My Unexpected Journey

Safe in Cambodia- round 2!

2009-07-03T00:56:00.002-04:00

Hello!

The past few days have been a whirlwind and it's been my first time to the internet in 48 hours.

A team from Columbus has been here in Cambodia and left today. They were great to get to know and see how much they love the kids of Asia's Hope.

2 days ago we went to the water park with the kids and then ate fruit and ice cream bars with the kiddos at the christian school afterwards.

Yesterday, the team went to the dump (I have a previous blog post about that topic) but I decided to stay back and have some quiet time. Even though I've been and lived in Cambodia 6 weeks ago, I had a very hard time with the culture shock and I think I was tired as well. But it's GREAT to be back here and I'm excited to spend time with people here.

Adam and Jess Heath are here from Columbus and will be staying in Cambodia for a few more weeks. They have been such a blessing to get to know and I'm learning so much from Jess's photography skills! :) She's even let me play with her expensive camera.

She has a blog and has posted pictures from the past few days.

http://jessicaheath.blogspot.com/

They also have Thailand pictures from last week if you were curious to see what I was doing. I was with the team in Thailand all last week.

I still have many blog posts to put up but the internet is rather slow here in Phnom Penh.

HAPPY BELATED 20th BIRTHDAY HANNAH MICHELLE!!!!!! :)

and congrats to Derek and Aimee on D's graduation from pilot training!

Last Day in Thailand.

2009-06-29T15:24:00.002-04:00

Hello folks.

I have many more blog posts to catch up on (my birthday last week, riding elephants, waterfalls, exploring Chiang Mai with the team from Columbus, more pictures of the kiddos).....

but I really must get to sleep. It's 2:30am and I will be getting on a plane tomorrow to head back to Cambodia (Tues, June 30th). Please bear with me over the next week as I try and catch you all up on what I've been doing, what God has been teaching me, and all pictures I will share with you.

Thank you!

5am wake up call- Saturday, June 14th

2009-06-29T12:03:00.009-04:00

So sorry for the delay!! I have many excuses, but will save time for all of us and just update you on what's been going on the past few weeks.

Let's rewind and go back 2 weeks ago (the weekend of June 13th)

I spent the weekend at the orphanage with Ashley... and her room is in the baby house. Right behind the baby house is a "pasture" if you will that has cows, free range chickens, and a rooster. That rooster doesn't know when to crow. It will crow at all hours of the night. It decided to crow right outside our window at 5AM! If you don't know me very well, I take my sleep VERY seriously. I couldn't fall back asleep because that dumb rooster kept crowing. I was contemplating trying to hand make a sling shot, but couldn't find a rubber band... I also thought about throwing my flip-flops at it, but then I would have to climb the fence and get my shoes back.... this rooster had a death wish. I was not a happy camper.

But the day was very fun and quite busy!

The culprit.

The yummy Kao Soy for lunch. Mmmm. :)

In the afternoon, Ashley and I took the teen girls from the orphanage to the Horizon gardens. We rented bicycles and met up with Ashely's friend Angela and the teen girls that she works with. It was such a gorgeous but very warm afternoon.

Dolphin bushes.

Momma elephant with her baby.

We took bicycles around the gardens... such a fun afternoon!

At the waterfall with the girls.

Playing on the playground...we're never too old to play. ;)

Ash and I at the waterfall.

beautiful orchid.

crazy little cactus!

more orchids!!

Ash loves her roses!

Being goofy on the pirate ship in the middle of the rose garden.

I am a gaint compared our girls at the orphanage.. and I'm only 5'4"! eek!

Dragon topiary/fountain thing! Only in Asia....

After a great afternoon with the girls, Ashley and I had a relaxing evening out by the lakes of Doi Saket. I love how quiet it is out there. Ash goes running a few times a week around the lakes and I can understand why. It's so picturesque and hidden from everything.

My FAVORITE dinner.... Five Star Chicken and sticky rice, sweet corn, and Rotee for dessert. Yummy.

The cute gazebo where Ash and I had dinner.

The gorgeous scenic view!!

This is probably my favorite scenic picture I've taken while in Thailand. What a great way to end such a busy day.

"Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the ocean depths.

You care for people and animals alike, O Lord."

-Psalm 36:6

Pig Pan!

2009-06-13T10:57:00.007-04:00

Last night ( Friday the 12th of June), all of the staff along with Ashley and myself, 26 people to be exact, went to a very "famous" Thai buffet. And let me tell you, it was an experience I'd never forget!!

The building was quite large and it had a metal barn/ flea market feel to it. There was a roof, but no sides to the building. At the front of the restaurant was a stage where there were Thai performers and comedians. When I first walked into the restaurant known as the "Pig Pan" I just saw table upon table upon table. I couldn't believe how large this place was.

The Pig Pan banner.

The stage.

The buffet was in the back. And here's how it worked:

1. You gather all your raw meats (a variety to choose from including freaky mixed meat in weird shapes as pictured below).

These little guys just creep me out. It is meat just mixed together turned into what looks like a posessed marshmallow.

Once again, mystery meat anyone? Any takers? Not me!!

Mr. Shrimp dude.

How about some lovely blue shrimp to cook? I've NEVER seen them this color in my life. Pretty funny looking, huh?

2. Pick your sauces, herbs, and spices for the meats.

3. Enjoy some pre-cooked food if you would like ( spring rolls, rice, french fries all included. There is a salad bar as well!

Growing up at The Barn always gives me very high expectations for a salad bar. I should just know better in Thailand! ;)

I don't know what the cd's have to do with a salad bar... adds to the atmosphere mabye? Oh who knows. My guess is as good as yours will be.

4. Go back to your table and grill your food right in front of you. You have chopsticks, a spoon, and a bowl. Chopsticks will be used for picking up the raw meat, flipping on your little grill or "pig pan", poking the raw meat to make sure it's grilling through the middle, and then stabbing again to ensure proper placement in the bowl. Ew. But I got used to it. In my arrogant american mindset, I just couldn't believe that I was using wooden chopsticks to play with the raw meat and then eat off with.

My video commentary of the buffet.

the "pig pan"

Tutu (the director of Thailand) with her sons Daniel and Zack. David, the youngest stayed at the orphanage for the evening to make sure things went smoothly. What a kid!

A funny little video of Daniel and Tutu enjoying themselves. Daniel reminds me of an asian version of Cory Ball. Cory, if you're reading this... this is what you'd look like if you were an asaind person!

5. Enjoy as much dessert as you would like!

Ashley and I with our Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream!! YUMMY!! :)

She and I may or may not have had two bowls each! :)

I had a great time with the staff and learning even more about the Thai culture. Once again, it was another little adventure I'll never forget!

A Video Montage of Church at the Orphanage: Sunday, June 7th.

2009-06-12T05:14:00.010-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posts people. Earlier in the week, my laptop power cord plug melted to my international converter, started smoking/ burning and almost set itself on fire! No damage was done to the computer (thank goodness). I took the computer to the store and found a power cord for only $3.00 and a surge protector for $2.50!!! Thank you Lord for providing! I'm very thankful that most of the laptop parts are made in Thailand, Philippines or Malaysia.

But here are some videos from Sunday at church with the orphans to give you a taste of what it's like.

Singing "I want to know you more" in Thai.

The kids from Doi Saket 2 singing. I love how their just singing their little hearts out regardless of what key their on! ha.

Kiddos from Doi Saket 3 Orphanage. The kids in the front couldn't stop laughing about something.. I guess they just had the case of the giggles! Check out the kid in the orange shirt... he's laughing so hard, that he can't look up! So cute.

The teens of Doi Saket 1 singing.

Singing the doxology at the end of the sermon. You can kind of hear me singing it in english while they are all singing Thai.

What a beautiful thing to know that we can sing to God in any language!!

A Village Wedding- Saturday June 6th.

2009-06-11T12:04:00.009-04:00

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of going to my 5 wedding on this trip. I just never can get away from the wedding scene! ;) This was not your typical wedding. This took place in the villages of Thailand about an hour up the mountain, away from Chaing Mai. Saturday was gloomy and rainy all day which kept the temperature down significantly--- my guess, the high 70's. There was no white dress, wedding rings exchanged, and the father did not walk his daughter down the aisle as one would typically think when the word 'wedding' comes to mind. The young couple that got married are both 17... which is quite normal to get married so young in the villages. They were both from the Karen tribe (pronouced kuh-rin) which is only one of 7 of the hilltribes here in Thailand. As you will see in the pictures, the young girls/ unmarried women will wear traditional Karen dresses which are white. The white symolizes purity/ single/ virginity. And once you are married, you change colors, typically to black and red. I find that hilarious from white to black.. like once you're married, you're tainted or something! So as you will see, the bride will were her new "married woman" dress instead of a typical white dress on her wedding day. She will wear the dress for special occasions and some Sundays at church as well. The men also wear special red shirts. Their colors usually don't change as they get older.

And the adventure begins:

The view on the way up the mountain.

Rice fields on the side of the mountain.

This picture does NOT capture how muddy, steep, and scary the roads became the higher up the mountain we got! The puddles became very deep and I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I'm still amazed at how the truck never became stuck... wow. We made it safely with all 20 of us in the truck! :)

I thought this little old lady was adorable.

One of the girls from Doi Saket 3.

The mother of the bride and one of the kids from Doi Saket 3 orphanage.

At the brides house.. waiting to walk to the church.

It's tradition for the bridal party and their guests to walk from the brides house to the church (where ever that may be in the village and if they are christians). We didn't have a long walk at all.. some weddings will have to walk a couple kilometers or so.

I love how colorful this lady's outfit was!

Massive woks to cook all of the food for a hundred people.

Lots of plates, bowls, and cups ready for the meal after the wedding!

Gorgeous exotic flowers decorated outside of the church.

The groom gave the bride a gold necklace. I need to ask Tutu what this symbolizes... my guess is the same as rings in the states. They typically don't wear wedding rings here.

