Today we spent all day with Srey Mao and her cousin!

 

We went to Tuol Sleng first. Tuol Sleng was an school that was turned into a concentration camp/ torture center/ prison during the Khmer Rouge Regime. This was my second time going, but it’s not something that one can just get used to. We got to see the rooms the people were held in, the weapons they were tortured with, and the methods in which they died. We saw their clothes, their bones, and a picture of the face of each and every person killed in that camp. I cannot even believe that something like this happened such a short time ago. I don’t understand how humanity is capable of such an embarrassment.

 

There was a book in one of the rooms where people can write a response to what they had seen, and it was so awesome to see people unite so strongly against something. Within two pages I saw people from Germany, Ireland, Australia, Cambodia and many other countries who were moved enough to write. It was a really cool thing.

 

After that (although it’s hard to just so quickly move on), we all went to the Russian Market and got lots of cool things J

 

After a delicious late lunch of American style stir fry, Srey Mao and her cousin dropped us of at an internet café to figure out the details for our flight. When they came to pick us up, they had ditched the Asia’s Hope van and were both on motos.

 

Eric and I hopped on the back of the motos and Mao and her cousin took us to the “riverside.” In Cambodia, the “place to go” to hang out is usually at parks or central outside places. Many people gather to eat, play games, or just hang out. Another common thing in Cambodia, which I think is hilarious, is that in these outdoor gathering places, there are always big, professionally led and regular meeting, work out groups. People just do ridiculous dance/work outs in these big gathering places and it looks hilarious! So, Mao and her cousin took us to see “the riverside” and then just drove us around the city for a while. When you get into the heart of Phnom Penh, one could almost forget that you’re in a third world country (until you see the garbage everywhere or the wandering children or beggars). Some of the buildings are beautiful! We drove by the King’s Palace- which is awesome!

 

Finally, they took us to a huge stadium which was originally built for the Olympics I guess. Tons and tons of people were there playing every sport you can think of- volleyball, tennis.. and lots of soccer! It was really cool, and a lot of people our age were there just to hang out. Around the top of the stadium there were tons and tons of work-out groups. We sat and watched some of the people working out for a while, haha.

 

They took us back to the guesthouse after our tour of the city and we made some more grilled cheese. Mao’s cousin had never had it before, but I think she really liked it! Dairy is NOT a part of Cambodian’s diet and cheese is actually really expensive over there compared to other things. Milk is also a rarity, and they only have a kind that is cooked longer than ours, or something, and supposedly tastes really different. Dairy is definitely the biggest difference in our diets because it virtually is not a part of their diet at all. Our grilled cheese is probably what has upset our stomachs the most so far, haha, imagine that!

 

It’s sad to have to say goodbye to new friends already… again! We stayed up and played cards for a while and watched some TV.

 

But before we knew it it was off to bed and on to Thailand…

 

Today was incredible! Savy and his family picked Eric and I up at 9 a.m. in a rented van and we took off to another province outside of Battambang. We went into the heart of rural Cambodia. We drove on road 10, which used to have an extensive amount of land mines that they just in the past year or so finally completely cleared out.

 

They took us to three different places, but I can’t say any of their names! Simpeou Mountain, another mountain and a lake.

 

The first mountain we went to had a beautiful temple that we visited. There were monks and nuns at this temple. We didn’t talk to any of them this time. There was a specific tree fenced off that the people worshipped. I asked why, and Channa said something about Buddha sitting under a tree meditating, but I didn’t know if she meant that was the tree he sat under or what made that particular tree so special and sacred.

 

Next we went to another mountain. This was the mountain that the Khmer Rouge used during the regime. Savy explained on the way there that he used to be a soldier and that being stationed in this province was how me met his wife! He now works for the Lord, though, he said.

 

We climbed probably a thousand stairs before we got to the entrance of the area. There were huge guns/cannons in this mountain. There were beautiful, intricate temples and statues every few yards it seemed!! There also were many caves that were amazing! Many of the caves were used to throw dead bodies in during the regime. One in particular had a hole in the top where the bodies were thrown through. In the bottom, where we were, there were cases holding some of the bones. There were stairs going even lower into the darkness, but Simon said that it is said that people can go down, but they will never come back up. Many people believe that there are spirits all around because of the deaths. Most believe in ghosts.

