Familiar Faces

Lots of people ask us if we miss anything from the United States, and our answer is always the same… family and friends.  We had the pleasure of recently spending 7 days with the Common Ground Christian Church vision team! It was great to see friends and connect with familiar faces from our home church. We really enjoyed morning devotions with the team and showing them the country that we call home.  We feel true blessed by our church community.

It was great for the team to see God working and transforming people in the Kingdom of Cambodia. I think they now have a better understanding of what life looks like here in Cambodia.  Did I mention that the CG vision team was composed of 15 women?  I think this was great for Katy to connect with so many women and mothers right before becoming a mother herself.

An added bonus for us was the team brought baby shower gifts from our family and friends. Thank you for all the wonderful prayers and gifts for our child.

Alan

Mosquito Racquet!!!

The rains have started again, providing some relief from the heat.  The rains have also brought more mosquitoes.  Thankfully, we have a mosquito racquet.  This simple, inexpensive device makes killing mosquitoes easy and fun.  To use it, we simply turn the switch on, press another button, and swing.  We know we have been successful in our mission when we hear zapping!  Mosquitoes seem to particularly enjoy hanging out near the wet clothes on our clothesline and then sneaking into the house on the clothes.  It’s gratifying work to swing the mosquito racquet around the clothesline—lots of zapping!  When the battery on the racquet is low, we just plug the racquet into the wall and recharge.

--Katy

Crossing the River

Some people have asked me how being pregnant in Cambodia is different than the United States.  I honestly can’t answer this question since I have never been pregnant in the United States before, but I can share my experience of pregnancy in Cambodia.  As I am now 7^th months pregnant, it’s becoming obvious to all that a child is coming soon.  I had hoped that pregnancy would be something that not only would bring us a child but would also be a way to break down barriers and start conversations with people around me.  In a country in which having children is a significant part of life, it has done just that.  All types of people smile at me, say hello, and are happy to see my growing belly.  It has really been a sweet time.  One adorable 2-year-old girl came up to me as I was seated at a church we were visiting and laid her head on my belly as if she knew her little friend was right there.

Some Cambodian women have suggested that after I have the baby I need to wear socks and gloves and drink hot liquids to make sure I stay warm.  Women in the countryside typically sleep with a fire beside their beds after delivery.  I am certainly not worried about being too cold after delivery since 80 degrees constitutes a cool day in Cambodia.  I have definitely been hot during this pregnancy and have been envious of Cambodian men who stand around talking to their friends with their shirts pulled up so that their bellies can cool down.

Marriage and having children are a standard part of life in Cambodia.  When people meet for the first time, one of the first questions asked is, “Are you married already or not yet?”  If someone is unmarried, instead of answering ‘no,’ the correct response is ‘not yet.’  If someone is already married, the immediate next question is “Do you have children already or not yet?”  If someone doesn’t have children, the appropriate answer again is not ‘no,’ but ‘not yet.’  The formal word for saying that someone is pregnant translates to something like ‘the area of the stomach,’ but people typically use the expressions ‘to have child,’ ‘big stomach,’ or ‘heavy.’  The most typical expression for delivering a baby is ‘to cross the river.’  As our Khmer friend told us when he explained the expression, “It’s a lot easier to cross the street than the river.”  While I initially agreed with him, after carefully considering his logic, I’m not sure it really applies to Cambodia.  I have crossed the street many times in Phnom Penh, and I cross the river on a small boat each week to get to the island church we attend.  I certainly have a greater sense of accomplishment when I make it safely to the other side of the street than I do the other side of the river.  In this case, I am hoping that my delivery is more like crossing a Cambodian river and less like crossing a Cambodian street!

--Katy

Surprise… It’s my Birthday!

Hello All,

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes over Facebook, email, and phone. I had decided to work from home and not to go to the Daughters workshop on my birthday.  Katy went to the workshop to teach and called me to let me know that the girls were disappointed that I had not shown up.  So, I got on a tuk-tuk and headed to the workshop. To my surprise I was greeted with this banner:

They also surprised me with a cake, birthday hat, confetti, and snow spray.  The confetti and snow spray have become a tradition for birthdays with the Daughters. After they sang happy birthday to me I was covered in confetti and snowflakes.

Later, Katy and I celebrated my birthday by eating American food and going to the movies. It was a wonderful day that I will not forget.

Alan

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