HI, Merry Christmas
So it feels really weird to say that, as I look outside and the sun is shining and the weather is nice and still hot enough to sweat.

Things have been really busy here. David Narita got home last Tuesday and then Lara’s Mom came last Friday. I have been teaching English three times a week and am there from anywhere between 1 and a half to 2 hours each time. I have no clue how to teach English so, I have been praying a lot. It has been very interesting to teach through an interpreter, She is learning along with the girls and speaks quite a lot of English. She just need refining and help with pronunciation. I have 6 students. There is (I have no clue how to spell their names so this is probably bad guessing) Socheit who is 18, Sopeip who is 17, Sopea who is 15. The little kids are all under 9. There is Soklee, Ratan, Terree. The girl who is translating is Sopaa and she is 19. It was very confusing at first to keep them all straight, but now I think I have it down. This last Monday Sopaa could not come, so I tried to teach without a translator. We went over what we had already learned and went a little farther with numbers and stuff. Then I had them fill in the blanks and mixed up letters and numbers and they all did very well and were able to identify almost everything. They have a hard time with thirty. They always want to call it three-tee. I was very happy with how much they have retained and if I gave grades, they all would have gotten an A+.

I have also been busy Christmas shopping and packing and figuring out what I need to take home and what can stay here, like clothes that are really stretched out and stuff like that. It feels really weird to be preparing to leave because I have just gotten used to living here. I was looking at my shampoo (which I am leaving with Ellie) and then it hit, oh my goodness I am leaving in 6 days!!! So It is happy and sad, I have to say goodbye to all the friends that I have made here, but I am really looking forward to seeing my friends and family in the states again. My Mom told me that I can’t plan anything for next Friday cuz she has plans for me and I was thinking it is crazy to me that I have plans with my Mom barely over a week away. So I am super excited to come home now and it is getting hard to wait.
Prayer
That I would find a job, that I would adjust back to the California time zone well, Wisdom, and that another English teacher would come along so that the girls can continue studying .
Thank you all so much for praying and all the emails I really love them!!!!!!! Talk to you in person soon!
I have no clue why this is all underlined and I can't make it stop, hahahaha this is kinda funny.....

The Boat races were a lot of fun. We spent 3 days of watching kids on a sugar high, that was entertaining. Since that we have been busy with the boys and Kai and I have been getting involved with some of the other ministries here. Last week I was able to go out with a dental team, I was the flashlight holder. I got to see everything cuz I had to make sure that the dentist could see the tooth he was working on. It was fun but it was hard to breathe through a mask with the humidity, I survived. We went out to a village about 3 and a half hours away. It was a bumpy ride and sometimes we weren’t sure the van could make it. In the end, we got there and back without having to leave it behind. So basically all day we pulled teeth cuz there isn’t much you can do when the teeth are past a certain point or they would require too much after care that can not be provided so they are pulled and the people are just happy that it doesn’t hurt anymore. Also I visited a safe house for women and children who are coming out of human trafficking. When I first got there they were very excited and asked if I was the American English teacher so I said well I can try. So I will be teaching them English. Please be praying for them, they are going through a lot of transitions right now. This week I have not been back yet because they are moving. They found a new house for them to live in because they were having trouble with the guy next door. Today is Thanksgiving, so Happy Thanksgiving to you all. It is weird cuz for us it just seems like any other day. The kids went to school and we had bible study and all the stores are open!!

Please be praying for the next couple of weeks they will be busy for us. Also I need prayer
that the Lord would show me what I am supposed to do when I get home and that I would not lose sight of what the Lord has taught me while I have been here or what he has promised for my future. I also will need a job so there is a lot to pray about. Thank you all so much for caring enough to check on me and pray for me. It has really been a huge blessing.
See you all in a couple of weeks.
Eat some Chocolate pie for me!! (AWWW Aunt Kristie I missed making bread with you this morning)

pictures of Thailand, taken through train and bus window

Pictures coming soon!!!!!

