We said our goodbyes to Pastor Bob this morning. He and Kevin Kane left for Siem Reip while the rest of us stayed behind in Battambang. We had a very relaxed start to our day. We were blessed with plenty of time to catch up on journaling and tend to the first encounter of queasy stomachs. Luckily they didn’t last.
Eric and I went with Savorn, Savy and John Campbell to buy cell phones and moto helmets today. My cell phone is pink and ultra-Asian! Ha, it’s fantastic! We’ll leave the cell phones behind in Phnom Penh before we fly to Chiangmai, but they’ll aid in our communication while we are here in Cambodia.
After having lunch at the restaurant at the home of the wealthy familiy I spoke of yesterday, Eric, Kaillie and I went to the market. We took a tuk-tuk for the first time today. Today was extremely hot and the market was hot, sticky and smelly. There are always beggars roaming through the market and it is hard to turn them away. Every time we’ve been to the market so far we have seen other white individuals. Usually they are from Europe, but I always wonder what their stories are and why they are in Battambang, Cambodia.
At four, Eric and I were supposed to be picked up from our hotel to go to BB3. However, Simon, the orphanage director’s son, was on Cambodian time and didn’t show up until about 4:30. It really was ok, though. Eric and I sat outside and talked with some of the hotel workers. Eric has become pretty good friends with the desk worker and they helped us with a few Khmer phrases. One of the workers offered to let Eric use his moto! Now there’s some trust…
I am a very time-oriented, check-list, always on the go kind of person and thought that switching to a relationship oriented way of life would be a lot tougher than it has been. Really, I have found that I absolutely love their laid back way of life. There are no worries! Life is so much more stress-free and enjoyable. It has been great and an easy adjustment to make, thankfully.
When we got to the orphanage, we were attacked by all 24 of BB3’s kids. They are so great. We have the best orphanage! It was awesome this time knowing that my family just specifically started sponsoring Senghong. We haven’t told her yet, but it was fun to watch her J
We played some relay races with the kids and it was hilarious. Most of the time we created them just to make the kids do things that looked funny J We were all laughing so hard. I taught Simon says to some of the younger orphans, not remembering at first that the orphan director’s son, who was translating for me, was named Simon. So that made things a little confusing at first, but everything was soon cleared up! Ha!
We had dinner at the orphanage tonight, which was awesome! The orphans ate out back, but Eric and I ate in the front with the director’s family. Savy, the director, wasn’t there, but we ate with his wife and three kids. The food was delicious. It was the first time, though, that we were eating not knowing if the food was “safe” for us Americans or not. I think we’ll be ok, but we’ll find out for sure soon enough… We really still don’t know the proper way to eat. It’s different from in the States because you all take little bits off of the main center dishes as you go. The meal consisted of lots of observing and lots of imitating. We ended up sitting and talking with them for almost two hours. It was some of the best time I feel we have spent with them yet since being here. We got to ask them about the specific needs of their orphanage and found that it is very likely that our church can meet their needs! We also found out about how they came to be orphanage directors. A while ago, some orphans ran away from another local orphanage because they wanted to be a part of Asia’s Hope’s orphanage and they stayed with Savy’s family. Channa said it was a very hard time because they got in trouble with the law. Eventually, somehow things got sorted out however and now their family leads BB3 of Asia’s Hope! It was just really good to get to know these people better. They are so wonderful!!!
After dinner, we gave the kids some candy and they were so excited. The funniest thing happened, and I’ll do my best to explain. There is this one boy who for some reason just cracks me up. He just has the goofiest grin and is so funny. Anyways, the kids were told they could take one big piece of candy and two small pieces of candy out of the bag as we walked by, and they were really good about it! Well, when it was this boy’s turn, he decided that his big piece of candy was going to be a Peep, but when he pulled it out, the Peep had two Sprees stuck to the side of the marshmallow, which meant that in one grab he had filled his three pieces of candy limit. He didn’t do anything, but just looked up at me, horrified at the predicament he was now in. I don’t think I have stopped laughing yet- it was just so funny because I knew exactly what had happened. I let him get another piece of candy- no worries J
The kids did more dances for us and then Eric and I played some music that the kids danced to for a while. Time flew tonight though and before we knew it, it was time to come back to the hotel.
All of the leaders will go back to Phnom Penh tomorrow. Eric and I are more and more on our own each day. We are doing well and learning our way around town a bit. We only have two days left in Battambang- I can’t believe it, and we have lots of plans with the BB3 kids and the orphanage director’s family.
I can’t wait to fill you in on them as we go!!
sounds so great joce! I'm so happy you're having a blessed and FUN time with your orphanage, brother, and Asia's Hope. :D
What a blessing that you guys get to be the first with B3 and identify their personal needs! God is amazing, amazing...sleep well my dear! Love you!
JOcei,
Thank you so much for your fantastic observations and what a blessing to have you putting into words the emotions, and feel of Cambodia and the orphans. I am praying your words ring in the hearts of the Crossroads family to draw them to these orphans with the same love Christ has for them!! What's not to love about those kids!! Aren't they the greatest!!!!
Dar