Grace and peace to all of you, to those near and to those far. Life continues to pass by quickly here, some days faster than others, but mostly, the time seems numerically immeasurable; which in part may be due to the fact that I have proven unsuccessful in finding an English calendar here! Nevertheless, I have realized this past week that my journey is nearly half way through already. In certain aspects, mostly in my own selfish mind I suppose, it has felt like an eternity, which leads me to recognize what little comprehension and grasp of such a measure of time that I currently possess, but in others, I find myself consistently pondering where the time has gone. The teaching quarter is nearly finished so I have been busy prepping my students for final exams and cramming as much last minute information as I can into their already overwhelmed minds. Today however, held something quite different, something entirely out of my control or even doing, something that had to be of God. I have been teaching a class on Injustice for the past 6 weeks and intended to finish a series on corruption, what it is, what it looks like here in Cambodia and throughout the world, how we may fight against it, how to promote positive change in our governments and local policy, etc. Todays class was to include a discussion on reacting in the opposite spirit, i.e. if corruption is dishonest, fraudulent, moral depravity than we ought to walk in integrity, living a life of honesty, righteousness, and self-sacrifice. The students seemed even more engaged and interested in the discussion than usual and came prepared with many thought provoking questions which challenged their peers and to some extent, even myself. In the blink of an eye the discussion turned from talking about loving the homosexual community to me sharing the gospel and what it means to be a follower of Christ, something that I myself am still learning. My students were extremely receptive and 2 of them even stayed after to confide in me about issues in their own lives and to ask for prayer. I did not even comprehend the words coming out of my mouth, but I am confident that it was not me speaking. (I have included a couple pictures of some of the students from that class.)

Each morning I am awakened by one of two sounds, one representing life and the other death. It is customary here in Cambodia to blast music from large stacking speakers placed in front of ones house for all within a 10km radius to hear from 5am until 10pm, on two occasions...weddings and funerals. The music of each is quite different from the other as one might imagine. The sound of monks monotone prayers and, to be honest, somewhat eerie sounding instrumental tones marks a nearby funeral; where as some bizarre translation of Khmai techno music relays to the city that there is a wedding will transpire. Both events last for a duration of 2-3 days and tend to occur consecutively; for every celebration of life, there is a somber reminder of our temporal existence on this earth. Reflection upon such has led to a renewed perspective this week and challenged me to be intentional with my time and relationships here.
I was very sick this past week and therefore was forced to spend 5 days in bed with a temperature of 103 and a grave illness that remains a mystery to the medical professionals here. I am well on my way to recovery now and finally getting back into the routine of things. I’m still teaching 2 English classes, a study on Injustice and tutoring a couple students in grammar 5 days a week, while studying the Khmer language with a private teacher myself. In the rare amounts of free time that I have during the week, I have been working on an interior design project...it must be genetic or perhaps just years of training in my mothers footsteps! A new YWAM school, called School of Biblical Studies (SBS) is opening next month and I have been asked to decorate the house that the school will soon be moving into. It has proven to be a worthy challenge thus far as typical resources are non-existent here, making creativity and abstract thinking a must! I have found myself painting rice mats for art pieces and constructing my own decorative frames from scrap lumber...surprisingly enough things are coming together quite well.
I was blessed to be able to reconnect with one of the girls from the soccer team that I worked with last year, this past week and was troubled to learn that the orphanage that they had come from had been closed down this past year, forcing many of the girls to separate into available housing in other villages. A few of them have still managed to join other teams and are doing well. The girls were part of the first ever, registered girls soccer league in Cambodia last year and in the brief time that has lapsed since then, 3 of them are now playing on the first girls National team and competing against girls in neighboring countries! Its incredible to see how far they have come, not only as individuals, but even more so as a once oppressed and often forgotten facet of Cambodian society. These once insecure, shy girls from an orphanage that would kick a soccer ball around once a week are now representing young women of Cambodia on a National soccer team and are teaching children's groups in their churches. Their lives are an amazing testament to the restoration and redemption occurring here.
Please know that you are in my thoughts daily and I am grateful to have each one of you in my life. Blessings to you and yours!