Praying for the couple.

The happy couple.

Praying over the bride and groom.

Our girls from the Doi Saket 1 orphanage singing a song for the bride and groom.

The father of the bride reminiscing, giving blessings to his daughter and new husband, and also thanking everyone for coming.

After the wedding, the people of the village dispersed to different houses to eat. The food consisted of sticky rice, and 5 different dishes-- stirfried veggies, a weird red fish soup (I wasn't brave enough to try it), spicy beef, pork soup, and some sort of very sour dish. All of the people in our group (two big truck loads of kids and adults) all ate at this really nice house in the village... not at all what I was expecting. For those of you who know of the church camp I've grown up at (Camp Bethany), this house reminded me of the lodge, even with the wrap around porch on the out side!

After the meal, Ashley and I were spending time with these two girls from the Doi Saket 3 orphanage.

Miss Ashley and me.

It started raining VERY hard!!

And I will leave you with this video. The 3 kids from Doi Saket 3 that came along to the wedding recited 1st Corinthians 13:4-8. Here's what is sounds like in Thai (the written Thai and English are underneath).

1 โครินธ์ 13

13:4 ความรักนั้นก็อดทนนานและกระทำคุณให้ ความรักไม่อิจฉา ความรักไม่อวดตัว ไม่หยิ่งผยอง
13:5 ไม่ทำสิ่งที่ไม่บังควร ไม่คิดเห็นแก่ตนเองฝ่ายเดียว ไม่ฉุนเฉียว ไม่ช่างจดจำความผิด
13:6 ไม่ชื่นชมยินดีในความชั่วช้า แต่ชื่นชมยินดีในความจริง
13:7 ไม่แคะไค้คุ้ยเขี่ยความผิดของเขา และเชื่อในส่วนดีของเขาอยู่เสมอ และมีความหวังอยู่เสมอ และเพียรทนเอาทุกอย่าง
13:8 ความรักไม่มีวันสูญสิ้น แม้คำพยากรณ์ก็จะเสื่อมสูญไป แม้การพูดภาษาต่างๆนั้นก็จะมีเวลาเลิกไป แม้ความรู้ก็จะเสื่อมสูญไป

1st Corinthians 13:4-8 (the message version)

"Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies."

Lots of Giggles and Smiles at the Orphanages

2009-06-04T15:16:00.014-04:00

This afternoon, I got to see our 3rd orphanage for the 1st time. I met a few of the kids on Sunday at church, but I was glad to see where they live and spend a little more time with the kids.

Some of the boys being silly at the D3 orphanage.

The "dorm rooms"

The outside of the kitchen/dining area.

This game was a combo between volleyball, baseball, and dodgeball. I didn't quite understand it all!!

just relaxing on the hammock!

great action shot of the "dodgeball" part of the game!

This little boy was a wild man! He was so hyper! ha.

Where darkness collided with the light. aka.. it was raining and the sun was still out.

Teenoi wearing the girls pink flipflops!

Sai entertaining herself with a yellow plastic bag. Yes, I know.. in the states toddlers plus plastic bags do not equal each other, but like I have said in previous blogs, people are much more laid back in SE Asia. ;)

Goofy girl trying to make a shirt out of the bag!

Some of the staff playing a combination of soccer and volley ball with a wicker ball. This a very hard game!!

Ashley was teaching the little kids how to throw a frisbee. It was a hoot to see them try and throw it the "right" way.

I love Sai (Sigh's) little happy dance in this video! too cute!

You can hear the little kids counting to '3' in this video. Noon is 1. Song is 2. Sahm is 3. That's not how you spell the numbers at all, I just thought I would spell it out for you how it's pronounced.

Ash is quite talented at multi-tasking! ;)

Playing soccer.

Ashley and Jo.

Dao (dow) is so ornery but is such a cutie!

I hope you enjoyed catching a glimpse of why I love being at the orphanage. I will post more videos and pictures of the bigger kids on a later date. I must get ready to head to the orphanage for the weekend. I get to go to a village wedding tomorrow!! Enjoy your Friday everyone!

While I'm Waiting

2009-06-01T12:04:00.007-04:00

I have been learning a lot the past few days and I want to share with all of you what God is doing in my life.

The title of this post is a song that I've been listening to the past few days and it really explains my heart and what my prayer has been.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFwZ7Ekg080

(Just click the youtube site above and the song should come up).

I had first heard this song while watching the movie 'Fireproof' a few months back. And I loved the lyrics to the song. At that point in my life, I didn't know when I would be able to come back to Thailand or Cambodia and see the Asia's Hope kids again. I was trying to trust in God's timing and not get discouraged about what the future held. Thanks be to God that I am here this

summer! I'm thankful to have supportive parents to allow me to just jump on a plane and come back over to SE Asia for 4 months!

As some of you know, my plans in Thailand have changed over the course of a few days. The Thai government has changed many laws that have made it more difficult for foreign people to volunteer while staying in Thailand. I need a Non-Immigrant Working Visa in order to teach English at the orphanage or at the Christian School like I did last summer. It will take about 2 months to get the Visa, so it's not feasible to attain one during this trip. That's why I am living in an apartment in Chiang Mai and not the orphanage.... because the Thai government could accuse me of working there. Dr. John and Bobbi Campbell have been hard at work trying to talk to the

Thailand orphanage director, Tutu, to figure out how I can serve here. Friday-Sunday, I will be able to play with the kids while their not at school. I could be the "big sister" figure and help with homework when needed. I'm going to teach the older girls some worship dances to a few praise songs. I am very excited for that.. I grew up dancing ballet for 12 years. I was introduced to worship dance a few years back at my church camp and I loved it. When I dance, it's a way that I can express myself in which words cannot. Besides learning worship dance at camp, I've only ever done worship dance in private.. just me and God. So this will be interesting to teach the girls to dance in front of the orphanage. I'll also assist Ashley with cooking class with the older girls on Saturday. As of now, I have nothing going on Monday- Thursday. I am waiting to see what I'm able to do during that time. I'm learning to

wait once again, but in a different way. I have prayed so much for it to be God's will for me to be here and waited for Him to re-open doors, and now that I am here in Thailand, all my plans have changed and I'm waiting once again. Like all my friends tell me, It wouldn't be my life if it wasn't random!

I have lots of time to pray, journal, think, and just rest in God's promises to me. I am trying to learn more of who God is and fall more in love with Jesus through this time. I'm trying to tell myself that I'm just in an extended version of church camp. I'm away from all the wordly "crap" so to speak. I'm away from my friends and my family, I cannot rely on my gifts and talents, I can't just pick up a few extra shifts at The Barn to keep me busy, I can't go to my church and

help out there. I don't have the freedom to drive around and go visit friends. I have been stripped of everything that I've seen as my comfort zone.

The more I'm learning in the "waiting phase", the more I realize that other people I know are going through the same thing. Some of my dearest friends just graduated college and are awaiting to hear about jobs they've applied for, another friend is trusting in God and waiting while he goes through a personal battle, a relative is awaiting to hear about thier job situation and is at home until it's figured out, another friend is waiting for that proposal so she can plan the next steps of her life with the man that she loves. In a way, we're all waiting in some fashion or another. Whether it's about jobs, finances, for God to answer prayers, waiting on finding that "one" person to share your life with, waiting on future plans, waiting to move away from home, waiting for a baby to come, waiting on people to grow up... there are many different things we

wait on.

So we have a choice while we wait:

a. We can be lazy and get discourged and doubt that God knows what He's doing.

b. We can rest in God, learn how faithful He is, learn who He is, and praise Him through it all.

Those are two very different contrasts. I will be the 1st to admit that I struggle with laziness. Ever since my surgery, I've had a very very hard time regaining strength and a passion for things in life. There are many a days that I chose to be selfish and not help my family out, not go to class, and just sit and do my own thing. I didn't do the things I should have and I allowed my

laziness to overtake me. So the 1st option has to deal with selfishness and putting ourselves first before anything else... trying to keep the control of our own lives. But is that what God asks of us? Nope. And I struggle with that daily. The second option causes us to die to ourselves and do everything opposite of what comes "natural" to us. God desires to work in us and wants desperately for us to spend time with Him. When we put Him first, our doubts melt away. When we put our focus on who He is, and what all He did for us, we will find peace through the storms of life.

Why is it that we will sometimes instantly trust the media or what the news says without questioning it's validity, but we have a God who is a God of promises, says that He will never leave us, He will never forsake us and we will struggle with trusting Him? I need to ask myself that question often. When we humble ourselves and realize that we can't do everything on our

own, the Lord will surround us with His love and reveal things to us that we ourselves couldn't see before. Nothing surprises God. He knew what we would struggle with and knows what will happen tomorrow. I'm so glad that we can just give our fears, worries, failures, mistakes, joys, sorrows, excitement, sadness... everything over to Him. If we're willing to give up what we want in life and see what God wants for us (Psalm 37:4) , we will be blessed in more ways than we ever could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

This is just a tiny sliver of what I've been learning and I feel like I could start writing a book if I type much more. I am not trying to preach to anyone by any means, I am just sharing what I've learned and what I need to work on in my own life.

Be encouraged my dear friends. We have a God who loves us and wants us to come to him just the way we are, baggage and all.

Please pray that I will keep learning more through this time about Jesus's love for us, what I need to work on in my life, that I will keep learning about the culture around me, and the language. I pray that I will not take control of my life but I will keep laying all of it down at His feet. This may be a minute by minute struggle for me at times. I pray that I will continue to be a light to the people around me and the people I meet.

taken by: Kenton VanDuyne

Camp Bethany 2006

"Yet You, Lord are our Father. We are clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

Adventures in Chiang Mai

2009-05-30T10:55:00.002-04:00

I have no pictures from the past two days. Sorry. But I'll give you a quick synopsis of what I've been up to here in Thailand.

