Kingdom of Cambodia Day 11

Today was the last day together as a team, which was bittersweet, but a great day nonetheless.

We went to Svay Pak today, an area that used to be known for their trafficking of little girls. Since then, IJM has raided brothels in the area, and Agape missions has come in to the village. They provide kids program, kick boxing/working out, and employment for many of the women of the community in which they are paid better than they would be as sex slaves. I didn't know how I would feel when I got there, but when we got upstairs, all the kids were singing about Jesus, and it was the most beautiful thing I have seen on this trip. I literally cried and just felt the presence of God wash over me as I observed these kids singing and dancing and acting silly. It was amazing observing that ministry. We also toured the Lord's Gym, where they run kickboxing and weightlifting. Some of the boxers are on tv, and nationally known, which is awesome. It was cool hearing how that ministry is working, especially on the pimps and men in the community. We then went to a factory, which used to be a brothel, where women work as seamstresses and make jewelry. The jewelry (3 strand is the brand name) is sold in boutiques in the states, as well as the tshirts. The women that work there are either all rescued or at risk, which is awesome as well. This provides them a way to make a better income than they could ever make in the sex trade, which is another incentive for them to leave the trafficking world. From there we went to the first building the ministry used, where the pastor now lives. They kept one of the rooms exactly like it was before it was raided, and it was a room where the men would rape the young girls.  Just seeing that dirty, small room and thinking of the atrocities and injustices that occurred there was enough to make me feel sick. The pastor and his wife lived in the "pink" room, which is where the young virgin girls were kept (virginity is a prized and coveted commodity in the sex trade industry). Thinking of the things that happened there disgusted me, but seeing how that village is being transformed was absolutely beautiful and inspiring. God is doing amazing things there, and I ask that you guys would be in prayer for this ministry. Something about it really touched my heart today, and I don't know why exactly this one really stuck out to me on this trip, but God really put them on my heart today.

After getting back we went to the market, then decided to go to Romdeng (the restaurant where we ate tarantula) and swim in their pool, but it was closed. So we tried another at a hotel where the group in June swam, but they wouldn't let us :(. Thankfully it rained and cooled things off, so it was fine that our swimming plans had been thwarted.

We then went to dinner as a team, and invited the 2 tuktuk drivers that have been working with us the whole trip. We heard their testimonies, which were amazing, and enjoyed a last night of fun and fellowship. Tomorrow is going to be rough for me, especially since everyone else is staying longer and decided to plan a trip to the beach, for which they are leaving in the morning. I will have to take one of the tuktuks alone to the airport, which will be lonely, but good I guess, since there will be no one to witness how emotional I get. I still don't know why God has called me here, but I am content to pray about it and be patient for God to reveal it in his own timing.

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 11

Today started off early, with us leaving for another trip to the orphanage today. We told them the story of Abraham, and it was encouraging to see how many of them had already heard and knew the story. We did crafts and games with them, and then, all too soon, it was time to go. As I left I was just so sad, wondering if I were to come back, would those kids I saw yesterday and today even still be in good health or even alive? It was a sobering thought, and one I am still turning over in my head this evening.  I know that death happens for everyone, but to think of these small and beautiful children wasting away from this awful, horrible disease is almost more than I can bear.
From there we bought supplies and went to a village outside one of the trash heaps near the Killing Fields. These people literally sift through rotten, putrid refuse looking for items to recycle day in and day out, as whole families, to make a profit of maybe a dollar or two a day.  It was awful seeing it, and thinking of where they live, and how they are considered the lowest of the low here.  However, there was an inspiring story and a miracle out of this village: A man named Moen, 23 years old with a wife who was pregnant and due any day, fell nearly 50 meters from a tree 4 months ago. He was paralyzed from the waist down, and was sent to a hospital. He literally laid on a wooden board for days at the hospital, ignored by the staff due to his lack of money and the severity of his situation. Brett, the man we have been partnering with here, paid for an ambulance to taked him to a different hospital where they would treat him. Phil and others at Steps of Justice raised money to help pay for his treatment. Now, 4 months later, he came home yesterday. He has regained feeling in his legs and can slightly move them. For him to be alive after a fall like that is remarkable; for him to have feeling and slight movement is a miracle! We were able to meet him, his wife, and 3 month old baby today. We brought him a care package and prayed for him. It was such a blessing to see a prayer I had in the states 4 months ago come to fruition and be seen before my own eyes. It was honestly one of the highlights of my trip, and seeing the joy on his face was beautiful.

