I’ve had a few people ask me what my weeks are like here, so I’ll do a quick run down on the week.
Monday- Travel 1 hour in a tuk tuk from the town to our village. Set up our tents (avoid fire ants), eat lunch, and get ready for lessons. Teach in the afternoon and evening. Eat supper and do dishes. Team time.
Tuesday- 5:15 wake up, breakfast prep, lead Bible study, plan for our English lessons, lunch, English lessons, another Bible study, dinner and dishes, community fun night (We taught the villagers the chicken dance and roasted marshmallows. It was the kids’ first time eating them. It was great to see them trying something new!)
Wednesday- 5:15 wake up. Group devotions with Roger and Deb and their staff. Same as Tuesday during the day, but no game night. Instead, there is a community prayer meeting.
Thursday- Same as Wednesday, but no prayer meeting.
Friday- My favorite day. This is heath and hygiene day. All the village kids come at 9:00 am and we spend a few hours washing their hair, delousing them, and cutting their nails. After that, we play with them and teach them songs and games and a Bible lesson. Then, we do a feeding program. They bring 1 cup of rice and Roger and Deb make a curry or stir fry and we all eat together. The kids are so happy and it’s nice to see them refreshed and smiling!
Saturday- Travel back to Siem Reap. Check into the guesthouse. Take full advantage of running water!!! Get necessary supplies for the week.
Sunday- Rest day.
Some observations:
1. Roger and Deb are so selfless in how they serve the community. They aren’t like an NGO. They are there to live in relationship with the people of the village. They visit their neighbors and care for them in whatever way they can. They are able to provide English lessons and lead church services for the community. They’ve helped several people begin self-sustaining projects (becoming a tuk tuk driver or starting a sewing business for example). They help teach good stewardship of resources and bring light into a highly impoverished area.
- The children of Po Peyl village LOVE TO LEARN. It’s so fun to do English lessons with them because they are on the edge of their seat every second. They say “thank you” and hug me. They are genuinely grateful to be learning. My students face many obstacles. They have no school supplies. Some have no shoes. Most are hungry. Their parents don’t always see the value in them coming to lessons. But they come anyway and try their hardest. It makes the heat and fire ants and squatty potties worth it 100 times over.
