Hey everyone, so lots to say but if you know me then you probably know that I'm back in Cambodia! It is Sunday morning here in Phnom Penh and I'm at "the Shop" to get some food and some internet. Over the summer I went home to Washington DC to see friends and family. I was planning to come back to Cambodia in late August to start my new position as a volunteer for ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency). The idea to work for ADRA came when I went with the seniors from CAS to their senior retreat at Jumbok Haos. Jumbok Haos is a place groups from around the country can go and learn what " a little belief in themselves and in what they, together with their friends and community can do, then they can really do anything … " according to ADRA cambodia's website. (http://www.adracambodia.org/index.html) I had a lot of fun and one of the staff told me about how they've been looking for someone to teach them English, well, I can do that.
After the school year was finished at CAS I made my way back home. While I was home I broke my pinky finger playing american football. Who knew the pinky was so important?!?! 2 months later I'm almost completely healed and healthy enough to start working in Cambodia!
My church was/is awesome. My last Sabbath, my pastor called me up to the front and the whole church prayed for me and my newest adventure. After the service people started coming up to me and saying goodbye and stuffing money into my pockets. Money that has gone to good use so far, and if anyone from my church is reading, I'll go into more detail about that a little later...
I finally arrived in Cambodia late Tuesday night, Cambodia time. Over the next couple days I started to get to know the staff here in the main ADRA office. They helped me get settled, I now have a cambodian bank account, a phone along with an official contract that came when they gave me an ADRA shirt and hat. I've also been able to spend sometime with my former students at the school or at the mission, my old hangout places haha Seeing my students and the other missionaries and friends has been great.
Now, about that money... So the first thing I spent some money on was before I even left the States. I have a friend who now teaches music at an orphanage in Siem Reap, but she didn't have any instruments. Almost anything would help so my mom, the music teacher, and I went to the music store and bought 25 recorders for about $4 a piece to bring to the orphanage here in Cambodia. I hope the kids enjoy them!
After that I didn't spend much money until I arrived here. If some of you follow the international news closely you may have herd that Cambodia has experienced a lot of flooding the past few weeks. This has caused a lot of problems in the rural areas where agriculture is the main source of food and income for most families. Over 160 Cambodians have even died as a result either from drowning or from snakes. ADRA is working now to help in this emergency and in addition to the money they use to get rice to the families we've also been collecting donations from people in this area to help even more. So this was my next use for some money from my church.
Tomorrow morning I leave the capitol and go to my new home in Preah Vihear province, Rovieng district. I will be living at Jumbok Haos. My main job is to teach the staff that run the camp English so they can better communicate with the groups that come in who don't speak Khmer. I will also be leading worship every morning with them. Outside of the Jumbok Haos project I will be helping with other projects in the province with surveys and analysis. So I will be able to teach and use some of my statistics and economics background. All while living in the trees! I think I will have a great time.
Finally I'd like to thank all the people that have helped me get to where I am now. My parents, my brother, the rest of my family all over the country, my whole church family and all my friends back in the States as well as here in Cambodia, and of course Jesus for healing me and giving me the opportunity to serve him in this fantastic country. I'm not sure how often I will be able to update this blog, I'm not quite sure yet how available the internet will be in my new home, but I'll try!
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