Part 2

At Starbucks, by the way it was the first day they were selling Toffee Nut Lattes which are amazing with vanilla added. Sarah and I decided to have a western day and by that I mean buildings with AC, nice bookstores, movie theaters and food that you don't get sick from. So we hopped on a public bus and off we went to the Paragon Mall. Paragon Mall is huge and has very expensive stores for the rich like Valentino. We made our way to the train station and got on a night train to Chang Mai. We got to CM around 7 am and then we ate at a nearby cafe and headed for the bus station where we got on a public transport bus to Pai a cute little town in the middle of nowhere. There are 762 curves on the road from CM to Pai and it was very fun!!!! On our way there we stopped at a store and in a shack/store that was next to it we happen to see they had the election news on and it was right as Obama was being announced as the winner.as we passed by to get back on the bus(funny way to find out, in my opinion). We had met a girl (Inez) from Amsterdam on the bus and we talked and decided that the 3 of us would travel together cuz she had wanted to go to Laos but didn't want to go across the border alone. Inez is a model who makes about 35$-45$ an hour, She was in her 7th week of travel in Thailand when we met her. She will be going home and working for 3 months and then moving to Dubai where her boyfriend lives. We rented a hut that all three of us stayed in cuz there wasn't many rooms left that were in our price range. We rented motos (small motorcycles) and rode out to the Hot Springs. It was the most beautiful drive I have ever seen. We got to see people working in the rice fields and then it started to rain so we pulled over and dashed under a open hut on the side of the road, we put the motos in as well. We hung out till the rain mostly stopped and then continued on our way,. We passed the elephant camps, and beautiful fields and mountains. The pictures just do not do it justice. I will try to get the ones that I took with Inez's camera cuz they at least look decent. Until then you will have to see these and let your imagination run wild (haha that sounds like a commercial). One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that the Thai people love their King, every day at 6 am & pm they play the national anthem and everyone stands still till it is done. I got to see this while waiting at the train station when suddenly everything stood still and this music was playing over the loud speakers. Also on Mondays people wear yellow and on Tuesday pink, to show their support for the King. This was also played on the bus and before every movie that is played in theaters.
First of all let me say that this whole next day was very interesting and I was constantly praying. I don't think I have ever prayed nonstop for so long before.
On our second night in Pai, Sarah and Inez got sick and Sarah wanted to go home to the states but I told her she had to get her suitcase from Siem Reap home before she could do that (I knew she would change her mind when she felt well again). So I went to the pharmacy and got some Anti-cookie tossing pills. Off we went, starting the 26 hour journey home which worked cuz the pills knocked her out. We got a bus to CM and let me tell you I felt everyone of those curves on the way back with every muscle in my body as I was keeping Sarah and her backpack somewhat still as she slept in my lap. The aisle filled with people and things and people fell on us and the challenge was keeping us safe from falling things and keep us on the right side of the bus as all of us were thrown around. I think back on this and laugh at the memory of how sore I was. Remember what I said about a video game? This would be a level, it would be great. Then as I was standing at a window getting ticket prices from one of the window in the train station in CM I was just really praying really hard asking for wisdom and guidance cuz I really didn't want another bus ride like the one from the border to Bangkok again. As I looked up in English it said in little letters Government buses. I was so happy and bought the tickets and then we went to a coffee shop I had seen around the corner(I have a coffee shop sensor) and chilled out till our bus left at 6pm. We got to Bangkok at 4:15 am and then we got a bus to the border and got across the boarder by 10:30 am and then we shared a Taxi with a Swiss couple who preferred speaking French. We arrived in town around 1 in the afternoon. We dropped some stuff off at the Naritas and then headed to Common Ground for some much needed caffeine and catching up on Internet. We were there about 5 min before our friend Jon walked in. I hadn't seen Jon in like a month because he was in Phnom Penh and so we caught up while Sarah updated her Facebook . We started talking about how much we love this one Indian food restaurant in town and so we all decided to go there for dinner and we were still having too much fun so we went for more coffee at a cheap place called Coffee and Tea World. We had a grand time deciding if Jon's drink tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios or not (it did taste like milk that had H-N-C in it) and if you could only pick one cereal to eat what would it be?? I think it is a toss up between Lucky Charms (the marshmallows are so addicting) and Frosted Shredded Wheat (you can pretend it is kinda good for you) .Lucky Charms won and Sarah felt it could only be Captain Crunch or Berry Blast, Jon said Lucky Charms cuz I am right about the marshmallows and Reese's Puffs. That is only part of the madness that went on. I found out that everything is funny when you have been up for more than 35 hours, and have meaningless conversations about cereal. It is called sleepmadness and you can tell if you have when you see a piece of paper fall to the ground and sadly find humor in it. That is where the trip story ends and where I will leave off for the night, I am rubbing my eyes cuz I am sleepy. Thank you so much for all your prayers, we so needed them and I can't wait to see you all and give you details of the trip :). Keep praying for things here and I will give you an updated prayer list soon!!

Taxi, Tuk-Tuk, Bus and Train!!!!!!