Yesterday (Friday), Ashley took me into the city to Chiang Mai to run some errands. I needed a few things for my apartment that I'm staying at. She and I grabbed a Thai lunch (only $1.00) and also had really yummy fruit shakes. It's an outdoor restaurant and I've always called it the "really good fruit shake restaurant" because I don't know the name of it. After that Ashley met up with her friend Kyndell for coffee and I got a $4 Thai massage at the Central mall. I love that the massages are so cheap here! :) For dinner, Ashley and I went into Doi Saket (the town the orphanage is in) and we grabbed Pad Thai and Roti (an indian dessert I believe) to go and headed to the orphanage. We spent time with the kiddos and had a movie night. They watched some sort of Thai movie that I didn't understand. But that's okay, I enjoyed being with the kids.

I spent the night at the orphanage with Ashley. She lives at the baby house. I didn't sleep well the first few hours because I just felt like there were bugs crawling all over me. Sure enough, I finally woke up at 3am, turned the lights on and saw this trial of little red ants crawling on my bed, in my sheets, and on me. I felt bad waking poor Ashley up but we sprayed everything with ant killer (including myself). After that little episode, I was able to sleep quite well... ant free!

This morning I spent time playing with the little kids. All of the kids at the orphanage had to get haircuts today. It was fun to see them all lined up waiting for their new 'do. Ashley and I went into Doi Saket to get Iced Coffee and my favorite, Iced Milo for breakfast. Milo is Nestle's Asian version of Nesquick. And Iced Milo tastes like Iced Hot Chocolate. Yum. Later for lunch, we had another Thai dish that is native to this area- Kao Soi. It's hard to explain what it tastes like. But it's really good noodle soup in a red curry broth (a little spicy), pork, and the crunchy noodles on top. You can add lemon, sprouts, cabbage, and fresh herbs if you would like. This afternoon, Ashley and I baked a devil's food cake with the older girls. It helps them with their english, cooking skills, and how to potentially sell their item in a business situation. Ashley dropped me off in Doi Saket before it got dark and before the big rains came. I took a 'taxi' back to my apartment. It's not quite an american taxi. It's a truck with seating in the back and a plastic-ish covering over the cab of the truck. I think there were 15 asians plus me crammed in the back of the truck. I felt like we were playing sardines in a can. ha. Needless to say, I have to pray for patience as I will be taking the cabs a lot to and from the orphanage.

Good night all. I am back at my apartment and going to catch up on some reading and e-mails.

Goodbyes This Morning, New Faces and New Places Tonight.

2009-05-28T11:34:00.007-04:00

We all were at the orphanage by 7 this morning so Joci and Eric could say goodbye to the kids. Here are some cute pictures of the little ones getting ready for school.

Sai is getting so big!

Eric saying goodbye to the girls.

That backpack is almost bigger than Teenoi. What a hoot. He didn't want to wear his shoes to school. ha.

Jojo saying goodbye.

Eric, Tutu (Thailand's director), Joci, Ashley, and myself at the orphanage early this morning.

We were able to hang out at the airport with the Biddle's before they started their long plane rides. The goodbyes were hard, but am so thankful to have gotten to know Joci and Eric on this trip.

Friends since they were born!

Tutu and Joci.

David and Eric being goofy.

Goodbye Joci and Eric!! We'll miss you! God is going to do awesome things through you both. Thank you for your hearts and willingness to love the least of these. I'll be praying for you both as you each go on your band tours in the states.

Tonight, Ashley and I went to her friend's house and played some american games. All of the girls spoke english which was a treat. We had a great time and it was neat to hear the stories of how God had led each one of these ladies to Thailand.

Tonight I will leave you with a verse that has grabbed my attention recently:

"But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." - Acts 20:24 (NLT)

Movies at the Mall, Thai Dinner and Dancing, and the Desires of My Heart

2009-05-27T11:32:00.006-04:00

Today was a fun filled day in Chiang Mai. It was Eric and Joci's last day here before they fly back to Ohio tomorrow. David, Tutu's son took Joci, Eric, Ashley and I to the Central Airport Mall which is as nice if not nicer than the malls back at home. Ashley, Joci, and myself got $5 hour long thai massages. Once we were all relaxed we met back up with the boys and saw 'Angels and Demons' at the movie theater in the mall. Great movie!! Standing up and paying homage to the King of Thailand is necessary before the movie starts. It reminds me of how we sing the National Anthem before sports games.. only even more serious than that. Tonight a group of us went to a Thai traditional dinner with dancing. We had a great time together.

Being silly at the Thai dinner.

Ashley, Joci, and me!

Reminds me so much of 'The King and I.'

I have no idea what this animal is supposed to be. Is there such thing as an asian llama!? ha.

Learning the traditional Thai dances!

Eric dancing.

Lighting a giant paper lantern.

Daniel, David, me, Ashley, Joci, and Eric.. what a fun day! :)

I am very tired tonight. I think it's a combination of changing cultures/ not getting as much sleep as I typically do/just thinking about a lot of different things. I'm listening to my Pastor's message from Sunday and I'm so thankful for technology that I can listen to it halfway across the world. He's talking about walking with God while gaining wisdom so we can make Godly decisions in life. I needed the reminder to walk in faith with the plans that God has for me. It sounds so easy but it much harder than I ever dreamed of. I've been learning so much that I can't make life decisions on my own. I need to have a humble heart, give up the control (which is VERY hard for me) and be willing to go on whatever path He takes me. To be very honest with you, the past few weeks have been an emotional and spiritual battle for me. I've remembered so many things that I've had to let go of and I have been trying not to doubt or second guess the decisions I've made the past few years. I know without a doubt that I am supposed to be here loving these kids and the people of Cambodia and Thailand. But it's very hard for me to see God allowing other situations around me to occur. I know it's selfishness on my part, but the Lord can see what I can't. This isn't my life, it's God working through me. I need to keep giving up my personal dreams and make His dreams for me my heart's desire. So I'm taking baby steps... what seems like sometimes a minute by minute battle, I am trying to take captive those "what-ifs" and doubting thoughts and just handing them over to Jesus. I am trying to trust in His plan for my life even if it's trusting in the little things. We all have to start somewhere, right?

"Take delight in the Lord,and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you." -Psalm 37:4-5 (NLT)

Goodnight!

Sawasdee-ka Thailand!!

2009-05-26T11:56:00.005-04:00

(The gorgeous flowers Tutu gave to me upon my arrival! Pink-my favorite color and the white lilies are some of my favorite flowers!!)

Well folks,

I made it to Thailand!! Can you believe that it's been a month already since I've left!? Wow, that flew by. Tutu and Eric Biddle came to pick me up at the airport today. And let me tell you, I couldn't get out of the plane fast enough to come and hug these kids. It was great to meet Ashley for the 1st time. She has been here interning for Asia's Hope since the fall and is from Mansfield, Ohio. It was also wonderful to catch up with Eric and Joci!

The hardest part about today was without a doubt trying to remember which language to speak in. I've been accidentally saying Khmer phrases all day instead of Thai. They are very similar but yet very different meanings.

Eric and Tutu came to pick me up! :)

My first meal in Thailand. Some sort of noodles and pork... and this weird flower/herb drink that tasted like pomegranate with a funky twist.

Joci was very sweet and took some great pictures of me seeing the kids for the 1st time since last year.

Seeing the kids again for the 1st time since last year!

So excited to be back!!!!!!!

Getting to hug my little girl again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love these girls.

Playing at the baby nursery.

After playing at the orphanage, Joci, Eric, Ashley, Tutu, and myself went to a new western restaurant that opened and it might be my new favorite restaurant here in Chiang Mai. Pizza,BBQ, burgers, malts, french fries, great chocolated desserts. Delightful!

Goodnight all. It's been a very long but very happy day.

Playing Catch-Up.

2009-05-24T23:06:00.009-04:00

This weekend was dedicated to fun with the kids. I am SO very thankful that I am 100% better and was able to play with the kids, go to their dance party, and attend church. Once again- thank you for all of your prayers.... they have been felt!!!

Paper Football.

Mango fruit roll-ups.

Playing some silly staring game!! The kids love it.

and John is losing at this point.....

getting ready to eat!

Jen and I!! :)

Srey Lin trying to do a trick. Silly girl.

What a goob. ha.

John dancing for the kids with pots and pans.

Like I've said many times before.. can't get enough of those smiles!

The kids all excited to eat some yummy homemade chicken soup.

Hannah-- I took this picture JUST for you! ;)

Yesterday, we went to the Christian School in Prek Eng and had church with all of the orphanages. They sang, danced, and John preached while being sick. He talked about loving others (enemies/friends etc.) from Luke 6.

Singing at church.

The staff singing for us.

What sweet kids.

My little buddy Danet. :)

Sony and I. She looks so much better than a few months ago- she received serious burns from a balloon explosion a few months prior.

The little peacocks. Such a cute little dance.

Performing the peacock dance at church.

Little Kim hou and I... She's grown so much since last year!!

Cute.

Some of the Prek Eng 3 kids riding their bike back to the orphanage from church.

Well this picture fits perfectly as the ending. I am saying my final goodbyes to the kids today and then flying to Thailand tomorrow!!! :) John is flying back to the states today- please pray that his health improves and he will arrive in one piece back to his wife, Kori, and 3 kids!

More kids to hug tomorrow! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 30:2

2009-05-21T03:02:00.005-04:00

"O LORD my God, I cried to you for help and YOU healed me." - Psalm 30:2

Little did I know how much that verse would ring true in my life this week. Forgive me for this being such a long post, I tried to write out everything so I don't ever forget how God worked in the past few days!!! I pray that you will take the time to read it all. (For those of you sharing this blog with your little kids, I would advise skimming over first because they might not want to hear about how I've been sick).

