I am shocked to find myself in month eight of the Race… how has it gone by this fast?? This month we are working with University of the Nation through YWAM in the village of Pouk, Cambodia. We are living and working at a Language Training Center that offers free English classes to the community. Wednesday is dedicated to sharing about God and encouraging many of the students who have new relationships with Jesus. They also have a Sunday Fellowship for the students that allows them to be a part of a church body. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we bike (that’s right I said bike!) into nearby villages to do kids programs with stories, games, and hygiene activities. I love it here. I really do. The people are BEAUTIFUL and the children are so bright and eager to learn.
So since I haven’t given you a typical day on the Race blog, I thought I would give it a shot…
6:15am- Wake up, giving up the fight against the heat and
bugs. Sit up to talk to Jesus and listen to some Misty
6:50am- Breakfast- cereal with soy (ick) and instant coffee
7:30am- Journal to Jesus, morning prayer w/ the team… talk
about our weird dreams and feelings/lack of sleep during the night
8:07am- Board my bike and peddle off to a nearby village
8:34am- Wander around village- hold a baby until she bursts
into tears, give her to mom who pulls down her pants and lets her pee on the
dirt floor, then take the precious girl back
8:47am- Hold two girls on my lap and bounce them up and down
like they’re riding a horse
9:00am- Sing Oh-lay-lay, trying to be as silly as possible
to entertain the kids
9:19am- Listen as B.Jax shares the story of The Lost Sheep
9:27am- Help a few kids color in their sheep
9:40am- Join in the hunt for lost sheep that BP has hidden
around the village
9:54am- Play freeze tag and duck, duck, goose
10:04am- Wash hair and cut nails
10:15am- Weave my way out of the village and ride home
10:30am- Sweep classrooms and set up chairs
10:50am- Put on my “nice� clothes… a shirt that’s only been
worn twice and has only a few subtle stains
11:00am- Greet my class with BP- “Morning class, how are
you?�…“I’m fine thank you sir, and you?�
11:04am- Begin lesson on Day and Night
11:23am- Attempt to silence fifty, five to twelve year olds…
“Can everyone put a bubble in their mouth?�
11:35am- Teach the kids “Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden
Sun�
11:42am- Watch BP internally struggle against the urge to
pull her hair out… “Put a bubble in your mouth�
11:44am- Nearly pull my own hair out as half the kids raise
their hands without reason, the other half verbally tries to get a classmates
attention, and all of them wiggle in their chairs. Cringe in shock and horror
at the motherly/stern tone of my voice “PUT A BUBBLE IN YOUR MOUTH KIDS�
11:53am- “Oh Mister Sun, Sun…�
11:55am- Attempt to give a homework assignment, watch a few
kids pick their noses instead of writing down the words they are supposed to be
copying
12:00pm- High five my students as they leave class… get a
few hugs that relieve some of the tension and frustration of the previous hour
12:05pm- Lunch with the girls, Roselette, Nary, Merete, and
Solveig
12:34pm- Sneak away to do dishes with Heather to avoid
participation in the conversation about characteristics we want in a husband
12:52pm- Our participation in the conversation is demanded
1:05pm- Team Beloved Feedback- usually intended to discuss
our day and specifically encourage one person… today it becomes a discussion
about passion and unity
4:12pm- Afternoon bowl of cereal and date with Heather
Horton
4:52pm- Change back into “nice� clothes and review lesson
plan
5:12pm- BP and I greet our evening class for 14 to 23 year
olds
5:15pm- Teach lesson on types of weather
5:41pm- Check homework from last class
5:48pm- Check for comprehension of today’s lesson then
assign new homework
6:04pm- BP and I have our usual evening date… discuss the
day, attempt some abs, yoga, and push-ups to erase the damage that eight months
of an almost all-carb diet has done
6:52pm- Use a bucket full of water to bathe while
harmonizing to a selection of songs from the Sound of Music with BP in the
other room
6:58pm- Mold my hair into at least seven different styles.
Commit to the Ace Ventura look for the night.
7:00pm- Dinner with the fam- rice, veggies, and cabbage
rolls
7:42pm- Banana Grams with Team Beloved
8:51pm- Round six of Banana Grams with the requirement of using
at least one inappropriate word
9:37pm- Sweep bedroom floor, collecting a disturbing amount
of dead bugs that have been swarmed by ants
10:32pm- Leap off my bed after a spider scurries across my
face and arm
10:34pm- Concede to the light being shut off though the
spider cannot be located
10:53pm- Drift slowly into sleep as worship music gently
fills our room
Some of my students…
In the village…
Our village…
My hair… look how long it’s getting, Mom!