Hello!
I am back in Siem Reap, Sarah and I made it to Pai, Thailand and then our 2nd night there Sarah got sick and so we came home. None the less we still had a very interesting adventure. I guess I should start at the beginning so that would be at the “Taxi stand”. The “stand” is a random parking lot with Toyota Camrys and drivers and tuk -tuk drivers all trying to “help” each other find customers so the driver who takes the people pays the whoever helped. Thankfully Lara was with us at this point, and she was able to negotiate a very good price for us. So we threw our bags in the trunk and off we flew. I have written about the roads before. They are very bumpy and on some it really makes me think of the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland, except there are more possibilities cuz you are not on a track.
While on our way Sarah and I decided that we could make a really cool video game where while you are driving you have to dodge Cows, Dogs and other cars cuz they either stand in the middle of the road or come at you on the wrong side of the road.
Since our driver was in a hurry to get to the border town, we had a grand time bouncing around. The only thing keeping us out of each others laps was our hands grasping the seat with white knuckles. That bumper sticker you often see in the states took on a whole new meaning, you know the one that says “ Get in, sit down, hold on and shut up” well the shut up part is not needed cuz you are speechless as soon as you take off. I wish I could find a way to share with you what it was really like cuz as I reread this it just doesn’t do it justice. SO we got to the Thai Boarder in 3 hours and 23 min which is quite fast when you consider the condition of the road. We strapped on our backpacks and went to get stamped out of Cambodia, where we found out that Sarah had been scammed coming into the country. They said that they sold her a 3 month visa and charged her for a 3M but they gave her a stamp that was only good for one month so she had a 5 dollar fine for every day that she was here over that first month, thankfully we found this out now instead of finding out when she was going to leave in January.
After taking care of that, we started walking across the bridge to the Thai side where we waited in line only to be told that we had to fill out both the arrival and departure cards before they would process our passports. We were not the only ones, we found the papers and went to the tables to fill them out and the people who were in front of us were there, and soon the people who were behind us joined the crowd. So we had to stand in line again thankfully it wasn’t too bad of a line but that all changed when the lines stopped because the officers stopped the lines to change the T.V channel and then they couldn’t decide or agree on it and so after like 10 min of some people going through and other lines being completely stopped they found some Karaoke that they liked and then finally the line started to move, I was laughing SO HARD. I was in the line with the officer who controlled the remote.
So we got through and started to walk to where all the tuk-tuks are so we could hire one to the bus station. We were hounded by people asking what we were doing and where we were going so they could “help” us find transportation or a tour. Thankfully I had been warned about all these helpers and so avoided them (I had instructions from a web site called tales of Asia, they were very helpful) so as we pulled up to the station and this lady yells at our driver and he took us there before we were stopped she was asking if we were going to Bangkok which we were and so she wanted us to get on this bus cuz it was leaving so I was trying to ask questions like when would we get to Bangkok? How many stops it makes? and stuff like that as Sarah jumps on the bus. I figured this was not the government bus we wanted but the worst it would cost us was an extra half hour in stops to go with this other company (Lesson Learned: Don’t let people pressure you into anything) . We left at 12 and got to Bangkok at 5, It is only suppose to be 3and a half hours, It took 5. So they dropped us off at the bus station that is a long way from the city center where we had planned on staying. Then we got a Taxi, before we left Sarah had agreed to pay the high rate for the taxi of 450 baht which is about 14 dollars(this is really pricey for over here) the ride was suppose to take 10 min without traffic and 30 with. Well it took 2 hours, and he was trying to convince us to go to a guest house he knows that would be much closer and cheaper to get to. We told him no we already knew where we wanted to go and that we didn’t need another option. After about 10 min more I very firmly told him that we did not need or want to go to his guest house and that we told him where we wanted to go, we were paying him to take us there and that is what we wanted nothing more, nothing less.
Here guest houses pay the driver a little if they bring them customers (the GH that do this are not normally ones you would want to stay in) when we were getting out I got the bags as we handed him the money he said no 450 each to which I said no we agreed on 450 for both of us all the way here and that was all we were going to pay ( I had been warned about this also and had made the terms of the price clear and confirmed them twice before getting in the car) and then he started to call me names and so I stopped him told him that we had agreed on a price he could call me whatever he wanted but that was all the money we would pay him, he stared at me shocked as I quickly shut the door and walked away. Down the street with tons of people and where no cars were allowed. A I looked back on the days events, I wanted to laugh uncontrollably, and now thinking about it, I do.
I was very happy as we checked in to the hostel and walked up and down the street looking at all the different vendors and I got to try Pad Thai which is very yummy. One lady was just strolling down the street with her push wagon and when we ordered some she just stopped right there and started making it, fried up an egg and put some sauce and noodles and some spices and then she had lots of toppings to choose from. It was Amazing, we had only eaten PB and crackers and Oreos on the bus so we were really hungry. The Pad Thai was so fresh and yummy and hot MMMMMM and then we got fruit shakes (fruit shakes are the “Thing” over here, U get to pick the fruit) it was like 1.25 for dinner and dessert. Then walked around some more and listened to the live music and the we crashed and slept in till like 8:30 it was great!! The next morning we went to Starbucks which was a 2 min walk from our hostel door. Let me tell you how ridiculous it was that I felt like I could cry when I stepped in the door and smelled that coffee. You don’t realize how much you really enjoy something until you don’t have it anymore(OK, OK I AM ADDICTED), I felt at home which was great cuz I was having a really hard time with culture shock coming for Siem Reap to Bangkok(CRAZINESS) I was really jittery and really weird shocked that the roads were so good and that there were 7 elevens all over the place and stuff like that, and people, people, people everywhere. Sarah works at a Starbucks so she was really happy to be there, she just had the job for the summer but really loved it. So she felt like she was home too, it was a GREAT end to such a crazy day. More later, I will take a while to type the rest of the trip. Right now in Siem Reap we are having the Water Festival and they have boat races and stuff so I am kinda busy playing with friends. Thank you all so much for all your prayers, we needed them and I could tell they made a difference.

Hello Everyone!
Sorry it has taken so long to update, things here have been really crazy.
Yesterday we had a Halloween/Harvest party for the kids (mostly missionary kids and some non christian friends). So we made good food and put up decorations and played games. The kids were very cute, most of them were only dressed-up for 10 to 15 min and then just ran around and played. So I thought why did we spend a week thinking about what we were going to be and then a day or two making the costume and then only wear it for an hour max. Hhhmmmm. Well me, being the party pooper that I am wasn't about to spend all that time and money for one short kids night. I did wear the nice outfit I brought with me and my hat. I was told I looked like an Irish pop star. I guess that sometimes when I answer a question quickly or am surprised at something, I tend to have an Irish accent (I don't hear it but whatever). This is something that I get teased for. So when one person suggested that I looked like a pop star someone else heard that and added the Irish part. They tell me I say " I du-know" and " yea" alot and I guess that makes me sound Irish.
Anyway
Prayer
I am going on a trip to Thailand and Laos with Sarah and would love it if you would be praying for:
Safe journey
Smooth roads and train tracks
Health
That my action and reactions on this trip would point her to the Lord
Wisdom for where to stay and what sight seeing we should do

I will tell you all about it when I get back on the 14th. I will try to take lots of pictures.
Thank you all so much!!

Prayer

Hi,
I need some prayer right now. I have hit a rough spot and I am at the end of my strength which is a good place to be cuz then we have no choice but to lean on the Lord's strength. I really need prayer for:
Wisdom how to deal with different situations, that I would have a good attitude.
That my words would be God honoring and gentle.
That I would die to self and keep God the focus of my thoughts and actions.
God is faithful!!
Psa 96:2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Psa 96:3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.


Thank you so much for your faithfulness to pray for me, I really appreciate it and of course need it.

