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.”