Today has been one of the longest days of the trip for me so far... Not because of being super busy, but just a weariness and feeling of overwhelming hopelessness. I keep seeing so many things, and I feel like God is breaking my heart over what breaks his, but I feel like I am not even making a difference. I'm too overwhelmed to process everything, and everyday I keep adding heapfuls to it, without getting through the events and experiences from the days before. I don't know why God has brought me on this trip, and all I can feel is complete and utter failure; for not understanding why I was called here, for feeling like I have accomplished nothing, and for feeling extrememly lonely and outcasted from the group (when that isn't the case, but I still feel it nonetheless). I just pray that our last day of ministry tomorrow would revive me with purpose and reveal God's will to me, that I might be able to understand (at least partially) why he called me here.

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 10

I didn't wake up dying from eating tarantula last night, so I found that encouraging. Today after breakfast we went to the Happy Tree orphanage, which is a facility for.children with HIV/AIDS. They live and attend school at the orphanage, and there are over a hundred children in residence. The organization is Christian, and it is so cool that they are bringing the love of Christ to.these kids in the way we do it. We did bible stories, games, and crafts. The kids are so adorable, but its hearbreaking thinking about what they are suffering through, especially through no.fault of their own. Another injustice of this world that I wish I could change, but cannot.

After that and lunch we went back to the first village with Brett. My little.buddy sat with me for over.an hour, and fell asleep on my lap, before his.mom came and took him home. It was super sweet. We also finished installing all of.the solar panels and lights today. Now every family in this village has a renewable source of power, and can save so much money now because they no longer need the car batteries. It's amazing being a part of a project like that. We didn't build a house, but we brought the light to these people. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven" (Matthew 5)

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 9

Today started off amazingly! Gowri and I went to a hair salon to get our hair shampooed (the water pressure is not the best at the mission house, and my hair was getting disgusting). So we went, and for 2.50$ we had it washed and massaged, rinsed, washed and massaged again, rinsed, conditioned and rinsed, dried and then straightened. Not gonna lie, I may have to go back to get my hair clean before I leave Thursday.... Just something about clean hair made my whole body feel cleaner all day.

We went to a different international church today, one that was a bit bigger and more contemporary. It was so cool worshipping with people from all different races and nations... Gave a glimpse of what heaven will be like some day :).

After church and lunch we went crammed 15 people into a small, hot van and drove to a different village to work with the children in a bible study/game time sort of activity. We played games, taught scripture, two people gave testimonies, and we sang different songs in Khmer. All in all it was a great time, and it was a blessing to see this ministry in action. Then we got back in the small, hot van and sat through rush hour traffic for forever. I felt like I was back at home....lol.

After that and cleaning up, we went to a different Friends restaurant, that serves mainly Khmer dishes. As we were sitting, they brought out two live tarantulas to our table. Naturally I screamed, backed far away from the table, and couldn't work up the nerve to hold one. I tried, I really did, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. However, I did try some cooked tarantula. I ate a VERY small portion of a leg, and was able to get it down quickly and somewhat painlessly. Others in our group were more brave, eating entire spiders whole (which disgusted me). But because they were all being brave, I had to eat a whole leg, which was not as painless as the partial leg. Even with the amazing sauce they had for it, I couldn't get over the fact it was a freaking tarantula's leg. It was like eating very chewy, hairy bacon, but in the form of a creepy crawly spider leg. And now that I've had it, I can brag about it and never have to do it again (hopefully).  We then spent the night hearing the stories of two group members, just spending time together in fellowship, which was wonderful. 

