A Thanksgiving to Remember

After 6 long days of being very sick, 3 of those nights spent in the hospital, Brian was discharged yesterday. What a gracious gift from God on our Thanksgiving holiday here in Cambodia!! By yesterday, Brian was very ready to come home. During the day and night, he had many nurses poking and prodding him, taking blood, temperature, blood pressure, giving him pills to take, cooling him off, etc. We are so thankful for the hospital he was able to stay in: not only is it right across the street from our school, but it is also the nicest hospital in this city. It was just what he needed during his days of extreme sickness. Here are some pictures of his room:

It had a nice little kitchen, and a great view!

The view out his window (sorry for the glare)

Waiting to be discharged: Thanksgiving morning

Now at home, Brian is feeling a little better each day. He is on strict doctor's orders to rest for at least 3 more full days. Today is day 7 of him being sick. We are so thankful to be able to rejoice in God's provision; sending Brian home on this day was a true blessing. Some friends and I decided semi last minute to throw some food together and enjoy a traditional meal here in Cambodia. As B rested at home, I went over to a colleague's house and baked all afternoon. We had baked chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy, and dessert. We had a great time of fellowship while baking, and an excellent meal. B joined us as the meal was ready, and was able to eat 2 plates of food (this is good, because he virtually hasn't eaten in 6 days). Here are some pictures of our meal:

The spread: we fed 6 people

The gang: Brian, Joanne (Hong Kong), Joelle (England), Megan (Colorado), and Dennis (CA)

We were stoked to have this traditional of a meal in Cambodia!!

: : Rescue Orphanage: A Trip I Will Never Forget : :

Before Brian got really sick, a group of us from the school took a trip out of the city to an orphanage. One of the families at our school knows the woman (a Canadian) who runs the orphanage; she is from their home church. We went to visit, encourage her, and bring treats for the kids and older ladies. This woman, Marie, is incredible. She has lived in Cambodia since 1961 as a missionary: her and her husband were missionaries here until the Pol Pot regime, when they were forced to move back to Canada. After a freak accident, her husband died; Marie felt called back to Cambodia, and this is her home. She is a woman in her 70's now, but still runs this orphanage with almost 200 kids! She also has an AIDS neighborhood, where she provides homes for families living with AIDS. In addition to that, she has recently built a school on the property, and has just added 10 more family houses. She also provides "granny homes" for elderly Cambodian women who have no where else to turn. This woman is truly a saint, and as I type this, my heart is warmed even thinking of all she has done for people in this country. Marie rescues children from being sold into trafficking, and just before we visited last week, she got a sibling group of 5 young kids whose father had just brutally murdered their mother. As we were traveling the 1+ hour to get there, we were given all this information: as we pulled into the gates of the orphanage, each one of us was truly blown away at what this woman, with God's help, has done. Enjoy the photos below.

The long dirt road leading to the most peaceful place I have been to here: Rescue Orphanage

The AIDS neighborhood: there were about 8 homes total.

One of the babies in the AIDS home. He just got a lollipop, and was totally enthralled!

Orphanage homes: each child is placed into a family with house parents. Each house is fully functioning and holds 10 children.

Marie and one of her 174 children. She speaks fluent Khmer (the language here).

Beautiful sisters enjoying a sugary treat.


Love at first sight: one of the 4 babies in the Baby House.

Group photo time! Marie couldn't remember the last time this was attempted!

Beautiful sunset for our trip home.

This day was such an eye=opening experience. So many families in this country give up their children for various reasons: some are sold into the trafficking industry, others cannot be properly cared for, and others lose parents and have no where else to turn. This orphanage was so well run, pleasant, and filled with God's love. These children were absolutely beautiful, and I will definitely return when given the opportunity.

Prayer is Appreciated!

Dear All Blog Readers,
You may or may not know that Brian has been diagnosed with Dengue Fever. This is a fairly common disease in these parts, as it is contracted by mosquito bites. Although it is common, it is not good. He was fighting this fever at home, but as of this morning, he has been admitted to the hospital. Dengue affects your white blood cell and platelet count. Brian's has gotten too low, and the doctors felt it best to have him somewhere where they could put him on an IV and monitor him constantly. He remains in fairly good spirits, but is physically very weak and exhausted. Many others at our school have had Dengue, but the disease has 4 different strands one can contract.