 

We came to an area where there was a gigantic Buddha statue, and all around it were wild monkeys! I have never seen monkeys in the wild before! That’s when I realized that we really were in the jungle. We were at a high altitude on a mountain in rural Cambodia! We threw bananas to them and it was so crazy to watch them swarm and run around!

 

One thing that I noticed today more than ever is that it is acceptable to litter. People just throw their garbage wherever they want. Even in very sacred areas of worship or by very sacred statues, there is trash everywhere! It is just so unusual to me.

 

It is cultural here for friends to hold hands. It doesn’t mean anything inappropriate if the same sex hold hands, like it does in the states sometimes. So, Channa and I held hands a lot throughout the day today, and I decided that I really like that a lot. Especially when there is a little bit of a language barrier (although she speaks great English), it is just a great way to bond and have friendship.

 

I really wish loading picture would work so that you all could see some of the incredible pictures of the temples in the mountains….

 

After an exhausting day of climbing up and down the mountain, we went to the lake. There we rented a little hut and ate a massive lunch on a mat on the floor. God has blessed me with a love for different foods. Every meal has rice and today we had a whole chicken (head, claws and all), a whole fish(head, scales and all), and beef (kind of like beef jerky) to go with it! They also ordered more food from surrounding “vendors”. I really don’t know where the food came from though. They got papaya salad (which is very spicy and hard on our stomachs, but very good!!), BBQ beef (or something), and rabbit soup, that we came to find was made with spoiled meat. Fruit is always for dessert, and is my favorite part! Today we had lychee and mangosteins!!! MMMM!!!

 

After exploring a little, we all got in our hammocks and took afternoon naps by the lake! It was so nice and relaxing!

 

We parted ways for an hour or so and then met back up, along with Kaillie and the Kanes, and had dinner at the Bungalow!! (local restaurant mentioned a few days ago…) It was a really great time full of laughter and good food! We had Savy’s family try American food for the first time! This restaurant serves both American and Khmer food, so we ordered French fries, cheeseburgers and spaghetti for them to try and they really liked it (or else were really good at lying J )!!

 

Tomorrow we leave Battambang, and I can’t believe it is already time for our first goodbyes… We are getting up very early to say bye to the orphans before they go to school. Yikes… Channa and I have gotten very close and it is going to be hard to part ways with her. We traded rings tonight and promised to pray for each other. We call each other sister now.

 

It’s going to be really hard to leave.

 

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!!

Today was church! All of us Westerners packed into a small room with 150 orphans and sang worship to Jesus! Each orphanage performed a specials something, either song or dance. It takes about two weeks for them to learn the dances that they perform and they do them every week!! So much work! They were so adorable J

 

It was really fun. I sat with girls from BB3 and it is just really excited to continue to make relationships. I was thinking today about how much of a difference it has made this trip having an orphanage sponsored by my church compared to last time. What it does it really give you an excuse to pay more attention to some of the orphans than others, as awful as that sounds. But Asia’s Hope has an overwhelming amount of orphans, and having an orphanage connected specifically to my church allows me to build deeper relationships, rather than a large number of shallow ones. It also ensures that the relationships will be lasting, which encourages me to invest a lot more into them. Especially Channa, the orphanage director’s daughter. She is incredible and is the orphan’s English teacher even though she is only 17! We’ve been spending a lot of time together.

 

After church, we got a little bit of a taste of Cambodian culture. We went into this trip with a lot of things unplanned. I usually am a very “planned” individual, but right away realized that being laid back is the key to this culture. It really hasn’t been difficult at all to adapt to. But we finally talked today and decided on the dates to fly to Chiangmai and when we’re going to go back to Phnom Penh.

 

After our meeting, Eric, John Campbell, Pastor Bob, Kaillie, the Canes and I went to a little restaurant not far from our hotel. It was owned and run by a wealthy family who is in the process of turning their house into a kind of bed and breakfast. We toured what they are currently building as well as the inside of their house and holy cow!! It’s strange to come to a third world country and see a house that is nicer than yours!! I was blown away. And lunch was great! It was my first meal of curry J Mmm!!

