Pulling up in front of our house in Kampong Speu, Cambodia was a moment I will never forget! After driving for an hour and a half to the middle of no where Cambodia, we rounded the final bend towards our new home. Sitting on the corner as we passed, there sat at least a dozen kids all waving, squealing and yelling ‘beautiful’ in Khmer. They ran behind the van and followed us to our home. The children all greeted us with smiles and waves, some of the boys even helped carry our bags inside. I jumped out of the car, barely having two feet on the ground when a precious little girl, about 3 years old, looked up at me with her big brown eyes and instantly raised her hands up in the air, as if to say “hold me”. So, I did! I held her in my arms while she smiled, gazed into my eyes, played with my hair and my tank top while dangling her little legs off my hip.
After plopping my backpack down in our metal roofed cement building home, I walked back outside to find her standing at the edge of our property. She hadn’t left at all. Staring right at me from 50 feet away. I slipped into my flip flops, took three steps forward, stopped, held my arms open wide and watched her little legs run towards me with her arms out stretched. I swooped her up in my arms and hugged her tightly! This little snuggle bug, hand holder, clingy koala bear is a child of God. She stole my heart from day 1! I’ld like to introduced you to Daya (pronounced Die-ya). Lets just say that this moment is the start of a friendship that I know will develop more and more as the month flies by.
Children running and squealing in this little village, kids peeking in our windows and intrigued by our every move, posts and trees for ENO (hammock) quiet time, veggies at every meal, the most gorgeous sunsets and star gazing that is fabulous every night. I can tell I am going to like Cambodia!
Hugs from the future,
Kale
