First of all, let me apologize for not writing! there has been so much going on and I haven't had internet, but I think I have all the kinks worked out. I don't even know where to start as to what has been going on!!!
So first of all, on April 1st, no April's fool joke, I got engaged!!! I met Nolan online 8 months ago as I was finishing my stint at camp korey and finalizing things for coming to cambodia. We met two weeks after we started talking and my family screened him for me :) That involved an over 6 hour session where he met each member of my immediately family and then watched one debrief me as the others continued their questioning :) I drove the poor guy to his hotel at midnight :)
Two weeks later I just happened to be flying through LA on my way to hawaii and so my parents flew down to meet his family :) The next day they were ready for me to marry him :) We talked on the phone for a month in Japan in between the million people I wanted to say goodbye too :) Met up three more times and then I came to Cambodia :) We have been talking everyday and he's been one of my biggest supporters with Save Each One, finding me board members, helping me think things out, fundraising, marketing etc :) So one of the things I love are surprises. On Christmas even though my friends would give gifts before break started, I never openned them till christmas because I wanted the surprise. But Nolan would always tell me what he was going to do or had just done - sending flowers every week or even the 100 flowers he sent me before I left. So I didn't think he was a secret surprise kind of guy :) But I was wrong. He totally convinced me we were going to go to paris to be engaged and then planned a romantic engagement in Phuket. Even that was a surprise. Till the day he arrived (the day before we left) I thought we were going to go to Angkor Wat, but he had to tell me I needed my passport and convinced me we were going to indonesia :) hehe! I didn't know where we were going till we got to bangkok!!!
The last day we had a "special dinner" on the beach - a table right out of an indian movie scene and then he asked me to walk on the beach with him. As we were walking, there was a sign in lights on the beach - "Will you marry me" and when I turned to Nolan, there he was on one knee proposing!!!
hehe! So I am engaged and set to be married probably December 30th in India :)
As for everything else, I have been busy busy busy. I have had 4 teams since I got here in 4 months! Each one is a blessing and takes a lot of time out of my schedule but as I get more established the work they do is more and more focussed in helping. I wrote out part of the curriculum for the Chabdai medical project and Nolan has made my word document a real manuel with adding pictures and making it everything I didn't have the skills or time to try to do :) YAY!
The center is progressing. Been going to more meetings and getting more information. Its interesting how much information gathering one has to do to get all the information. All this time I have been thinking a local NGO is the way to go, but now I am finding out as I talk to other people that an international NGO is definitely the way to go and I might have just found a way to make it happen!! If not we might partner with another group here! Nolan also made me cards to connect with the women. It is so much nicer than I could have done and he did it sooo fast! So when we get back from vietnam today he is going to go out with Michael and try to reach out to them. We are going to offer free medical care and computers and english to start with. I may have a helper as well! I decided to do private lessons for Khmer. I felt like I was wasting too much time in the khmer class and not getting enough practice speaking and so Michael found me a medical student and she's great. I have learned so much in the week I have had her! And she wants experience so she is wanting to help me with the chabdai project!! Chabdai wanted a female Khmer doctor to take over after me. I might have found them just the person!
We arrived in Vietnam 2 nights ago and got a tour of the city yesterday. Our guide was not the best guide, but we got to talk to him a lot and he is a great person and so we might be able to set up a few medical camps in vietnam and maybe a future clinic!! Any grant writers out there! We need you! :) Let me know if anyone is interested in doing some free medical care in vietnam or wants to help write grants.
Loc also took me around Ho Chi Minh city to look for things I have wanted to price for business ideas for a social entrepreneur project with the women. Much better prices than Cambodia but I just have to figure out details! So everything is coming together!!!
God is sooo good! I have my kindle back and reading my daily devotional everyday has been great for slowing me down in the morning and putting things in the proper perspective!
