Roots : : Returning Back Home

Big City Stuff

2009-09-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

When we began talking about our transition home, Brian said numerous times that he wanted to live in a bigger city then where we were living before we moved. In Cambodia, we lived in a bustling area. Motos flying down our streets at rapid speeds, vendors sauntering down the side of the road selling everything from rugs to BBQ'ed eggs. At night the roads cleared, people retired to their homes, then began their morning routines the next day at around 5 am.

I would often walk down the streets of Phnom Penh (when it wasn't as humid) to exercise. The smells, sounds, and sights were the things that big cities are made of: sidewalk restaurants open late, illuminated by a single light bulb; dust kicked up by the ox carts, pulling home goods for sale; exhaust and noise galore; and apartment homes stacked on top of each other. I got used to these big city things, although it used to be something I tried my hardest to stay away from. The sounds became music to my ears as I tried to sleep at night, and when we vacationed to quieter places, it felt foreign to me.

One week ago, we finally moved out of my Mom's home, which has been graciously housing us this past 3 months. We moved to a big city. We moved into an apartment. These two things are things I never wanted. Ever. Although I protested it in the past, I have LOVED these two factors in my life this past week! Tonight I took a long walk down a busy road in our busy city, and where the noises would have bothered me before, tonight they comforted me. As I walked under freeway over-pases, past buzzing cars, and through busy supermarket parking lots, I felt at home. The busy-ness of the past year in Asia, the crowded nature of living in the country's capital, all of this hit me in the forehead tonight, but here in California! It is interesting how you can come full circle after only a year of being in a place. Pictures to come of our new place as soon as we finish unpacking!

Dichotomy

2009-07-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

dichotomy: noun
A division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities.

This word comes to mind tonight as I sit and wrestle through my thoughts and feelings. The past few days have been hard; I feel as though I have hit a wall while trying to adjust to being home. A mere 10 weeks ago, all that was on my mind in Cambodia was coming home. "Everything will be so great, so normal," I thought. These past few days I have felt everything but great and normal. Tonight as I sat and thought about my depressed, lonely feelings these last few days, I realized I am living in a dichotomy.

Here in California, I am living a fast-paced life of wealth and ease. I am miserable because I feel like I have no purpose. In Cambodia, I lived a slow-paced life of poverty and daily trials...yet there, I felt full of purpose and drive. Why was I so naive in thinking my life at "home" would be so lovely and normal? I should have realized that, after living a year in a totally new environment, nothing would ever feel normal again.

It doesn't help that I don't have a job yet: I love what I do, and I love working with and being around kids. I want a job. I love teaching, and I want to keep it up. Regardless, I feel as if my purpose in teaching here will never feel like my purpose felt like in Cambodia. I know, I know. I need to find out what God's purpose for me is here, bloom where you are planted...right? I've always been good at that, but I still feel like my purpose here won't be as great, as needed, as fulfilling as knowing I could walk down my street and provide a meal for someone who hasn't had one in a week. Knowing I could give a homeless person a dollar that could feed them for 3 days. In telling someone about the love of Christ, and seeing the excitement in their eyes because they had never heard that news before...and knowing it could literally save their life.

Although the needs of the Cambodian people were overwhelming to me most of this past year, they were that way because they were new needs and ones that I felt unequipped to solve. I got used to the ease of meeting needs in Cambodia, and the needs were in your face on a daily basis: beggar children following you while riding your bike, a limbless man managing his way down the street, or a sick elderly person riding on the back of a moto with an iv drip connected to their arm. Whatever the need, it was readily able to be met.

Where all this is going? I have no idea. I just needed a place to write, vent, and get my feelings out. I need a job, and I need to feel like I live a meaningful life. Sitting around all day is driving me nuts!!!

Back to our Roots

2009-07-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

We have officially been home 5 weeks now, and I think it is safe to say we are fully settled in: no more waking up at 3am and wanting to fall asleep at 4pm, no more jumpiness at birds (which move strangely like the rats we had in Cambodia), and no more suitcases full of things to unpack. We are overjoyed to be home, although we both have been truly missing Cambodia this past week. We have had a lot of neat experiences since we've been home: we have been on a short road trip to Yosemite and Fresno over 4th of July weekend, we have seen many friends and family we missed over the past year, we have taken nighttime summer bike rides, tried new recipes, gardened and played with dirt and plants, and we have delighted in the simplicities of life here in Los Gatos. I (Karie) am in my 4th week of summer school, and cooking with 80 kids each day has been a real blast! Brian is in his third week of school, and has his nose deep in the books each night. Here are some pictures of what we've been up to at home, as well as our new favorite summer recipe: Raspberry Lemon Iced Tea. Enjoy!

Oh gardening, how I missed thee!

The joys of picnics in the park and self timers.

Brian with the big rocks in Yosemite.

Yosemite Valley and my Mom

Leaving Yosemite National Park-the view from Glacier Point.

Hiking the Vernal Falls trail: we saw 2 rattlesnakes, a centipede, deer, and coyotes!

:: Raspberry Lemon Iced Tea ::

6 raspberry flavored tea bags
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup of sugar
8 cups of water

1.) Look out your window to see if you have a lemon tree, like this one! If so, pick 2-3 lemons off and juice them. If not, go buy lemons at the store.

2.) Boil 8 cups of water. Turn off the heat, put the tea bags in, and let steep for 1 hour.

3.) After it has sat, put the tea into your desired container (pitcher, etc.). Stir in the sugar until dissolved.

4.) Stir in the lemon juice. Allow to cool completely in the fridge until you serve it. Add a fresh slice of lemon to each glass of tea poured. Enjoy!

: : Home : :

2009-06-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well yet again we have failed to update our blog in a timely manner. We appreciate your forgiveness :o) The last few weeks in Cambodia were hectic: boxing things up, cleaning all the nooks and crannies, finishing up school, doing report cards, packing and re-packing suitcases, spending time with good friends, closing bank accounts, making the "last trips" to local markets, etc. We finished well, although it was hard to close out one stage of life while anticipating the next one. It was my prayer to keep my "head in the game" until the end, not neglecting any part of Cambodia or our life there. We both were anxious to leave and travel to Japan, then home....however, we thoroughly enjoyed our last days where God had us.

Once we left Cambodia, we boarded a short flight to Bangkok. We met up with friends there, and had dinner in the city. We were taken back to the airport where we spent a sleep-less night, then boarded a plane to Japan at 6:50am the next morning. After an easy 6 hour flight, we landed in a place surrounded with more green then we'd seen all year. Japan was amazing!!! We re-enjoyed simple pleasures: walking on sidewalks with flat paths, smelling the ocean air, being COLD, wearing jeans and sweatshirts, eating street food that we didn't need to be concerned about, and public transportation. We stayed in Tokyo 1 night and walked around that part of the city. Next, we stayed 3,000 feet up in a mountain town called Hakone for 2 nights, and fell in love with the peacefulness and the scenery there. We spent our last night in a hotel near the airport, and enjoyed sleeping in and having a hot shower. All of our tuk-tuk, train, car, airplane, shuttle, and bus transportation had gone very smoothly up to this point.

When we boarded the flight in Tokyo, we were excited. See, we were flying on stand-by passes and were unsure if we would get on the flight in the first place. This was our LAST leg of a packed 4 days of traveling, and once this leg ended, we would finally be HOME. We were so lucky to get to sit in Business Class (1 step down from First) and we were enjoying the leg room and menu choices for the 9 hour flight. After sitting in the plane for 30 minutes past our scheduled departure, an announcement came over the loud speaker: "We are having some maintenance issues that will soon be resolved, we should be leaving shortly." We didn't care- we were in nice seats and were ready to try and sleep for the flight. Two hours went by, and the flight crew began pulling first class passengers off the plane; we knew something was wrong. All passengers with connecting flights began to be rerouted on to other flights, and we still sat. We were told by one of the flight attendants that we needed to stay seated even though the entire 747 plane would be asked to get off. We had no clue what was happening! Passengers were leaving, and as it turns out, the captain allowed all stand-by and employee passengers to stay on the flight. The problem? Five out of fourteen toilets were broken. They were going to just take the plane back to SF without anyone on it, but the captain knew the trouble it would cause the stand-bys. We were beyond blessed and extremely thankful that he was gracious enough to allow us to stay. Finally, after a total of 4 hours waiting on the plane in Tokyo, we successfully pulled out and took off for San Francisco. On a 747 plane that was originally 80% full, it was just us, an entire flight crew, and 20 passengers. We were so privileged to be given the seats on the plane and the chance to get home....especially after a long year of being gone.

We arrived 4 hours late into SF on June 4th...our 4 year anniversary! We are so glad to be home. We have enjoyed a great weekend full of family and friends, excellent healthy food, walks to town, having "Christmas" as we find the things we left behind for a year, and figuring out what our new life here will look like. Brian has started putting his name out there to do computer work, and I am pursuing a teaching job for the fall. We will continue to update this blog, but with a new flare: life back in California! We thoroughly appreciate your prayers, thoughts, comments, encouragements, and friendships. We would love to get together with you, so please don't hesitate to call or email us!

Life

2009-05-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

This sums up our journey here. We wish that we could have taken both paths, but God has sent us down the one less traveled by, and that HAS made all the difference.

Long Weeks and Coffee

2009-05-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

We have this week off of work. We are finding it an interesting phenomenon. We have not had time off of work for a long time. I am not sure what to do with myself. We have a lot to do I suppose, getting ready for leaving, and packing up classrooms and whatnot. We have been sitting at the local coffee shop a lot lately, doing just random things. Trying not to work to hard. I have been actually pro actively trying to not do any work. I have my grades done, and I do not have a classroom to pack up. I was going to upload a random video on here, but it actually turn out to be quite large; something like 100MB. Normally that would be fine, but here that would take me like 2 days to upload or something. It's not that cool of a video for me to spend two days trying to upload it. If you are really interested send me an email and I will send it to you in a couple weeks, when we are back to fast internet.

The countdown is almost over - we leave Cambodia for good in about 18 days. We are heading out to an orphanage tomorrow, just to hang out with some of the kids and whatnot. We are sitting at this coffee shop where we literally have like 3 people who work here standing right by us, kind of annoying. I think they think that it would be rude if they did not stand right next to us - just in case we need something. Whats funny about that is the fact that when I go to Fry's I just like to wander the aisles, by myself...no people following me around. And on top of that when I do decide that I want to get something, or I need some help, I unable to find anyone! I much prefer being left alone, then pestered.

Nothing really profound to say, we are just working hard and trying to get things all in order for out long journey back home.

Your homework: Listen to Caedmon's Calls' album called Overdressed. It's unbelievable.

My Daily Muse

2009-05-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, my promise to write more frequently has been forgotten, and here I am updating our blog almost 1 month after the last post. It makes me sick, but we have literally been too busy to even think about blogging. Here are some highlights of our last 3 weeks: Karie turned 28, and had 4 full days of birthday celebrations; we have encountered more rainy afternoon storms, some bringing rain as deep as our mid-calf; we have officially changed our countdown to days rather than weeks (which we are currently at 22 days); Brian has become more and more sick of being here, and has resulted in wanting to go out every night with friends to get his mind off the fact that YES, we are STILL here; we have subliminally changed our diet to try to get rid of all Asian food, and supplement it with as much "western food" that we can find (sandwiches, egg breakfasts, chips, etc.); we have begun cleaning, organizing, selling, and getting rid of things at school and at home; we have begun packing; we are experiencing many favorites in this city, and realizing they will be the last time we do them; we are spending as much time with our friends here as possible; and last but not least, we are continuously thinking and praying about our return home. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU ALL.