This is the only one that loaded. This is Hanna, Katja's daughter
Ok. plan B the pics won't load. I will try tomorrow

Hey
I guess I will start off with last Wednesday night, 2 couples came over for dinner. They are both older couples and have basically lived on the mission field for most of their lives. Between both couples if you look at everywhere they have lived, you would probably only have like 10-15 countries that they HAVEN’T lived in. Hearing about the different places they had lived was in itself amazing. Then hearing their stories about living on the mission field, and dealing with stuff like being in a car accident, having at the very least a broken leg, and being transported in the back of a truck for like 6 hours to get to proper medical care without anything for pain was interesting. I had a great time just sitting there listening to all there “back in my day” stories. One of the couples were American and the other Scottish, so there were FUN accents also. Then to top off the night David(Scottish) recited poetry!! I loved it, all we needed was a fire in a fireplace (and cold weather). Ok so I was going to find them online but I can’t find them (the poems), I don’t know what to type to narrow down the google results. Anyway one was about Moses’ grave and the other is The Cobbler both are Christian poems and are really cool but I don’t know who wrote either of them. So if anyone has info on this let me know.

Then on Friday we went swimming and were shocked to see all these white people in the same place. We are talking like 20-25 all different shades of wanna-be-tan. So it was very interesting and we were shocked further because everyone had a bathing suit and so there was lots of blinding skin. Here people for the most part are very modest for cultural reasons. Like, it is not ok for unmarried women to show their shoulders and skirts have to go to the ankles. This does not include everyone because our western ways have somewhat become accepted in some circles just not by the whole community.

Saturday
We had a party for one of the girls next door at our house, she was turning 18. It was very interesting. We had interesting food and dancing mixed with LOUD karaoke. It was quite the experience. I have a couple of videos to show you. The one that you can't really see much is the dancing but you can get a basic feel for it. All you do is walk back and forth while swirling your hands around.

This week it has rained a lot and we have used the tile porch as a slip-n-slide. It was SUPER FUN! I have a video and a picture of Marianne who almost had too much momentum and started to slide right into the house, I did this also. It is a fine art to find out much you have to run and jump. You need enough to get some speed going but slow down enough so you can stop yourself before you start hitting the door. FUN FUN FUN!!

Last night we went to the night market and got fish massages!! Yes I was fish food. First they wash off your feet and then you put your feet in this tub full of little fish, and then the little fish come and suck the dead skin off your feet. It is the weirdest feeling in the world!!! I only did this because I have been accused of hating any and all animals. This not true just because I don’t feel the NEED to touch animals when I come across them doesn’t mean that I HATE (I will admit I HATE CATS)animals. So then everyone decided that I must be afraid of animals and even little fish. So I felt the need to prove that I don’t really care, I just am not compelled to pet dirty animals every time I have the chance, it is an occasional thing. I am not afraid of fish!!(that would be silly). ANYWAY we had a great time and it was a very interesting experience. Here are some pics and videos

FINALLY I CAN LOAD SOME PICTURES YIPPEE!!!
A Couple of lake houses, which are part of a floating village
Really young kids get around in and play in their families boats Marianne's peek-a-boo picture
This is the gorgeous stormy Cambodian scenery
The view from the back of the Barge, those are tree tops
The view from the front of the Barge
I know, I know a picture of feet how random, but I think the rain drops look really cool
We got to fish off the sides of the Barge. Squatting is what people do here, if you're fishing or sewing or eating or just waiting. They are very flexible, I can't do it right but I guess they have a lifetime to practice.
This is the boat we have to get out to the Barge, on the lake. It's name is THE FISH
This is the Barge
The Big Crocs FINALLY!!
I think these things are creepy!
A little update on my geckos, there is a whole family of like 5 here are 2

But Amazing, still creepy though
This is the 600 pounder, talk about huge-mungous
It looks to me like there isn't enough room for the driver?? HMMMM
The Pigs are drunk!! I am serious! They feed them rice wine so that they don't move.
These little piggys are going to the market

OK so I don't know how to turn the sound off on my camera and so I will try to explain what you hear during the movie. First it is of one of our fellow missionaries, and he was telling us a story about a show that he saw in Thailand where a girl put her head in the Crocs open mouth and posed for pictures. The rest is just chatting that you can't really hear and then at the end I was going to have a picture of Marianne, Bo and Betsy but as you can tell Betsy did a disappearing act. It ends with a picture of Marianne and Bo with me laughing in the background cuz the thought popped into my head as I was wondering where Betsy had gone. Betsy is so the type that would jump down in the pit with the Crocs and perform the story mentioned above. So then I was laughing so hard I had to turn off the camera and look for Betsy. Sorry it so jumpy, I was a little more concerned with where I was putting my foot than what was happening with the video.

