Motos--A Way of Life

In Cambodia, just about every family has at least one motorcycle.  Here, it’s like the family car.  Everyone refers to motorcycles as “motos”.  The current record I’ve seen is seven people on a moto at one time. People here have amazing balance and strong core muscles due to them riding motos all over the country.  I remember a time when my Dad drove me to a school parking lot and tried to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. I failed miserably that day. I just couldn’t seem to get the hang of the clutch and gearshift.  Well, all that is in the past.  This past week, I rode a moto here in Cambodia and loved it!  There’s just something about putting on a helmet, tilting the visor down, and hitting the road on two wheels. I don’t think you’ll see me on a moto carrying 100 chickens or 2 adult pigs (a common scene here), but I will definitely ride a moto any chance I get.  Dad, if you’re reading this, you should know that the lesson you gave me 15 years ago has finally paid off.

--Alan

Angelina

Cambodia seems to have significantly impacted Angelina Jolie.  One of her adopted children, Maddox, is from Cambodia.  The actress has filmed several movies in Cambodia as well, and her time here surely has encouraged her desire to do humanitarian work.  Angelina also seems to have impacted Cambodia.  One day here, I met a young woman and her newborn baby.  I asked the woman what her baby girl’s name was, and she responded “Jolie.”  Confused as this was not a Cambodian name I had heard before, I asked her the name again.  She then explained that she had named her daughter after Angelina Jolie.  A few months ago when we were looking for an apartment, one of the landlords told us that she was also the landlord of Jolie’s orphanage in Cambodia.  The orphanage was within walking distance from the apartment, so the landlord took us on a tour.  Unfortunately, for all of you star struck folks, we opted for a different apartment.  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt also have started the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, an organization that initiates community development projects in Cambodia.  The office of the MJP Foundation is just a few doors down from our organization’s café-bakery where we are working this month, and many of its volunteers enjoy coming here for a meal.  Perhaps Angelina might come here as well sometime soon to enjoy some fish tacos or a piece of carrot cake. J

--Katy

Book Recommendations

This past year, we have been reading through the devotional: Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals, compiled by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, and Enuma Okoro.  It has been a great way to start each day, and we both would encourage others to go through it.  It is a refreshing combination of ancient and new.

We also both recently completed the book Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger.  This book tells the true story of a missionary woman who worked with gang members in the slums of Hong Kong.  It is an incredible page-turning story that shows how the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer transformed an entire community.  If you need to be reminded of God’s might and ability to change lives, this is a great read.

--Katy