Here in Cambodia, as you can imagine, life has become very normal. After all, we've been here almost a year now. Things that you might think are surprising and silly might still affect us that way, but we have learned to ignore them and move on. These things still capture Karie's eye, and she loves to try to catch these things on camera. She has begun going all over the city video taping all sorts of things. Below are some images that we enjoy on a continual basis, but that still amuse our hearts and eyes. We hope you enjoy these things, our daily musings here in Cambodia.

Monks are a colorful part of the scenery around here; always dressed in orange, and usually are spotted asking for offerings or praying a blessing over people.

No explanation really needed here: just a part of daily life. This does NOT factor in the high humidity factor, however.

Horribly translated and ridiculously hilarious signs add brightness to daily life. This is posted in a new frozen yogurt shop, large and bold and on the wall. My fav is #6. CLASSIC.

Yep, we ARE still alive!

2009-04-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but it has been over 2 weeks since I have updated this blog. We have been SO busy it has not even crossed my mind. Well, I lie- it has crossed my mind...however, we were in quite a slump where there were no new stories or pictures to write about. Now, prepare yourselves. I have a ton to say!! Here is what we have been up to these past weeks in words; below are the pictures to prove it!

Easter Musical here at school, with kids working hard to memorize lines, learn dances, etc.
Karie got very sick, and missed 3 days of school; nothing conclusive, but seemed like a bacterial digestive system infection. The day she got better, she got a sinus infection. Was out for a solid week. Miserable.
Went up to Siem Reap (home of the ancient Angkor Wat temples). LOVED it up there; we didn't even feel like we were in Cambodia. The small, quiet town is totally geared towards tourists. Things we saw that are not in our city: trash cans, a lovely river with a green grassy walkway, green TREES, friendly Cambodian people, clean streets. Totally opposite Phnom Penh.
rainy season and hot season seem to be co-existing here: the heat turns up during the day, and CRAZY storms blow in at around 3pm in the afternoons. It doesn't cool it down however, just adds to the moisture in the air. Black clouds, wind, and flooding are common occurrences here again.

So happy to be off the bus! Do you see why Brian has a smerky smile? Haha..

Beautiful river walk area: Siem Reap

Getting ready for the most FUN we've had in awhile...

....sunset ATV ride through the rice paddies and villages!

The beauty of an impending storm.

Angkor Wat: built in the first century!

Fun climbing on ancient ruins! Ta Prom Temple.

Where they filmed Tomb Raider: Ta Prom Temple.

Sweet babes: Siem Reap

Our crazy storm yesterday! It was this flooded after only 1 1/2 hours of downpour.

In other news, we have less then 6 weeks before we begin our trek HOME. We are thrilled beyond belief to have made it through the adventure that is Cambodia, but in the same sense, sad to leave this adventurous life behind. One day soon, I will be walking around the beautiful neighborhoods of Los Gatos with my Mom...totally satisfied with where I am...but near the front of my mind will be the times we had here in this country. I am so thankful for these times, both hard and good. The kids I have in my class are beyond description, and I will miss each of them dearly. They have shown me what it means to be true learners. Some are learning all the school subjects in their third language. They are only between 9-12 years old. I love these kids.

In the upcoming weeks, we will be doing some of the following: packing up things, getting rid of anything we can, taking "last trips" to some of our favorite restaurants, pools, and markets in the city, celebrating Karie's 28th (ugh.....SO OLD) birthday, and finalizing our trip plans for our 4 days top over in Japan. We should be home around June 4-6th. Here are some ways we could really use your prayers:

For our last weeks with our students: that we would continually show who Christ is to them, and how much He cares for them.
For us to stay healthy, with all that we have to do.
For Karie's job search: her ideal job would be teaching in a public school.
For Brian's final details of getting registered for school, starting in the summer.
That we would not rush these last weeks, no matter how excited we are to get home; that we would take each moment and treasure it.

Thanks for reading, and look for more updates to come! May God continue to bless you all!

The Terrace Cafe, a rainstorm, and the Good Samaritan

2009-04-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, this is the Terrace Cafe. See why we like it so much? In the center of their sign is a traditional Apsara dancer...the most common dance in Cambodia.

Last night for B and I was truly delightful. We escaped to our favorite coffee shop in town (actually in our neighborhood), and we brought some school work and an iPod. You must understand that this cafe has been decorated with the highest effort to cater to its customers; there are plush seats inside, 2 very powerful wall air-conditioners, fruit out on display, colorful laminated menus, incredible freshly ground coffee, and about 15 people working at the same time....all there to serve your needs. Believe me when I say this place is not Cambodia. The owner went to Thailand to train in making exquisite coffee, bought a very expensive machine there, and hired someone incredible to decorate both the inside and outside of this place. This is not Cambodia.

Anyway, as B and I sat in the Terrace Cafe, we enjoyed good music, great drinks, and most of all....a powerful rainstorm that crept up on this country. We are in the middle of hot season, and with hot season, it is not rainy season. We have had rains quite a few times this week, and it has been the absolute most refreshing thing I have experienced in awhile. The rain washes all the dust and pollution out of the air and cools everything down. As we sat, the raindrops pelted the roof of the coffee shop with great strength. I walked outside to enjoy it firsthand. It was raining so hard that on the street, with each landing drop, a large bubble formed where the drop hit. It was incredible. I couldn't help but get nostalgic as I nestled down in my chair inside, and feelings of being at home, cozy, in front of a fireplace filled my mind. My entire body was in a complete joyous state as, for a few minutes, I pictured myself at home...all cozy.

I got up numerous times during the storm to head outside and enjoy its beauty. On one occasion, I looked to my right and saw a sight that wrenched me to my core. It was a sight I will not soon forget: two little girls and their father, wearing rags, and huddled under the awning of the business next door. They were clearly homeless, poor, and in need. I smiled at them, hoping what little I could give might show God's love in some way. They did not smile back. My heart began to break in many fragmented pieces. I started to think of my own father, and how he did all he could to provide for my sister and I when we were little girls. I began to melt inside, thinking that this father was doing all he could to provide for his little girls....which turned out to be an awning to get out of a storm. They do not have a house to go to when the rains stop; they do not have warm blankets to dry them off.

This week in the ladies Bible study I attend, we are looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan. It is found in Luke 10:25-37. The study hit me hard this week, as we are surrounded daily by prostitutes, beggars, those who have lost limbs because of land mines, and poor street children. How can I be a better neighbor to them? Why aren't people in their own country reaching out to be better neighbors to them? Why is there such a numerous amount of this country's population living in utter poverty?

"....which one of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." -Luke 10: 36-37

The verses we had studied just this week, the people in the story....they were now standing face to face with me, dripping wet. As I had thoughts of coziness and sheer joy inside the coffee shop, they had thoughts of food, a dry place, and sheer fear outside the coffee shop.

Go and do likewise....

I had to do something, but what? How could I show God's love to this family who surely spoke no English? They must be hungry, I deduced, so I went inside to order them some food. The wait for the food seemed like an eternity, as my whole body quivered with the reality of the family standing outside. As the food came, I rushed outside to hand it to them. They placed their hands together, in the traditional Asian greeting, and thanked me with the only way they knew how. I prayed that they might someday know Christ's love, and that He might show Himself to them through that hot meal and dry ground.

I was so thankful to God for rocking my world last night. I was probably the most comfortable I had ever been here, and God did not allow that to last for long. I am grateful for that family, and so glad to be able to be a small light in their very dark world. Through my night last night, I would like to encourage you to read the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). "Go and do likewise" this week, and then leave me a comment as to how you were a true neighbor to someone in your world. Reaching out to others causes God to smile big, and it makes your own heart soften in a major way. Have fun this week as you look for ways to be a neighbor!

Cambodia the Beautiful

2009-03-25T22:29:00.001-07:00

I find it interesting that as I looked over the past few weeks of pictures in my camera and saw the first one (below), the song 'America the Beautiful' took over in my head. I am NOT a patriotic song gal, unless of course it's 4th of July. I remember learning the songs in school as a child, but I rarely hear them or remember their lyrics as an adult. Funny that, as I sit here counting down the days until we leave Cambodia, and thinking that there is not much beauty to be enjoyed here, that this song came to my mind. Enjoy the following images, and sing along to the lyrics of what is truly a wonderfully written song.

(To be sung to 'America the Beautiful')

Oh beautiful, for sunset skies...

For Asian fruits of all kinds...

For blue pools, and days off school...

For flowers that bloom in March!

Cambodia! Cambodia! God shed His grace on thee!

And crowned thy good, with sisterhood...

From sea to shining sea!

It's ssssooo hot that.....

2009-03-11T22:41:00.001-07:00

-You are dripping sweat after each 5 minute, easy bike ride to school at 7 in the morning.
-1 1/2 liters of water just doesn't cut it anymore to keep you hydrated.
-You feel like a slug every evening before the air-conditioner can be turned on, because all of your energy is long-gone.
-Shade is essential when outside.
-Air conditioned rooms/classrooms don't feel very cool anymore.
-Swimming pools aren't refreshing anymore, because the weather outside has heated them up to be too warm.
-When the power goes out, you know you will eventually DIE if it stays out for too long.
-You make it a goal to do everything either before or after the sun goes down.
-Cambodian nappy time is anytime people feel like sleeping during the day, not just 12-2 anymore.
..even if you are running a business.
-Karie refuses to drink anything that is not ice cold.
-Thoughts of home and perfect California weather, as well as dreams of being cold, come frequently.
-Sweat rags, no matter how unattractive, are a necessity, and must be carried around at all times.
-We refuse to go anywhere that is not air-conditioned.
-Any reason to leave the air-conditioned classroom during the day must be taken into careful consideration.
-Karie figured, if she is going to sweat anyway, why not make the most of it?! She goes for walks when the sun goes down, and sweats her lil' heart out!
-Showers are mandatory before bed each night.
-the shower water, which comes from a tin thingy on the roof, is pumping out warm water......even though we don't have a water heater.
-Sweaty everythings are a part of life.

What have we been doing besides sweating? Thanks for asking. I have had a requst for more pictures on the blog, sorry I have been lazy about adding them recently. Here are some shots from around the city.

A shot taken from the top of a friend's roof. This housing community live on a lake. Their houses are on stilts above a large body of water.

There's something fantastic about colorful laundry, and here, it hangs everywhere! No dryers for us Cambodians!

Good friends are priceless. This is us gals celebrating Dean's 40th birthday.

Nothing much is new to share, except that our Coming Home Countdown has made it to 11 weeks! Brian and I are looking forward to our 1 week stop in Japan, and we should be arriving in beautiful San Francisco somewhere around June 6th. We will celebrate our 4th anniversary in a beautiful town on Japan's coast, and we look forward to transitioning out of this 3rd world country and back home.

Please Pray

2009-03-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

I ask for your prayers during this hard time for some of the youth at our school/in our city. On Friday afternoon, they were on their way to a Middle School retreat at the beach (about 5 hours away). The bus they were riding in struck and killed 2 Cambodian men who were riding a moto. The men had tried to dodge a cow who jumped into their lane; they lost control, and were hit by the bus the students were in. They were killed on impact. Many of the young children saw the accident and the aftermath, as they had to wait there over 2 hours until police came to take care of the bodies. The bus driver is a Christian, and is in complete terror and shock, although the accident could not have been prevented. Please pray for the driver of the bus, for the families of the 2 men killed, as well as for the youth of this city who witnessed the accident. Pray that God will move in mighty ways through this tragedy. Thank you,

Karie <><

Lord, Bring the Sneezes!!

