Yep, we ARE still alive!

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

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

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.....

-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

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!!

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)

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