Tomorrow we are going to visit and AIDS orphanage, and I am supposed to give my testimony. Please pray that I would be able to say what God would have me to say, and that he would be glorified through it all!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 8

Today started with me asking up at 4:30am and not falling back asleep at all, so it was a pretty exhausting day. Thankfully we treated it as.somewhat of a Sabbath, resting and preserving energy for the rest of the trip.

We ate breakfast at the mission, and sort of debriefed over everything that happened yesterday at the village and IJM. Cambodian Life Lesson #5: Durian is one of the foulest smelling foods EVER. People here LOVE it, but it literally makes me want to vomit whenever I'm within 15 feet of it. Just avoid it if you ever come here.  After debriefing we watched a documentary called "The Girls of Phnom Pehn," which was about three teenage girls in the sex industry here. They all sold their virginities at 14 and 15 years old in order to provide for sick mothers and struggling families, and had to continue in this trade because society deems them sullied and unworthy of anything else. Two of them had children, and one had an abortion during the film. They worked and worked, still barely making enough to survive, and it was a very heartbreaking film. However, the film crew raised enough money to rescue them, and they now are working as hairdressers in a beauty shop, living new lives filled with hope and promise.

Afterwards we spent the afternoon relaxing and visiting different NGO shops near the Russian Market, supporting their work and learning about their work. A lot of cool things are happening with these organizations... Now only if the government would stop using them as an excuse to not do more for their people, the country would be able to better grow and prosper.

We then went to Friends again for dinner, and spent an evening just in fellowship, which was amazing. All in all it was nice to have a relaxing day. Tomorrow we have church, are visiting a children at risk organization, visiting a village, and doing other things, so it was good to have a day of rest after being here a week! Can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us! Please continue to keep praying for us!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 7

7:15 today! Finally into a normal sleep routine, which is exciting! And good, because the days are getting longer and more action-packed...

After going out to breakfast this morning we went to IJM (International Justice Mission)!!! It is one of the organizations I'm much more familiar with, and visiting today was such a blessing. The building was unmarked, and we were not allowed to post on facebook where we were or take pictures of the building, because of the nature of their work and ministry. We learned more about their undercover work, and how the industry is evolving the sex trafficking industry, causing more work for the people at IJM. For those of you that aren't familiar with their work, google them! They have twenty bases or so around the world, with each focusing on needs specific to their cities, Phnom Pehn's being sex trafficking of women and children.

From their we ate lunch and went to a different displacement village, which was even more heartbreaking than yesterday's village. They were forcibly evicted from their homes with no prior notice, being physically attacked by the government and police, their homes destroyed along with all their possessions. They were moved 40 km (25ish miles) outside the city, literally in the middle of nowhere. They were given no shelter, no land of their own, and left to survive on their own. The government compensated about half of the families with with land (lots smaller than the size of my front lawn at home), leaving the rest as squatters on the land. They have been there since January, and have erected shelter from sticks and tarps and whatever they can find, but they are no match for the rains. Many in the community are HIV/AIDS positive as well. Brett (from yesterday) is trying to build them homes with a toilet and simple water filtration system, but his first focus are the squatters; he is raising support to buy off that land from the government/developers so that everyone would have a place of their own. After raising the remainder of the funds for that (they have about 2500$ of the 6000$ needed), they will begin building homes for the people (which will cost about 600$ a piece). Just seeing the abject poverty and trials and suffering of these people is heartbreaking. I spent most of my time today holding and playing with a baby (no surprise, right? Lol) whose mother is a drunk. He is 8 months old, but looks to be about 3. His mother is starving, but is an alcoholic, most likely as a means for coping with depression. The people say she walks around the village with her baby in the sunlight, and seemed to not approve of her treatment of her son. As I held him and he lay, weak and exhausted in my arms, I seriously considered what it would take to bring him home with me. That was my biggest fear on this trip: becoming attached to children, but I never imagined feeling like I did today. It definitely confirmed my plan to adopt someday, and just holding him, I wished that I was finished with school and financially stable enough for it to be that child. I cried giving him back to his mother, praying that he would survive the hell he was currently living in.