2009-03-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been interesting, frustrating, and amazing. Yesterday morning, our water cooler decided to freeze, not allowing any water out. Nothing freezes here, so I was amused as to what was going on. My hunky hubby got in there with a knife and chopped out the ice, and we were back in business. The same morning, I was cooking us breakfast (breakfast burritos if you must know), and mid-egg-scrambling the gas turned off. Hmm. Well I tried and tried to light the burner again, but low and behold, we had actually run out of gas. Oh well, eggs went down the drain and it was off to work we went!
Our insurance refunded us some of the money we had to pay out of pocket when B had Dengue Fever, so we were able to get him new glasses. Last night, B and I went in search of this "world renowned" eye doctor here in Phnom Penh. We found him, and B was given the most thorough eye exam with some of the most innovative technology we'd ever seen. It cost only $10. We then went in search of a new pair of frames, and found out we would only have to pay around $50 for frames and lenses. Amazing.
Today, as I was teaching my 27 happy 5th graders, the power went out. A big, "ugh..." came from the crowd. The teacher, of course, was mature enough to keep her "ugh" in.....NOT. I was also not mature enough to have a perfect attitude, as 1...then 2 hours passed with no power. After about 15 minutes, the room began to heat up immensely; it was so hot, it felt like the air conditioners were never on this morning. Sweat was dripping from every kid, all while their teacher was trying to teach them many wonderful things!

My one and only prayer at this time was, "Lord, now would be a great time to bring on a sneeze attack!!!"

Paper fans began to be folded, and quiet, peaceful activities were achieved. After 1 1/2 hours of braving our sauna of a classroom, I decided, after sticking my hand out the window, that it was cooler outside. Never in Cambodia are things cooler outside. Beside the point. Anyway, we took our work outside and set up camp. I laughed out loud when I looked around our campus, only to see 5 or 6 other classes doing the same thing. Teachers had even brought out portable white boards, and kids were working hard...outside....in the middle of hot season.

Oh the joys of third world living. My class is great, and they were so flexible today. I will miss each of them greatly when we set sail for home.....in only 12 weeks from today.

Our March Newsletter....for y'all in the blog world :o)

2009-03-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends!

Happy March to you! As the month of March has come upon us here in Cambodia, the weather gods have turned up the volume!! April, as it has been told to us, is the hottest and most miserable month in the year…and March is definitely bringing us closer to the hot season. Brian and I are doing well, health-wise, and are really trying to focus on our jobs and ministries here; we only have 12 ½ weeks to go! Although our minds seem to be wandering to thoughts of home quite frequently, we are passionate to “finish well” here. We have purchased our plane ticket out of Cambodia, and we will leave on May 30^th (the day after school gets out). We will make a short stop in Japan, as this is part of our route home. We are looking to arrive back in California sometime on June 6^th or 7^th. We cannot wait to re-connect, hug, spend time with, and talk story with all of you!

We want to write to you to ask for your prayer and support in an area that I know might be a burden to many of you at this time, and that area is finances. We are both well aware of the economic crisis happening in America, and that crisis is also having an impact on those living in Asia. Many of our missionary families at the school are having to re-evaluate where they’re at with support money, and some are even having to move home because a lack of monthly partners.

We have been so blessed by 5 families/individuals who have committed to supporting us monthly. Our immediate families have also blessed us beyond measure!! Brian and I are so thankful to these people, most of whom are making cuts in their own budgets in order to support what the Lord has us doing out here. I know you might hear this a lot, but we truly could not be here without the support these people have given us financially. We owe each of them a huge THANK YOU!!

Unfortunately, when living overseas, financial support is very much needed. The income we receive is ¼ of what we would make back home. Here in Cambodia, even with the support we receive monthly, Brian and I are still living paycheck to paycheck. There is no extra money; this has been very hard for us, especially living somewhere new where having some money might make things a bit easier. We have put all trust and faith in the Lord, however, and have grown immensely while seeing His provisions for us. That being said, we want to share with you our current needs, financially and personally. If you cannot help us financially, could you at least pray that the money would come in? We would greatly appreciate it!

Finances:

· We both need some dental work done here before coming home. This is VERY cheap to get done here, but like I said, we have no extra money. An estimated cost would be around $400.00 total for both of us to get cleanings, cavities filled, etc.

· We need some money to cover costs of coming home; this would cover the expenses of moving out of our home here, and it would take care of menial things once we get back home. We sold everything we owned to come here, and we will need a few basics once we get back to California. I don’t have an estimated cost for this.

· This is a more selfish request, but there are multiple things we have wanted to do and see in the city where we live, that we simply have not been able to enjoy because of our tight budget. We have a few more weeks off from school before the end of the year, and we would (selfishly) like to see some of the things around the city and country. I don’t have an estimated cost for this.

Prayers:

· When we get home, Brian will be going back to school full time. He will be working hard for the next 2 years to finish with his college degree. Please pray for all of the documentation and enrollment processes to go smoothly for him, as he is beginning this process overseas.

· Karie has begun looking for a job, and has not had many replies from people, even to say they are not hiring. She is looking for a teaching job, and if she cannot find that, she has begun to look at Nanny positions. Please pray for the job God has for her to show up soon! Bills don’t disappear once we get home, and we need to have the means to pay them ASAP.

· For our school here in Cambodia, Logos International School. They are still in the hiring process for teachers for this upcoming school year. Please pray that those who are called to live here would contact the school.

We appreciate you reading this letter, and partnering with us in some way or another… whether through prayer, giving financially, or even sending us encouraging words! We are grateful for each and every person we know! If you would like to give financially, please contact us for the address. If you would like to give to a specific need (mentioned above), or give anonymously, please indicate that with your check.
Don’t forget to take a look at our blog, which we update regularly! We love you and thank you in advance for your support,

-Brian and Karie Bourdet

Truly 3rd World

2009-02-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

Because we have become so accustomed to life here in Cambodia, I sometimes "forget" we live in a 3rd world country. I know it might sound silly, but some of the 3rd-world-ness must be ignored in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle here. Because of this "forgetting", I tend to think we live somewhere normal. Until the following happens.... :

Yesterday I was watching TV after school in the back part of our house. All of a sudden, I heard a LOUD noise coming from near the street. I figured it was an old jalopy car or moto whose muffler had maybe fallen off, and this was the cause of the noise. I tried to ignore it, and I continued watching American Idol (YES!!! we get it here), but the noise didn't go away. I finally got up and walked out on our deck that overlooks the street. What I saw next horrified me.

There were tons of people who had also come out of their houses, stopped their motos, etc. to "watch" whatever it was making the sound. My eyes searched the street to find where it was coming from. Is it a funeral procession, with moto after moto filing down the street? No. Has a helicopter landed in the near vicinity? No. Finally, I spot the noise-maker. It was 2, normal sized pick up trucks driving on the very edge (in the gutters) of each side of the road. In the back of each truck were buckets of some sort of liquid, a hose and a fogger-like machine. Out of the fogger was being sprayed some green substance. I knew in an instant that these trucks were spraying chemicals up and down our street. My assumption was that the spray is for mosquito control.

There was no warning given to the people, like, "At 4:30pm we will be spraying toxic chemicals. Please stay indoors, and close all windows." No. In fact, the Cambodian people were standing in spray's path watching the whole thing!!! They were not afraid of the toxicity, they were not trying to get out of the way of the green spray...they were watching it, as if entertainment had just set foot on their once boring street. My heart broke, but my instincts also kicked in and I went inside as quickly as possible...closing all windows and doors. I could not believe that this country is not educated enough to know the dangers of spraying toxic chemicals into the faces and homes of its people. Or do I come from the overly protective country of America, where lawsuits over this kind of stuff are a dime a dozen? Ah, I don't know!!! It is hard to have lived in 2 such extreme places, and find the middle ground for what makes sense.

Education is knowledge, and knowledge is power. I am so thankful to at least be from a country where the people are educated. I am also thankful to be in a profession where I get to educate others on a daily basis. For now, me and my green spray-filled lungs need to get back to work.

:: You Know You're In Asia When.... ::

2009-02-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

Your rice cooker breaks, and you FREAK OUT and think, "Now what am I going to eat!!?"

Everyone around you refers to their height in meters.

Crazy drivers are not just a small fraction of the driving population, but the majority of the driving population.

(specific to Cambodia) Police pull people over just to make a buck. And if you get into an accident, you simply assess the damages and pay the victim right there on the spot.

Rat is on the menu at local restaurants, as well as running down any given street at night.

Big, colorful fruits grow on most all trees.

There is a "siesta" (nap) time everyday from about 12-2pm. All stores and vendors close down, and hammocks are strung up everywhere...full of sleeping bodies.

Lizards are the size of small cats.

Diaper-less babies are everywhere.

Men stop on the side of the road to pee, not trying to conceal themselves from anyone at all!

There are poorly, but hilariously, translated signs everywhere. (see picture below)

You cannot, for the LIFE of you, remember if it is normal for steering wheels to be on the right or left side of cars.

Your shower consists of a spout coming out of the wall: no curtain, no bathtub...nothing between you showering and the entire rest of your bathroom.

Most buildings are adorned with fancy gold stuff.

I suppose that just as it has taken us this long for Asia to feel like home......it will be a weird sensation coming back to the "normalcies" of life in California. When we get home, if we crave rice, ask if we can set up rat traps in the house, are paranoid about large lizards, take naps everyday from 12-2pm, and drive all crazy like........please forgive us. We are officially Asian now, and we will have to become re-Westernized once we get home :o)

What Have We Been Doing?!

2009-02-14T17:59:00.000-08:00

Warning: this blog is going to be completely random. There is no creative way I can cohesively get all of these bits to flow together, so, here you go. Here is what we've been up to these past few weeks.
Last week we had a Monday off of school, and that same day a large group of students and staff (including my hubs) left for High School Bible camp....about 6 hours drive from the city. The girlies and I decided it would be a perfect day for the pool, so we set off to relax and have some fun by the water. Here are some fun pics from our day.

My toes, the gorgeous pool, and some very Asian building in the background.

Two great women: Joanne (from Hong Kong) and Polly (from PA). I love these girls!!

Me and Jo, having fun with camera angles in the sun :o)

Here are a few pictures from our neighborhood. People are staring LESS at us now, because they see us around the neighborhood daily. I love to photograph the daily lifestyle of the Cambodian people, they are SO relaxed and live very simple lives: the ladies take their baskets to the market each morning around 7am to shop for the day's fresh produce and meats; the men hang out playing cards or checkers on the street corners; the children find random things to play with, and are outside in the mornings and afternoons, and the food stalls are hopping as soon as the sun goes down!

Some of our adorable neighbor children, playing unsupervised ALL the time.

This is the main corner in our neighborhood. People sell everything from used shoes to fresh fruit. The moto drivers you see spend their entire day waiting for potential customers.

This is the old railroad track: trains used to run frequently all over the country before the Khmer Rouge. Now, people have entire communities next to the tracks. They live here.

This last week, I (K) had the opportunity to visit a large school in our city that hosted a Field Day for all 3rd-5th graders. We took the kids out on buses, and they participated in numerous track and field events! It was a great day to watch them show off their athletic talents! Here are some pictures from our day.

All the different schools represented at the Field Day. We are the light blue ones!

Some of my beautiful girls! All 3 are Cambodian.

More beauties! From L to R: one of my Korean students, a Filipino, an American, a Cambodian, and a Canadian! Some of these guys made up our relay team, who ended up taking second place!

Brian and I had a fantastic Valentine's Day together yesterday! We celebrated by relaxing at home, taking naps, going out for a nice dinner, having Swenson's ice cream for dessert, and buying some new DVD's to enjoy. Basically, I could care less what we do on these somewhat silly holidays....as long as we're together. Here is a pic of us in front of our favorite fancy restaurant, Le Duo. They make fresh pastas daily, and have fabulous pizzas and salads, too!