It all started very early Monday morning (5 am) when I woke with shortness of breath and I felt terribly weak. I had an extremely high fever (chills aches, and all), my joints just throbbed-- back and knee especially, horrible intestinal pains and I didn't know what to do. I was trying to pack up the rest of my stuff to get on the bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh. Jill thankfully got up early and helped me (well, she did most of the packing). That morning was the first time I have ever taken a hot bath/shower in Cambodia and was still cold. It was a 90 degree morning and I felt like I was trying to warm up in an Ohio blizzard. Kevin and Jill gave me some sort of medicine that helped for about 2 hours and I thought I was on my way to normal health again for the 5 hour bus ride home. After saying teary goodbyes, praying together and thinking I was feeling better, I got on the bus with John McCollum and Savorn. About an hour into the ride my fever came back full blast.. I was wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up, sweatpants, and socks pushing the a/c away from me on the bus. All morning I just knew this sickness was different. It didn't feel like a reaction to bad food and it also wasn't the typical flu.

After what was a seemingly long bus ride from my skewed sickly perspective, we finally arrived in Phnom Penh. I took a quick nap at the guest house with no power in the heat of the day (still freezing) and then woke up feeling great-- ready to go hug the Prek Eng kids. As soon as I got out to the 1st orphanage, I was incredibly sick again. No medication was keeping down my fever and I thought I was going to pass out. I think I feel asleep on one of the hammocks at the last orphanage.. I honestly can't remember. I tried to eat at the Wild Mushroom restuarant that Jen, John, Van, and I went to.. but couldn't really eat. I had no appetite all day. I told both Jen and John that if I didn't feel better in the morning, that I was going to an international clinic here.

I was able to sleep through the night even though my fever felt like had spiked through the night. I can honestly say that Monday night I was having hallucinations (definately not dreams) that night. But sure enough, the next morning, I felt worse. So John McCollum (our executive director of Asia's Hope) took me to the S.O.S. clinic- an internationl clinic in Phnom Penh. They wouldn't even let John and I in the building until it was confirmed that I didn't have swine flu. And no, I did not have swine flu! ha. With ibuprofen in my system my temp. was still 102.2 degrees. They estimated that when my fever spiked that it was ranging from anywhere between 104-105.8 degrees. I had a very nice French/Khmer dr. and he wanted to take blood tests (my favorite-NOT). It took a little while for the results to be processed and the dr. had suggested that I eat something so we went next door to Le Duo which is one of Phnom Penh's hidden gems I've never known about. I thought I was in Italy, not Cambodia (sick for that matter). Think of every italian sterotype and this would be the place. The owener was an italian named Luigi with a huge scar on his neck. hah. But anyways, this plays into the story because the table right beside us were ladies, that were christians and TWO of them were OHIO. They all prayed for me on the spot as we awaiting the results. How cool is that? What a small world.

We went back to S.O.S. and the dr. told me that he had good news "You don't have Swine Flu or Malaria." I thought to myself "Oh good, I'm going to get better soon.. it's just a little virus." But then he said, "But you must know that your white blood cell count is getting extremely low. The average range is between 4 and 10. Yours right now is 3.35 and I expect that it will get down in the low 2ish range. You have the early onset of Dangue Fever which is caused by the mosquitos and you will get much worse. You will much more sick over the next 5-7 days. You should have vommiting soon, and the fever will stay significantly high. The only think you can do is take tylenol and dont allow yourself to get dehydrated. I would suggest getting on a plane to Thailand or Singapore right now if something goes wrong because we don't have a hospital in Cambodia adequate enough to take care of you. But you are healthy enough, that you should be okay staying here, maybe." I just kept thinking, "Awwwww Crap... WORSE? REALLY???" I didn't know what to do. I was so sick already. How could I feel worse??? I talked to the Kane's and John McCollum and I decided that I was just too weak to go Thailand. There was no way that I could handle getting on a plane by myself.

I took a nap back at the guest house. After John talked to Dr. John Campbell back in the states and talking with parents, we decided a 2nd opinion was needed.

That evening, Savorn, John, and I went to yet another clinic. I felt a little better at this point but still very week and still had a fever. Dr. Modich wanted to take yet again, more blood tests and my white blood cell count had gone down to 3.03 but by a miracle my platelets went DOUBLED back up to the normal range from 80 that morning to 176!!!!! He told me that it might just be a weird virus. I had all the symptoms of Dengue Fever, but since my fever was miracuously coming down he thought that it might not be. He also said no medical evacuation was needed at that point and I wouldn't need a platelet blood transfusion that the Cambodia cannot provide. The words blood and transfusion do NOT sit well with me (I'm scared of both blood and needles). I was ready to jump out of my skin with excitement!!!

While sleeping that night, my fever went down and hasn't come back since. I got the sore throat and the rash like expected, but this case is nothing like the doctors or tests said it was going to be. I did experiece the freakiest rash of my life. It took over most of my body and was just plain gross. I looked like a leper seriously... I also woke up one morning with lips twice the size of Angelina Jolie's. I thought that was appropriate being in Cambodia. ha.

But in all seriousness, I honestly never thought that I would be sitting here in a cafe typing all this to you when the Dr. said that today would be the worst day of my fever and I feel 100% myself. I don't feel tired at all and don't have any more of the Dangue symptoms. PRAISE God. The prayers have been working. Ever since my mono/ back surgery, it's very hard for me to bouce back to normal after getting sick. I tend to stay lazy and don't have motivation. But it's the opposite here-- I am more determined, more passionate, and more excited to love more, seek out justice of these hurting people, and be able to shine for Jesus here. Pray that I will be able to continue to do that.

I am humbled and thankful to all of you who have been praying for my sickness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!! There are people over here who where witness to my sickness completely turning around when the Dr.'s told me I wouldn't be better for a week.

Thank you Dr. John for letting us call you at any hour of the day with questions and concerns this week.

Thank you Mom and Dad for letting be here and allowing God to be in control of my life. I wouldn't trade being over here for anything!!!

Thank you to my church family for all lof your prayers.

Thank you to all of my friends, family, and people that I don't know who have been praying for my health. Because of your prayers, God turned this disease around!!!!!!

I want all of you to know that even if God decided not to heal me that it would have been okay. God is still God and He knows what He's doing. Like I said to my parents, I wouldn't trade being here for anything and if that meant getting terribly sick to see God work, then so be it. And if He wouldn't have healed me, He is still an awesome God. He still knows what He's doing and He doesn't love us any less.

John 10:10 says:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full"

Satan didn't bring me down this time. He tried.. but I have a God who is MUCH bigger and an awesome support system to cover my back in prayer!! Thank you! The praise goes ultimately to God because HE is the one who did it all.

I will leave you to read the lyrics of one of my favorite worship songs of all time.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Amen!!

Sunday the 17th, My Last Day in Battambang

2009-05-17T14:31:00.003-04:00

Today was a very busy day. Kevin, Jill, Ohn, and I went to the restaurant with no name again and ate a very quick Khmer breakfast before going to Asia's Hope for church. John McCollum spoke on 2nd Kings chapter 7 and how God used the lepers... very interesting story. It reminded me that God can use anyone for His Glory no matter what the circumstances in one's life. I hope and pray that it was great encouragement to the kids of Asia's Hope.

John speaking- Savorn translating.

Then we rushed home to go to my 4th wedding in 16 days. After the wedding reception it was another church service at the ministry center in Battambang. Following that, Jill and I raced back to Asia's Hope to teach English at Grace Place (BB4) while Kevin taught at BB1 orphanage.

goodbyes until I come back in July.

Jill and some of the Grace Place girls.

It looked like it was going to rain, so Kevin, Jill, and I grabbed cold "Hartzler's Chocolate Milk" drinks at the new western place. At 6pm, Jill and I went to dance class at the park and met up with friends. Finally, we were safe and sound back at home. Kraft macaroni and cheese was on the dinner menu. Yummy! :)

Iam very sad to leave the Kane's and Battambang, but am excited for the things ahead. This week, I will hopefully spend some time with Jen, the missionary from Columbus, Ohio. I leave early in the morning to take a bus back to Phnom Penh with Savorn and John McCollum. Please pray for safety as we travel for 6 hours tomorrow.

Thank you and goodnight!

Duck Duck Goose and Dancing the Night Away pt. 1

2009-05-17T14:02:00.007-04:00

(The mini and Cambodian versions of Jes, myself, and Alyssa). Love you girls!! :)

I guess you can only put up so many pictures in one blog so I had to divide Saturday into 2 sections of pictures. Saturday night was spend at Asia's Hope. John McCollum is here from Columbus (the co-founder and executive director of Asia's Hope) and we all had a party while he was visiting Battambang. The kids got treats- cokes and grilled eggs (which they love). They watched little movies. We played many games and danced the night away!!

(taken by John McCollum). Playing Tag with the girls.

[Blogger's note: John has incredible photography talent so please look at his pictures of the kids. It will be worth your while.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/80053800@N00/

He also is keeping a blog while here in SE Asia and has great insight to this organization and has a great love for these kids. If you would like to read his blog, simply go to: http://www.asiashope.org/directors-blog/ ]

One of the biggest games of Duck, Duck, Goose I've ever experienced!

Duck.... Duck... Goose!

Pretty sky.

Trying not to get tagged!

Keeping the flag away from the boys....

Duck Duck Goose and Dancing the Night Away part. 2

2009-05-17T13:31:00.006-04:00

HA! I still laugh out loud when I see this picture. Ravy looks like an asian Gomer Pyle in this picture! He was just being goofy to make the kids laugh. What great people.

The boys cheering in victory because they won 'Capture the Flag.'

All 150 kids lined up-- ready for their treats.

Grace Place kids with their cokes and grilled eggs.

They love their soda...

All smiles! :)

The sheet/ piece of fabric that we watched movies on.

The kids watching little movies.

This reminded me so much of Camp Bethany on the last night.

Our little trash collector! :)

Baby blues and those dark browns. ( I have a picture from last year of this little girl this is adorable).