We then came back to go to the hospital, broken and dejected from the sufferings of the villagers, to minister and pray to the HIV/AIDS patients.  In Cambodia, many patients die of starvation in the hospital, not disease, because meals are not provided unless paid for separately. Some can pay, but most cannot. One of the ladies here, Pina, has an amazing ministry with these people and brings meals for the hungry four or five days a week.  She led one young man to Christ, and he is ebtering Discipleship Training School here at the mission next month! To think he has only a short time left to live, and yet he is seeking and serving God full-heartedly, wanting to be a missionary himself. Seeing him today really inspired me and renewed my strength on this trip. Even though it seems like we aren't doing much (especially in my own eyes) we are planting seeds and showing the love of Christ through our actions that those we work with might come to know Christ some day. Even despite the language barrier we are still able to love and serve these people, and that is what they first need in order to be receptive to the gospel later. I just have to keep telling myself that we ARE seeking and working towards justice for the people here, and that it may not happen now or even in my lifetime, but we are doing what the Bible has called us to do (Matthew 25). Please continue to pray for us and the different ministries we are partnering with here!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 6

I SLEPT IN TIL 7 AM!!! Haha, it was wonderful,  blissful sleep and I felt so rested when I woke up, which is good, because yesterday was a long day....

We at breakfast, and then went to Daughters, which is an AMAZING organization. They are a Christian organization, and they provide gainful and fair employment for women in the sex trade industry who want a way out. They don't provide housing, which provides a level of independence for the women, because the salary they make is enough to fully provide for them. The have a bakery, a factory, a sewing shop and a store where they sell their wares. Its only been around for 5 years, and yet they have grown so much and help nearly 100 women a year. They alson have an organization called Sons, which focuses on doing the same thing. Such a cool ministry that is doing amazing things here.

After lunch there, which was amazing, we went to a displacement village outside of the city limits. These people were told by the government that they had to leave the land they own in the city, because developers wanted it. The moved them outside the city to a ditch (literally) during the dry season. However, when the rainy season came, it flooded the entire area, becoming part of a nearby lake. The people had nowhere to go, and their tarp shelters were no match for the elements. So a man named Brett from Louisiana came, saw the need, moved to Cambodia and began financing and building houses on stilts (to withstand the rainy season). Four years later and everone has a house (27 families in all), and the community is able to live and provide for each other.  We were visiting to provide solar lights for each house... Right now, in order to have light and charge cell phones, the people use car batteries  which is dangerous and expensive to recharge.  For people making 1$ a day, 5$ a month to recharge a battery is a lot. So now they have these new solar charging lights, with 2 hookups for phones and other things, and it is amazing how much their lives with be changed by this small act of service. 

All of the people look out for each other, especially the children. There was one boy, Pierre-na (how its pronounced at least lol) that had downs syndrome, and another boy with MS. These people could have left their children in the city, or neglected them, but instead, the entire community has rallied around them and cares for and supports them. Its amazing to see the love and community in this village, and the way they are working together despite their circumstances. I also really considered bringing Pierre-na home with me; he was so sweet, following me around and holding me hand, playing patty-cake with me. I felt so blessed just spending time with all the children, but especially him.

After that we came back to the house for dinner, then relaxed and had coffee nearby. It was just an awesome day, and I can't wait to go back!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 5

Today started off with me sleeping until 6 am! Which, sounds quite terrible, but is an improvement. I actually sat up in bed and said "Holy crap, it's 6am!! That's so awesome!!" To which everyone responded by staring at me like I had grown another head or something. For me, its progress and I am excited!

Yester we we to Hagar, which was absolutely amazing.  For those of you who have never heard of this organization, go to google and read about it NOW. They have so many different aspects of their ministry, focused on helping women and children who have been trafficked and exploited to reassimilate back into society, and teaching them life skills to help them avoid being trafficked again. They even have a ministry called House of Smiles, which is very near and dear to my heart, that provides assistance to individuals with special and physical needs. Many times they are more likely to be trafficked and neglected by the people here.... HoS helps teach them life skills, provides housing, and even helps teach families how to care for their children with these needs. Its an amazing program, and it really blessed my heart hearing about it today.

