I apologize for not keeping a better blog, but I now think I've learned when the internet may or may not be quirky and when I may or may not have free time. This past week I've found myself taking a tour of the water filter factory on the farm, getting acquainted with the laboratory, organizing my little house, riding along to observe village teaching, taking a ferry across the Mekong River, watching staff teach hygiene in the schools to a room full of 130 5-9 year olds, getting acquainted with RDI staff, and talking with my language tutor. At times I've felt like I was wasting the day away since I didn't come back sweaty and tired, but they're correct that these are necessary steps to truly being affective later. But, truth be told, I'm always tired. Stinkin time change.
Matt (name changed) in our organization has been busy with country government meetings lately so I still don't have a clear-cut vision of what I'll be doing but that's OK. More than likely something to do with community development, filter marketing, youth group, befriending the research staff, revamping village school teaching curriculum and adult storying. Exciting, eh?! I can't even express how excited I still am.
My main focus as of today is to learn the language, although they have said I need to observe and understand every project. They say I'll be miserable and lonely in a few months if I do not learn the language and socialize. I could see that. I know 5 verbs and a hundred nouns, but that won't get me far :) People at the morning “coffeeshop”, passers by on the street, and the family that built me my house are so eager to talk to me and that is my driving motivation. The pained looks on their face when I have to say 'knyum oughdtung' – I don't understand – is so sad.
My house has everything I need now (see pictures), and the Khmer staff is super-friendly. The only “bad” parts of this move have been the pre-dawn roosters outside my window and acclimating to a cold shower. If you come visit and volunteer, don't worry, you'll have warm showers.
The people and the other folks currently here are fantastic and great meal company – 5 countries represented!
So... my daily routine is something like this – roosters start at 4:40, sun comes up around 5:30, up at 6:30, coffeeshop at 7:30, work (“twa-ga”) at 8:30, lunch in the dining hall at noon, return to work at 2:00 which is language lessons until 4:30 for me. The sun goes down at 6:30 and I'm in bed by 9:30. Who says miracles don't happen? Lori's in bed early and up early! haha
I look forward to each day!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Khmer were once a magnificent empire, like the Incas. I cannot imagine a sweeter, more hospitable people though. The wars have not broken their spirit. We have always been offered a chair, or tea, or fruit, or a cold cloth. Even from those who had little to give. I am thankful this Thanksgiving to be here - my warmest holiday to date :) I hope I can help someone have reason to be thankful...

For any UST folks and Mike Barnes...

Here's a common sight - selling out of a barrel. Think there's spill prevention on this? Notice the "gas station attendant" is asleep - lol
Mike, my first home! Thanks for your help!

Cambodia is exactly like I left it - maybe more built up in some areas of the city and more poor out in the villages. Some quick facts: 40% of the population lives below the poverty line; around 70% can't read; and the average family makes $275 a year. But to quote Francis Chan, 'When you've actually hugged poverty, and laughed with poverty, that's different. You're different. Its no longer distant people that are starving, its your friends.' And its true.
There aren't any volunteer teams in, but there are 7 funny, quality, scientific folks from 4 countries in doing various research so our mealtimes are a blast. I'm still getting oriented and setting up my language lessons so I don't have many stories. Most of my stories include wondering around to look at projects, meeting old friends, and going to the city or market to get various things for my little house. But tomorrow may be a different story - we're killing our own turkeys to prepare for Thanksgiving!
I'll try to post pictures of a few things soon, but the internet is quirky (I don't have it at my house - I'm using the office wireless from the dining hall.) I'm not quite over jet lag, so its 8pm and I'm headed to bed! We have this all nat-ur-al alarm clock with built in snooze... Ming's chickens start at 4:30, restart at 5:30, and go strong at 6:30. I guess I'm meant to be a morning person after all. Ugh :)

First leg is completed - onto Cambodia tonight

If anyone has cause to travel Asiana Airlines I highly recommend it. They were the most friendly and helpful people to 2 semi-clueless Americans!
We left our small cheering crowd at the Louisville airport at 7:10pm Wednesday, and arrived in Chicago only to sit and wait for the transit desk to open. One can't help but feel almost insignificant as you watch hundreds of different ethnicities swirl around you in a place like that. We were so looking forward to having a good "last meal" in America, but everything was closed once we got through security! So a snack it was.
We boarded a packed 747 at 1am, enjoyed numerous movies, 2 yummy meals - well I had one meal and slept through the other one - and conversation with our neighbor from NY, and almost 15 hours later arrived in a cold, foggy Korea.
Our friends that were to give us a tour of the city couldn't make it after all, so we're currently entertaining ourselves in the airport for the duration of the 11-hour layover. Suggestions? We've alreay exhausted the 'where do you think that traveler is from' game, and visited the closest McDonalds (I know, we're such Americans...).
So there's the narration of my journey and on a personal note... I'm feeling inadequate. Which in turn creates an awareness of how much His strength and not my own is the key to success, for this venture, but also life in general. The butterflies and nausea are gone, but the excitement remains. Some things we do in life are still hard even when we know that is the path laid out or planned for us - changing jobs, moving, quitting jobs, divorce, love. We will botch it up if we get our hands too far into the situation - 'man determines his path but the lord determines his steps'. Let a strength that is beyond yours guide your steps to do the hard things.

I've walked over to my closet... and looked in... then walked over to the dresser... and opened one drawer. Stood in the middle of my room and looked around, and then laid on the bed with my feet up on the wall. For all my excitement to leave, I can't seem to pack.

My thoughts lately have been for those I will encounter - the little old ladies that are slightly hunched over, the older men who stand curiously at a distance, and little kids who can't hang onto you any tighter... and I'm humbled. Now more than ever.

This is my time. My calling. My opportunity. Its funny to look back and see how frustrated I was with God for not opening doors to do this sooner - but a lot of things and situations had to happen. So this is perfect timing as always, imagine that. A lot if not all of the pillars that form my life come from the Bible, and here is what has been running through my mind for the last few weeks-

'Suppose someone needs food or clothing, and you say 'well good-bye and God bless you, stay warm and eat well!' but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?' (James 2:15-16)

I'm moving to a place where the need is for water and food. Awesome. I've got a tangible form of love for a tangible need.

We get so wrapped up in our phrases - you doin good? how are you? take care! - that we don't actually SEE the person we're talking to. What if they can't take care? What if they're not 'good' like they responded? What are you going to do about it?

Or then there's this to mull over - 'to know what you ought to do and not do it is wrong' (James 4:17). Talk about conviction.

So I'm humbled - I get to do what I ought to do. I love it already.

Ta-da!

I am now blogging! I hope you enjoy reading along as I (hopefully) will relay a lot of trying and rewarding experiences, and introspective thoughts.
I'll start out with something obvious, and leave the profound for later -

I'm leaving Louisville KY on Wednesday Nov 18 bound for warmer weather via Chicago and Seoul South Korea. I'll arrive Phnom Penh (pronounced pnom pen) at 11pm Friday. Cambodia is 12 hours ahead of the eastern time zone.

To move and love people was the easiest decision I've ever had to make. This is gonna be awesome...