Bill Swan, the man who oversees the World Race, told us at both training camp and launch that the best way to have the best Race is to have no expectations…about anything…ever.
Turns out that includes not expecting to go to 11 countries in 11 months as well. We were going to be staying in Cambodia for a second month!
And I am so thankful that we did.
As Unsung Heroes during the first month, we saw a lot of city life in Cambodia, a lot of NGOs, and a ton of tourist areas. But we never saw what the “real Cambodia” was like.
I was tired of tall buildings. I wanted villages.
I was tired of the air conditioned international private schools. I wanted the school houses that had to open their windows because it is he only way to get light in the classroom.
I was tired of tuk tuks and motos whizzing past. I wanted to see cows plodding along.
And I was tired of having easy access to the comforts of home. I wanted to be pushed.
I got exactly what I wanted.
Our ministry Month 8 of the Race was living and working in a village just outside Kam Pot. We were going to be teaching English all day long and living next to some of our students and translators.
We had fifteen women living together in one room, and I even had to share a single bed with my teammate, Anna. We had no Internet and only a local store across the street, which sold bubble gum and crackers. There were chickens on our property and cows nearby, as well as a few pet dogs. (Their names were Jackie Chan and Mangey). And, for the first time in 8 months, I had squatty potties! (Oddly, this made me very excited.)
Each day, I taught three classes ranging from pretty advanced English from beginners. We taught at both public and private schools and my largest class I taught was nearly 50 students, all about 7 or 8 years old!
This month, I was really reminded of how my I enjoy teaching and how passionate I am about education.
