Sin in a Box

Here's a skit that some fellow volunteers did a couple of weeks ago at Sabbath-closing vespers. Quite thought-provoking - and it really spoke to some of the issues and questions our kids face.

Video: Dan Serns (obtained via FB)

Mission Missings

Month 1 of 11 in Cambodia:

I'm a missionary. And, as I've been discovering over the past month, there's a lot of stuff I can't get here that's readily available at home. Some of it's totally fine. I really don't mind washing my hair with little packets of shampoo, sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor, wearing only flip-flops at all times, or scrubbing my clothes in a tub by the pump. But some stuff is rather missed: 

1. A real piano.
2. Smoothies (specifically peanut butter/banana).
3. Whole wheat bread.
4. An oven.
5. Juice (from the refrigerator).
6. Couches.
7. Taco Bell (I seriously never thought I'd say that).
8. Christmas lights.

Month 10 of 11 in Cambodia:

The update...

Most of that stuff I wrote back then is totally fine now. I don't miss it much at all anymore, and I've discovered an Asian alternative for some of it, anyway. For example, we borrowed a blender from the Home Ec room during mango season, bought ice just down the road, and made incredible smoothies several times. WW bread... well... I will enjoy it at home but I've gotten used to the French baguette bread here. In January, I moved to one of the only houses on campus that actually has an oven, so I've been able to enjoy using that. Once a week I can get sugarcane juice at the market. Couches... hammocks are just as good, if not better. My mom sent me some LED Christmas lights so those are stashed away for Christmas season. The only two things that haven't really been remedied are the piano and Taco Bell, but I will enjoy those when I do go home! 

I think I'm going to have to do a switch and write a list of stuff I'll miss about Cambodia while I'm at home:

1. Brown-skinned people (they all want to be white; I wish I were brown).
2. A cool dipper bath in the middle of a hot day.
3. Hearing and speaking Khmer.
4. Morning market.
5. Sitting on the floor during church.
6. Leaving my shoes at the door (and trying to find them afterwards).
7. Rice. Every meal.
8. Riding on a motorbike everywhere I go in town.

It's been a challenge to adjust to a new culture, but I am learning Paul's lesson:

"I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content" (Philippians 4:11).

One year

Pathfinder outing! (Photo: Shannon Maddocks)

The school year is nearly over! It's so hard for to believe. A group of student teachers from Avondale College have been here for the past three weeks, but they just finished teaching their last day, and will be leaving soon. There's one "normal" week of study, then we have review and final exams in the following two weeks. Didn't I just arrive here at Wat Preah Yesu? It's crazy how fast time has gone by.

During the course of this year, my students and I have grown quite close. We've been with each other through happy times and hard times, 19+ classes a week. It's been fascinating to watch each young character closely and see the strengths blossom. I've seen so many weaknesses in myself, but I've also observed so much strength in God. It's been an incredible opportunity to be pushed toward Him as in no other way, and chosen to be a channel of His power and love.

We were really blessed during this school year to have a large variety of volunteers. A fellow teacher wrote about them here, on her blog. So many strong skills were represented this year: science, music, agriculture, photography, theology, health & nursing, accounting, math, and other things. God has provided just what we need to teach the kids.

Now we are looking ahead to next school year. We know that even though several of our teachers are moving on to new places, God will continue to give us the resources we need. However, at this point in time, we're still on the lookout for volunteers for the new school year beginning in September. Specifically, we need people to teach the following:

• Mechanics
• Bible
• English
• Science
• Math
• Music

We can use people with other skills as well. You don’t have to be a qualified teacher, but we do prefer conservative Seventh-day Adventists who have a commitment to letting Christ live His life through them.
If you are interested or would like to know more, please contact Tim Maddocks at tim @ saltmin . org (no spaces).

I'm so glad that God has worked it out so I can stay an additional year. One of my students mentioned that he wants me to stay for seven years. I said that it's up to God - He has to provide for me to stay if that's what He wants! So my little guy is now praying that God will help me to stay for that long. :-)

I will visit the US from August 14 - September 2. I am looking forward to being home again, trying out American food (not sure how I'll cope without rice), and visiting friends. I hope to see you, give you an update in person, and just catch up on life!