Catching John dancing again.

Leeha acting like his dad. Such a goofball!

Jill and I all lovely and glistening (aka sweating like maniacs).

John dancing. ha. I think he secretly wanted to be a part of the flag corps in highschool.

More dancing!

They love to dance the night away!! :)

Friday in Battambang: A multi-lingual breakfast and Ghost Stories

2009-05-16T13:03:00.004-04:00

I woke up on Friday morning to see that Jill, Kevin, and I were going out for breakfast that morning. We went to the very popular restaurant with no name. Literally, the owners will even tell you that they don't know the name to their own restaurant (Coming from the family restaurant business side,I still can't get over that.. not knowing what to call your restaurant!!). I just keep thinking of the Cheers theme song, except 'where nobody knows your name.' They serve rice with pork, noodle soup, and other sorts of Khmer dishes for breakfast. Typically what I would have eaten for lunch or dinner is a breakfast food in Cambodia. It was so crowded at this restaurant that the Kane's and myself had to eat with other people at the same table. What seemed a little shaky at first, turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the trip so far!! The two men we sat with were Khmer, but one grew up in England and had excellent english and the other man worked 10 kilometers outside of Paris, France for a few years! So Jill and Kevin could communicate in Khmer or English, I could talk to the one man in English and the other guy in French (thank you Mrs. Baxstrom for teaching me french in highschool), and if needbe, the other language would be translated. 5 people, 3 different spoken languauges= an unforgettable breakfast!

That afternoon, I had another Cambodian cultural experience. I went to the "cinema" with Jill and a few kids from English Class. We went to see a ghost story-- which in my 'americanized' eyes, wasn't scary at ALL (and I hate scary stories with a passion in the states.. I will not go see them and never will have the desire to). It was a thai film and it was just funny. Khmer teenagers kept screaming at the top of their lungs and kept turning on their flashlights! Oy. The cinema itself looked like a very old runned down school gym or a very old vaudeville theater. There were holes in the ceilings, broken wooden chairs everywhere, bad speakers, it was muggy and damp, and the only working in the entire place was up in the balcony (in my opinion, we should have stayed on the 1st floor where it felt 10 degrees cooler without the fan).

Here was the storyline of the movie: A young man and young woman are in love, but the girl's father won't them get married becuase he is a very poor farmer and doesn't make much money. The girl is VERY upset by this and it looks like she commited suicide. She comes back as a ghost to haunt many people and kills her father, brother, and other people who didn't want them together. The witch Dr. and high monks of Buudha all try to keep her away but nothing is working. Later, you find out that the boyfriend went to bed with her and she cried because she realized what she did and he suffocated her because he didn't want her to tell anyone. So he made it look like she hanged herself. In the end, to keep her ghost happy, he jumps into his house that is burning and he dies so they can live together 'happily' in eternity.

What's sad about this whole thing, is that many people here believe in that the ghosts of people will come back to haunt you.

The movie. eek.

The lovely wooden chairs.

The only fan in the entire place that worked.

Looking down from the balcony.

More updates to come.

Goodnight.

Another Cambodian Wedding!

2009-05-15T13:09:00.005-04:00

Wedding #3 (Thursday afternoon) for Jill and I in a matter of a week. We will go to one more on Sunday. It's very common for wedding receptions to happen over people's lunch hours and on random days. It's not like the states where they are typically on Saturday after the wedding.

Cake is VERY expensive here in Cambodia.. so to have a cake is a sign of wealth. It was very yummy I might add. :)

Lighting their version of a 'unity candle.'

The bridal party in one of the many outfits they wore that day.

Silly string and confetti sprayed on the bride and groom by all the guests.. How would you like that on your cake?

Cambodians are extremely shy about kissing in public. The new bride wouldn't even kiss her husband in public on her wedding day! What a culture shock for me....

The Bridal Party and Family.

Kevin and Jill :)

Creepy man wanting a picture with us. hah.

The bride in one of her many outfits for the day with Jill and me.

Chic (Ohn's girlfriend), Jill, and myself.

Dancing around the table! So fun.

Our table for the reception.

We got home from the reception mid-afternoon on Thursday. It rained really hard for the rest of the night... Jill and I had the all- american dinner: homemade french fries and tapioca pudding. My stomach is all better, can't ya tell? Thanks for the prayers!

Handprints, Ping-pong, and still sick with a silly parasite.

2009-05-13T12:41:00.006-04:00

Hello all!

First, I want to thank everyone who has been praying for me the past few days! I've had some sort of weird stomach bug and it's been over 48 hours. After talking with my mom last night, we decided it was a parasite and so I've been taking cipro and that's been helping a ton!! Thank goodness. Jill also has been taking great care of me-making homemade chicken noodle soup, giving me a hot water bottle to calm my stomach. I'm so thankful for the Kane's. . I've been sleeping a lot more than usual but that hasn't stopped me from going to see Asia's Hope kids today! :)

For breakfast, Kevin, Jill, and I went to the sunrise cafe where I had a western breakfast- homemade oatmeal with brown sugar!! Just what my stomach needed.. it was wonderful! Did you know that coconut milk also helps a sour stomach? Jill taught me that.. and yes, it works. For the rest of the morning and into early afternoon, Jill and I went to Grace Place (BB 4 orphanage) and we did a project that I wanted to do for my church back at home. We put the kids handprints on a bedsheet with paint and were able to put their names and ages on there as well. The kids don't have school for the next few days because of the King's Birthday! I like that idea.. more time with the kids and no school! :)

Here are some pictures from today!

Blue paint with blue shirt and pink paint with pink shirt :)

First Hand Print on the blank canvas.

What a cutie!

great pic that Jill took.

Jill and the kids!

The finished product! :)

When we got home, Jill made (and I helped eat.. even though I shouldn't have) chocolate chip cookies from scratch. YUMMY! And if I feel better tomorrow, Jill said she we could make homemade french fries!! I'm so spoiled here, I'll tell ya what. Tonight was a great night. Kevin and Jill's Khmer tutor and his family came over to play ping-pong and to eat dinner together. Another missionary family- Dave and Trish Holabeck, and their two little kids, Asia and Austin came over to play as well. It was so much fun. I really enjoy these get-togethers to see how different cultures interact.

Little Austin enjoying his own game of ping-pong. :)

Little Asia learning to play.. she's getting pretty good too!

Dave and Sophan's wife playing.

Trish mastering the game all while holding Austin!!

Action shot of Jill! She's pretty fiesty playing ping-pong!

We had red snapper and rice for dinner. I think it's my favorite Khmer meal here. Have I mentioned how they make fish here? First, you get the fish LIVE. Then you hit it over the head and fry it whole. After that, you peel back the skin and dig in! The fish head is a delicacy here... just fyi.

Bon Appetit.

The whole group with me.

Group pic with Jill.

Time for sleep. We have another wedding to dress up and go to over lunch tomorrow!

John McCollum and the team gets here tomorrow. It'll be great to see them.

'Professional' Wedding Photos

2009-05-11T13:23:00.004-04:00

Here they are- the pictures as promised that I told you about in the wedding blog post.

Don't you just love the cheesy backgrounds? Hah. I really did have a lot of fun with Jill getting all dressed up and getting our hair and make-up done- it's a fun and memorable experience!

So there is this Khmer song that has been stuck in my head all night and frankly, it's one of my favorite songs to dance to! Check this video- it will give you a taste of a Cambodian wedding. There is typically a live band at the reception just like in this youtube video, the Cambodian people are very dressed up, and that's how the people dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ9ZiTUlfBY

Enjoy.

Goodnight all.

Cambodia's version of Hartzler's Chocolate Milk!!

2009-05-10T12:07:00.004-04:00

It's been found!!!!!!! Battambang, Cambodia has a drink called 'iced milk' with obviously milk/cream, lots of ice, and chocolate.. and you stir/ shake until it's all blended. After the first sip, it almost felt like I was at home in Wayne County drinking the infamous Hartzler's chocolate milk... For those of you who might not know me as well, french fries and chocolate are my weaknesses. I have been craving chocolate very badly while I've been here in Cambodia and to find an incrediblely good tasting chocolate drink is a treat! It's hard to find decent chocolate here that doesn't cost an arm and/or a leg!

Ahhhh.. bliss!

These are called SandIce drinks. You pick your fruit flavor and it it has the consistancy of very cold/ fruity milkshakes. They are so cold that you have to drink it very slowly or else you WILL get a brain freeze. It's a great way to cool off from the heat of the day here in Cambodia. Guess how much these 2 drinks cost? Less than $2.50 total for the both drinks.

Cambodia actually has really great cold drinks here- bubble teas, SandIce, their version of fruit frappachinos. Oh! And the steet vendors sell pure liquid sugar cane- it's fantastic! They press long sugar cane sticks and the sugar liquid comes out... yum! :)

Now that I've filled you in on all of the fun little drinks that you can get to cool you off over here, I'll tell you a little about my day.

I spent the whole day with Jill Kane for Mother's Day and we had a great time! My day started off going to see the Asia's Hope kids and went to church there. I can't ever get enough hugs there!! I'm learning more and more what situations these kids came from before and what they have now, it brings me to tears because these kids having a fighting chance now! Thank you to all of you in the states who are giving sacrificially to Asia's Hope. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that these precious children are learning and growing so much. They have such big smiles now!

During the church service, all of the kids got up and did dances and said memory verses. One group danced to "One Way, Jesus" and I intanstly thought of my BW friends who are all very special to me. I got teary-eyed because it was so neat to see these kids make the song come alive while worshiping.

After church, Jill taught English for about 2 hours at Asia's Hope. Then it was lunch at a western/khmer place called "Honey" which has the Hartzler's wannabe chocolate milk! :) Then it was church at the ministry center. Both services I went to today were in Khmer so I couldn't understand a lick of it. I know the word for God- that's all I picked up on the sermons......... I now know how Charlie Brown felt when he was trying to listen to his teacher!!! HA!

