Khmer new year is coming to a close. Today is finally the last day. It's been a good little holiday. It's been interesting with everything being closed how quiet everything has been and how non dangerous the streets have been. Today things are starting to get busy again. I wish I had a camera on my sun glasses, i would get great shots. Today there was a group of 20 on the roof of a truck going down the street, I played chidken with a car and won because it was my right of way and made it home just before dark.
Nolan left saturday and I got a lot of work done. Sunday I went to church and met the group from Every Nation church. I love those girls and they are coming over tomorrow so I had to go shopping to get food in the house to offer them :) It's been close to 100 degrees but I have decided to get back into shape since I do have to look good for the wedding pictures :) So the new plan is to go bike riding in the evenings. I started on saturday night. I went to the local temple because I had heard there would be some sort of special mound their were making to celebrate. I went and didn't see anything but 2 little kids dancing. Ended up talking to a month and on Sunday he messaged me asking to come to the temple for a water thing they were doing for lay people. I thought it meant they were teaching people how to make water clean and so didn't want to go, but finally went and I was amazed at the crowd. Just as I got there there were apsara dancers doing a peice. The monk was at the top of the temple so I pushed through the crowd to the top of the stairs and sat infront of a huge water bucket with jasmine flowers in it. I had only just said hello and exhanged a few khmer words with two girls near me when a man approached me and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for TV. Never one to turn down an opportunity at stardom I immediately said yes. So he asked me a few questions and then asked if I would be participating in water ceremony. I said I didn't know what it represented and so the interview ended. But apparently it was aired at 7 pm on sunday and was on the internet as well :)
After the interview the reporter and I kept talking and he started explaining things to me. Apparently on the 3rd day of khmer new year people come to the temple to be washed with the water from the monks. This cleanses their sins for the year and offers them luck for the year to come. They had 2 fire hoses and a bunch of buckets and a crowd well over 1000 people. Everyone was so happy. The police was smiling and talking to me, reporters were chatting, the monks were happy. It was kind of like christmas. So I stood on the stairs and watched and for over 30 minutes they kept spraying water on the people and no one left. Everyone was squealig with joy and waiting for the water to come back. Some had water bottles ready in hopes of catching the water...maybe to take it home? I don't know. After chatting with the reporter for a long time, getting a ton of pictures, I met up with Lucky the monk and we chatted. I went into the temple to see it and it was quite beautiful. The walls and ceilings are covered with the story of buddha. One of the prettier temples that I have seen. Usually they are beautiful on the outside but not so ornate on the inside. I'll try to post some pics since I took a ton :) But it might be a while.
Sunday I thought I should invite the girls over the painting. They are always so happy to spend time at my house. I didn't know how best to reach them and was mulling it over as I biked home after church and shopping for food and guess who was shouting my name as I was coming home. So I invted them all over. So after the water purification ceremony I went there and them they came over :) We didn't paint but ended up watching 2 movies, eating popcorn, candy and doing our nails :)
The next day I showed up at their house with a movie, candy and the painting book. They had just bought paints and paper and brushes since I didn't have enough and they all painted.
I had been a litte frustrated because I wasn't finding the kind of resources I needed or wanted for the women's health section, but today everything came together. Group Health hospital has the perfect teaching material. Maybe because I trained their, every picture, everything I wanted it there and it's just the way I want it done. It's wonderful. I would highly recommend their healthwise site to any of you wanting to do some self education on something. So I have had a great day working on things! I love how God works.
My landlord came over. He had some chocolate for me. I was wondering how to pay him for the next three months of rent and so it was perfect timing! While he was over I was able to give him a free medical consult and he ended up helping me with my car situation. His brother in law works in the department of transportation so can get all my stuff done for a reasonable price for the car without worrying about bribes and getting ripped off. I am soo happy about how God works!
This weekend has been great for reading. I have my kindle back and love reading the daily devotional every morning. Helps set the mood of the day right and Nolan and I have been reading them together :) I finished the book on aftercare programs so feel more ready for the logistics of stating ours. I also started a book on my kindle. I am enjoying it so much I don't feel like I need to watch as many movies.
So I had an ant infestion in Nolan's room and the kitchen and my room after my little party! So I prayed and cleaned. When I cleaned alone nothing happen, but God did manage to ger rid of my problem in the ktichen and Nolan's room. Now I just have to pray for my room. Until then I will just keep killing the ants as they crawl all over me. Note to self, no more movie nights in my room.
There is also a manifestation of geikos! I dont mind them so much but today there was geiko poop all over my clean drying dishes. Ugh. anyone know how to get rid of them. The cockroaches are gone since Nolan brought the moth ball so yay! Life in a third world country :) Gotto love it!