A Day in the Province

2009-01-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

Cambodia is a relatively small country, when compared to the United States. If the roads were highways, and there were no pot holes, cows crossing, flooded pathways, or millions of moto drivers.....it wouldn't be Cambodia. But, it also would take a lot quicker to get places! Cambodia is a bit smaller than the state of Oklahoma, and so if the roads were highways, I think it would take about 6+ hours to drive the thickest length of the country. Regardless, the roads are NOT highways....in fact, the "highways" here that take you from one major city to another are often barely big enough for 2 cars to drive side-by-side. It is a slow, bumpy, dusty, animal-filled, rice paddy traversed road to go anywhere outside of the capital where we live. That being said, I (Karie) LOVE to get out of the city because it is where you truly see the rural-ness of the Cambodian lifestyle. I truly find beauty in this side of the country! Of course there are plenty of animals I can look at and laugh at as well: chickens, running crazily around the road when cars pass by; water buffalo with their mean looking faces, wallowing in the muddy rice paddies; anacondas, crawling up the Cambodian peoples' legs...........ok, just kidding on that last one! Here's a great picture I found on the internet of a water buffalo: yes, they always look this ticked off.

All this to say, I love going out of Phnom Penh and into the areas otherwise known as the provinces. There the scenery is like none other: mountain peaks, lime green grasses, palm trees laden with coconuts, thatched dwellings, and LAND as far as the eye can see! I have had the privilege now twice to take a day and visit one of the surrounding provinces. See my previous post on going to the orphanage, which was in the ____________ province.

This past weekend, a friend of mine who teaches Kindergarten at our school, invited me to accompany her to the Takeo province, about 2 hours drive from Phnom Penh. I gladly took her up on the offer, and had an incredible, unforgettable day! Let me tell you the brief history of our visit: another friend of ours who is Cambodian grew up in this province, specifically in the village we visited. Polly (K teacher) and Srey (our Cambodian friend) visited this village last year; Polly's heart broke as she went to the local school and peered into empty classrooms. A school room with no books, no supplies, and some rooms even had no desks. It was from her initial visit that Polly decided to take action. With support from her church back home in Pennsylvania, she was able to get enough school supplies donated to create 500+ school kits for the kids in this rural village school. Wow. Her Dad and cousin flew out to Cambodia earlier this year with the kits in hand. This past weekend was the commemoration of a long, prayer filled journey to bring these school kids hope and joy.

So many stories came out of this day, but I will save them for when we are home and can tell them to you in person!!! (16 weeks and counting.......). Some brief stories I will share are that we were able to share the gospel message with these 500+ students, teachers, and even in front of a Buddhist monk! Some of the kids had never seen a foreigner at all; we got many stares and a few smiles! The kids were more beautiful than I had even seen, and they were so thankful and deserving. The classrooms were bare and the school has no electricity. The village is made up of traditional dwellings, up on stilts off the ground. There just might have been more animals in the village than people. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Here are some photos from our time. I cannot wait to show you the over 80 pictures that came from this beautiful day, again, in PERSON!

One of our 2 vans, loaded up with abundant blessings!!

One of the women selling sun-cooked meat to us when our van stopped at a local market area.

Beautiful school children, peeking out the windows of their school.

People come in different colors??!

This school was militant about straight, quiet lines.

Enjoying coconut milk with Soapon and Stephanie; they gave us each our own coconut when we arrived!

Passing out the kits to the grade 6 girls.

The small pond on the school campus.

The Kindergarten classroom.

Walking to visit some of Srey's relatives in the village: to our left are empty rice paddies.

Truly the simple life: I will miss this greatly when I leave here.

Shy, precious kiddos in the village.

Cows, loving the village life. Tied up to a tree all day with green grass a-plenty!

Day-2-Day Joys

2009-01-17T18:09:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard, we have decided through much prayer to return home after this first year of teaching. Since the decision has been made, both Brian and I have agreed to consciously make the most out of each day we have left in this multi-cultural, international, so-different-from-home country. Personally, I have tried to search out the things that bring me joy here, although sometimes they are hard to find. I have also decided to go out on the weekends and document, through photography, more pictures of the Cambodian way-of-life. We have a lot of pictures of things we've been doing and enjoying, but I feel our over 1,300 pictures is lacking the lifestyle of the Cambodian people. Needless to say, today's blog will be all about those things: life's joys, and the Cambodian lifestyle. Enjoy! I sure do.

Here is my landlord's dog, Timmy. Contrary to popular belief,
Timmy is not a boy dog. He is a she. Timmy brings me much
joy for many reasons: he/she has an under bite, which can be seen
if you enlarge this picture. He/she also loves to grab whatever scrap of material can be found on the floor, and proceed to ask me (how only a dog can) to chase her around the driveway. Precious.

This pure joy goes without saying. The flowers here are bright, bold, and bloom year round!

There is something about clean, colorful laundry that my camera loves to photograph. It is very common in this country for homes to not have a dryer. Actually, many homes don't even have washing machines. Either way, laundry gets done, and it is always hung outside to dry.

Life long friends are hard to come by, but we were so blessed by the friends we made right when we got here. In this picture is Tess, me, Dean (it was his surprise 40th birthday bash), and Jo. It is so fun to be able to be goofy with these people, and then to work side by side with them throughout the weeks. I love you guys!

This is a view through the fence at the public junior high/high school next door to our house. The public schools here are in very poor condition, and the education follows suit. Trash is everywhere, the fences have barbed wire, and the students are expected to attend school 6 days a week here. It is very hard to see schools in this condition, but it causes us to be grateful for schools like ours where students can learn in a clean, safe, environment.

My favorite, local, Cambodian coffee shop!! My friend and his family own this shop. I recently found out that his entire family believes in the Lord!! I love to come here weekly, to encourage him and to support his newly opened business. I typically order 2 iced coffees (they are very small), and the total bill is $1.00. Gotta love it!

This is a typical Cambodia restaurant. They are most always found on the sidewalks in the open
air. The food is cooked over a simple propane-fueled burner, and it is very cheap. If we ate at these street food restaurants, which we don't, we could probably both eat for under $2-3.00.

Not Me

2009-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

I did not find two, beady-eyed mice staring at me from under our toaster oven yesterday morning.

I do not freak out now, every time I enter the kitchen...anticipating the rodents running out from small hiding places.

I am not feeling cold in this knowingly hot and humid country's "cool season"; and we for sure did not sleep with the air conditioner OFF last night for the first time since we have lived here.

I did not get hit by a moto last weekend while riding my bicycle, and my leg was not burned by the hot tail pipe as I fell on top of it.

We have not already been here 6 1/2 months, and we are not counting down the days until we will be home free (.....147....).

I do not have a class of 27 pre-pubescent 5th graders, representing 10 different countries.

A store called "USA Doughnuts" did not just open up down the street from the school, and they do not carry a bunch of items in bulk that they ship from Costco in the US. And we defiantly do not love going there, because all of the items on their menu are made with ingredients from the United States.

I do not find myself speaking in simple, choppy sentences.....making sure my Cambodian friends understand what I am saying. And I for sure do not find myself speaking the same way to English-speaking co-workers...

Oh no, not me.

::Craftiness::

2009-01-03T20:56:00.000-08:00

Being in a truly 3rd world country, the chances of finding the resources to enjoy your favorite hobbies are slim to none. I thoroughly enjoy using my god-given craftiness back at home, and I miss being able to run down to the local Michael's to pick up ingredients for my next creation. At home, in my free time, I enjoyed scrapbooking, putting together creative gifts, decorating my home, looking through magazines for new ideas, taking with my sister about baking, and just plain being creative in every day life.

I think that is a BIG part of what I am missing in Cambodia. I get no chance to enjoy my crafty hobbies!! Well, while in one of Bangkok's many HUGE malls, I discovered a crafty store and was in heaven!! This store sells appliques (little things to add onto bags, purses, etc.) of all kinds! They also sell bags, shirts, baby clothes, etc. to iron things on to! Brilliant. By the way, their website is www.appliqueshop.com. I asked, and they DO ship to the USA.

I got this wonderful, crafty idea to make baby gifts (I know 3 people in Cambodia about to have babies, and my cousin at home just had a baby as well). I am all about personalized gifts. Anyway, needless to say, I purchased some appliques and wallah! See the photos below:

The beginnings of something fabulous!

The iron on's chosen for baby Jeremiah (my Cambodian TA's first baby)

The final product: 3 personalized baby onesies!

Streetside Pad Thai and Beaches

2008-12-29T02:13:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about being in Thailand is the over abundance of streetside food. Unlike in Cambodia, the food is both delicious and safe to eat. Some of our friends took us out to get some authentic pad thai. Boy was it good! And for less then one dollar!

While on the beach, I recommend a huge piece of Corn. For less then a dollar you can get a huge ear of corn smothered with butter and salt. I say, yes sir, may I have another. Now your hungry aren't you?

:: 10 Things We've Learned About Bangkok ::

2008-12-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

We have been in Bangkok, Thailand for 3 full days now. We would like to share some of what we've learned since being here! We will have to post pictures later, as the internet cafe is not allowing it now.

1.) You can travel all over this city of 10 million people for virtually under $0.50. To do so, learn the public bus and Sky Train routes! It took us our entire first day here to learn such information, but now we go everywhere for much cheaper than a taxi or tuk-tuk!

2.) Eating "street food" does not always make you sick. We were taken out to "The Best Pad Thai in Bangkok" by our friends the other night; K panicked when she saw it was street food...but after thorough digestion, there were no sick tummies!!

3.) We miss American food. Every meal that comes around, we are eating from American restaurants (Sizzler, Subway, Burger King, Tona Roma's, Outback Steak House, and McDonalds are a few that are here).

4.) Karie's friends Tawee and Pui (that she met in 2002 during her outreach) have turned into lovely, caring, wonderful adults; they were only 16 years old when we first met. They have great senses of humor, speak Engligh very well, and love the Lord!

5.) No Indian restaurant is good enough (even if it has been rated "best in Bangkok for 11 years in a row") to trek by foot, a bus, and a skytrain for for over 1 1/2 hours for. It was good....but not that good.

6.) There are more 7-11 mini marts here than there are Starbucks in big US cities. 7-11's are on every street corner, and they sell the same junk as in the states (localized cuisine). They even sell slurpees!!

7.) Starbucks should be in Cambodia. Karie has gotten a drink each day we have been here, and has realized how much of a "wake up" it gives her in comparison to the coffee in Cambodia.

8.) Christmas feels a lot different this year, especially being in a new city. Bangkok has done a great job decorating with wreathes, garlands, ornaments, lights, even music playing all over the mall! However, we still won't have a traditional Christmas tomorrow at all...but that's ok!

9.) There are many more cool things to buy here!! We are stocking up on gifts for our families and friends, as Cambodia does not have super cool stuff like Bangkok does!

10.) Without looking around at the details of the city, we feel quite at home here. It reminds us a lot of San Francisco, and we have both had some nostalgia since we have been here. We cannot WAIT to come home, but are enjoying our vacation here in Thailand.

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas in Cambodia

2008-12-14T00:38:00.001-08:00

Well here we are, amidst our first Christmas season spent in another country. We wanted to post a few pictures of what we've been up to in order to ensure that things for us "feel" like Christmas.....even though we are in the middle of a very non-Christmas celebrating country. Regardless, some of the businesses in town have put up decorations, there are even fake trees for sale here! When we are at school, Christmas is all around us! Last week we had both the elementary school and middle/high school musicals, and this week will be filled with Christmas activities, parties, crafts, stories, etc. Brian and I will be traveling to Bangkok over our Christmas vacation, and that is where we will spend the holidays. We have no clue what's in store for us there, but we are excited to go on a new adventure. Enjoy the latest pics!