After Hagar we came back and did different planning things for our childrens activities, and then went on an adventure to find candy and toys for kids. Cambodian Life Lesson #5: Rain is no big deal for people here. It started pouring out of nowhere and people totally acted like it wasn't even happening, which is crazy considering the lack of rain we have had at home. We then came back and ate dinner, and planned to go out to the river front, which is where the red light district is.

This was probably the most eye opening and difficult aspect of the trip so far for me. We did a prayer walk, and just seeing the girls standing and sitting outside of bars, scantily clad and promoting their bodies was heartbreaking, especially knowing that this isn't a choice for them. We split into groups after doing a prayer walk, and decided to go into separate bars, in order to see what it was really like. Wayne (a leader of sorts on this trip) and I decided to go into the most offensive sounding bar we could find, so we picked Club 69. We got in and literally ten girls flocked to us. They pulled out my chair and made sure I was comfortable, and then proceeded to literally molest me the entire time we were there. We ordered a beer, and were trying to talk to these girls. Wayne was talking with 2 of them while one tried to massage his arm and back. I literally had 8 of them flocked around me, touching and rubbing on my very upper thigh, literally only an inch or two away from my crotch. They also were rubbing and massaging my sides, while subtly feeling up my chest as they did it. The whole time they were being flirty with me, and I had no idea what to do or how to respond; I didn't want to freak out and tell them to stop, because they were talking with is, but I didn't want to promote their advances either.  We told them we were siblings, hoping that would help, but it did nothing. Almost all of them were from the provinces and were the oldest siblings in their families.  We drank our beers quickly and left, only staying there for about 15 minutes total. As we left I was fighting off the need to cry and vomit, and I couldn't even process what had happened. As we walked off, I felt so violated and degraded, and then felt guilty for it, because how must those girls have felt every moment of every night in that bar? They didn't even use their real names; one of them told us her name was "Sweet Girl." It was gut wrenching and heart breaking to see the kind of show they had to put on for customers. The way they were feeling me up, it also made me realize that women are just as likely as men to use trafficked women, and made me wonder if that bar was specifically known for drawing female customers.   it wasn't until we were at the coffee shop that I was able to talk and think and pray about what happened.  As disgusting and heart breaking as it was to see, I'm glad we went into the bar, to see what we are really up against here.  To the unsuspecting person, those girls LOOKED like they wanted to be there, that they enjoyed what they did, when that is far from being true.  And as I came home I was still thinking about those girls and what they were forced to do nightly, and my heart was still broken over what I saw and learned. I really pray that God would use what I saw and experienced somehow, to furthur my desire and heart for justice for these men and women. 

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 4

Today started bright and early at 4:30am.... so more early and early, minus the bright.  I swear, at some point I will get this jetlag/time difference thing worked out!  Hopefully soon, because I have been exhausted since about 6:30pm when it got dark, which is not going to work out for me....

Today  was quite the day; we started off the morning going to the traditional market to get fruit and bread for breakfast.  However, I was NOT given the memo by the guys to wear actual shoes and not flip flops... and after walking through the market, I have never wished for a pair of tennis shoes more in my life.  The market was chaotic and crowded, but definitely an eye opening experience.  Hundreds of people sit out on the street, selling different fruits, veggies, meats and other things every morning.  We walked through lots of people selling vegetables, and then got to the section of the market where people were selling meat.  After working in food service for years, I definitely had a hard time not being grossed out at the way everything was just sitting out in the open in the heat... definitely not sanitary.  There were people killing chickens in the middle of the market, beheading and skinning frogs, and fish that were still alive and flopping out of their baskets onto the street.  After getting through all of that, we got to the fruit. We bought bananas, pineapples and rambutans, which were very odd, but delicious if you could get past the texture (the fruit inside the shell is kind of like a big grape without its skin).  It's crazy to me that you can buy enough fresh fruit here for 7 people for breakfast and spend maybe 3 dollars. 

