The sun is rising from the horizon
Roosters crow
Out of my tent I crawl
I stroll out our front door of our cement building home
You hear their chatter and laughter before you see them
Dressed in navy and white boys and girls ride their bicycles to school
Some kids riding sidesaddle off the back on a little metal rack
They peddle at a steady pace
Seven am
Down the two track sits a "pavilion"
A lean too
A cement slab with a rif raf roof
We exercise while watching the sun rise up into the beautiful blue sky
In our front yard is where we gather
6 people fill six plastic chairs
Music fills the air as we worship our Heavenly Father
Scripture is read
Prayers are prayed as a remarkable way to start our day
It's cold and refreshing as I sip it through a straw… Iced coffee
Not pancakes or eggs but Noodles and veggies is my first meal of the day
The temperature is rising… 60, 70, 80 up up up and away
Pants and a long sleeve shirt- hot but necessary
Standing in a rice field – all that meets the eye – rice, rice and rice
Sickle in one hand and a bundle of rice in the other
There is an art to this
I am in no way a pro but I see the order and technique
Uncut rice in front of me
Piles of rice bundles behind me
When the sun is at 11:00 am – we walk home
I recommend a bucket shower to prevent a rice rash
Rice… For lunch…
7-16 children show up one by one
Notebooks and pencils in hand
In an open air room on uneven dirt ground stands a long wooden table
Dirty and cracked blue plastic chairs line the table, sometimes two broken chairs are stacked together to make one "new" chair
A dry erase board hangs on our bamboo and palm thatch wall
Singing fills the air
The Hokie-pokie, Jingle Bells, The Tootie-Ta, Fruit Salad song, Goin' on a Beat Hunt, and the song Head, Shoulders, knees and Toes waft out of our classroom
English class has begun
The Alphabet, numbers, the human body, the weather, shapes and colors, eating utensils, months and days of the week are what we are learning
Good bye teacha, good bye my friend, see you TOMORROW
A house with many added open aired additions is the compound like youth center where our contact and his family live
Children comin and goin
Babies cryin because they cannot go on a motorbike ride while some are fast asleep in hammocks
28 people share one squatting potty
And two bucket showers
One of the many highlights of the day is one on ones
Rota is a 13 year old that has a sweet and kind heart
Her smile lights up my life and any room she enters
Walking to and from my house kids spot me and yell "LEENA"
My name in a new form – it has stuck like glue they all find such joy in saying it anytime they see me
Little do they know it makes my heart melt and brings a smile to my face
'My Heart Will Go On' rings throughout Kampong Speu around 3:30 daily
This song brings a rumbling in tummies and happiness to our taste buds as it is the song of the moped ice cream man
Ranging from 8 cents to 50 cents you have a variety of frozen juice cups and ice cream treats to pick from
When the sun begins to set it is like a colorful show of colors in the sky
We run off into the sunset watching the colors blend and mix together into a new masterpiece each night
The palm trees sway
Men and women walk home from their day of labor in the rice fields
Children smile and wave and run after us
High 5's are always a big hit
Rice… For dinner
Team Granola sits as a family around a wooden white tables
Flies and beetles are uninvited dinner guests
Hot veggies are served to plop on top of our rice
Occasionally French fries are an added bonus
Dragon Fruit… Tasty
As we pray and fellowship with food trucks and tuk tuks drive by, loaded down with people from the factories
The dust swarms and billows into big clouds
Escaping it is impossible
Breathing it in is inevitable
Washing it off before bed is a chore but rewarding
Children run, walk and ride in the dark from all directions
Laughter and giggles fill the air as it is the post Bible study excitement
Voices singing Father Abraham, Pharo Pharo, This little light of mine, How Great is our God and many more boom throughout the village
Teaching a Bible stories and engaging kids in games is how we end the night
After team time, we star gaze
No light pollution
No noise but the occasional motorbike passing, child crying or dog barking
A shooting star whizzes by in the night sky
The half moon illuminates the sky
God is good
God is alive
God is faithful
God is powerful and mighty
He is the creator of every living and breathing thing
He knows me inside and out
His craftsmanship never ceases to amaze me
God, I love you and Cambodia
Thank you for another great day
Amen