Tonight was a great night in- Jill made fried rice and veggies and we watched a Cary Grant movie. I love old movies! Jill also made these little concoctions of saltine crackers, peanut butter, and melted marshmallows... mmmm! Her grandmother used to make them for her, they're called 'Margaurites.' And now it's time for bed. It's another cool evening of 84 degrees!! YES!

Pray that the misquitos will stop biting... they love me and I'm even wearing bug spray all the time.

*Congrats to my college grads!!! :) Love you all!! I'm so proud of you guys!

*Momma- I hope you're enjoying your Mother's Day! Love you LOTS!!!!

*THANK YOU Aimee for "re-decorating" my blogsite!!! You're awesome my dear! Love you best freind!!!

Barbies, Mud Puddles, and a Cambodian Wedding

2009-05-09T11:43:00.010-04:00

Quite the interesting title, huh? It will all make sense by the end of this post-- I promise!

The past few days have been pretty eventful! I am now living with Jill and Kevin Kane. They have graciously opened up their home to me, and it certainly feels like home. I am having a wonderful time getting to know them better and learning about the missionary life. The one thing that's a little harder adjusting is sleeping in 90 degree heat with no air-conditioning! I thought I was being a wimp and not handling it well, but the next morning, Jill came out of their room and said "Man! That was one hot night!" So that made me feel better that Kevin and Jill still have moments where the extremely hot weather is uncomfortable at times for them too. I am staying in Cambodia at one of the two hottest months of the year!!

Today was a funny day. First thing this morning, Jill and I went to the market to get our "wedding outfits" that we designed and had tailored earlier this week. I enjoy picking out the silk and figuring out what to wear. Weddings are a HUGE deal here in Cambodia and I mean HUGE. First off, Cambodians say that people in the states don't dress up for weddings. Here in Cambodia, you wear silk and your best dressed outfits which for women consists of bright colors, beads, sequins, pearls, etc. Some women even wear dresses that we would wear to prom in the U.S.

Once we had our newly made wedding outfits, we went to a place to get our hair and make-up done. Bright make-up and big hair is the common thing in these parts. They didn't know what to do with my short blonde hair so they just straightened it. ha. We looked like painted Barbie dolls after it was all done! At first, I thought I looked like a drag queen to be honest but then the girl toned down the eye make-up. The false eyelashes felt so funny all night. Jill and I also got "professional" Khmer pictures at the Film place where we got our hair done at. I will post those pictures up as soon as we go back to pick them up.

Driving on the moto to the wedding was nothing live I've ever experienced before. Typically, because I am a fair-skinned, blonde, american, I get stared at a lot.. especially by the men. It's taken me a while to get used to that here because I just don't like it. But tonight's ride was much different!! I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that every person we drove by stared at us. We got whistled at, people were in awe, many different phrases came out of the Cambodians mouths. We were turning heads.. literally! I'm surprised we did not see a moto accident becuase people were turning their heads so quickly and would stare for a good few seconds too many.

The wedding reception was in a metal tent right outside the parents of the bride's house and as soon as Jill and I got there, it rained. Hard. Very very hard and it rained for a few hours. Water was coming from everywhere. The ground underneath us was flooding, water from the canopy of the tent was leaking through. This was no wimpy rain, it was a comeplete and utter downpour.

(Rain streaming down the tin roof of the house right beside the tent).

(The rain leaking/ gushing to the inside of tent... do you see the tent falling in the background)?

(Right beside our table...).

(Jill and my feet underneath the table as the water kept rising. It got up to about 6 inches by the end of the evening).

(The bride-left in the blue in high spirits despite the flooding and rain).

The poor bride and groom! After a few hours the rain stopped and more people came later and eat.

(The appetizers to our 8-course meal this evening).

(Dinner by candlelight, which was quite fun! Do you see our classy beercan candle holders? The genorator wasn't working while it was raining so terribly).

(Just throwing this idea out there, but one would think that fire and a plastic bottle combination wouldn't be the best idea.. right? Wrong!!!.. not in Cambodia! Anything goes!)

(We cooked our own meat over a little fire).

There was dancing-which is an experience in and of itself because the live band is so loud and expressive, the people are enjoying their lives and just dancing the night away in a sense. They danced in giant mud puddle from the rain and also dance around this flower and veggie table around and around in a circle. Why? I have no idea... I need to ask Jill that. It was a very different scene than to a typical "American Wedding." I witnessed so many different personalities tonight and how the Cambodian people handle certain situations. I'm learning how to pray more specifically for the hearts of the Cambodians. I hope, despite the turning of heads toward Jill and I tonight because of our outside beauty, that they saw something so different in us that radiated through that entire reception this evening.

(Jill and I all dolled up at the reception. Post rain..)

(Ohn and Jill- Ohn lives with Kevin and Jill and is like another son to them. His best friend's daugther is the one that got married).

(Ohn and I at the reception).

We drove home on a few flooded streets and I am so thankful for the long rain, it has cooled off and it will be a comfortable temp. for me to sleep tonight--- only 85 degrees!!!

Goodnight all.

Happy Mother's Day tomorrow Momma!!! :)

More Cambodia Randomness

2009-05-06T21:44:00.003-04:00

Good morning! :)

Well, yesterday (Wednesday) was a random day indeed. Joci and Eric were with the BB3 orphanage directors all day, so I decided to go to a Cambodian wedding with Jill. We went by moto and it was a beautiful drive. Like I said previously, the farther out of Battambang you get, the more jungle-like and green it gets. Most of the roads are dirt and it's just a beautiful site to behold.

It took about 30 minutes or so to get there (to the wedding reception). We had a map, however, most Khmer people can't read maps, so if you get lost, you're in trouble. Jill and I went to the reception and it was quite the thing to experience. We had an 8-course meal consisting of spring rolls, duck, pork, 2 kids of rice, fish soup, chicken, shrimp, and dessert. I had an older asian lady next to me who kept putting food in my bowl and making me eat it! HA. One thing I learned here- do NOT under any circumstance cross an asian woman. I will tell you more about the Khmer weddings on Sunday.. I have another one to go to on Saturday with Jill.

Last night, Joci, Eric, the Kane's, and I all took the Battambang 3 directors and their 3 children out to eat at The Bungalow. The Biddle's and I were supposed to go to a YWAM service but it wa too hard to fit everything in before they left today. In Cambodia, you have to learn to roll with the punches-- that happens almost on a daily basis. If you have a plan for the day, expect it to change 3 or 4 times throughout the day. The directors wanted to try american food so we got french fries, hamburgers, and spaghetti. It was so funny. The love french fries!! People after my own heart! Because this outdoor restaurant is new and they only had one stove, it took about 2 hours to get all of the food for 10 people. It was a long evening for sure. But we had a great time talking and enjoying one anothers cultures.

This morning the Biddle's (Joci and Eric) left to go to Phnom Penh. I will leave the TEO Hotel because the Kane's have graciously opened up their home to me and are allowing me to stay with them while I am in Battambang the next 10 days or so.

How many kids can you fit in a tuk-tuk?

2009-05-06T10:30:00.005-04:00

[Blogger's note: Joci got some great pictures of us playing with the kids at the park.. I will upload soon... The pictures will answer my question to this blog's title.]

Yesterday (Tuesday), I got quite a feel for the city of Cambodia. After a late breakfast, Eric, Joci, and I walked around the city. Battambang isn't like Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh (the capital) would remind you of a typical city- tall (well, tall for Cambodia) buildings, no greenery, congested traffic. But here in Battambang, it's different. It almost reminds me of the city of Wooster (where I'm from). There is a lot of greenery still, things are spread out, of course you have a few blocks of buildings close together. The more you leave the city and head toward the outskirts, the more rural and green the land gets.

After our walk, Jill Kane allowed me to sit in on her daily Khmer language lesson. She takes lessons 5 days a week for an hour at a time. Khmer is one of the most complicated languages I have ever seen. There are 23 vowels alone!! Plus it's not your normal A,B,C's. There are funky swirls, twirls, and squiggles for letters. It's hard to explain how the language works. Speaking is a little easier than writing. I am very intrigued by this culture!

After the lesson, it was time to relax from the extreme heat and watch another old movie. Jill and I watched a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis film while making homemade salsa. It only cost $.60 for fresh tomatos, lettuce, a green pepper, onion, and garlic from the market. We made a very large serving size bowl of salsa. More than enough to fit 2 or 3 large jars in the grocery stores! In the evening, I went back to English lessons with Jill and sat with the talkative girls so they would be quiet and listen to her! Teenage girls are the same in every culture! ;) When the lesson is over, Jill typically goes to excersise at the park with a few of the the lady students. They have aerobics and dancing in the park. Many ladies and a few men participate in this nightly event every weekday. I was going to excercise, however, we ran into Joci, Eric, and the kids from Battambang 3 so I decided to play and spend time with them. We played games, ate popcorn and mangos, and just enjoyed seeing the kids smile and have a great time. My heart becomes overjoyed when I spend time with them. I am never out of love when I am with those kids!! After a very long evening at the park, Eric, Joci, and myself went back to the Kane's house. Jill made us an excellent mexican dinner- homemade tortillas, grilled chicken, beans, salsa= incredible tacos!! She aslo made extrodinary flan (Kurty boy- I thought of you as I ate that yummy dessert). We (Jill, Eric, Joci, and I) all talked until 11pm or so and then it was time to crash back here at the TEO Hotel. What a fun day!

Monday in Cambodia

2009-05-05T12:55:00.004-04:00

Monday was quite the day. First, it was breakfast at the TEO restaurant (also the hotel we're staying at) and we had to say goodbye to Pastor Bob. He and Kevin Kane went to Siem Reip to see Angkor Wat and then Pastor Bob and Dr. John will head to Thailand to see the Doi Saket orphanages. It was hard to say goodbye to him because I see both him and Roxanne as another set of parental figures in my life! They are very dear people to me.