Saturday
I had some real cultural experiences. To start off the day I got a hair cut which I kinda felt forced into by the fact that here your hair is always crazy cuz you are always sweaty and dusty, and it tangles very easily. I had just got my hair cut in June. Normally I could have waited till Dec but it did work out that way. You can try and imagine my fear in letting someone I don’t know cut my hair, in a foreign country that doesn’t regulate things such as who is allowed to wield scissors. I have a very choppy hair cut that is popular with the Koreans, not bad just a little different. You have to really look at my hair to tell the difference. After that Lara picked me up(on the moto J) and then we went to the house and all(Naritas and I) piled into the car and off we went to a birthday party. The birthday party was for a very cute little 1yr old girl who of course, was very shy with all the people around. They had a church service and then they dedicated the birthday girl to the Lord. They had three pillars of balloons around the cake table and on the table was this big tiger balloon/thing and then the had the cake cutting ceremony where every one gathers around the table and claps and sings happy birthday while they cut the cake. Then everyone brings their gift to the cake table, and dinner is served. I guess it is the thing to make curry for gatherings, and what we had is kinda like curry but I forgot what it was called. It had meat, carrots, potatoes and leafy something. It was good! There were some other missionaries there and we were all joking around that the meat was dog meat, so we talked to one of the ladies who came along to give us more bread and joked with her a little. When she said "oh I like dog meat its good" and then she told us how she had hit a dog while driving and wondered if they should bring it but she said no they didn’t do that. I guess that is another sign that you have adjusted, when you joke about something like that and it is super funny but could also be true. The conversation then turned to whether we would get sick from eating this and then they told me that every time you go to a wedding here you always get sick. We all know how challenging it is to make food in mass amounts and then you add the conditions that people have to cook in and no fridge access and it can be stomach risky.

Monday
After school Neang, Sarah, Lara and I went to coffee at Caltex(gas station). They have a coffee plus store inside and it is yummy. While we were there, Katja came in and joined us. She was meeting her husband there so when Erik got there he joined us also. It is the hang out place kinda like in Modesto you can go to O’Brian’s Starbucks or Costco and see like ten people you know. Well here we see each other at Caltex(for COFFEE) or Common Grounds(for COFFEE) or the Lucky grocery store(coffee also available if you really need it). We are also known for having each other over to whoever’s house for Coffee. I have come to the conclusion that Coffee brings people together from all around the world and bonds them in a special way. Like at our little Coffee gathering we had, several different countries and states were represented. There was Neang who is from Cambodia, Katja who is from Germany, Erik who is from Holland, Lara from Hawaii, Sarah from Delaware and me from California. OK so maybe we are just fueling each other's addictions, but you have to admit that going out to Coffee with friends is great. I have learned the importance of this since I am living in a house of non-coffee drinkers. When I came I brought the first/only coffee maker(Thanks Paul) into the house. ANYWAY
We had a great time, after picking up Neang’s kids from school. We(Sarah, Neang and I) went to Elly’s house for Karaoke. This was interesting. We sang Bye Bye Love, Under The Boardwalk, Hard Day’s Night, Wait a Minute Mr. Postman, Downtown and Can’t Buy Me Love. I was introduced to Love Potion no9 which in my opinion is a lame and terrible song, and also some very interesting Cambodian songs.

Tuesday
We had a great day in school and Spanish was my favorite thing today, also history is fun cuz we are read aloud to and so the youngest and I color princess color pages. After that we went out to Happy Ranch and the girls had their first horseback riding lesson. I had a great time chillaxin in a big wood chair with my ipod and watching the horses, and I must admit I STARED at the grass. We are talking like a yard FULL of grass so nice and green, you just don’t see that here. Then tonight as I write this the Truexs are playing Apples to Apples card game, It is super funny cuz they play that when you put a card down you can explain why your card should win. This is funny like when Scott (the Dad) tries to explain why bubbles are nice. His reason is because when a baby is around 6-8 months and you blow bubbles for them it makes them happy and make cute noises and that is NICE. Nice was the Adjective and you have nouns and noun phrases in your hand that you choose from that go along or explain the Adjective( you can look it up online if you have never heard of it and this is confusing).

Prayer
A couple of people are a little sick this week so pray for healing or endurance.
For Sarah, Elly and Neang that they would come to know the Lord.
That I would be Christ like in my actions and words.
That I would not fight against the refining process that the Lord is allowing me to go through.
For the people of this country who are struggling to survive on the very little if any money that they make.
For the Christians who are/feel forced to marry a non-Christian spouse, and the young people who come to know the Lord and are afraid to tell their parents for fear of rejection.
Thanks :) P.S more pictures to come soon!

Hi everyone!!!
Sorry it has taken so long for an update. SSSSSooooooooooooooo where should I start. Last Saturday we had a Crocodile Feed, we had grilled Croc and Croc Curry. They were both pretty good, but the Curry was my favorite.
Sunday we went out to a floating village and they had a dedication of the Barge(a floating basketball court) they will be using it as part of the ministry to the people nearby. It was kinda funny cuz the kids said that after they are on the barge and have played for awhile their backs and legs start to hurt cuz they are so use to having to crouch down and squat in their boats and don’t get to stretch often. It was funny, they were talking about how big our calves are and how the guy who is working with us is also getting big legs cuz he is on land often.

Monday
I had the day off and went to the Naritas and we went swimming which is always fun, The boys had a blast and Baby Kai loves the water. One of the funny things that happened was that Ben decided that it would be cool if he used the strings from his swim shorts to tie himself to the ladder in the pool as we were getting ready to leave, he was able to get it untied and figured he needed a bigger challenge. So this time the knot was so good that Lara had to work on it for a couple of minutes, this is one of those situations that you are dying laughing but you don’t want to encourage them so you are tying not to smile or laugh out loud. Then that just makes you laugh harder and it is this sputtering laugh that you cant cover up, Aww good times good times.