The 5th grade paper chain: 763 links in all!

I hate fake trees...but it's the best we've got this year!

Some of the 1st graders rehearsing for the musical

Our Cambodian Mary & Joseph (these are 2 of K's 5th graders!)

The hosts of the Christmas program: a.k.a. more 5th graders

Getting ready for the big night: over 200 people came!

A Thanksgiving to Remember

2008-11-27T23:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-23T22:53:00.000-08:00

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!!

2008-11-18T15:50:00.001-08:00

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??

2008-11-04T03:55:00.000-08:00

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.

God uses 4-year-olds

2008-10-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up feeling just plain yucky. It was one of those mornings you wished you could stay in bed, and things only got more challenging. The headache I went to sleep with was still there, but worse. My stomach was having issues, something I have unfortunately had a LOT of here. As I got on Brian's bike (mine was being repaired for flat tire #3), I came to the sad realization that he also had a flat tire. Oh well, had to ride to school on it anyway! Blugh. One of those days.
As I got to school, one of my students called my name. She was with her younger sister Maya. Apparently Maya had picked a flower for me on their way to school, but was reluctant to give it to me. Maya is 4 years old, and is an adorably hilarious little girl. Long story short, my student handed the flower to me for her younger sis, and it was perfect. A little pink bud nestled between sage green leaves. As I brought it to my room to put it in water, I couldn't help but think that my God put the thought in this 4 year old's head to pick me a flower today. I needed that flower. As the day has gone on, that pink bud has opened and graced my desk with its beauty. *Lord, thank you for using even the smallest of your children.*

Street 592

2008-10-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

- - Where we work, and where we lay our head at night- -

Here, streets are given numbers instead of names. If you have a particular street number you are looking for, let's say there is a restaurant you want to find there, good luck! Only the few major streets in the city have actual names, and the numbered streets do not go in order on the maps!! Tuk-tuk drivers get soooo lost trying to find things, because nothing is in order. For example, Street 578 might be parallel to Street 3. Insane. Anyhow, we live and work on Street 592. Our new house is about a 5 minute bike ride on a nice, paved, fairly drained, street. We love it. Below are a few pictures of our new home:

The main, and largest room of our house: we have made it into a dining room, office, and guest area. The door you see is our front door.

The dining room and bookshelves; behind the shelves is our guest bed (w/o mattress yet...).

Karie's favorite spot: our veranda. Below is Street 592.

We see these beautiful sunsets from our veranda. Amazing.

This was one of our most rainy, flooding days. Look how deep the water was on our street!!

This ox cart comes by every morning, selling terra cotta pots and cooking containers. The oxen are badly malnourished.

I felt like a tourist, taking pictures of this normal event...however, the Cambodians think the oxen are pretty cool too!! They all came out to the street to watch them.

We have been here 3 1/2 months already, and we still have so much to see and do! There are days when we feel bored and trapped here, but even looking down onto our street can provide entertainment. In the recent weeks, we have spent nights out on the veranda watching spectacular lightning storms, colorful sunsets, flooding streets, ox carts, speeding motos, and much more. Hooray for Street 592....wherever you are on a map.

* * Not All Daisies and Roses * *

2008-10-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Lately, Cambodia has become a very tough place for Brian and I to be. I think the reality of the length of time we have committed here has set in, and we are finding it very challenging in many different ways. We try to make the best out of each day we have here, but there are just some days where this is fairly impossible. I have experienced a string of unfortunate events, so I thought I would share those with you. These just go to show it isn't always pretty and enjoyable here.

Last weekend, some co-workers and I set off for a much needed girls day out. Our plans were to have breakfast (American style) at a cute little cafe called "Sisters: All Day Breakfast." After that, we needed to do a bit of shopping in the Russian Market (see my previous post pictures of the market with crowded, small aisles). Then, to top it all off, we were going to a salon called "The Oasis" to get manicures, pedicures, massages, etc. Believe it or not, I was going to be able to get a 30 minute foot massage and pedicure for $5.00 total. Anyway, during the market portion of our day, we were standing at a vendor's stall trying to find out the price for conditioner. As we began to walk away, she alerted the Cambodian women we were with to tell us to check our bags; apparently she had seen some suspicious people lingering behind us for a bit. When I went to take my backpack off my shoulder, it was WIDE OPEN. My wallet was gone. I had just visited the ATM to take out cash, which I had put in the wallet....not to mention I had my CA Driver's License, my USA bank's ATM cards, etc. etc. Well anyway, quite the commotion began as vendors, "police men" (really guys with walkie talkies dressed in everyday clothing), and shoppers at the market went scurrying every which way! Some thought they knew who did it: a women and her children. We were rushed over to the "police headquarters" (again, just a room with a conference table in it) and I was told to fill out a report. They say they might find the wallet, but I am not so hopeful. This event brought a real sadness to my heart, mainly because stealing is a WAY OF LIFE here. I am so saddened that the Cambodian government does not care enough about its people that the majority of its capital city are living in filth and poverty. Pray for whoever took my wallet, that they would someday know the love of Christ and realize that stealing is wrong.
Yesterday a friend and I set off down the road on bikes during our lunch break; the cafeteria was serving hamburgers, and those who know me know I don't eat them. There is a little cafe down the street that serves great banana smoothies, so that is where we headed. I was riding on a flat tire, which I had discovered that morning when I got on my bike. As if this wasn't bad enough, I hadn't had time get it fixed before school started. Alas, one more ride on the flat wasn't going to kill my bike of steel. As we were backing our bikes up after getting our smoothies, I stepped back with my right leg and immediately began to feel my flesh burning. My senses took over, and I jumped; not quick enough to get a good little burn on my calf from a Moto pipe. This is VERY common here, as those pipes that hang out on the side of Motos are NEVER covered here, and get roasting hot. Yeay. 20 bug bites all over each leg, a nice burn situated on top of them, and a flat tire. What a day.

Anyway, I don't write this blog to bring anyone down; I write because I feel the need to communicate just how hard it is being here some days. I enjoy the people we work with and the students at the school: they literally keep us going on these hard days. Anyway, everyone back home be THANKFUL for where you are: in an un-corrupt country where things are kept clean and neat.

What we're up to

2008-10-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've written about the day-to-day things we stay busy with here. This blog will be all about that. In our few free hours each day and weekend, we love to hop on a Tuk-Tuk and venture out to new places. Here are a few pictures from one of the more bearable markets-Russian Market. The best time to visit Russian Market is in the morning or late afternoon; otherwise, you will nearly die of heat exhaustion as there are NO vents or things to let the air through the place.

You want a banana? They have 11 varieties here!!

The beautiful colors of Cambodian silks

Oh the choices! DVDs, CDs, TV Series....all for about $2.00!!

This little beauty was strolling around in underwear, no shoes, and a half drunken glass bottle of Green Fanta. I wanted to swoop her up and take her home. . .what a precious babe.

...and it was! I had a cup to-go, about the size of a Starbucks Tall, and it was 3,000 riel ($0.75)

Other than visits to the local markets, we have enjoyed teaching at the school very much. We work here about 9 hours each week day and usually at least 6 hours one of the weekend days. It is our second home, and the kids here are amazing. What a true blessing we have to work with them as they grow up in the Lord. Below are some pics Karie snapped of her class in action on a normal Friday afternoon:

Playing while having P.E.

Playing Guess Who!

A busy room during Friday Fun time!

We will continue posting on the day-to-day occurrences as time permits!! We love you all and cannot WAIT to come home this summer.

- -5 Senses of Cambodia- -

2008-10-08T02:02:00.001-07:00

So many of you are interested in knowing what life is like for us here: how it is different, the new things we are experiencing, etc. The best way I thought to communicate that to you is through something we can all relate to...our 5 senses. Going through each of the five senses, I will try my best to give you a visual of life in a third world country:

SEE:

Busy roads
People going to the bathroom on the side of the road
Dirt everywhere
Tropical plants
Large insects
More motos than I have ever seen
Worn faces on older people, hopeful faces on the youth of Cambodia.
Dogs and cats without homes
Markets crowded with people
Darkness (the power goes out almost daily)
Rats and rat poop everywhere
Geckos magically climbing walls

HEAR:

Horns honking
A language I don't understand
Multiple questions: "Excuse me, Tuk Tuk?" "Where you going?" "Where you come from?"
Dogs barking
Loud claps of thunder
Children laughing
American rap music playing
Tukai Geckos doing their call (hard to explain, but it sounds like some sort of bird)

TASTE:

Tropical fruits with FLAVOR
Dirt in my mouth, blowing up from the roads
Amazing iced coffee with sweet milk
A multitude of new and exotic spices
Filtered water
Fanta soda in many flavors (including Orange, Green Cream, and Pineapple!)

TOUCH:

My keyboard keys (lots of touching these; it's how I stay in touch back home)
My bicycle handlebars
Pencils galore!
Riels and dollars
Strange fruits

SMELL:

Pollution
Our helper cooking dinner each night
Rotten trash
White rice cooking (...far too often)
Plumeria flowers
Fresh laundry off the line
Coffee brewing in the morning
Human waste
Rain falling on the cement

It is truly so hard to describe our lives here. I feel as if our lives here are completely opposite of our lives in California; not only are we on the other side of the world, but we are on another planet in terms of how we live day-to-day. I deeply miss the things and people of "home", but I know we are here to be challenged and sharpened.

Vacation at the Beach

2008-10-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since we have updated you on life's happenings!! The past 2 weeks have been filled with packing our home, moving somewhere new, unpacking our home, finalizing our first quarter of the school year, and going on a mini-vacation! Our families blessed us by sending some extra money our way, and we were able to use that to treat ourselves to a beach getaway! We had a 4 day weekend at school because of a Cambodian holiday, so Brian and I, along with 18 other friends, set off last Friday to the coast.
The town's name is Sihanoukville, and is between 3 1/2-5 hours away by van. There is 1 highway we took to get there, which is only 2 lanes wide. What a difference from highways back home!! Anyway, we left on Friday after school and arrived around 8:45pm that night. We spend 4 nights and 3 full days there, and we had a BLAST. We were so fortunate to see another part of Cambodia, as well as to get out of the noisy polluted city. Phnom Penh is the most populated city in this country, and the rest of the country is virtually farmlands and rice paddies. We drove through very small towns, saw a very rural way of life, and enjoyed every moment of our trip. We swam in warm, clear ocean waters, we drank coconut milk, we played in the waves for hours, and we enjoyed thunder and lightning storms. Definitely a trip to remember. Here are some visual images from our incredible weekend (Remember: click on these photos to make them bigger):

The view from the highway: rice paddies and palm trees!

Occheuteal Beach (2 blocks from our Guesthouse)

One of the beautiful little girls selling bracelets, massages, etc. on the beach. We sat and talked with her for a long time, and taught her some songs about Jesus!

Fresh lobster anyone?

Occheuteal Beach at sunset (although the sun was being blocked by the clouds)

SO happy to be on vacation!!

Joanne, Anna, and Karie playing in the waves.

Loving life under the hut: we were waiting for the rain to stop so we could to play!

One of the sweet boys who was selling things: here, we were teaching him to play Uno.

Overall, great fun was had by all!! We are SO THANKFUL to our Mom's for providing us extra money for this trip. Without it, we would not have been able to go. We love you all; look for more updates to come!