After breakfast we had an orientation of sorts, where we learned about the history of  Cambodia.  This country has such a troubled and dark history, full of war and conflict, and today we got first hand experience of the history, which was definitely enlightening and horrifying at the same time. 

The Kingdom of Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist (92% or something like that), so there is a lot of Buddhist influence in the culture and every day life.  Today we visited Wat Phnom, the most famous temple in the city, and the temple around which the city was supposedly built.  It was definitely a culture shock for someone like me, who grew up in the Christian church and have never been heavily exposed to any other religions.  The temple was huge, and had many different altars around and outside, where people could light incense, place flowers, or put offerings to Buddha.  It was definitely an educating experience, and was a good way to learn about the religion of the majority of the population here in the country so we could know how best to outreach with them.  After this though, the day got much more difficult to process and handle.

After visiting the temple we went to  former S21 prison, which is now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where thousands of innocent Cambodians were tortured and murdered by the communist Khmer Rouge government.  The prison was first a school, and was then converted when the Khmer Rouge came into power in the '70s.  They tortured thousands of people, Cambodians and foreigners alike, forcing them to confess to crimes which they had not committed, and then killing them.  There were only 7 known survivors out of the hundreds of thousands killed, and they were only kept alive for the skills they could provide to the government.  We were able to walk through the different buildings, which contained different artifacts (beds, restraints, torture devices), and then a picture of a prisoner who was actually found in the prison when it was overthrown.  Just walking through and seeing these things horrified me, knowing that so many people suffered and died.  As we walked through the next building, there were different pictures of thousands of the prisoners who were killed in the prison, men, women and children alike.  It felt as if they were staring at me, pleading with me, yet knowing even then what their fates would be.  I can still see some of their faces as I sit here, and it breaks my heart to think of the suffering they endured for no reason other than the corrupt judgement of an evil leader.

From the prison we went to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, where thousands from the S21 prison and other prisons were brought to be killed by the Khmer Rouge government.  Since the genocide and overthrowing of the Khmer Rouge, the goverment exhumed the site, turning it into a memorial for those who were killed.  We walked through the fields, and even though there were no depictions of what happened there, in my mind, every where I looked my mind kept imagining the atrocities that happened there.  There were open pits everywhere, where the bodies were thrown after being killed. The prisoners would be trucked in and dumped, and if they weren't processed and killed as soon as they arrived, they were put in a holding cell until they were killed.  The government kept DDT on site, in order to spray down the bodies after they were murdered in order to both disguise the smell to neighboring farms and to kill those people who may not be fully dead.  As we walked around I could just imagine the horrible things that happened there, and picture the bodies laying in their shallow pits.  The thing that got me the most, though, were the trees.  There were 2 trees that were of importance on the grounds.  One was called the "Magic tree" where the government would hang speakers to drown out the sound of the moans of the tortured and dying people.  The other was a tree that soldiers would beat children to death against.  And at first, when I was entering the grounds, I felt extreme heartbreak that someone could devalue human life enough to commit a genocide like that.... and as I continued walking and saw the trees and the pits where children where buried, I began to get angry, which I didn't expect to happen. I had assumed I would cry, but not tears of fury and anger at those who could commit such atrocities and murder so many innocent people.  I kept thinking about it the whole way home, but after debriefing I came to terms with how I felt.  After talking with the team, I learned it was ok to be angry at the injustice that occurred, and to let that fuel the desire in me to see justice brought out in this world, but that I was in no place to judge those who committed those crimes and that those who committed those crimes would ultimately have to face judgement, if not here in this world, then in front of God.  I may wish judgement upon those for their sins committed in these acts of torture and genocide, but my sins are just as equally deserving of death and judgement as well.  Whether we commit mass murder or commit a small white lie to someone, we have sinned against God; a sin is a sin is a sin, and no matter what it is, it separates us from God.  Instead of being angry and demanding that these people "get what they deserve," I need to be more Christ like in that I forgive them and pray that they were able to reconcile with Christ and accept his forgiveness before they died as well.  It was very humbling for me; a reminder to be less judgmental of others and more loving, and I hope that when I leave here that will continue to be something that I pray for and try to attain back in the states. 