Kevin and Jill Kane, Pastor Bob.

Kevin, Jill, Pastor Bob, and myself.

Dr. John with the Kane's.

The Kane's with Joci and Eric Biddle.

Eric, Joci (both from Mansfield, Ohio), and me.

After all the goodbyes, Eric, Joci, and I had the morning to catch up on journaling and some reading. We went out to lunch at The Bungalow with Dr. John. We're still trying to figure out what nick-name to call it. It's a beautiful outdoor restaurant that would remind you of something that has a South Pacific or a Havana Nights feel to it. I went with Jill later on to see where she teaches. She teaches between 50-60 kids (ages middle school- college age) English, Monday through Friday. This class was a treat because they wanted to get better at their conversational English so they asked me many questions for an hour! All the older boys kept asking me "Are you married?".. "Do you have a boyfriend?".. "Do you have a man in your life?" "Do you want to stay in Cambodia forever?". HA! Oh goodness! It was a hoot. They are all great people and love to learn. It rained extremely hard on Monday night, so Jill made grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup! We also watched an old Cary Grant movie!! For those of you who don't know, I LOVE old movies. My best friend Alyssa and I watch them all the time at home. It was the perfect way to end the day.

I forgot to mention this... Sunday morning we all woke up to sirens at 4am. Just down the street from where we're staying was a fire. Jill got more details from the locals and found out that it was 4 girls (ages 17-21) and 1 boy (the lanlord's son) were killed in the blaze. It's very common to have locks on the outside of your doors.. and they were locked in. They all were karaoke girls which means they serve drinks and give massages. It's supposed to be a safer nightlife job.

We drove by the scene and this is what was left from the fire... absolutely nothing. The building behind it is a separate building, I think.

I love the flowers here. The plant life, palm trees, and fruit are all so colorful and vibrant! So here are some of the exotic flowers to give you an idea of what I see every day.

I will try and keep the blog updated as much as I can. I know I am a few days behind, but will try to catch up soon! Have a great day/evening everyone!

Love,

K-

Afternoon at the Orphanage

2009-05-04T23:16:00.008-04:00

On Sunday, we all went to church at the orphanages. It was quite the cross-cultural experience! I love hearing people pray in any language. How cool is it that we have a God that knows every languauge and can hear all of our prayers!? Pastor Bob spoke on Queen Esther, which is very dear to me because Roxanne and I journaled the book of Esther right before I came here! I never knew that Esther was an orphan!! God raised her up for such a time as this to save the entire jewish people--what faith she had! I hope this bible story was an encouragement to the kids, because God has a plan for them and it doesn't matter where they have come from as long as they know that He can do BIG things through us.

After church, we had a meeting with Savorn and then played with the kids at Grace Place. Here are some pictures that I caputured through all the fun!

Eric, Dr. John, Pastor Bob, me and Josie with the BB4- Grace Place kids.

Dr. John and I with the Grace Place kids.

Grace Place's Director's wife and their little baby.

Somphors-the little girl that Jes Rehm and I sponsor.

Eric being attacked by the boys! (I love that the girls are posing in the front)!

beautiful.

Find Eric! ;)

The kids love to give massages!! And we all enjoy every moment of them. I think Bob is enjoying the fan too!!

Joci braiding the girl's hair.

Sweet picture. Eric was playing some sort of hand slapping game with the boys in this shot.

The little girl that my momma sponsors.

Massage train.

What a great group of kids!

The kids waving goodbye to Pastor Bob! :(

Cambodians know how to party!

2009-05-03T23:01:00.017-04:00

On Saturday night after the Inaugration Ceremony of Grace Place, all 5 orphanages got together and we had a dance party!! And let me tell you that these people know how to dance!! :)

One thing that is the same with the Khmer culture and the american culture is that teenage boys love to play with fire and make music as loud as they can with big speakers! I am amazed at how much these teen kids know about technology already!

Here are some dancing pics with the kids:

These little girls loved to follow me around and they were so fun to watch! They know how to break it down!!

Josie and the kiddos having fun!

Eric and the boys being goofballs.

The little girl that Jes and I sponsor from Grace Place.. so precious!

I can't get enough hugs!!

They love to pose and make peace signs in every picture...

Pastor Bob refusing to dance and just chilling with the kids.

Somehow, after some arm-pulling.. the kids got Pastor Bob out of his chair and out to dance with everyone else!!!

Eric holding a very sleepy little girl.

I wish I could have captured the excitement in the kids faces when the fireworks went off!!

What a wonderful ending to such a great day!!!

Grace Place Inaugration Ceremony!!

2009-05-02T10:51:00.004-04:00

What a BIG day!!!!

I wish I was able to convey all the emotions that were running through me all of today.

First, there is nothing like being mauled with hugs by 150 kids! It's one of the best feelings!!

Second, it was an honor and a privilege to be here for the dedication of "Grace Place" (aka BB4)- the orphanage that my church, Wooster Grace Brethren is sponsoring. The orphanage directors, their wives, and all the kids have been decorating and preparing for the past 2 days to lead up to today's events.

The morning started with the official ceremony that lasted almost 2 hours. Honestly, despite the heat.. it didn't feel all that long! All of the orphanges had a special part in the ceremony. The kids danced traditional dances, sang both Khmer and English songs, Pastor Bob spoke on Jeremiah 29:11 to the kids while Savorn (Cambodia's Asia's Hope director) translated. Some of the kids were dressed up in special Khmer cosutmes. They looked fantastic! It would remind you of a scene from 'The King and I'. The directors and their wives sang a hymn for us. We even had praise and worship time!! :) Lots of singing and dancing today... right up my alley! Gifts were given to Vannack and his wife (the directors/ "parents" of Grace Place).

About 200 of us gathered around Grace Place and prayed for the kids and staff, then it was time to cut the ribbon! Pastor Bob, Dr. John Campbell, and Savorn cut the red ribbon to the orphanage together.

After the ceremony, we ate lunch- chicken, whole fish (scales, head, eyeballs and all), chicken soup (with the chicken feet in it!), a beef/veggie dish, rice (naturally), and lots of bananas and mangos! It was a very good meal all in all.

Tonight we went back to the orphanage and just enjoyed time with all 150 kids! We had a dance party and also had fireworks. These kids a SUCH great dancers!! The little girls flocked to me and whatever I did, they did.... hahaha. Those poor girls, little do they know that I can't dance! I may have taken ballet for 12 years, but that is MUCH different that "feeling the music" and just groovin'. But it was a blast. Pastor Bob said he wasn't going to dance, but those little kids made him!! And as soon as he started dancing, the generator broke and all the power went out! HA! So he's claiming that his dancing broke the machine. Since it was officially dark, the teenage boys set off the fireworks. The children's faces were hilarious to watch when the fireworks went off!! :) Priceless... simply Priceless!

[Blogger's note: pictures of the dance party are on a seperate blog post.]

I love their smiles, their love, their hearts, their thankfulness. I've said it time and time again- these kids truly are Asia's Hope.

Battambang.. city of the lost stick.

2009-05-01T19:34:00.005-04:00

Good morning ya'll!

After a 5 hour journey yesterday, we made it to Battambang.

Pictured left is the main statue that gives Battambang it's meaning.... which is.. are you ready for this? "Lost Stick." It refers to a legend of one of the kings a long time ago. I tried to find the story to share it with you and google just can't seem to pull through this morning! ha.

Well I have learned so much about Cambodia the past 24 hours. We met with the Kane's last night who are from my hometown of Wooster and are serving here in Battambang for 12 years. They've been here for 3 years and 4 months. They have quite the story and I'm elated to be here and spend time with them for a week!! :)

Here are some funny tidbits I learned the past few days in Cambodia:

1. Potato ice cream is purple and is really good! It doesn't taste like potatoes.

2. Even in nice hotels, ants are common.

3. Jill was telling us about the Khmer language lessons she's been learning lately and the Cambodian people love to translate and compare many things to poop. ha. For instance-

-moles on your skin= fly poop (literal translation in the Cambodian language)

-ear wax= ear poop

-those "sleepies" in your eyes when you wake up in the morning= eye poop

-salt and pepper hair= tiger poop ... please explain that one to me!?

-and the best one... shooting star= star poop!

ahaha. Too funny!

4. Honking the horn while driving is a very common thing. It lets people know where you're at on the road.

5. Speaking of roads and road rules.. here in Cambodia double yellow lines, staying on the right side of the road and waiting at red lights are all suggestions..... No one follows the rules here!!

6. When you use a toothpick, cover your mouth. But you are allowed to pick your teeth at the table (as long as you cover your mouth).

7. You can pick your nose anywhere here.. it's a normal public thing!

8. The way they prepare fish is different-- they buy the fish still alive, hit it over the head, then put it in the skillet to fry up (scales, head, everything) and then serve the whole fish. You have to peel back all the skin etc. and make sure you don't eat the little bones!

I'm sure there will be many more tidbits along the way! I hope you enjoy them!

Pictures of the Asia's Hope Kids! :)

2009-04-30T06:26:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures of the kiddos at the 4 orphanages in Phnom Penh. To see the before pictures and the after pictures are astounding! The directors take care of these kids like they were their own. They all are well-fed, doing well in school, and just have a joy that cannot be explains. They are thankful for EVERYTHING!!

Silly Sreylin loving the candy that Pastor Bob passed out to all the kids!
The kids loved Pastor Bob!!

So beautiful!

Little Yohan- full of energy and loves to be around people!!

They love to touch my white skin and enjoy comparing themselves to me. HA! Yes, I know.. I am an extremely pale white girl.....

The kids all dressed up. They performed traditional Khmer dances for us. What a treat! The green costumes symbolized the "peacock dance."

City Dump in Phnom Penh

2009-04-30T05:52:00.008-04:00

Well I have quite the update for you!!