P.S. My friend Kathleen is much more faithful at updating her blog than I am, and she shares much of what happens at Wat Preah Yesu. You might consider following her blog as well - Purposed in My Heart.

Catchup (of Facebook and Instagram)

Two days ago marked seven months to the day that I arrived. I still remember that first day, those first months... a lot has happened and I've grown so much. God surely knew what He was doing when He put me here.

A good friend once told me that if you find yourself busy in one place, you can expect to be busy wherever you go. There's no escaping it. I think that's pretty accurate! I can't help but get involved in many things, and as a result I've had plenty to do. So much, in fact, that my inbox and blog have gone rather neglected. I feel bad, but at the same time, I recognize that life (and especially life in God's service) is about more than the digital world. Unfortunately, people who are busy can't always keep everyone adequately up to date. But I also know that it is important for those at home to know I'm alive, well, and still doing what I said I'd be doing. :) Therefore, this post. Though other ports of access have not generated many responses, I've kept fairly recent on Facebook and Instagram. They only require short blips to let people know what I'm up to! But for those who haven't seen some or any of those updates, I decided I'd make a post just for you. Following is an abbreviated chronicle of my life from October 2013 through March 2014. :)

October

My crazy but absolutely lovable kids.

November

(It arrived safely!)

One of my faithful in-classroom translators, Nak.
We have a great time figuring stuff out!

To this day, it's been my only time driving a motorbike.
I plan to change that during Khmer New Year
when I have time to practice!!

December

Christmas program, Karen style. :)

Having fun with these little guys on holiday!

January

We visited a nearby mountain with old temple ruins on top.

My violin enthusiast, Sann.
(someone recently donated a half-size violin and he loves it!!)

If you'd like to watch this, you can here.

February

They definitely figured out how to put a smile on my face. :)

A very awesome collage a fellow volunteer made for me on my birthday!

I adore these grade-6-ers...

March

Practicing my Khmer... although I forgot a character. :P
Someday I'll get this language learned. :) (It's supposed to say
knoum sraulein neak - I love you)

Two sweet boys on top of "Mount Everest"
which is actually a termite mound.

I very much enjoyed spending time with some
real genuine American kids!

(I'm also having a terrible time with the month subheaders so please forgive me for just sticking this up even though they're not perfect!)

The kiddos #2

Nak's vocabulary paper.

The most recent escapades of Moses:

This afternoon I had one English class. I haven't felt up to par today (cough, headache, etc.) so as I walked to the school, I prayed that God would give me strength and wisdom. My kids are fun, but they're definitely a handful! And I only had some vague ideas of what I was going to cover in this particular class.

I got to class, and greeted the students. It's a warm day today, so they begged me to let them go outside. I knew that wouldn't help learning any, so I told them that we were going to stay inside, much to their chagrin. They kept wiggling around and talking, and I finally told them that just for today, they could sit wherever they wanted to. On the floor (the tile is cooler), in the windowsill, on the desk, wherever. Anything to keep them quieter! They moved to their respective locations and I proceeded to teach them about how to write the story I'd told them to, using their vocabulary words for the week.

Moses, as usual, was chattering away, so I asked him to be quiet. Somehow in the ensuing conversation, he told me that he didn't know how to write the story. He asked, " 'Cher, can you just give me your mind? I have a bad memory!" I laughed and told him that he was smart too. The only reason I might be smarter is because I am older, and have had more years of experience!

"But how did you get your mind, 'Cher?" Some of the other students agreed with him. I decided that now was a good time to set aside anything I'd planned before, and sail with this wind.

I asked the students, "How many of you want me to tell you how to have a good mind?" A bunch of hands raised. I proceeded to give them a list of things I have done to help my mind to grow:

1. Pray (as proved in James 1:5)
2. Read a lot (they came up with this one on their own)
3. Talk with your teachers (and if you don't understand something in English, ask!)
4. Memorize the Bible (it will help you to have a good memory for everything else!)
5. Listen in class (they definitely have aways to go on this one, hehe)

A funny thing that happened during our discussion... Moses and Nak were talking about how it was hard for them to understand English because it was their second language. I told them that I was sure that was true, and that I admired them for doing so well with it. Someone asked me, " 'Cher, how many languages do you know?" I grinned and asked them how many they thought.

