Life in Cambodia

I have been here in Cambodia for almost three weeks. Each and every day is a new experience as I learn to surrender my own wants and desires and do what the Lord has called me to do. When I get weak and weary, I call out to Him and He is there to comfort me.

This week I started teaching again at the school. I am working alongside the Primary grade teacher, Daneth. We teach kindergarten-fifth grade, except for fourth. (I'm not sure why we don't teach fourth..) Every day is a new lesson and new experience as I work to help these children learn English. I've never done this before, nor have I done it on my own, but I'm learning each day how to go about doing this. For the most part, it's not difficult. The hardest part is managing a class of 25 kids who would rather be doing anything else than learning English! But to hear them laugh and marvel when I sing them American songs such as "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Father Abraham"sure brightens my day.

In the evenings, I teach English to a mixed group of middle and high school kids from the orphanage. It's much different than teaching the younger kids because they can speak and read much better. I love that class because I can really spend more time working with the students and helping them with pronounciations and such. The other day, the English teacher who works with me was not able to come because his house flooded from all of the rain. So it was me up against a class of 25 kids who did NOT want to be there. Amanda and Emily teach the first session from 6-7 and I teach from 7-8. They had run out of things to do, so they just played games with their classes. As soon as my class found out the first classes had played games, they just assumed we would too. Instead of my usual class, I had a few extra's show up to play games as well! Much to their dismay, I did mak them practice English for 20 minutes and review the lesson from the previous day. Then I let them play games and they had a blast. We'll just say we played English games. Haha.

Life is never boring here at the orphanage. There are 75 kids to keep you busy and entertained and I feel like the only place I can be alone is in the bathroom! But I wouldn't have it any other way. These kids are so incredible, each and every single one of them. They each have a different story of how they came to the orphanage, each have different personalities and mannerisms. I still can't remember all of their names, but I know their faces. Although, every day I feel like I see a kid I haven't seen before!

I feel like I'm becoming more Cambodian each day. I eat with one of those large spoons they have at Chinese restaurants. I eat rice for every meal. I've always been amazed at how much rice Cambodians can put into their mouth..and now I've amazed myself! I can eat a piece of meat or fish and spit out the bones onto the table just like they do. I forgot what a bathroom in the United States looks like. Here, we have a sink, toilet and faucet coming out of the wall..no shower or tub. I can wash my hair and brush my teeth in the sink at the same time! I've become a pro at this squatty potty business. Cambodians don't throw toilet paper in the toilet because it will clog. So we throw it all in the garbage can. There are flies around me every where I go. I've come to the conclusion that I will never, ever be dry here in Cambodia. You're either soaking wet from sweat, or soaked from the rain. Never a happy medium.

The weather here has been quite rainy, yet it has been so cool!! For the first time, I was actually cold after running through the rain to get from the cafeteria to my room. It was a great feeling. It rained for three days, straight. Finally today it has been sunny and hot again. I love the rain, but it is a little inconvenient. The roads and ground are all flooded and there are no dryers here, so clothes have to be hung out to dry..and when it rains, they can't dry! Having only brought enough clothes to last 2 weeks, I had to wait three days for laundry and was literally down to my last pair of underwear! =)

Every day I feel like I can't get any happier, and then I am even more happier than the previous day. I was uncertain about how I would adapt to being here. I wouldn't consider myself high mantenience, but I'm definitely not low mantenience either. Cambodia is making me more low mantenience every day. Haha. Most who know me know I cannot stand a dirty bathroom, much less to touch a wet floor after exiting the shower. Here, there is no seperation between shower and floor, so the floor is always wet. I'm slowly adapting and getting used to it.

Some days I shower multiple times, and some I don't get a chance too. I feel like I'm starting to smell like a Cambodian now...but it doesn't bother me too much anymore. Sometimes theres no point to shower..you're just going to get sweaty anyways!

I'm contiually amazed at how the Lord is providing for me here in Cambodia. Support both financial and prayer has been flooding in every day..and I'm just in awe. I need to raise between $1000-$1200 to stay..and I think I'm getting close. My parents are doing a great job of keeping track of what is coming in and making sure it gets to me. I'm trying to keep my expenses very minimal. Most of it is rooming, flights and visa fees. We eat at the orphanage every day and try to go out maybe once or twice a week. Today we went to breakfast and I got pancakes, an ice coffee and bottled water for $3.50. I don't think I'm going to like coming back to America and paying almost $10 for the same thing at Cracker Barrell!

I'm going to try to keep this updated as much as possible. I just wanted to update all of my friends and family and let you know how I'm doing. Please check back and bear with me as I add photos and keep updating it. For now..there's some kids waiting for me to go jump on the trampoline with them

Blessings,
Sera