(side note: Pastor Bob is also keeping a blog of our events- he's going into better detail of our trip if you would like to read his writings- http://woostercar.blogspot.com/)

Last night on the way to get pizza, Pastor Bob, Dr. John, and I witnessed an elephant crossing the highway!! I wish I had a picture to show you that event! But it was fun!
In Cambodia, pizza is quite the deal. They have a thing called "Happy Pizza." We obviously ordered our pizza without the "happy" because "happy" refers to putting marijuana on pizza! Yes, it's legal here and most people like it that way with the "spice." But we declined.

This morning we went to the city dump where over 6,000 people live. There was miles upon miles of trash, sewage. As soon as I got out of the van, I gagged at the smell. It was so overwhelming. I've never smelled anything like it. There was no where to protect yourself from the stifling hot sun unlike in the city where the buildings cast shadows and keep it relatively cooler (well... 90-ish degrees). I felt like I was in a bad dream... this was the worst poverty I have ever witnessed in the world. I've heard stories about bulldozers moving the trash and running over the children looking for things to re-sell. That is these peoples means of income and source of food. I can't even imagine the diseases in that place.

Miles upon miles of trash.

That water was pitch black- the darkest water I have ever seen!! Full of sewage.

There was hope after the horrible sites.. we went to an organization called "PSE" which is the french abbreviation that means "For the smiling children." It was founded in 1996 by a frenchman and his wife. Over 6,000 kids from the city dump or who live close to receive schooling, a place to play, food, shelter for some, and a vocational school for the older kids. This incredible/enormous compound gives the kids/ the mothers of the children a way to make a decent income without going back to the dump.

Hundreds of bikes that most of the kids use to get to school.

One of the signs posted all around the school complex.

One of the gorgeous flowers at the school.

I have so much to be thankful for.....

Safe in Cambodia

2009-04-28T10:14:00.004-04:00

I am safe in Cambodia!! My flights went very smoothly and I met some neat people from the states along the way.
I've already been to the orphanages today with Pastor Bob and Dr. John and I loved hugging those precious kids! I just can't get enough of those smiles!! :)
I am sitting in an internet cafe right now and do not have much time... will update more later.

Tomorrow: tourist sites with Pastor Bob and Dr. John
Friday: drive to Battambang to see our Grace Place Orphanage that Wooster Grace Brethren Church sponsors and also to see the Kanes. The inauguration ceremony for Grace Place will take place Sat. evening. All 5 orphanages in Battambang will join together... that's about 150 kids! I'm pumped for that!
If Lord willing, on Sunday, at my church, we will have live feed from Cambodia! I can't wait for my church family to see the kiddos! :)

Now it's time to catch up on some much needed sleep!
Good Night all.

It's here!!

2009-04-26T10:31:00.004-04:00

I am finally leaving the U.S. today! I'm so thankful for my friends and family who are so supportive and have been praying for me!! I love you guys very much!!!!

I can't believe today has come. There have been lots of laughs and tears the past few days because it's always hard to say goodbye. But I can't wait to see those kiddos!!

I will post when I arrive safely in Cambodia!

Love,

Kaillie Allison

9 days... 9 days.. 9 days!!!

2009-04-17T10:04:00.002-04:00

Hi friends! :)

Okay, so here is the plan for people that are curious. I am leaving the states in 9 days! Yes ladies and gentleman-- 9 days!!!

It was quite an adventure trying to find a decently priced plane ticket.. and a drive to NYC/ JFK airport almost happened. BUT, we found a great ticket through Pittsburgh! I will leave Sunday the 26th and arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Tuesday the 28th. It will be about 30-35 hours of flying time. Please pray that all the lay-overs go smoothly and that I will arrive safely in Cambodia so I can jump off that plane and go hug all those precious kids, my Khmer friends, and my dear friend from the states (who is serving over in Cambodia presently) Jen!!

Thanks so much!

Perfect Timing

2009-03-29T13:47:00.002-04:00

With much excitement, anticipation, and thankfulness, I am humbled and pleased to say that I am officially going back to Thailand in less than a month!!! What looked like an impossible dream --far out of my reach has come true all by the grace of God!!! I am amazed constantly at His timing. It is a lesson that I will learn through out my lifetime--that it's His timing, not mine! ha. I cannot believe how the plans in my life have changed in just a few days!

The plan is to be in Cambodia all of May and then be in Thailand at the orphanages from June-August. So it's no longer a year long mission, but 4 months.... at this point, I will take whatever I can get to go hug my kiddos again!! :)

Before, the option of heading overseas was slim due to may changes with the organiztion. Last week, I read this devotion I get in my e-mail daily (not knowing that this idea of going over to Thailand was a possibility) and then the next day I recieved a call that made this devotion come alive. I thought I would share with you this great story from the Proverbs31 ministries devotion:

Scribbled-On Dreams

24 Mar 2009

Marybeth Whalen

"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you have planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." Psalm 40:5 (NIV)

Recently I learned that a book that I had given up on was miraculously going to be published after all. I was amazed at God's power and His timing. I was ecstatic that He opened doors that I thought were shut forever. As I dug out the original notebook I had once designated to hold the papers and notes I would need for this project, I was shocked to find that almost every page in that notebook was scribbled on by my youngest child. Her artwork made every page unusable! I chuckled to myself as I closed the notebook and went in search of another one to us e instead.

Later I reflected on my decision to hand over that notebook to my child. What had made me do that? I knew that it was because the project was, in my estimation, worthless, forgotten. The notebook represented something that would never be. It epitomized the death of a dream. Why not let my daughter fill in the pages with her toddler scribbles? I must have reasoned that nothing else would ever fill those pages!

And yet we serve a God who can blow new life into a dead dream. I had forgotten all about the book I once yearned to write. I had moved on in search of a new dream. But God had not forgotten. His plan was different—and longer—than mine. His vision was further reaching. His outcome never consisted of me writing my dream off as worthless and unachievable. Instead He wanted me to trust in Him even when the situation looked hopeless.

Do you have a dream that looks dead from where you are standing? Have you thrown in the towel, chalke d your efforts up to experience and moved on? Just don't move so far that God can't bring you back to the dream when He is ready. Don't fill in the pages of your notebook with hopeless scribbles and not give Him room to fill the pages with His Word, words of life and hope and vision. Yes, surrender your dreams—holding onto them lightly and always keeping His plans as your purpose, ready to lay down anything He asks because no dream is more important than Him. But also remember that God loves to bring about the unexpected, throwing us little surprise parties that bring joy to His Father's heart.

My notebook now serves as a reminder—in childlike script—of God's ability to overcome the impossible and open doors that were once slammed shut. I wouldn't trade those scribbled-on pages for anything! Now I look forward to filling the pages of a new notebook with all new dreams. Dreams that were handed back to me when I least expected it.

So much to do, so little time! I was honestly making plans here in the states, thinking I would not be able to go overseas, but God had a different plan and I'm so thankful for that!! Thank you for your prayers as I tried to figure out what to do and how to handle all the decisions. Please pray that I will have the wisdom, strength, energy, and knowledge to know what to get done in just a few short weeks before I head back to SE Asia.

Great Song

2009-03-11T12:31:00.006-04:00

Many things have changed since this last blog post. Due to many changes being made with Asia's Hope, I will most likely be in Cambodia for the majority of the trip. To be completely honest, I do not know when I am leaving the states or what the plan is. Right now, I am on hold until more details are set in place. Please pray for the ministry of Asia's Hope as this ministry is in the process of being rebuilt so we can continue to love the least of these.

I heard this song on the radio last night and I fell in love with the lyrics. This is such a great song!! This is my heart right now. I am extremely anxious to go hug my kids over seas but I need to enjoy my time here in the states until I get the "go-ahead" to head back over to South East Asia. If you have time, look up this song... it will be well worth it! :)

"Set The World On Fire"

by: Britt Nicole

I wanna set the world on fire

Until it's burning bright for You

It's everything that I desire

Can I be the one You use?

I, I am small but

You, You are big enough

I, I am weak but

You, You are strong enough to

Take my dreams

Come and give them wings

Lord with You

Nothing I cannot do

I wanna feed the hungry children

And reach across the farthest land

And tell the broken there is healing

And mercy in the Father's hands

Take my dreams

Come and give them wings

Lord with You

Nothing I cannot do

My hands my feet

My everything

My life, my love

Lord, use me

I wanna set the world on fire

I wanna set the world on fire, yeah

Take my dreams

Come and give them wings

Lord with You

Nothing I cannot do

Take my dreams

Come and give them wings

Lord with You

There's nothing I can't do

Nothing I can't do

I'm gonna set the world on fire

Set the world on fire

Cambodia and Thailand

2009-02-02T21:36:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone-

Welcome to my blogsite. I am quite excited to tell you what's been going on in my life and how God has been working through it all.

First off, I want to thank all of my family and friends who have prayed me through some of the hardest times in my life the past 2 and 1/2 years. It means so much to me to have an incredible support system. I am truly blessed to have you all! I have learned to take things one day at a time through all of the twists and turns on this road we call life.

As most of you know, I spent 2 months this summer in Thailand and Cambodia working with the organization 'Asia's Hope.' I met great people and orphan kids who stole my heart. For as much as I love my family and friends, I did not want to come back to the states. But, I did come back. And after trying college again, lots of prayer and thinking, I've decided to go back overseas for a year!! My heart is still over in Asia. I cannot WAIT to go see those precious children and hug each and every one of them!!! I'm excited to also see my Thai and Khmer friends as well.
With that said, I made this blog so it will be easy for everyone to see what I'm up to when I'm on a different continent. This will be the easiest way to communicate and let people know I'm safe and how God is working not only in my life, but the lives around me.

*As of now, the goal is to be back over in SE Asia by late April/ early May 2009. More details to follow.

Love to all,

Kaillie Allison