Today was a very tough day for me emotional, mentally and spiritually, but I know this is only the beginning. God is SO going to use my experiences on this trip to break me and open my heart more fully to him.  This is only the beginning, and I am both ready and anxious to see how God will continue to work in me on this trip. 

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 3

But Today began with me waking up at 5am...again. No matter how tired I am, or what time I go to bed, I keep waking up at the butt crack of dawn and it stinks.  By the time I finally get used to this time zone, its going to be time to go!  But I digress...

Today was pretty similar to my previous days, and tomorrow actually starts the hard stuff. We picked up 3 people from the airport today: Gowri, from New Zealand, and Heather and Adam from California. We ate lunch and hung around the mission before heading to the Russian Market again. It was entertaining, because the girls were asking me all sorts of questions about the city, since we were in a tuktuk together. I felt so smart, explaining things about the city and the market. I actually bought a few things from the market today, and worked on my haggling skills. Cambodian Life Lesson #3: if you really can't get a price down by a dollar or two, start walking away. Most of the time, they will give you what you want, or at least a better deal. The only thing they hate more than lowering a price is losing a good sale.

While at the market we went to this awesome NGO Dnon-government organization) shop, where people with handicaps make different items, and they are sold in the city. All of the proceeds go directly back to the people who made the items, and it provides a means of employment for those with special needs who might not otherwise be able to support themselves. There are quite a few NGOs around the city, and I love the idea and practice behind these shops. I hope we are able to visit more organizations like this!

After coming back, praying, and eating, we had the night off to do as we pleased. So, 5 of us pleased to go and see the new Batman movie (I know, I know; shopping and movies makes it seem like I'm working REALLY hard on this trip...lol). It was awesome seeing a movie at night for 3 dollars in a normal theater (If movies were that cheap at home I would see them ALL the time!) The movie was pretty epic (although my ears are STILL ringing from the volume a half an hour later), and I may or may not have cried at the end (although I'm pretty sure I did a good job of hiding it from everyone). If you are reading this Ana, it wasn't a twenty minute sob fest like last time; just a few tears and sniffles. 

Tomorrow is definitely going to be much busier; we are getting a training/debriefing at the mission, touring
Wat Phnom, a huge temple in the city, visiting the Killing fields and prison, and hoping to learn more about the city and culture so as best to serve and reach the people here. I'm just praying I can sleep til 6 or 7 tomorrow!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 2

Day 2 and I'm already starting to get my bearings, which is nice. I can confidently find my way to the bakery, coffee shop and city mall, which is a big deal for a directionally challenged person for me. I explored some on my own the remainder of Day 1, and then slept all afternoon. Thankfully, I met another American at the mission, who is also from the Midwest surprisingly enough, and she and I spent the evening together the first night. It was such a blessing to find a friend before the rest of my group got here, because I was feeling lonely/awkward/homesick. Its amazing how God blesses us with small things like that, and it is exactly what we need at the time.

So on the actual Day 2 Danielle (my new friend) and I ventured to an international Baptist church. Thankfully we left early because the TukTuk driver had NO idea where it was. Cambodian Life Lesson #1: tuktuk drivers RARELY know where they are going, and don't really know their way around the city. You also have to haggle up front with them about price, otherwise they will try to overcharge you for the time they spent driving around lost. So after our adventure with the tuk tuk, which involved driving down the WRONG side of traffic multiple times, we made it in one piece to church.

The church was not what I was expecting at all; it was quite small and modest, which I found more to my liking. The pastor was super nice to us, and was actually from northern Indiana (small world, right?).  All in all, I loved the service. It was old school and homey; we used hymnals and the pastor read from the KJV, and it was surprisingly comforting.