 

I talked to the Canes about what developmental issues they think are most prominent in this part of Cambodia. Jill Cane started thinking about it and said we can talk more about it later. I’m really looking forward to that conversation.

 

Eric and I walked to the market today. It was great. It is interesting how many stares we get when we go anywhere. No one says anything to us, but we stick out blatantly everywhere we go. Often little kids will run up and say hi. That’s my favorite J The market was crazy as usual and full of smells that I really cannot even describe. I’m just thankful that I wasn’t feeling sick at the time because they probably would have pushed me over the edge.

 

After the market, Savy picked us up on his moto and took us to BB3 where Eric and I hung out with our orphans! We did some video for the church and Eric played some soccer. When it started to rain, the kids did dances and dramas for us. We finished the night playing some music.

 

We’re staying in Battambang for several more days while most of the others go back to Phnom Penh. I’m so glad… I love our kids. Tomorrow we are joining them for dinner J

 

 

Until then…. 

Today has been so fun. The BB 4 orphanage was dedicated today and boy was there a celebration! All 150 orphans of the 5 orphanages located in Battambang gathered together today in a huge tent that they had all been decorating for the past 3 days. There was a long service filled with singing, dancing, Scripture reading, and gift giving. Finally, the red ribbon was cut and everyone had a big lunch! The food was really interesting- a whole fish, a whole chicken, chicken foot soup and some stir-fried beef with sticky rice. It was really good! We got to experience how to eat in a Cambodian setting- everyone just eats off of the main dishes. It was really fun and community was quickly built. Initially, Eric and I saw down at a table with some of the orphans, but we quickly learned that this was culturally unacceptable and were moved to eat with the adults where better food was served.

 

Eric and I got to meet the BB 3 kids today! This is the orphanage that our church just started sponsoring! They all knew who we were and were so excited to meet us! Saviy is the orphan director. His wife’s name is Sem, his 17-year-old daughter is Channa, his middle son is Simon, and his youngest son is… something I cannot spell J. Channa speaks really good English and was so fun! I can’t wait to go spend some time at their orphanage getting to know them better.

 

Today was the first time that we got to see the orphans and it was so incredible. I just am overwhelmed with love for this country and its culture. I forgot how much I loved it. I have missed it so much.

 

On the way back to the orphanage, Kevin Cane stopped and showed us one of their micro-enterprise projects. This particular family grew mushrooms, which is the most successful crop grown in Cambodia usually. Kevin explained how the micro-enterprise loans were made from an organization in the US, but that he and his wife, Jill, were the ones who actually did the “on the ground” work here in Cambodia, intervening between the organization and the individuals receiving the loans. Some of the criteria that the individuals had to meet were being faithful in their Christian walk and writing up a one-page proposal of how they will be faithful financially. Most of the individuals receiving loans have undergone some sort of training on how the micro-enterprise system works. Usually the loans are $100, but Kevin said that just recently they changed it to being $200 if the individuals have been faithful in their payments for a certain amount of time.

 

He also explained how other missionaries had done surveys in the area to determine how many people had certain illnesses, such as Malaria, using the “ten-stone system.” Basically, the missionaries would ask people in villages how many out people they knew out of ten with malaria and if they grabbed three stones that would equal 10%... or something along those lines.

 

After an afternoon of rest, we grabbed some dinner and went back to the orphanage for a huge party! They had a loud sound system and played rap and techno music and we, along with 150 orphans, had a massive dance party! I couldn’t believe it! It was so much fun and was an instant way to bond. I danced mostly with the BB3 kids and Channa and Sem. It was so, so much fun.

 

We ended the night with fireworks!!

 

Really, I’ve just been reminded what really matters. God. And sharing God. And worshipping God. It’s really quite simple. But so often we complicate matters. I of all people put a huge emphasis on education and knowledge and discussions and theology etc, etc… But it is incredible how even after being here for just a few days, and stepping out of the routine and business of American life, how quickly and easily you are reminded of how simple life really is. Love God and Love others. Obey what he says. Realize you are nothing and let him work through you.

 

I don’t want this to turn into a cliché “missions trip” blog entry- but this is truly the first lesson I have gained, other than re-realizing the power of prayer. As soon as I have been pulled away from my hobbies and passions and what consumes my time, I am left simply asking God what he wants me to do- I’m in a culture that I am not proficient in so I really don’t have a clue what to do on my own. And I realize that that is how it really is supposed to work. 