I apologize for the lapse in time since my last update, but life in Asia seems to become busier and busier with each passing day. I spent my last week in Thailand working with an NGO (Non-profit Organization) called The Tamar Center in Pattaya, which focuses on providing counseling, job skills training and discipleship to women working in the sex slave industry. I helped to teach English classes at the center as well as to do “bar outreach” (Building relationships with the prostitutes working in the bars and inviting them to visit the center). During one evening, as I was walking back to my guesthouse from having dinner, I walked by a “massage parlor” where numerous women were standing outside motioning for passing men to enter, and decided to stop and say hello. The girls were warm and receptive and closed the shop for the evening to invite me in to teach them English and share their stories with me. I was amazed by the opportunity that I had been given to speak truth into the lives of these women and their openness to receive it. I stayed until nearly 2am sharing my journey with them and in turn listening to each of theirs...often in times such as these, I walk away feeling as though I have gained far more than I have left behind. I returned to Bangkok to finish the remainder of my teaching at the University before embarking on my journey to Cambodia. I wish to express my sincere gratitude for your thoughts and prayers as I crossed the border and received my visa; it is because of your faithfulness and support that I was able to have such a smooth and thankfully, uneventful, trek from Thailand to Cambodia.
I have been in Cambodia for just a little over a week now and have already found myself diving head first into numerous opportunities...I’m teaching Freshman English and “A Closer Look at Injustice” at a Language Center here in Battambang 5 days per week...Continuing my Khmer Language Study 20 hours per week...Working on the Administration/Development team for the Battamabng YWAM base...and I try to spend the remaining hours of my day building relationships within the community. I must say that my readjustment to life back in Cambodia has been significantly harder than I ever could have imagined and to be entirely honest, I continue to find myself struggling to find true community and close relationships here, though I trust that such needs will be met in due time.
I attended the University of the Nations YWAM Cambodia Staff retreat in a nearby rural village this past weekend and was encouraged to witness the vast growth that has occurred throughout the past year...many new ministries that were once only visions have come to fruition and many more have been spoken and are being prayed into! The base that I am working at is currently in a season of transition as the Discipleship Training School, where 30 Khmer students learned how to be spiritual leaders in their communities and to pursue God on a deeper level, has just ended, many of the staff have returned home for breaks, and a new School of Biblical Studies will begin in late September, so amidst the many changes things have become rather quiet for the time being. I was eager to return to the orphanage that I had worked at during my previous trip, but was greatly burdened to hear that YWAM has since been banned from visiting the orphanage due to “an unwanted religious agenda,” as stated by the Orphanage Government leaders. Please keep this situation in your thoughts and prayers as we are trusting for Gods favor in order to return.
I am anxious to feel settled in here in Battambang, though my things have been unpacked my spirit is still finding its home here, but every time I look into the eyes of a child or see the smile on an elderly womans face at the market, I am reminded of why I am here and my heart continues to break daily for the oppressed people of Cambodia. I have been here just a brief time and have already learned so much. I’m excited for what has transpired and trusting for the things to come. May we remember to seek His will for each new day. Blessings to you and yours.

Progress Made

Here are just a few photos from the construction project in the slum community...

Construction Brings Exhaustion

Things are in full swing here in Bangkok...Teaching English classes, Hanging out with the children in the slums, Rebuilding the home of an elderly woman, Preparing to work in Pattaya!!! The rain has been pouring almost continuously and with such has come numerous mosquitos and flooding! There is an elderly woman in the slums, named Ye Noit who is quite frail, but full of fire and laughter. Her home is located between two canals; therefore, the rain and flooding has created numerous issues, causing the floor of her home to cave in and the much of the framing to collapse. I have been working with a team from Canada to rebuild her home this week, though little work is actually accomplished most days as she loves to take us on silent walks with the occasional misunderstood outbursts of laughter! She is a dear soul in the community and would like to open her home for childrens bible studies once it has been completed. After working construction in the mornings, I teach English classes at the university in the afternoons...My students do not believe that I am from America and tell me that I must either be English or French, still not exactly sure why that is. I will be going to Pattaya (The Prostitute Capital of the World) on Sunday for 4 days to teach English and Jewelry Making at a Prostitute Rehabilitation Center. I am eager to begin working with the young women, as that is where my passion is found, but I am finding purpose and blessings in my work in the meantime. I have had many meaningful conversations with both students and foreigners throughout the past week and am excited to see where such interactions will lead. Thank you all for the many encouraging emails this week...your words always seem to arrive at the moment they are most needed.

Thai Beginnings

Greetings from Bangkok! I hope that this post finds each of you well and in good spirits. I want to thank you for your continued prayers, support and encouragement. It is almost surreal to be back in this part of the world, despite its long time coming; I felt almost overwhelmed as I stepped off the airplane in Thailand, numerous thoughts/questions/anxieties/excitement and even perhaps, a slight bit of fear ran through my mind. Alas, I am here, 14 hours ahead of the place I left behind and ready for the journey to continue. I have been in Bangkok just a few short days, but already my days are bustling with activity. I returned to the slum community that I had worked at last year and was greeted with many familiar faces and warm smiles; i was also greeted with the grave reality of the poverty that still exists and the ways in which it presents itself in such communities...Drugs, Prostitution, AIDS, Starvation, Illness and even death, as endearing faces once touched were no longer visible, but had become a memory, a picture on a wall. Amidst such a sad and troubling place, one cannot help but smile at the joy in an innocent child's eyes and the laughter that exists in spite of the brokenness that surrounds them. I was able to clean a school in the community that had been shutdown 2 weeks prior due to the Swine Flu epidemic and had many rowdy little helpers to assist me in the task. I was also able to visit some of the elderly women that I had spent so many afternoons with the year before and was grateful to reconnect with them. Apart from my time in the slums, my days have also been filled with teaching English classes to students at a nearby University. I have approximately 30 Thai students total with classes running 2 hours 4 days per week! It is an incredible opportunity to invest in the future leaders of Thailand and to challenge them to something greater.
I will try to keep these posts relatively short, but I want to thank you once again for your thoughts and prayers. I will be updating this blog weekly in attempt to keep you all informed of what is going on throughout my journey. Blessings to you all!