Moving Days and Hot Dog Parties

2008-09-20T20:24:00.001-07:00

We are officially moved in to our new house, as of yesterday at about 1pm. We had some GREAT friends who came to help us, but unfortunately, we picked the hottest day to move :o( Don't get me wrong, every day here is hot....but yesterday was HOT. Our school was gracious enough to loan us one of their vans, so, 3 trips later...we were finished. Besides the heat and profuse sweat dripping from all areas, the move was one of the quicker and smoother ones I've ever done! Here are some pictures from our move:

Here's Brian hanging out the side of the van, holding onto our possessions!

Packed out: Jill (in between boxes) and Brian hanging on! Moving-Cambodian style!

How many people does it take to move a mattress? (A lot...it's heavy and awkward..one of those memory foam types)

::Hot Dogs::

Our good friends the Weiss Family invited a bunch of people over to their house for Hot Dogs. WOW!! We haven't seen a "normal looking" hot dog since we've been here, but the ones they cooked were fabulous! It was a perfect way to end a busy day, and we really enjoyed our time there with the 9+ kids running around, and all of the good company with our adult friends. We ate, laughed, played new games, enjoyed an incredible full rainbow from their rooftop, and were blessed by the generosity of the Weiss's. Again, because the camera is always with us...here are some pictures from the night.

An awesome full rainbow that literally stretched across the sky of Phnom Penh!!

The sunset from the Weiss Rooftop. Incredible.

Overall it was a successful, tiring, sweaty day. We are glad to be able to share our experiences here with you back at home, or wherever you might be reading from!

New-ness

2008-09-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

We have begun a tradition on the weekends to venture out around town and try a new restaurant. We have gathered quite the following, and each Saturday we have a group of at least 9 of our closest friends from school. We always have a blast. Being "foreigners" here, of course the local people always want to tell us where the best places are to go. They usually recommend places with "Western Food" or modern conveniences....but we will go just about anywhere that the group agrees on. Here are some pics of things we've found as we have been out:

A HUGE bag of Starbucks beans- priced $25.00

A gorgeous view (looking out through the back of a Tuk-Tuk) of Independence Monument with the sun setting.

People LOVE to stare- Brian's remedy: As soon as they begin staring, get out your camera to capture the moment!

:: NEW HOUSE ::

As we posted a few days ago, we were really asking for prayer for our housing situation. Well, God provided in a MAJOR way. Within 24 hours of posting an ad (there is a web-based email group of foreigners in Phnom Penh) we had multiple responses of houses available in the area. We were actually able to go look at a place that next day, and we LOVE it. Through multiple ways and monetary blessings, God has provided for us to move into that new house. It is 100% better than our current home, and we know it will provide us with a safe and clean living environment. We are actually moving this Saturday, in 5 days, so keep us in prayer that the move goes swiftly and safely. We will post pics of the new house as soon as we can. THANK YOU for joining us in prayer for this matter, as Karie was NOT happy (or sleeping well) in their current house.

Urgent Prayer Request

2008-09-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

There is a missionary family who had their children enrolled in our school last year. They recently moved out to one of Cambodia's provinces to continue their work, and their oldest son Andrew fell sick. He has since been in a coma, which they found out is related to diabetes (that no one knew he had). He has spent over 1 month in this coma, and their family was all flown to Bangkok to be with him. The sad news is that Andrew died last night.

Please pray for the Prak family, as they are dealing with the loss of their son. In many ways, they had no chance to say goodbye to him, as he has been unconscious for weeks now. This news has devastated our school community, as well as the missionary community in Cambodia. If there is anything you would like to do to help, please let us know. Thank you for your prayers during this tough time.

Roof Rats and Rice Runs

2008-09-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

Hola from the blogging world!! Life here in Cambodia continues to be humorous and unpredictable. Here are a few stories from our past week here:

The power frequently goes out in Cambodia, as well as in our neighborhood. This past week it's been horrible. We have been without power at least 4 hours each day, and in the heat of the afternoon when one would REALLY like to be running their fans...
We have a precious House Helper (which everyone foreign has here, because it is SO hard to cook, shop, and clean here). She can't be more than 18 years old, and she speaks minimal English. She cooks our dinner each night, but because the power is often out at around 5pm, she is sometimes unable to turn the rice cooker on. The other day I witnessed a hilarious incident. It was a Monday evening, and Brian was playing basketball at the school. The power was out, and it was SO hot in the house that I decided to take my book and a chair out onto the porch. Our dinner was hot and ready on the table, but the rice had to wait to be cooked until the power came back on.
Being that I was outside, I was unaware of when the power came back on...but apparently, it did. All of a sudden, our Helper (Srey-Mom is her name) came RUNNING over to our house. This was odd, because she had already left for the day. She ran past me without a word, and all I could think was that something was terribly wrong with the dinner she made, or....? I walked in the house to find her at the rice cooker, and she innocently said, "I HAVE to cook rice!" Precious. Even funnier that she thought I would not be able to figure it out on my own....

On a more negative note, I was awoken the other night by a noise that makes me sick- large creatures running around the roof tops above us. It was 3:40 am, and all I could figure is that we have rats. No big deal, right? They stay on the roof, we stay in the house, all is well. Not so much. Our ceiling is made up of cheap, warped, already broken/falling apart panels. The rats are running on top of those panels, NOT the roof. I sat in bed thinking the worst: the panels would be falling on us any second, rats, poops and all!! The rats sound BIG, and we have seen many by day here in Cambodia. Someone said they are the squirrels of Cambodia, which I kind of believe to be true. The rats don't let themselves be seen as much as squirrels back home, but there are definitely more rats here compared to squirrels at home.
Unfortunately, with the new development in our home, and the fact that no one will really see rats as a "problem" here....we are praying about finding somewhere else to live. Please pray with us, that God would provide us with a new (clean, pest free) home, or that He would take all the critters out so we can sleep peacefully.

Broken Blogger

2008-09-02T01:58:00.001-07:00

It feels like it's been awhile since I (K) blogged last. I have been swamped with teaching, grading papers, and surviving day to day. I am please to announce, however, that with each passing day....Phnom Penh is starting to feel more like "home" (at least for the next 2 years). I miss my true home dearly, but I am more satisfied here as we continue to learn how to "do life" in this land. We have officially completed our first 3 weeks of school, and besides adjusting to that, we have begun a few new traditions! We have also ventured out a bit more, tried new things and places, and gotten more comfortable with those around us. Being STARED at is now fairly normal, although still very annoying. Here are some new things we've done these past few weeks:

-Street Hockey and Bubble Tea Thursdays: A bunch of the foreign men around our vast city have teamed up to rent a Tennis Court each Thursday night. They have the gear, the space, and now the team! This past Thursday they got back together after a summer break, and Brian was invited to play. Jo and I (a friend from work) decided to go along as spectators; we also enjoyed the cool Bubble Tea restaurant we found around the corner. We sat, watched the men, drank blended tea, and got bitten by mosquitoes. Definitely a "must do" each Thursday. Here's a pic of B's outlandish Goalie outfit; although it took over 20 minutes to put on, and although it smelled indescribable...he did a great job as goalie for his team!!

-Taking long walks around our neighborhood (K): I enjoy taking walks in the evening once the sun has gone down. There's about 45 minutes of dusk, just before dark, that is the most pleasant time to be outside. Our neighborhood is full of people, animals, flowers, wealthy and poor homes, and new sights. Here are some pictures taken of around where we live:

A large around the corner: I LOVE their fence.

Gorgeous sky.

The long, paved road behind out house: GREAT for walking!!

Going to local markets (which can be yucky): We have, as of this last weekend, finally ventured through one of the local markets. This is NOT for the faint of stomach. Picture this scene: a crowded street, people walking along with motos (Japanese motorcycles) driving through the market, and sellers sitting on the ground with interesting displays. This particular market we visited was outside of the Russian Market. We saw everything from fruits, to vegetables, to live frogs with their skin ripped off. Live fish, shells with animals inside, and recently killed chickens are also at this market. I saved you the non-gross pics, enjoy!

She's got legs!

No wonder why they stare: Brian's a GIANT!!

Needless to say, the more we explore and feel comfortable...the more at home we feel! We hope you enjoy the new pics, and we will be better next time at putting them up sooner! There are SO many experiences to share with you and so little time to document it all. Thanks for being patient with us!

Garden Cafe for 10

2008-08-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

So we went to dinner with some friends last night. The Garden Cafe. It was actually really good. A little over priced, about $5-$6 per plate. When we are used to paying maybe $3 dollars. I got mexican food! I actually had pretty good mexican food. They gave a really small portion, but it was good. Ground beef, refried beans, homemade tortillas.

It was a good time. It's times like this that really help you out here in Cambodia. Good food, and good friends.

A Tour of the House VBLOG!

2008-08-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

Our first VBLOG! A tour of the house. Enjoy.

Same Same, But Different

2008-08-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

The saying "same same, but different" is prevalent here in Cambodia. We are not exactly sure where it came from, but is makes us LAUGH every time we hear it or see it advertised somewhere. The Cambodian people use this saying to describe things, and when you think about what it says, it really makes no sense. Anyway, this blog is going to be the "same same" as other blogs in that it tells stories of our adventures....."but different" in that the stories you are about to read are different from any you've read yet. Here is what's included in this blog:

The MONSTER Gecko in our house
New friends and cheap haircuts
Refugee Camp story time
Le Duo: Dinner for 7

Tukay Gecko: (Pronounced Two-Kay)

The other night, Brian and I entered our home after dark. As we turned on our overhead lights, Karie was horrified to see a Tukay Gecko on the wall in our kitchen. If you read my previous blog about the Gecko who lives in the A/C in my classroom, this will be significant for you to read. If you did not read that blog, scroll down a bit to my blog with pics/stories about my classroom.
Back to the Gecko. I HATE THEM. They make loud clucking sounds, hide in precarious places, are very large, and are not seen often by humans (except for a tail showing here and there). They scare me, because I know they must be poisonous, as they are made up of very vibrant colors. Anyhow, we walked into the house and I (Karie) let out a scream once I saw there was one of these in plain sight, hanging out on our kitchen wall. They are not supposed to be in people's houses. After a few minutes of devising a plan as to what to do with it, we figured out it came in through a hole in our ceiling. Believe me, we will be patching that up ASAP. We think it came in the house to hunt, as it had a few smaller Geckos (the normal-sized ones) below it on the wall....acting fairly paralyzed with fear. After we snapped numerous shots of this "glorious creature"...as well as video footage of him, he took off back through the hole, hopefully never to be seen again. Anyway, below is a picture of our friend. On the window you can see the normal-sized Gecko (on the right, in between one of the triangle shapes), which should give you an idea of how large this one really is.

Cheap Haircuts:

We set out yesterday to get our hair cut. It's not that it had gotten particularly long; just that with the heat here, you don't want to possess much hair on your head. We were unsure of the cost as we sat down at a local salon. Brian was on one side, Karie was on the other. The haircutters spoke pretty good English, and we were glad they would understand what we asked them to do with our hair. As we were each in the chair, we began conversing with the people working with us. Karie talked to a woman who is the owner of the shop. When she found we taught at Logos School, she immediately told me she was a Christian!!! This is crazy, as this country is 99.9% Buddhist. I was thrilled to meet her, and hope to become friends with her as our time here continues. A man who also works there talked to us, and he was very interested to know if we were working for a church, or for their city. He seemed interested to know more about what we are doing, and he was great to talk with as well! We are excited to have made our first Cambodian friends, and thrilled that we may be able to encourage them as fellow believers!! Oh yeah, and each of our haircuts was $1.00. WOW.