Actually I do love it!
Other than that, trying to figure out and juggle everything. Gotto finalized wedding stuff, the medical project, and start our center! Pray for more helpers!
Thanks for all your support, love and
Nolan left saturday and I got a lot of work done. Sunday I went to church and met the group from Every Nation church. I love those girls and they are coming over tomorrow so I had to go shopping to get food in the house to offer them :) It's been close to 100 degrees but I have decided to get back into shape since I do have to look good for the wedding pictures :) So the new plan is to go bike riding in the evenings. I started on saturday night. I went to the local temple because I had heard there would be some sort of special mound their were making to celebrate. I went and didn't see anything but 2 little kids dancing. Ended up talking to a month and on Sunday he messaged me asking to come to the temple for a water thing they were doing for lay people. I thought it meant they were teaching people how to make water clean and so didn't want to go, but finally went and I was amazed at the crowd. Just as I got there there were apsara dancers doing a peice. The monk was at the top of the temple so I pushed through the crowd to the top of the stairs and sat infront of a huge water bucket with jasmine flowers in it. I had only just said hello and exhanged a few khmer words with two girls near me when a man approached me and asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for TV. Never one to turn down an opportunity at stardom I immediately said yes. So he asked me a few questions and then asked if I would be participating in water ceremony. I said I didn't know what it represented and so the interview ended. But apparently it was aired at 7 pm on sunday and was on the internet as well :)
After the interview the reporter and I kept talking and he started explaining things to me. Apparently on the 3rd day of khmer new year people come to the temple to be washed with the water from the monks. This cleanses their sins for the year and offers them luck for the year to come. They had 2 fire hoses and a bunch of buckets and a crowd well over 1000 people. Everyone was so happy. The police was smiling and talking to me, reporters were chatting, the monks were happy. It was kind of like christmas. So I stood on the stairs and watched and for over 30 minutes they kept spraying water on the people and no one left. Everyone was squealig with joy and waiting for the water to come back. Some had water bottles ready in hopes of catching the water...maybe to take it home? I don't know. After chatting with the reporter for a long time, getting a ton of pictures, I met up with Lucky the monk and we chatted. I went into the temple to see it and it was quite beautiful. The walls and ceilings are covered with the story of buddha. One of the prettier temples that I have seen. Usually they are beautiful on the outside but not so ornate on the inside. I'll try to post some pics since I took a ton :) But it might be a while.
Sunday I thought I should invite the girls over the painting. They are always so happy to spend time at my house. I didn't know how best to reach them and was mulling it over as I biked home after church and shopping for food and guess who was shouting my name as I was coming home. So I invted them all over. So after the water purification ceremony I went there and them they came over :) We didn't paint but ended up watching 2 movies, eating popcorn, candy and doing our nails :)
The next day I showed up at their house with a movie, candy and the painting book. They had just bought paints and paper and brushes since I didn't have enough and they all painted.
I had been a litte frustrated because I wasn't finding the kind of resources I needed or wanted for the women's health section, but today everything came together. Group Health hospital has the perfect teaching material. Maybe because I trained their, every picture, everything I wanted it there and it's just the way I want it done. It's wonderful. I would highly recommend their healthwise site to any of you wanting to do some self education on something. So I have had a great day working on things! I love how God works.
My landlord came over. He had some chocolate for me. I was wondering how to pay him for the next three months of rent and so it was perfect timing! While he was over I was able to give him a free medical consult and he ended up helping me with my car situation. His brother in law works in the department of transportation so can get all my stuff done for a reasonable price for the car without worrying about bribes and getting ripped off. I am soo happy about how God works!
This weekend has been great for reading. I have my kindle back and love reading the daily devotional every morning. Helps set the mood of the day right and Nolan and I have been reading them together :) I finished the book on aftercare programs so feel more ready for the logistics of stating ours. I also started a book on my kindle. I am enjoying it so much I don't feel like I need to watch as many movies.
So I had an ant infestion in Nolan's room and the kitchen and my room after my little party! So I prayed and cleaned. When I cleaned alone nothing happen, but God did manage to ger rid of my problem in the ktichen and Nolan's room. Now I just have to pray for my room. Until then I will just keep killing the ants as they crawl all over me. Note to self, no more movie nights in my room.
There is also a manifestation of geikos! I dont mind them so much but today there was geiko poop all over my clean drying dishes. Ugh. anyone know how to get rid of them. The cockroaches are gone since Nolan brought the moth ball so yay! Life in a third world country :) Gotto love it!
Actually I do love it!
Other than that, trying to figure out and juggle everything. Gotto finalized wedding stuff, the medical project, and start our center! Pray for more helpers!
Thanks for all your support, love and