Tuesday
We took another day off , for Pechunben ( I don’t think I spelled that right) it is kind of like the Cambodian Halloween. The people believe that they have to make food sacrifices at seven different temples in their areas so that their dead ancestor don’t starve. This is a time of year when everyone goes back to their families village/town. That is how I understand it, so it is a national holiday and we got it off so that we could hang out with friends.
We went out to the Baray (man made lake), it is where all the wealthy Cambodians go. I don’t think I have told you all about Jon, he is a guy from Michigan who is here for a year, he is a civil engineer and hopes to do more with his degree but is ok with teaching English in a Christian school for now. We met at church, he is one of the few people who is near my age, and lots of fun. Sarah is a girl who got here about 3 weeks ago and is teaching English through a NGO called JWOC for the next 8 months. She is just out of high school, we met through Neang, who’s husband is friends with Sarah’s grandfather. She is not a Christian but has said that she is interested, she was so excited when she found out that I was a Christian and has a lot of questions she went to a youth group in the states but wants to wrap her mind around some stuff before she actually makes a commitment to Christ. So we all went out to the Baray along with the Family I am living with. It was SO MUCH FUN we got in the water about 10:00 and swam out to where it was cold and deep and floated around all hanging on a tube and talking and learning that people from Michigan are called Michiganders and other odd facts about Michigan. One of the kids is doing a report and story board on Michigan so it was very helpful info. All us kids played and talked out there and when we finally came in it was 1:00 so we had to go cuz we only rented the shade shack for half a day. We came home and ate good homemade tacos and then us kids washed the dishes and made brownies and all took turns eating the leftover batter and talking about how we all say things like Collage, Nascar and many others, it was hours of entertainment as we started to feel our sunburns a little. We even watched a little bit of a comedy act (Brian Regan) that I have on my computer. After all of that, my stomach was sore from all the laughing the whole next day.

Wednesday
We started to get back into the routine of school. That afternoon I went to coffee with Sarah, we rode bikes and this time I was the tour guide. Bike riding has been very nice since I found a bike that is tall enough for me and pumped up tires. Coffee was fun and we are getting to know each other better and what a better way than over a lovely cup of Coffee.

Thursday
After school Ellen and Marianne took me to get a manicure as girl bonding time. It was fun and the place we went to was very very clean. After that Scott Ellen and another couple went out to dinner and I kept all 9 kids it was a lot of fun and felt so much more normal for me.

Friday
We got school done early and went swimming after that Sarah and I went out to dinner at Burger with no Boarders it was amazing!!!!!!!!!1 like better than a lot of burgers in the states but so worth it and now we are watching a movie and chillaxin on the couch which I must say is very nice.

I am sure that you can see the people who I would ask prayer for and pray that the Lord would just give me wisdom and the right words to say and that what I do would point people toward the Lord. Thank you for all the prayers keep them going it is such a blessing.

Hi Everyone .

The Internet has been cut off again so updates will still be sparse. I do want to let you know that we all need prayer over here, there has been alot of spiritual warfare lately. Pray for wisdom, guidance, patience and endurance. I hope to update you all soon with some more fun stories of life here. Thanks :]

Sorry For The Confusion

I am sorry that I have not explained who Andrew is. Andrew is a 17 year old who was serving here in Cambodia with his parents and younger siblings. They are friends and teammates of the Naritas. One morning his parents couldn't wake him up, after being taken to the hospital in Bangkok he was diagnosed with diabetes. He was in a coma for about a month and passed away on Sept 14th. I am sure you can imagine the heart break this family has gone through. They have found comfort in the fact that they will one day see Andrew again in heaven, and even though we do not understand why these things happen that God is still in control. Right now the family is in the states with the rest of their family and plan to come back some time next month to continue with what the Lord has called them to do here in Cambodia. Please be praying for them, they will still be needing that a lot in the months to come. So that is why the Naritas left their 2 boys (Ben and Jon) with me, and flew to Bangkok to minister to the family during this extremely difficult time. I hope this has explained things a little more if you still have questions let me know.

Some Pictures of the Flooding

The tree marks where the road washed away

The Overflowing River
Main road into town
While staying with Ben and Jon I learned the finer points of playing Bionicles
Games at VBS


Signs That You Have Adjusted To Your Environment

1. You laugh when you go to a restaurant and they have the same silverware that comes free in the toilet paper.
2. The thought of wading through knee deep water to get into town when you can not see what you are stepping into or on, doesn’t bother you at all.
3. You see a picture of the ocean and think "OH YEAH there is water that is blue/green and pretty" (here water is all a brown/red clay color)
4. When you go out to eat you look for a table that is by a fan but not a light cuz bugs are drawn to the light.
5. When you look in your water cup and find a dead mosquito and think "mooha-ha-ha one down millions to go."
6. Look in your tea cup and find entertainment watching a water bug get high on the caffeine. This was a very funny thing to watch, the longer it swam around, the more jittery it got and the faster it swam(we sat right under a light. Ooops).
7. When you walk by the river and see 3 boys skinny dipping in broad day light your first thought is "I wonder where are the other 6 today?"


I am going to try and tell you all that has happened this past week, it has been very busy and eventful.
First off, VBS was much better. This week we played with a rainbow parachute tossing balls into the air and the kids had a blast. Katja (Ka-tee-ya) and Erik drove the boys and I to church, we were going to go out to eat afterwards but someone got a little sick on the way so they took us home. The boys were very disappointed when we got into the house. Ben felt it was his job to explain to me what is supposed to happen after church ” Hey Alyssa if my parents were here we would probably go out to eat now”. So then I explained that I couldn’t drive them especially in the dark and the rain. We decided to order delivery pizza, a simple task one might think. Let me just say it was the most fun I have ever had ordering over the phone. The guy who took our order and I repeated ourselves about 15 times each so the other could understand. As if that wasn’t bad enough then I had to give him directions to the house and here there really aren’t road names and the ones that do have names are not the ones with houses on them. So I tell them that it is by the Borann Guest house and he knew how get there. Then I gave him directions from the guest house. It's real simple, come out of parking lot and turn left, go straight till you see the big PINK house with all the lights on and the gate open. Then about a half hour later I get a call saying he can't find the house so could I please come pick it up from the guest house. I did my best to explain that I had no way of getting there and I wasn’t about to walk there in the dark and that is the whole reason I ordered delivery. I give him the directions again. After 20 mins of standing on the porch I got a call from someone else saying the driver sees no one standing on the porch so then I gave him the directions and he called the driver and told him. About another 20 mins and he did find it. My guess is that he wasn’t really at the guest house cuz it is only a 5 min walk from the house and there are't any roads to turn the wrong way on. I laughed so hard after every phone call and was getting ready to let the boys know we were going to have quesadillas for dinner, when he finally showed up. The pizza was very good and had little hot dogs rolled into the crust.

