you are doing. I really miss your laugh, as I know how sweet & often you do it!! I hope your cough gets better. Have you taken anything to help it? I wish I could fix you some of Grandpa’s remedy for a cough, remember? Honey do take care of yourself as we love you very much. What is wrong with the ones you said are not feeling real good? We are sure hjaving a lot of snow & cold weather, 4 degrees below one morning. My toilet froze!!! Can you imagine finding that out after using it???? Honey please take care & you know I pray for you all the time. I hope the time goes fast for you & us too.
Love you very much, Grandma
Angela, Thanks for keeping us all informed. Love to read your blog and check it often to see if there are any updates. I find it fascinating and just think it is so cool what you are doing both for you and for all the people that you touch while you are there. Like your G-ma said, it’s been really cold here. Things at Cessna seem to be getting a little better is seems. Mark H and I are training some of the Cessna India people for the next 12 weeks to take over Mustang so that we can move to new develpment projects. Hope it all works out. Can’t wait to read your next blog
Will pray for your team and for your cough.
Take Care
Karla