"Three!" "Five!" "TEN!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, I only know one - English."

You should have seen them, they were so surprised. Our teacher who knows everything, only knows one language? (note: sarcasm)

Moses (as usual) was the first to speak. "I know three! Khmer, English, and Thai!"

My point exactly. "You're smart!" I told him. "I might know more than you in other things, but you know more languages than I do. I didn't know any Khmer before I came here."

He jumped up. " 'Cher, I'll teach you a lot! Many new words and how to say things!"

I thanked him and reciprocated the offer (listen in class, please... lol).

Not all of the students paid close attention, but enough did that I was glad for this teachable moment. What a lesson for all of us to learn! I definitely don't have a perfect mind, but there are ways that I can grow.

Now, I'm going to tell you about a few more of my students...

Number Eight: Leang
When I first started to teach grade 6, I lumped Leang in with all the other troublemaker boys. He is about the same age and size, and so I assumed he was one of them. However, I was wrong. This boy is quiet but smart, and pays attention in class. He rarely misbehaves. I've asked him to do things before, and he's done the tasks faithfully and well. I'm glad to have him in my class!

Number Nine: Lis (pronounced Lee)
She's one of those that I stuck up front so I could keep an eye on her. :) Lis is smart, but she is easily distracted. She doesn't always listen and therefore doesn't understand some things, but when I take the time to explain to her, she often will have a lightbulb moment and say, "Yull!" (Khmer for "I understand!"). She's part of the handful, but she is a sweet girl and I know God has a big work He wants to do in her life.

Number Ten: Rothana
Rothana is half troublemaker and half not. :) He's very smart! Yes, he's quick to throw paper and punch other students, but when it comes to studying, he is quick and accurate. Today I decided I trusted him enough to go and do an errand for me (get colored pencils from the staff room), and he did it well.

Number Eleven: Sun
I adore little Asian boys with hair that sticks straight up. No gel or anything; it just can't be pasted down. Sun has hair like that. :D He's a little guy, and is so cute!! Yesterday I had one of my first opportunities to talk with him one-on-one, and I realized that he has a very high little-boy voice. He was excited about finishing his math test, and we talked together as we walked to the library for the next class. Awwwwww!!!

Number Twelve: Navy (Hun)
She's a really tiny girl, with the sweetest personality. I get her and Leakena mixed up sometimes because they look similar. This week, however, we had a Bible test, and she and two other students participated in cheating (someone let the others look at their paper, I'm not sure who). As promised, I gave them all a zero on their paper, and explained to them today when I gave their papers back. They all took it very well, I was thankful. I think Navy will be careful in the future not to do something like that (I hope anyway!).

Number Thirteen: Navy (Doung)
We've got two Sophalls and two Navys in grade 6. This Navy is quiet, and sits right up front. She is a little slower to understand, but she is well-behaved and usually listens carefully in class.

Number Fourteen: Ro
Same category as Rothana: I'd just have to describe him as half and half. Yes, he's a troublemaker, but he's too sweet and smart to be totally that. He's become more attentive since I moved his seat from the back to the middle of the classroom. Still talks a bunch and throws paper balls, but he does do fairly well with his studies.

OK, that's all for today! Now I'm off to grade math test papers...

A taste of Cambodia

Sarah and I watched this short film tonight. It's presented by a secular organization, but is a touching story just the same. And better yet, I was surprised at how clear a picture of Cambodian culture it gives. If you want to know the land and people I'm working with, take just a half hour and watch this. It's worth your time!


Born Sweet - Entire Film from Cynthia Wade on Vimeo.

The kiddos (#1)

The girl on the right is Savy, and she's in grade 6 with me.

So. I just have to tell y'all about my awesome kids. Because they really are super special! However, I do have 35, so I'm going to have to split this up into several different blog posts. But that's OK, because I have plenty of time, and I'm still getting to know them all!