Oh! I just got a tv!!! With my laptop gone all my brainless entertainment disappeared. But cable is only 50 dollars for 6 months so I got a tv and will get cable :) I just bought curtains too! So the house is turning into a home :) My ktichen is getting set up and I have finally managed to cook a good dish. I started getting free guitar lessons from my friend Kimmy. Life is just good! I updated the website with new information and put a lot of things that we need help with. If you guys want to help I could certainly use it!!! let me know!!! h
So first of all, on April 1st, no April's fool joke, I got engaged!!! I met Nolan online 8 months ago as I was finishing my stint at camp korey and finalizing things for coming to cambodia. We met two weeks after we started talking and my family screened him for me :) That involved an over 6 hour session where he met each member of my immediately family and then watched one debrief me as the others continued their questioning :) I drove the poor guy to his hotel at midnight :)
Two weeks later I just happened to be flying through LA on my way to hawaii and so my parents flew down to meet his family :) The next day they were ready for me to marry him :) We talked on the phone for a month in Japan in between the million people I wanted to say goodbye too :) Met up three more times and then I came to Cambodia :) We have been talking everyday and he's been one of my biggest supporters with Save Each One, finding me board members, helping me think things out, fundraising, marketing etc :) So one of the things I love are surprises. On Christmas even though my friends would give gifts before break started, I never openned them till christmas because I wanted the surprise. But Nolan would always tell me what he was going to do or had just done - sending flowers every week or even the 100 flowers he sent me before I left. So I didn't think he was a secret surprise kind of guy :) But I was wrong. He totally convinced me we were going to go to paris to be engaged and then planned a romantic engagement in Phuket. Even that was a surprise. Till the day he arrived (the day before we left) I thought we were going to go to Angkor Wat, but he had to tell me I needed my passport and convinced me we were going to indonesia :) hehe! I didn't know where we were going till we got to bangkok!!!
The last day we had a "special dinner" on the beach - a table right out of an indian movie scene and then he asked me to walk on the beach with him. As we were walking, there was a sign in lights on the beach - "Will you marry me" and when I turned to Nolan, there he was on one knee proposing!!!
hehe! So I am engaged and set to be married probably December 30th in India :)
As for everything else, I have been busy busy busy. I have had 4 teams since I got here in 4 months! Each one is a blessing and takes a lot of time out of my schedule but as I get more established the work they do is more and more focussed in helping. I wrote out part of the curriculum for the Chabdai medical project and Nolan has made my word document a real manuel with adding pictures and making it everything I didn't have the skills or time to try to do :) YAY!
The center is progressing. Been going to more meetings and getting more information. Its interesting how much information gathering one has to do to get all the information. All this time I have been thinking a local NGO is the way to go, but now I am finding out as I talk to other people that an international NGO is definitely the way to go and I might have just found a way to make it happen!! If not we might partner with another group here! Nolan also made me cards to connect with the women. It is so much nicer than I could have done and he did it sooo fast! So when we get back from vietnam today he is going to go out with Michael and try to reach out to them. We are going to offer free medical care and computers and english to start with. I may have a helper as well! I decided to do private lessons for Khmer. I felt like I was wasting too much time in the khmer class and not getting enough practice speaking and so Michael found me a medical student and she's great. I have learned so much in the week I have had her! And she wants experience so she is wanting to help me with the chabdai project!! Chabdai wanted a female Khmer doctor to take over after me. I might have found them just the person!
We arrived in Vietnam 2 nights ago and got a tour of the city yesterday. Our guide was not the best guide, but we got to talk to him a lot and he is a great person and so we might be able to set up a few medical camps in vietnam and maybe a future clinic!! Any grant writers out there! We need you! :) Let me know if anyone is interested in doing some free medical care in vietnam or wants to help write grants.
Loc also took me around Ho Chi Minh city to look for things I have wanted to price for business ideas for a social entrepreneur project with the women. Much better prices than Cambodia but I just have to figure out details! So everything is coming together!!!
God is sooo good! I have my kindle back and reading my daily devotional everyday has been great for slowing me down in the morning and putting things in the proper perspective!
Oh! I just got a tv!!! With my laptop gone all my brainless entertainment disappeared. But cable is only 50 dollars for 6 months so I got a tv and will get cable :) I just bought curtains too! So the house is turning into a home :) My ktichen is getting set up and I have finally managed to cook a good dish. I started getting free guitar lessons from my friend Kimmy. Life is just good! I updated the website with new information and put a lot of things that we need help with. If you guys want to help I could certainly use it!!! let me know!!! h