Do you spend hours pondering what your name would be in
Cambodia? Well, today is your lucky
day! I will take you through a step by
step process to figure out your Cambodian name.
To figure out your “last” name or family name, identify and write down
your paternal grandfather’s first name.
For me the name is ‘Charles’ because my dad’s dad was named
Charles. In Cambodia, the family name
actually goes first instead of last.
After this name, write your first name.
Okay, that’s it! You’re done!
It’s very simple. Just 2 names. This is
your name for your entire life whether you get married or not. Your name does not change.
So my name in Cambodia would be: “Charles Katy”
It’s interesting how in the U.S. we put so much emphasis on
first and last names. People might refer
to us there as “The Beringer Family.”
However, in Cambodia Alan, Jonah, and I would all have different family
names (well, actually that’s not entirely true since Alan’s grandfather and
father both have the same first name). When
we signed our lease for our apartment, our landlord got a little weird that we
had the same last name until it was explained that we weren’t brother and
sister but that I had changed my name when I got married! Family names aren’t
used as frequently in Cambodia as they are in the U.S. Instead of calling your teacher “Mr. Smith,”
you would just call him “Teacher.”
Instead of calling my parents’ friends “Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so,” I would
call them “Aunt and Uncle” and not use their names—just “Aunt and Uncle.” I have also noticed something interesting
about Cambodian nicknames. I’ve observed
that in English, we tend to drop the end of the name to create a nickname, so
“Katy” would be “Kate,” and “Alan” would be “Al.” In Cambodia people tend to drop the beginning,
so I guess my nickname could be “Tea,” and Alan’s could be “An.” No one calls us that though. Our names are already complicated
enough. A few children who know that we
go together but can’t remember who is who just call us “AlanKaty.”
-Katy
We both just finished reading this incredible book by Tom
and DeAnn Burke. Anointed for Burial is a personal account of their time serving in
Cambodia right before the Khmer Rouge took over. There are so many books written about these
horrifying years in Cambodia, but this book speaks of God’s power, miracles, and
goodness. If you’ve ever wondered where
God was during this time, this book will show you. This book reads quickly because it is so
exciting. It encouraged both of us to
continue praying and to be confident that God wants to work in the lives of the
people of Cambodia.