As I write this, I have already left Cambodia and am sitting at our hostel in Kenya. It’s a beautiful 60 degree night. I’m looking at a fire, listening to Allan play guitar. Today was just a crazy day of visiting the Indian embassy to get our visas for India in August. Since arriving in Kenya yesterday, I’ve just been so at peace and filled with Joy. There are so many blessings in our life and we miss them so often. God allows you to feel certain things and I’m so thankful for everything I have and to be in Kenya!
Before we left Cambodia, Allan and I had the great opportunity to go visit some remote, jungle villages for a couple days. I was so thankful to be able to do this. The focus of the trip was medical, but it ended up being more about seeing many things. God really knows what you need to experience more then you do. It made me think more about ministry and how to get involved. We went with a man named Mordecai and I love how practical his work is.
Mordecai talks a lot and tells great stories which I love. His wife is a midwife and I met her at the clinic I went to one Saturday. He has a lot of medical experience. He takes all different people out into the jungle to see these villages that no one but him really go to. He mostly rides in with his dirt bike. The roads are better suited for this and he just has a blast on his bike. His philosophy is if you are not having fun and you don’t like your job, find a new one. Missionary work is about sacrifice, but it’s also about fun and he shows that. He builds relationships with the people, takes medical supplies to them, and many other things.
These are villages not even on a map. There is no map so he made one the best he could.
He just figures it out as he goes.
We started our journey in a Range Rover Defender. This was one bumpy ride. I loved it. On our way to the church we would be staying in, we stopped at this NGO organization where the women can make money by weaving cloth and making all kinds of cool things.
This is one thing Cambodia needs, jobs for locals so they can feed their family in a way that enables them to keep their dignity.
We arrive at the church where we will be sleeping. This is just a board wall building. The bed was just a frame really with no mattress. 
We were living with a family and they were all so welcoming. The food was great. Good thing I like fish, greens, and rice.
We saw the well that Mordecai gave supplies to this village to build and other wells we saw along the way too. Clean water is so important to health. He gives the people what is needed to build the wells, but they dig them and do the building themselves.
There is a sense of ownership this way. This seems so simple, but truly one of the best primary methods of healthcare there is. It’s about prevention. A lot of the wells were close to drying up because it’s the end of the dry season. This is not a huge deal because they can always just dig them deeper if it runs out before the rains come.
We were hot after our long ride, so went to bath in the river.
This was my only option for bathing, so in I went.
We washed right next to water buffalo. 
I stayed upstream of them to avoid the poo.
That night a lot of people in the village came out and came to watch a movie in the church. It was just nice to see all these people happy and the feeling of community here was so strong. I was tired and knew that the roasters just crow whenever they feel like it, so fell asleep early.
Early in the morning we were off to a couple different villages. The villages here mine for gold. I felt like I stepped back into the 1800’s gold rush in America, except for all the Asians.
These pictures can show this process better then I can explain it. There is a lot of mercury in the water. This helps the gold to stick together, but also makes the water toxic and is bad for the children to be around. Some of the villages we passed were disserted. This is the end of the dry season and until the rains come, they cant mine for gold again.
It was in one of these villages that the Range Rover got stuck. It was in mud up to its bumper.
While I was taking pictures of this and backing up in case the wench snapped back (this happened)
I felt the ground give way beneath me. Down I feel into this thick mud like quicksand. This was the second time that had happened to me. The first time Allan just pulled me out quick. This time everyone was farther away and I thought no need to make a scene and I can surely get out myself. I am slowly sinking, so I fall down to my knees and am able to pull one leg and then the other out. It’s a strong suction in there. I try to stand up and fall through again! I can’t believe it. At this time Allan turns around and sees me. I start laughing so much that now I sure am not making progress getting out. We are both laughing. He and half the village it feels like come over for the show. I finally crawl out again and make it to safe land. My pants and shoes look like they have been covered in cement. A boy brings me a bucket of mercury water and I think for a moment before just stepping in and trying to get some off.
Mordecai breaks out his medical bag. I don’t speak the language so this makes it hard. Mordecai hands my his stethoscope and I listen to a 21 day old baby’s heartbeat.
It sounds so fast, but healthy. I check her mom too, but don’t do too much other medical stuff. Medications for rashes, worms, prenatal vitamins, and antibiotics are given out.
There are babies everywhere. One of my favorite things was just holding one.
I thought while this little girl was in my arms what a different life she would have if she was my child. It doesn’t seem fair. God only knows what the future holds for her, but statically speaking it will be very different. The opportunities for education and just even healthy food and water will be so much less. I prayed that she would bring Jesus to this village because really nothing is impossible. This village does not have any Christians. How great it would be for them to be able to find hope in that. I know there is a plan for this baby.
Our last stop was a village where we were invited to share some palm wine.
It was just fun to be welcomed by these people and to accept what they offered us. They said Allan looked like Jesus with his beard. Allan asked then what they knew about Jesus and was able to speak a little to them about what they believe. Many of these people have seen the Jesus video, but know little else.
I still ask myself why I have been give the opportunity to see all these things. I have some answers, but many more questions. I’m okay with that. God will let me know what I need to know at the right time. I know I’ve been called to more.