P.S.- I would put pictures up, but the internet in Battambang isn't good enough to put them up yet!! Hopefully soon though!

It is incredible how much better one can feel after a simple shower.

 

This has possibly been one of the longest days of my entire life. After landing in Taipei, we quickly, and successfully, transferred to our last flight to Phnom Penh (after having a small pair of scissors confiscated from my carry-on… woops!). As soon as we stepped off of that last plane, we were hit by a wave of heat and the overwhelming smell of Cambodia. Cambodia’s smell is not a bad one, but very distinct and brought with it many many memories.

 

It is so good to be back.

 

We stopped by the Phnom Penh guesthouse to meet up with the others, then got into a car for a 5 hour car ride to Battambang, Cambodia’s second largest city. Really, it wasn’t bad. We were definitely tired, but Cambodia’s countryside is beautiful and mesmerizing and held our attention all 5 hours. Rural Cambodia is full of rice paddies, wandering cows (that cross the road at very inconvenient times), shacks, schools, small stores, and Buddhist Pagodas. Kaillie, a 21 year old girl from Wooster, is interning with Asia’s Hope right now too and it was awesome to have the opportunity to meet and get to know her! Along the way, we were introduced to the fruit produced by the Lotus Flower. They tasted a little like pistachios and were a fun first adventure. The roads were rough, but we finally arrived at beautiful Battambang- greeted by the massive statue of the “man with the stick,” after which Battambang was named.

 

We arrived at the famous Teo Hotel, which previously has housed Jackie Chan and Angelina Jolie. I quickly remembered the unique aspects of Cambodian culture- Bathrooms are just one room with no distinction between toilet area or shower. This means that everything is wet all the time for the most part. Also, squatty potties. Our hotel has American toilets, but everywhere else for the most part are the glorious porcelain holes in the ground. I really don’t mind them much, however- they really are quite sanitary. Flickering lights- the lights can never simply “flick on,” although they seemed to have sped up since I was here last time. I was overjoyed to discover that the Teo Hotel now has wireless internet! No more internet cafes!! (Well, at least until we go back to Phnom Penh) But this definitely was a perk to my evening.

 

Finally, we had dinner with a missionary couple from Wooster who have been working in Battambang for over three years now. It was really incredible to hear their story of how they came to know Christ and how they came to live in Cambodia. “Always avoid always and never say never!” This is a good phrase to remember when praying, as we learned from their story.

 

Overall, it really was an awesome reminder of the power of prayer. I am really looking forward to getting to know those two individuals better. They also are involved in teaching English and some micro-enterprise opportunities!

 

Well, I’m exhausted. Tomorrow is a very busy day.

 

Much love!

Traveling. It really is nothing glamorous. Planes are fun, and it’s been great to learn how to navigate through airports on my own, but I’m ready to be back on the ground. China Airline is fantastic, though! Compared to Continental, it really is quite the experience J Delicious hot meals, personal entertainment computers, polite stewardesses… it really is great. We will be landing in Taipei in a little over an hour, following a five-hour flight from Cleveland to L.A., and the 13 hour international flight that I am currently on right now. We’ll have to hurry to get on the next plane. I think we have less than an hour in the airport to make it through customs and onto the next plane, which I am a little nervous about. But I’m sure it will be fine.

 

Health is what concerns me the most when it comes to traveling. Really, it is the one fear that casts doubts in my mind when thinking about the work I really feel called to do. We have more medicine with us than I think I have ever seen in one place before. And if we are smart, I know we will be fine.

 

We already had a bit of a scare on the international flight. Eric passed out in his seat. He is fine, and it probably was due to dehydration or simply sitting for too long, but it was a good reminder that we need to take care of ourselves really well.

 

Also, a lady who helped Eric and I when he passed out was going to use the plane’s bathroom, when another woman walked in with her and tried to shut the door with both of them in there against her will. Luckily, Eric and I were right next to the bathroom and saw what was happening. I held the door open until a stewardess could come diffuse the situation.

 

Bizarre stuff let me tell you. And we haven’t even landed in Asia yet J