If you would, we would appreciate your prayers for us at this time. It is a very scary, unsettling time....especially going through this in a foreign land. We are currently awaiting word from our insurance as to their coverage; as of now, Brian is waiting in the ER at a hospital near our school. Please pray he can stay there, as it is close by for me to get to him. Also, pray for the Lord to strengthen both of us; I am having a hard time doing this on my own, and often get very sad at the circumstances. We will update as things progress.

Good Mornin'Vietnam!!

Sorry for the delay in blogging, but we've been crazy busy!! It seems no matter where you are in the world, November and December are BUSY months!

We were blessed through my Dad (K) to financially be able to go to Vietnam over a week long break we had from school. We had been planning the trip for a couple months, and we were SO thrilled to be able to travel across the border to a different land. We took a very nice tour bus for 6 hours, and smoothly made it across the border. Funny how things work, but as soon as we crossed the border...I could tell we were in a more well-kept country. The roads were cleaner, there wasn't a funky smell, and the trees and grass were green and groomed!! It was truly a sight to see. Below are some pictures from our adventures in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam's capital city. We thoroughly enjoyed our time, however I got very sick the first full day we arrived. I spent about 80% of the trip either in bed, or in the bathroom....not enjoyable. However, what I did get to see, I LOVED!!

Brian and I found a bowling alley at the top of a mall...great fun!

One of the many lush, green parks in the city.

Coffee!!! Vietnam is the world's 2nd largest producer of this addicting drink.

A sweet girl who wanted a picture with the fish she caught: not sure if she eats them or sells them...?

Cockroaches and crickets-fried and yummy! (Some of these were 5 inches long!!)

Pho: Vietnam's most famous dish.

One of many gorgeous buildings in the city.

Overall, minus the being sick part, it was a great trip!! Some major differences we noticed between Cambodia and Vietnam were: the people there were much more happy and friendly, they have people who daily pick up the trash, the roads weren't dusty, there are people whose jobs are actually to care for the city's foliage, there were movie theaters and bowling alleys, the food was cheaper, they had wonderful city parks, there were sidewalks, the Vietnamese were spotted on multiple occasions actually giving money to the beggars, the weather was pleasant, and the country was overall more developed and thriving than Cambodia. Simple things you might think, but not when Cambodia is "home". Look out for a video which will be posted on our time in Vietnam!

Brian and Karie.....in Wonderland??

Tonight I came up with the perfect analogy for living here. If you have ever seen the Movie Alice in Wonderland, that is us here in Cambodia!!! 

• Alice goes exploring one day: Brian and Karie wanted to go exploring as well. 
• Alice stumbles, falls, and experiences a world that is completely upside down from the world she is used to: same same for us here. 
  
• Alice tries to get used to her world in "Wonderland", but continues to be bumped and scared by weird things that come up along the way: just as B&K think they have mastered their world in Phnom Penh, weirder things continue to happen.

The Lord is teaching me personally (K) to revel in the simple things. For example, yesterday I put on a clean shirt after I got out of my work clothes. My shirt smelled good, fresh, and like dryer sheets!!! Now, you might be reading this and thinking.....don't you normally wash your clothes? Yes, our helper does the wash....but a few factors go into the unsuccessfulness of the laundry: 1.) The water here stinks, and is SO bad that in order for it to be safe to cook with, it has to be boiled for 3o minutes in advance, 2.) Our laundry is hung outside to dry in a humid, smell-saturated country. It was a blessing to smell a smell I haven't smelled in 4 months: the smell of a clean shirt. It is the small things.

Another simple pleasure we enjoy is the ability to buy and cook American foods on the weekends. We are SOOOOO sick of Asian food and white rice. A few weekends ago, I bought the fixins' to make stuffed baked potatoes. Again, this might sound trivial to you...but to us, it is comforting. It's interesting, as you grow older...you realize how truly important traditions, normalcy, and family is to your very soul. 

So as these 2 Alices try to navigate this "Wonder?land", keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Our home and family are constantly in the forefront of our minds and hearts, and we miss you all terribly.