Monday
After I got the boys off to school, two of Lara’s friends came to get me and we went to breakfast. We walked to a very small hotel that has a pretty nice restaurant. We had Pho (FA) soup. It is a kinda beef broth with noodles, onions and small pieces of beef and then you add lime, basil leafs(at least that is what I told myself the plant that they were feeding us was), bean sprouts and some yummy super spicy red sauce. It was very good and I was able to work on my mad chopstick skills (the noodles were very hard to eat with two little sticks). After that Katja came and got me and we went out to a little village about a half hour out of town on a moto bike. This I must say was very fun. We even came to a stick bridge where I got off and walked across, praying it would hold the weight of the bike. I told her which sticks were wobbly. The road was wet and bumpy the whole way there because of all the rain the day before. On the way back she taught me how to drive which I found to be very fun. Katja is very brave. After we almost fell from sliding in the mud she said “Let me start it and then you try again OK” so she did and hopped back on the back. The reason we went was to visit a member of one of the home churches that they (Erik and Katja) oversee. The lady we went to see is around 6 months pregnant and had a doctor tell her that the baby’s head was not growing and had no brain. Katja is a Doctor and came to look at the sonogram pictures and had sent her to get more taken. This Mother is now going down south to get a better sonogram done in Phnom Penh. Please be praying that the doc would stop pressuring her to abort the baby and that if the baby really has no brain that the family would find comfort in their faith. Also if the baby is not growing then they will induce labor so pray that would be as painless as possible if that is how it goes. This is the family’s first child and they are very scared. She would be due around Nov or early Dec. The mother also said she doesn’t sleep well because the baby moves so much at night, which is a very good sign but we still need to get a better picture of what is going on.

Tuesday
I started Laundry and that was a lot of fun cuz it was still raining a lot. The washer is on the roof under a metal cover and when the washer is on you can't touch the sides cuz you get shocked. Well I started the clothes about 8 and went up around 9 and the they had not drained and rinsed. I think it is cuz the power had gone out for a minute, so I got to push buttons and try and figure out which one made it drain(the buttons are in Chinese). I was successful and got it all drained and then I set to hanging it on the line to dry. It took like a day and a half to dry because it rained so much. I helped Katja cut up veggies for lunch and visited till the boys came home for lunch. Then the boys and I went to our house for lunch and after I got them off to afternoon session of school, Lara’s friend Neang came and she took me out for a 2 hour moto driving lesson. It was a lot of fun. We went out to the lake and saw some floating villages.

Wednesday
was a very cool morning. Neang and Elly(I have no clue what kind of churchy type of things these ladies have been exposed to) took me to breakfast again and they had a lot of questions about what kinda of church I go to. I gladly answered all their questions and by the end I had shared what I went through before I knew Christ, and what ended up bringing me to the realization of how deeply God loves us and wants a daily, personal relationship with us. Elly was very interested and at the end said she liked the idea of the kind of church that I go to. Neang was a little uncomfortable but still had questions she wanted answers to. The fact that she liked what I was saying bothered her. Please be praying for them and pray that I would give a true picture of what it is like to live a life surrendered to the Lord, just resting in His loving arms.
That night Jon had Taikwando. Near the end of class it started to rain really hard so the kids played in the rain and the mud and had a grand time. After waiting 45 mins for the rain to stop or at least slow we gave up and started to run home. It is only a 3 min walk but in that time we were all completely soaked, which worked cuz then it rinsed some of the mud out of the boys hair. It was lots of fun!!!!!

Thursday
I did some more laundry had coffee with Katja. It was very nice to get to know her a little more, and then we went to the YWAM base here because someone was sick. Katja tells sick people which clinic in town they should go to for their medical problems. Then we went out to another church plant that they oversee and I got to see the church and meet some of the ladies that attend there. The kids played and then we went to go get David and Lara at the airport around 7:30. The boys were very happy to see their parents but said that it was fast and seemed like just a day or two(so I guess I passed the fun test).

Friday
We just kinda hung out and did more laundry and went to Breakfast with the girls again. We went down to the Old Market and picked up some things that Neang was having sewn which ended up being a sheer shawl thing that Neang had seen in a magazine from Paris. There was one for me and one for Elly. I had picked out the fabric for mine cuz Neang said it was for someone else my age and wanted my opinion on what to get. Everyone spoils me here!!!
Saturday was the Skype party and I loved seeing everyone and yes I did go through knee deep water to get to the Internet cafe and it was worth every minute.

Thank you for all your prayers this past week. I had fun taking care of the Narita boys(Ben and Jon) while their parents were gone.
I am back at the Truex’s house. Please be praying for wisdom on my part.
Also Grace, Patience and Guidance.
I love it when I get your emails, keep them coming. I reply when I have access to the internet. I can't post pics right now cuz they wont load put I will try another day.

