We’re in Phnom Penh for 3 days, staying at a hotel, and taking it easy until we leave to go to Squad Debrief in Siem Reap on the 11th. We finished our month in Takeo, working with Teen Challenge Cambodia. The last week went by suuuuper slowly, but was also one of the best weeks of the month. I experienced a lot of internal work the last few weeks; God brought to light some things I had stored up for a really long time. In all, the scene seems to be the same across the board. All of us grew immensely, and we grew in unity as a team more than ever before.
Sunday was our last day in Takeo. We all woke up and climbed to the top of the mountain close by, and took pictures of the various temples and buildings on the top. It was a great workout and a great way to end the month.
Our host family threw us a party at lunch, complete with Khmer Pizza (a.k.a. lettuce wraps with a rice crepe and pork). It was by far the best thing we had eaten all month. It was no Pizza Hut, but it gave P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps a run for their money. They ate with us, which was a great change from the usual watching us eat.
After lunch we packed and cleaned up, and then headed off to see a second temple. The 7 of us (our host’s niece- Nemo included) took off on motorbikes (I know I know…Not again right?). I let Adam and Ryan drive a bike and Nemo drove the third bike with April and Marlena riding. Naturally, as soon as we turn off the main road onto the dirt path to go to the temple, it starts pouring rain. I watched as, inevitably it seemed, Nemo’s bike went sliding out from under her, and they landed off the road a little. I was thinking please not this again; we had even prayed against a wreck before starting. Luckily, they were alright, and April just got burned a bit on her leg. Thank God it was not worse. I thought it best to just head back, so we walked back to the main road, and then came back to the tree house.
I guess you could say we left in usual X-Stream fashion…with a bang! Truth be told, this month started off rough. We embarked on a 20 day total-food fast, just 2 days after arriving. Essentially, we were removing just about every staple from our normal lives: electricity, running water, showers, beds, internet, and even food. It was ROUGH. We went 5 days before we talked about it, and eventually decided we would make it a personal choice whether to continue or not. 5 of us decided we would eat again; April went the full 20 days. Those 5 days were some of the roughest of my life; but wow did God work through it! 
I spent several late-nights sitting outside with a sleeping bag (God blessed us with cool Fall weather after our 1st week) looking up at some of the brightest stars I’ve ever seen. I never slept past 3:17AM without being woken up by the roosters, putting my headphones back in, and pushing play. I have slept the past 23 nights in a hammock; I may never go back to a bed.
But, this has been some of the most memorable moments of my life. I never knew how fun, and addicting, Monopoly Deal could be (parents, buy this card game for your family; it’s a winner). I never knew that a toilet seat was a luxury. I never knew how much I truly hate white rice. I could go on and on; this was an amazing month, and a total roller coaster ride. Such is life back home.
You can take away the cultural norms, the necessities you think you couldn’t possibly live without, and the staples that make you feel human, and still live wholly and completely with all you ever need–our Father. This was a good taste of the desert lifestyle that Ray Vanderlaan talks about. It’s when you are scorching in the sun and God gives you just enough shade for your head, and you survive. 
I guess I found out that my “head shade” has absolutely NOTHING to do with anything tangible, here on this Earth; my “head shade” is purely relational.
What a revolutionary revelation.