I wish I had pictures of them, but that will have to come another day. All I have is my iPod as far as taking pictures, and it's not that amazing, but Sarah says I can use her camera and so I'm going to take that to class one day and get a picture of all of us. I have to plan that strategically so as not to disrupt class (we'd never get any study done during that period). We'll see. But for now, I'll have to paint word pictures for you. :-)

Number One: Patary

Oh, this kid is interesting! He's definitely the one who stands out most in my mind as being a troublemaker in class. Definitely not the only one, but he's the only one of his kind, to be sure. He's the kind of kid that likes to try boundaries and make me laugh while actually needing to be in trouble. Crazy boy! He is from outside (not the orphanage or the dorm), so my suspicion is that he's not actually a Christian. I should find out from someone about that. He didn't seem to know how to pray… anyway, he is the cutest thing, and I'm sure I'll miss him a lot when I leave.

Number Two: Nak

Nak is the complete opposite of Patary. At 16 years old, he's the most mature boy in my class, and is completely trustworthy, other than that I suspect he lets other students cheat off his papers. But he understands English the most, and he really tries to understand the other subjects and perform them well. I can rely on him to lead a small group if needed, and sometimes even translate to the class a subject that they're not quite grasping. He understands spiritual things fairly well, too. He's actually in the Pathfinder Master Guide class with me, so on Sundays we're classmates together, instead of teacher and student. :-) He's a great guy and I really love him!

Number Three: Moses

This guy is SO CUTE. However, the cuteness comes from his naughtiness - his utter inability to keep his mouth shut!!! It's hilarious sometimes, but it is frustrating other times. I'm constantly having to remind him to stop talking! Lol. But he is really sweet.

Number Four: Rathom

Rathom is my trustworthy girl. I don't remember if she's the oldest or not, but she's definitely the most mature in our class. She's on an equal level with Nak on the girls' side. She doesn't understand English quite as well as he does, but she does the most of any of the girls, I think. And she really tries hard in her classes. When I gave the first science test, she labored over it, and actually got the right answers, while other students didn't quite understand and didn't put everything into it, that I could tell. She's super sweet. Kind of on the quiet side, but she'll do things up front that I ask her to do. She lives in the dorm, so I see her often, at meals and worships and such.

Number Five: Sophall (Ra)

This guy is another special one (but they all are, so maybe that's not the best first statement!). He's from the orphanage, and in just these last few weeks he's become one of my right-hand helpers. He's sure to greet me with a "Hello 'cher!" at any time we might meet, and he usually has a big grin on his face. He's short - very short - but has a big enough personality to make up for it. My first Sunday afternoon before Pathfinders, I went early and sat on one of the steps at the school. Sophall came too, and we had a lovely conversation together. We chatted about family and Pathfinders (crazy that he's nearly the same rank as me, lol), as well as school and other random things. Last night his "brother" Yeremiah - the newest baby of his house parents - had a birthday, so I got to see where he lives (along with Moses and two other girls in my class). He was thrilled to have me there!

Number Six: Leakena

She's pretty quiet, but oh! her giggle! It makes me laugh so much. :-D She sits next to Moses in class, and between him chatting on about random things, and her giggling about what he says, it's hard for me to keep a straight face. I should record her laughing so I can enjoy it even when I'm gone. I think she is from the orphanage, but I can't remember for sure. Anyway, she's a sweet girl, and bright in class.

Number Seven: Ling

Ling used to sit in the back of the classroom with the rest of the bigger boys and laze around. I'd have to constantly ask him to pay attention to what I was saying... so last week when I rearranged the whole classroom, I stuck him right up front. I can keep an eye on him now! He's not really one to make much trouble (other than stealing the occasional notebook to annoy a fellow classmate); he's just quiet and more methodical at what he does. He's a great artist: I've had them draw various things and he's done amazing stuff. His most recent piece of work was a waterlily pen drawing. Pretty fantastic, if you ask me!

Today in English class, we were studying our various vocabulary words, and some of the kids were saying, "Ling, Ling, Ling!" while I wrote something on the board. I misheard them at first and thought of a joke my family says sometimes (Kenny and Hannah, this is for you!). It is simple English, so I decided to teach it to them:

The phone says, "Green green green!" so I pink it up and say, "Yellow, how are blue?"

Needless to say, they loved it, and we had a good laugh together. :-)

Yes, I love my kids. I'm still trying to decide if I actually like teaching (it's definitely a challenge!), but these kids make every day fun. They're the best class!! ;-)