Refugee Camp Stories:

Some of the missionary families at the school hosted a welcome back dessert night on Friday, in which all teachers and parents at the school were invited to. It was fun, and we each were able to meet new people. We also thoroughly enjoyed the desserts, as many of them were familiar and delectable! I (Karie) had the privilege of talking with a man there who has a Kindergarten student at our school. Through talking to him, I found out he grew up in the middle of the Khmer Rouge time in Cambodia, and spent 10 years of his life living in the refugee camps at the Cambodia-Thailand border. Wow. I was able to hear, first-hand, someone's story of living here through the war. It's one thing reading about these stories, or hearing about them through a movie or other form of "entertainment".....but to sit face to face with someone who lived through this horrific time in this country's history, was intense. He was brought almost to tears as he told me about his childhood, and I was so thankful to have met him when the night was over. I hope he has some avenue in which to share his story. I know I was deeply moved by our conversation. I am not sure if he knows the Lord, as parents enrolling their kids at Logos do not have to....but I pray he finds the comfort that only God can provide at some point in his life.

Le Duo:

We have thoroughly enjoyed the company and budding friendship of another family here at the school, who arrived 1 week after we did. They have 3 girls (one of which is in Karie's class) and they moved here from Canada. The father of the family is our school's Vice Principal, the mother teaches Music and Grade 1. We have spent some time getting to know them, and we all went out for a NICE dinner last night. A restaurant called "Le Duo" was recommended to them, so we met them there for dinner. All I can say is W.O.W. This restaurant is an Oasis in the middle of a dirty, stinky, Phnom Penh City. The atmosphere, the freshly made pasta, the ambiance, all was fabulous. Our food was impeccable, and we all decided we would come back to this place as much as possible. Although it was a little on the pricy side for Cambodia (dishes ranged from $7-20), the food was perfect. We all hopped in a Tuk-Tuk for the ride home; the TUk-Tuk is really only made to hold 4 people....but we squeezed 7 in, and had many a laugh on the way home. Here is a photo with all of us squeezed. It was a night to remember!!!

Our House-Part I

2008-08-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

" Our house....is a very very very fine house....". Sorry it has taken us so long to post pics of our house, as I know many people have asked what it's like! We decided to do about half at a time, so here is a glimpse into our world at home. We like our house a lot. It is on a quiet street, and we have neighbors that stare at us...but are nice through it all. Occasionally our teenage neighbor rocks LOUD American rap music, but honestly, it's nice to understand what you hear, even if you don't care for it. We have also had 2 major parties on our quiet street: one (we think) was a wedding, which in Cambodia, lasts 3 days long. The other was a birthday party, with lots of alcohol, LOUD guests, and even a "Happy Birthday" song in English!! Anyway, enjoy our first version of house pics:

Our house from the street (the stairway in the background leads up to our place)

Our Gatekeeper :o) We don't pet them...but our neighbor has quite a few cats!

Looking out at our deck from inside the house.

The entryway: very Asian in that shoes come off and stay by the door.

Living room. Entryway is now on the left.

The wonderful plant I found at the Central Market...only $1.50!
Our kitchen: yep...that's it.

Good ol' two burner...works great when the power is out b/c it's gas!

Cambodian style Adirondak Chairs

Intense

2008-08-07T00:53:00.000-07:00

I (Karie) have picked up a few books sold by local vendors during this past week. There were a few books being sold in the U.S. that I heard about that related to Cambodia and its history, but I we were not able to pack any more things with us (especially books, as they weigh a lot). I was delighted that they offer some of the books famous in the U.S. here in Cambodia, and for a great price! See, either the copyright law does not apply here...or no one pays attention to it. Books are copied everywhere. The books I purchased have covers that are nice and colored, but the inside pages are mere copies of the original books. Oh well, two books for $8.00 isn't a bad price..especially when I wanted to read them back in the U.S.
The first book I started is called First They Killed My Father, by Loung Ung. She and her family were part of the thousands of people relocated during the Khmer Rouge time, and her account of what happened is harrowing. I want to read these books in order to get a better feel for the people who live here, and what happened to them a mere 30 years ago. I began to read the book a couple of nights ago, and can't put it down. I am halfway through its pages already. Below is an excerpt from one of the chapters:

"The next evening, while sitting with Kim outside on the steps of our hut, I think how the world is somehow still beautiful even when I feel no joy at being alive within it. It is still dark and the shimmering sunset of red, gold, and purple over the horizon makes the sky look magical. Maybe there are gods living up there after all. When are they going to come down and bring peace to our land? When I focus my eyes back on the earth, I see two men in black walking toward us with their rifles casually hanging on their backs."

I would highly recommend this book if you are at all interested in the history of Cambodia. Loung writes from the perspective of herself growing up, and she begins the story around the age of 5. I have been deeply moved, rocked, and shocked at this book so far...and I pray to continue to be challenged to FEEL what these people felt so few years ago.

Religious seats and non-melting treats

2008-08-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

We finally picked up some bikes on Thursday, and we were very happy with the service aspect of our purchase! We purchased our bikes second-hand, and they are a cross between Beach Cruisers and Mountain Bikes. They have the wider handle bars, but they also have 3 gears and hand brakes. Weird, but we love having transportation that gets us places quicker ;o). The funny story that came out of the bike purchasing was that we were given what translated as "religious seats" instead of the regular small seats. See, apparently since around 1990, the Mormon missionaries have infiltrated Phnom Penh. They are always seen riding bikes like ours, to these bikes have earned the name "religious bikes" by all the local people. Brian and I agreed that having a religious seat under us (haha..) would not be a bad thing. Plus, they are more comfortable.

Last night we decided to go out in the evening, after dinner. We went to a new mall that was recently built, one of only 2 or 3 in this huge city. The mall is called Sovanna, and it's very nice inside! It sells all the things that the other malls in town do (shoes, DVD's for $2.00 each, electronics, cheap sunglasses, etc.) but it also has a few bonuses! They just opened a KFC across the street...the first "western"fast food place we've seen here. They also have a Swenson's Ice Cream store, a Sushi Boat Restaurant, and a Lucky Supermarket (a SMALL version of the grocery stores back in the states). We sat down to have ice cream at Swenson's, and boy was it refreshing!! Their napkins had such a precious saying, so I took a picture. Enjoy!

The slogan is: Happiness Never Melts

::Rain::

2008-07-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday toward the end of our day at school, it began to rain. Now, we were told that we were coming to Cambodia during the "Wet Season", so Brian and I came prepared. We have Crocs (perfect for the rain because they don't soak up water, and they clean easily), rain ponchos/jackets, and umbrellas. Ha. These items could not prepare us for the RAIN that hit yesterday. Since we have been here, there have been days without any rain at all. Other days there has been an afternoon rain that lasts about 20 minutes, but that is all we've seen. Well, it poured yesterday the hardest I have ever witnessed, and it lasted over an hour. Put that together with a country with NO drainage, roads that are still dirt, and a town that has higher areas and lower areas....what do you get? A mess. We walked home through it yesterday, and we sure were glad we had worn our Crocs to work. It was awesome to hear the thunder and feel the mighty, warm rain. It was disgusting to walk home in it, trudging through puddles with who knows WHAT in them. We had to not think about it, and pray for a quick walk home. One of the many joys of experiencing a 3rd world country. Below is a pic (sorry it's dark) of the flooding. Luckily when we woke up this morning, most of the water had left us....who knows where it went.

Logos International School

2008-07-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

We wanted to take a quick moment to introduce you to our school (and second home), Logos International School. It was established in 2002 to give kids in the Asian Hope Homes (www.asianhope.org) a good education. Since then, it has grown to over 300 students! We have spend a fair amount of time at the school thus far, and orientation starts on August 4th. The school year begins 1 week later on August 11th. Brian will be teaching 2 classes: IT Level One, and a Web Design class. Karie will be teaching the 5th graders of the school- 1 big class of 27 students! Below are some pictures of our place of employment.

The gate entrance to the school

Karie's classroom: the beginning stages

Brian's IT Office

The tail of the clucking lizard who lives in my A/C: funny thing, this pic is number 666 on my camera...haha. I HATE this lizard. He will be relocated ASAP.

The covered outdoor play yard: this view is out of Karie's classroom window.

The glorious, refreshing, shaded pool.

We hope you've enjoyed the beginning peeks of our new school. It is a bustling place even now, as there is summer school being offered through this week. Brian and I are plugging away at understanding our new jobs, surroundings, and places in this community. We sure enjoy the school, and have already spent a number of hours here. We're off to lunch now, but pray this update finds you healthy and blessed!

Viva Cambodia

2008-07-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

So we finally made it to Cambodia!

Things have been a mad rush since we have gotten here. But, we never are too busy to have great food with some new friends. This is Ivan and Angel, we met them online before we moved here, and the took us out to dinner the 2nd night that we were here. This is a Korean place called "Korean 7 Day...Closed Sunday"

We literally ordered 3 dishes and they just kept bringing food out, the picture that you are looking at is only about half the table, the other part is just as full of food. All free when you order any dish. This entire meal for 4 people cost about 22 dollars!

View from Mister Chicken right near Central Market!

Us in the back of a Tuk-Tuk

Thats it for now! Time to go for a swim in the pool as it rains!

Hong Kong has wireless internet!

2008-07-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

Brian and I are currently sitting in the Honk Kong International Airport after a 13 hour flight! So far, traveling has been a breeze....although we sure are tired of sitting! Here are a few pictures from our 3 hour stint in Hong Kong:

Looks familiar...

Someone has tired airplane eyes!

We couldn't resist: the garlic pork ramen was enticing us, even at 6:30am H.K. time!!

Gorgeous surrounding hills

HUGE section of the airport, and this is just for those flying within Asia!

Well, we leave our table in an hour to go to our gate. We will update ASAP when we get to Cambodia!

Packing, Stress, Exhaustion,...but still leaving in 24 hours!

2008-07-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

This past few weeks have flown by! Some highlights from the past week are:

Brian getting pink eye (...not such a highlight)
Brian getting his shots (see above...)
Karie finishing 4 weeks of a summer school Cooking Class....80 students a day, learning how to cook is HARD work!!
Making lists up the wazoo
Many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with family and friends
A wide range of emotions-from excited to doubtful, anxious to full of purpose!

The past few days have been spent running errands, picking up last minute clothing and toiletries, and today....packing. Whew, what a task!! Imagine yourself trying to fit your life into 2 suitcases, and packing enough to last you 2 years. We have had the joy of sitting on bags to squish all things possible inside, throwing out last minute space savers, and truly contemplating what we "need" for 2 years. It's hard to know what we will/will not be able to get in Cambodia...and I (Karie) tend to pack on the heavier side. Oh well, here are a few pics from the adventures with suitcases. We will probably not update this until after we arrive in Phnom Penh...as we leave tomorrow night. Please pray for safe travel and happy tummies (K gets motion sick), for a smooth pick-up in P.P., and for a smooth transition as we begin to meet, communicate, and interact with the people that will become co-workers and friends!

Will it all fit.....?

Brian, piles, and a happy face :o)

World's Greatest Invention: rolling clothes & vacuum packing them in bags!