Afterwards we came back, and the first two people from the team arrived. We had a lazy day after getting lunch and went to the Russian market. Cambodian Life Lesson #2: If you are wearing a purse in Cambodia, EVERYONE will ask if you want a ride or to buy something, because they think you have money. They also are less likely to let you haggle down the price of something because they think you are loaded. Its sad because the "broke college student" excuse isn't even applicable here, because I still have so much more money than the people here, which is truly humbling and heart-breaking.

The last thing we did for the night was grab dinner at a restaurant called Friends. This guy from France came to Phnom Pehn, and was bothered by the number of kids out on the street, and he decided to do something about it. He built this restuarant and employed the street kids to work in it. He taught them to cook, clean, and wait tables at the restaurant, teaching them life skills and providing them with gainful employment. Since then he has changed the lives of hundreds of children, and has built similar restaurants in other Asian and South American countries. It was an amazing place, and just seeing how one man was able to change and prosper the lives of so many children is so inspiring. If others were truly committed to causes such as these in Cambodia, think of how many children could get off the streets and further away from the dangers of trafficking!? It is definitely something that I have been thinking about since we left the restaurant, and will probably continue to think/pray about for the remainder of the trip.

All in all day 2 was pretty laid back.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store!

Kingdom of Cambodia Day 1

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I AM IN CAMBODIA!  Haha, I figured I would start with that, since my mind is still completely blown that I am actually here!  It felt like FOREVER leading up to this moment, especially during the last 40 hours or so when I was stuck sitting on airplanes doing nothing but watching movies (sounds rough, right? lol) and trying to sleep with no success (but I sure slept well last night!). 

To start off, I was quite a bit nervous about getting here (don't tell my mom or she will FLIP lol).  I had never really flown by myelf before, and tackling huge and international airports seemed overwhelming and terrifying.  To top it off, the friend who was going to accompany me was no longer able to, so I was totally alone, with no idea what to do if I got lost or missed a connecting flight.  However, I am SOO thankful for God's little blessings and how faithful he is in ALL things; I was literally standing in a line to check in to my Korean flight, and there were two college aged girls in front of me, heading to Cambodia for mission work as well!  They (Megan and Tamara) were so kind to me, and let me hang with them at the airports.  I even ended up sitting right in front of one of them on our 4367184673 hour long (ok, 13.5 hour long, but there isn't much difference) flight from Atlanta to Seoul. Just knowing that I wasn't alone, and that someone was there to help me gave me so much peace of mind and comfort, and I'm so thankful for that.  And when we parted our seperate ways, we prayed for each others'different mission work for our trips, and for the safety of each of us.  I mean, how amazing is it that God knew how nervous and anxious I was, and sent me THOSE girls, who were so uplifting and kind? it blows my mind that God would bless me with that, even when it seems like such a small thing. 

After getting through Customs (which seemed a lot less scary than it did when I went to Europe) and finding my luggage, I met Vandi, who works at the mission.  He met me and took me back to the mission in one of those cool motorcycle/carriage things, and I was able to see a lot of the city that way.  Flying in the city seemed HUGE, which was not what I was expecting.  Ater landing, though, I was able to see that the city, even though huge, was actually a lot more like what I had originally  accepted.  To be honest, it reminded me a lot of Kensington for a lot of the drive: run-down buildings all connected, trash on the streets, people sitting and sleeping on the sidewalk. It breaks my heart to see how different life here (and in Kensington) is from my middle-class suburb life, and I pray that God will just open my heart and humble it from where it currently is. 

I know that God is going to do AMAZING things this week on our trip, and I cannot wait to see what happens!  I keep thinking of the song "God of this City" as I walk down the streets: "Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city," and I am just praying for that to happen this week.  God is so faithful and can do all things;"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose,"(Romans 8:28).  I pray that he would just bless the mission house that we are staying at, that he would continue to change the lives of the people of this city through their work and that he would use us to do the same for the short time that we are here.  Please be praying for our trip, that the hearts of the people we encounter will be opened and receptive, that we are able to make a step towards justice in this broken city.