Best moments in Cambodia

1. Being able to love on children from morning till night.

2. Telling and showing the children about the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus

3. Having a million hugs and smiles from all the kids every single day. Just spend a few minutes with one of the kids at the orphanage when you are having a bad day, and they will cheer you up in no time.

4. Walking outside every morning to a view of the beautiful tree covered mountain.

5. Climbing and conquering the mountain (who needs a pathway down, right)? A few boulders and thick jungle terrain can’t stop us!

6. Having Banana Pancakes and fresh, hot coffee every Saturday on our day off at the Sunrise Cafe in Battambang. Wow, after a week of rice morning, noon, and night, banana pancakes and hot coffee really just makes everything better.

7. Listening to some of the girls sing “Open the eyes of my heart Lord” in English. Actually just hearing some of the girls sing praise to Jesus was amazing in itself.

 

Worst moments in Cambodia

1. THE BUGS! I think I witness the 8th plague every night in our room. If you can sweep up about 2 cups of flying bugs every 30 minutes in one room, then you are about even with us.

2. Not being able to walk off a path without getting your feet covered in mud, probably cow poop and people pee mud at that.

3. Hearing crying children and no one comforting them.

4. Watching all the children pick on and torment whoever is younger than them, and never seeing an adult tell them it is not right or good.

5. The Bugs! Did I mention that already?

6. Having to pray against lice for our whole team because the children had it so bad.

7. Saying good-bye to the children for the last time.

 

Funniest moments in Cambodia

1. Our hour long conversation about food in America, culminating in Brandon’s desperate shout for a cinnamon crunch bagel and free Wifi from Panera Bread. Who am I kidding? We talk about food about 80% of the day every day.

2. The last minute decision to stay in Battambang over night, even though we had on dirty clothes, no toiletries, and no clean clothes for the next day. But that hotel, even without a hot water shower and having to share a bed, was definitely worth it.

3. Taking a bike ride with Christie and Brandon for some good exercise, and ending up eating fried bananas at the market halfway through the ride. Somehow I think the bananas defeated the purpose of our exercise.

4. Riding an hour and a half into town in the back of the orphanage truck, with over 30 children smashed together, in the rain, and through the incredibly bouncy dirt road. You better hold on for dear life, or you might fly out!

 

I will truly miss this country. I left a piece of my heart with those children at the Four Square Orphanage. They are beautiful people, and beautiful lights for Christ.