No Reservations

2008-07-07T22:06:00.000-07:00

We sat and watched the Travel Channel tonight, and Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" was on. He was visiting Laos, a southeast Asian country that borders Cambodia. For those of you who aren't familiar with his show, he is an American guy that travels all over the world...seeking out foods, ways of life, cultural traditions, etc. of those he encounters. The title of the show, "No Reservations" really describes his way of doing things: he goes in with no expectations, and he literally surrounds himself with everything of that particular culture. Being that he was in Laos, and being that Laos is a fairly identical counrty to Cambodia, I was intrigued.
As I sat and watched the show, it took an unexpected twist. Normally his shows focus on the foods and cultural traditions of the country he is visiting...but tonight's show focused on the history of Laos. I wasn't aware, but Laos was a country torn by wars, but not wars they were fighting in. During the 1940's-1970's, wars were surrounding Laos, especially in the neighboring country of Vietnam. Apparently, the American soldiers were told that any bombs/explosives they had left over from a day's work in Vietnam, they were to fly over the border to Laos and drop them. Laos was bombed more than Japan and Germany were in the wars they were involved in. All this to say that Laos is a very war torn country that is also in rebuild mode, as is Cambodia.
As I watched the TV show, I was saddened. They focused on a family there who was affected by the war, over 30 years after it happened. My heart was torn as I watched them document this man's life, a normal hard working man who was forever changed when digging for a new plumbing line-his hand and leg were blown off by a still active land mine. I then became excited in knowing that Brian and I are going to meet and interact with SO many people with this same story. I pray that God gives me the attitude of "No Reservations", as He has so clearly called us to ministry in this war ravaged land. I pray that my eyes will see and my heart will feel...all that is there for us, and more!
I am a huge worrier, stress ball, planner, and organizer...by nature. I worry about so much! Currently, we don't have enough monthly support. We needed to raise $300/month on top of the small salary we will be getting there; we currently only have half of what we need. I worry about this. I let this affect the calling God has put on our lives. Again, I pray for "No Reservations" as I allow God to permeate my heart and mind, and encourage me that everything will work out as He has planned. Over all my worries and doubts, God has put the people of Cambodia on our hearts, and He will provide for us so that we can, in turn, provide for them.

~Thank you, Lord, for the grace to go forward. Thank you for the names, lives, and faces you have yet to introduce us to in Cambodia. Thank you for the work you are having us do.~

Going Away Party

2008-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

We had our Going Away Party yesterday, July 5th. Since moving in with my mom 1 week ago, we have been preparing for this party. The last few days were spent shopping, making lists, cooking, cleaning, and getting ready for this event! We expected around 30+ people, and we think it was around that number who came. We had such a wonderful time chatting, eating, catching up on life, and talking about our upcoming trip details. Here were some comments we received from party guests:

"You're so brave for doing what you are about to do."

"You guys will have so much fun because I know you are doing what you love to do!"

"Be safe, don't get any crazy diseases."

"Just tell the Cambodian men you are already married." (for Karie)

"How in the world did you decide on Cambodia?!"

"What kind of foods do they eat there, and will you be eating them??"

Overall, we had an amazing time. We saw friends and family we hadn't seen in years, and the love and support was overwhelming. I began to get very sad as I sat amongst family and friends; I am going to miss these people like crazy!! I also was overjoyed, however, at the thought that this adventure is going to be spent with my life partner....how exciting is that! Below are some pictures from our awesome event!!

Shells we gave away as favors

Chopsticks that were also given away as favors

Francesca, Karie, and Erik (I used to be their Nanny!)

The Family....cousins, aunts, parents, siblings.

The gorgeous floral arrangements

Ashley, Karie, and Candice (my former student/tutoring buddy)

Michael, Rachel, Agnes, Ben, Karie, and Daddy-O: good times, good food!

Moving...

2008-06-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

We successfully (...?) moved out of our home in Morgan Hill yesterday, and in with my (Karie's) mom in Los Gatos. The day went smoothly, with the weather cooperating and the boxes all packed up in time. We rented a 10 foot U-Haul truck, and it did NOT fit all of our stuff. We don't have a lot, but with all the odds and ends, the truck was full before our house was empty :O(
Otherwise, the move was successful, besides a few mishaps. While driving down Highway 101 with a chair strapped to her truck, my Mom almost caused a horrific accident when the chair flew off. Semi trucks were swerving, cars were honking, and being a few cars behind her, I was panicked. By God's grace, nothing happened, and the Highway Patrol was called to pick up the chair. Luckily we were getting rid of it...and it wasn't a cherished chair that was lost.
When we got to my Dad's house to dump our trash, Brian stepped on a nail that went through his shoe. We are praying that all his shots are up to date.....! Other than those two issues, the move went smoothly! We are now living as one big family here in Los Gatos! Here are a few things that we are enjoying about our new home:

1.) FAST internet
2.) Mom's cooking (tonight she is making Turkey Meatloaf)
3.) Air conditioning in OUR room
4.) Walks downtown
5.) Frozen Yogurt-which we did NOT have in Morgan Hill
6.) A close commute to Summer School (K)
7.) Being with family in our last weeks here

Thanks for reading! We will keep you updated on the progress being made as we get closer to our trip. God Bless <><

Prometheus must have tripped...

2008-06-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

Within a span of 2 weeks California has had somewhere in the ballpark of 7-10 fires. Most of these were not even near where we live. Some started due to a man accidentally starting it, with his tractor, (don't ask me how) some were started by an arsonist. However starting yesterday, three fires started outside my window. Now I am not talking about just a little fire, I mean the whole mountain is on fire. Apparently lightning stuck close to a nearby power pole and started one mountain on fire. Then after that had been burning for a few hours, lightning struck again, yet this time it apparently forked, and hit two mountains on the other side of our house.
So they have closed the only road that gets to our house. We now have to go all the way to Gilroy if we want to leave. Thankfully we were able to get to church this morning and get back to our house with some groceries as we were out of food.

So it's back to work tomorrow. Only a few weeks left. We were going to be moving out of our house this weekend to Karie's moms' house, but due to the fire, that has now been delayed a couple days. But we should be out of this house I would guess in 3 days or so.

B

Changes

2008-06-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Brian and I have gone through a few changes in getting ready for Cambodia. Most changes have had to do with the weather difference; Cambodia is going to be HOT and HUMID and RAINY. They have 2 seasons: Hot and Wet. Because of the severe heat they experience there, we have had to revamp our wardrobe and shop for clothing that is cool and comfortable. We have also started cutting our hair short, and Brian has adopted a shoe that he once thought was lame.
Here's a little story: when we were in Canada last year, I spotted a pair of baby pink Crocs that I took a liking to. Although they are one of the ugliest shoes in the WORLD, I decided since they were a cute color, and more comfortable than anything I've ever worn, I'd buy them. I tried to convince Brian to even try a pair on, and he boldly refused. Well guess what?! At a Big and Tall store last week, they had his size Crocs and in a very manly color: black. My husband tried them on and was instantly impressed with their comfort and lightweight material. HA! He is now a proud owner. See pictures below of some of our changes....and come back to the blog often for more info.

Before.......

....... After!

How Can You Get Involved?

2008-06-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to our departure date, there are a few things we would love your partnership with! Here are some ways you can get involved in our upcoming adventure:

Prayer-

Here are some current prayer needs we have:

1.) Health-we need to stay well as we have a million things to do in the next few weeks! Pray that we are given clear medical information on the shots we need to get before we go.
2.) Support-we are still waiting on family and friends to commit to supporting us through prayer and through monthly financial support. We know God has us to be in Cambodia, but we CANNOT do it without support!!
3.) Smooth moves (haha...)-as we move out of our current home and storage unit, and in with Karie's mom. Life as we know it is beginning to shift, and there can be major stresses associated with this!

Monthly Support:

We are in need of about $300 more a month than what we will be making in Cambodia. Although this isn't much, we are looking for a truly devoted group of people who will financially help us with our calling to be amongst the Cambodian people! Not only would you be directly helping us, but you would also be supporting the spreading of the Gospel through our upcoming interactions with those who don't know Him!

Contact Us:

If you have any words of wisdom, encouragement, questions, concerns, etc....please get in touch with us! We will keep our current email addresses when we move (Brian: bbourdet@gmail.com, Karie: jesusfan_ca@hotmail.com). Also, if you're interested talking with us while we are in Cambodia, you can download Skype; it's an internet phone service, and we can talk computer to computer for free!

Thanks for your help thus far, and keep reading as we will update this blog as much as we can!

3 years and counting...Happy Anniversary to us!

2008-06-04T19:33:00.001-07:00

It has been a thrilling, tough, exciting, lovely, and joyous last 3 years of marriage. At this time 3 years ago, Brian and I were newly married and in a car on our way to San Francisco to begin our honeymoon! Our wedding was flawless and memorable, and it was everything we dreamed it would be! Since then, we have moved twice, loved and lost our pup Moses, gone on many trips (including Canada and the east coast), committed to moving to Cambodia for 2 years, learned a LOT about ourselves and each other, experience servant hood at its best, and loved each other unconditionally. We have participated in each others wacko family events: Brian's "French (pride) Family Picnic".....complete with the French flag a' flyin-and Karie's Family Christmas...complete with 3 hour gift opening sessions. I (Karie) have thoroughly enjoyed living with my husband, and DAILY love him more than the day before. Brian is an awesome leader and friend, and is a gentle, humble man. I truly love him more today than yesterday, and am glad to begin a new adventure with him by my side.

7 weeks and counting!

2008-06-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

We are at the 7 week mark, and the days are going by too fast!! We do not yet have our tickets, but we are shooting to leave around July 21st. Before the 7 weeks is up, here is a tiny list of the major things we still need to do:

1.) Brian has 5 more weeks at Comcast
2.) Karie needs to finish this LAST week of school
3.) Karie will be teaching summer school for 4 weeks
4.) We will be moving out of our current home and in with Jan for the month of July
5.) We will have a garage sale to get rid of all of the unnecessary things we've collected
6.) Find Brian's passport...
7.) Put our things into storage
8.) Have a party (July 5th)
9.) Packing, packing, and more packing!
10.) Eventually we WILL board a plane....

WHEW! There is so much to do, and it is beginning to get a bit overwhelming. We know God has this adventure prepared for us, and we are trusting Him to help us with these last details. We sent our support letters out last week, and we are trusting Him to provide us with the needed prayer partners and financial supporters. If you want a letter and did not get one, please email Karie with your address: jesusfan_ca@hotmail.com. Below are a few pictures of the school we are headed to in Phnom Penh.

Who, what, where, when, why?

2008-05-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

Map of Cambodia and surrounding countries

Since we are leaving soon, and many of you we have not spoken directly to, I thought I should tell you a bit about our upcoming adventure! I will attempt to answer the 5 W's with as much wit and humor as I can:

WHO: Brian and Karie-a married couple (almost 3 years now!!) that are desiring to see the world and bring people closer to Christ. Brian is a 23 year-old computer whiz: he likes his peace and quiet, and he does not mind if things around the house are messy. Karie is a 27 year old teacher and organizational freak who likes things "just so".

WHAT: We are about to embark on a 2 year commitment to live, work, teach, minister, and explore the country of Cambodia. We are also hoping to travel to the neighboring countries of Thailand and Vietnam.

WHERE: See map. We will be living in the country's capitol, Phnom Penh.

WHEN: We will set out around July 21st from California, fly a million miles, sleep none, and arrive in a hot....humid...foreign land. YAHOO!

WHY: To LIVE LIFE before we have kids. To go somewhere challenging. To explore a place and a people we know little about. To travel. To see crazy foods and know we don't have to eat them (...if we don't want to). To get out of our comfort zone. To make friends on the opposite side of the world. To be stretched. To further spread the word of God. To encourage other people with the love of Christ.

Gorgeous Cambodian child

Starting to get ready

2008-05-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

So we are starting to get ready to leave. As we only have about 10 weeks before we leave. And 4 weeks before we move out of our current place.

Since this is our first post, I don't have that much to say. However, we will be updating this pretty regularly, as this will be one of the main ways for people to see how/what we are doing, and to contact us.

Feel free to shoot us an email, or leave a post. We will try to get back to you.