Going to a Skype Party

Alyssa wanted me (her Mom) to update her Blog. How can I do that? I don't really know everything she would want you all to know! I can tell you her adventure continues. She is back at the Truex house now and will continue to serve them after a week taking care of the Narita boys while their parents were out of the country for an emergency. It is the rainy season and she is experiencing the effects of that. The power at the Truex house was out on Saturday morning so she was determined to get to an Internet connection so she could use her web cam. My side of the family had planned to gather at our house to celebrate Seth's birthday and we were going to try to get everyone to talk to Alyssa while they were here.
I wasn't at the computer when she told the story of how she got to the Internet cafe so I'll try to give you some idea. She can give us the facts later. There is a river through town which separated the area where she lives with the Truex's and where the Internet cafe is. Due to the rains, the river had risen and had overflowed. She waded through some areas where the streets were flooded. Some places the water was up to her knees. She felt like she accomplished something when she made it to the Internet cafe. Everyone thought she was crazy for even attempting to go so she could talk with us.
We turned on the computer about 7:30 pm before everyone arrived (almost everyone was late!) and there she was online waiting for us. That would be 9:30 in the morning Cambodia time. Little by little the rest of the family arrived and went to the computer to talk and see Alyssa on the Web cam. Grandma was amazed at the technology and could hardly understand how we could talk to Alyssa on the other side of the World. I don't get the technological aspects either but I know it works and I am thankful to be able to see my daughter and communicate on a regular basis with her. There is something about being able to see her that let's my mommy heart know how she is doing.
Mike got our globe down and showed Andy(10) and Alicia(9)-(her cousin's oldest two kids) where Cambodia was and how Alyssa had to fly across the Ocean to get there. Emilio(3) and Evan(6)-(cousins #3 and #4 children) arrived a bit later. It took Emilio a while to get the whole Alyssa on the computer thing but he would run around the room, poke his little face in the picture and then run away again. He liked seeing himself on the Computer as the Web cam showed us our picture too. Evan had his Uncle Tim(another cousin) type chat for him when the web cam connection got fuzzy and wasn't working too well. The only local people missing were Juan(cousin Beth's husband) and Bella(cousin's #5 child). Alyssa was disappointed to not see Bella but she was home in bed, resting up for a Saturday full of sibling soccer games and her own Birthday party celebrating turning 2 years old in the evening. The Rodriguez kids(her cousins family)you would know as Alyssa's babies.
We all gathered around the computer and made Alyssa sing Happy Birthday with us. At first, she was resistant because she was in the Internet cafe with people there. She was in a more private area of the cafe so after much haranguing and pleading I think she agreed to go along with us quietly. I couldn't see the computer but I bet she was probably faking the singing. We had Seth blow out the Birthday pie candles in front of the web cam and all. The focus of the party seemed to be on Alyssa not the Birthday boy but he is the kind of guy that doesn't like to be the center of attention so it worked out for both if them I suppose.

I think the opportunity to see and talk to most of the family was a great encouragement for Alyssa. She called this a Skype party. Skype is the program we use to chat.
She loves hearing from you all at home. It keeps her going when things get tough. She wants to be in both places at the same time. She wants to experience everything here at home and yet she knows she is called by the Lord to be in Cambodia at this time. I guess that's a hard place to be. She just doesn't like missing out on the fun we have here without her. She asks you all to pray for Wisdom for her as she needs to know what the Lord would have her to do and how to handle things that come up along her adventure there. She will try to post some pictures of the flooding soon, at least that what she says......
I thank you all for keeping in touch and praying for her. We are blessed to know you and have you in our lives.
Tammy for Alyssa

Sad News

It has been a busy couple of days and I just wanted to give you all a quick update. Andrew passed away Sunday night. I would like to ask that you would continue praying for his family during this time. They are doing ok considering the situation they are walking through. Pray for dealing with the insurance company, getting everything arranged so they can go back to the states for awhile. And comfort for all the hearts involved.
The kids and I are doing well so far. We talked about how even though it is sad that Andrew died, that we have Hope in Christ that we will see Andrew again in heaven (they know that you go to heaven if you believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins).
We have had fun learning new things like how much fun rain and mud can be, ordering delivery pizza, communicating with the house helper through lots of pointing, nodding and shaking our heads and in the end we are both laughing. I am slowly learning how to say a couple of words like thank you, hello and a few things like that.
Thank you all for the prayers!!!!

Jon Narita
Wednesday
We got done with school early today, so I walked to the Narita’s house. It only took like 45-50 minutes, it was raining so it was almost cold/cool. It is so funny that when it rains you still sweat in a t-shirt. People of course were staring as I walked down the street. It may have been my black and white polka-dot umbrella or the fact that I was not in the touristy part of town. In the center of town they don’t stare much but when you go down a street with houses they think you are lost or crazy or both. There is a good number of roads that are paved, but where the houses are, they are all still dirt. When it rains, the top of the road gets this layer of clay/dirt and it is pretty slippery so you have to watch your step very closely. I have not fallen (YET!) but it makes for more interesting bike rides. ANYWAY, The Narita’s and I just hung out. Lara and I made chocolate chip cookies (they were AMAZING) while the boys played outside in the dirt and with the frogs. Lets just say Warm Chocolate chip cookies are supposed to be soft in the middle. In town they have not figured that out yet, or what real chocolate chips taste like. We had lots of fun and were asked about every 5 minutes to “come look what the frog just did” and “could we please bring the frog in the house ."

Thursday

The Internet is not working at the house and so that is why there has not been too many updates. I just found out today that I won't have Internet at the house for the rest of the month. So I have a great excuse to get out of the house now. I was finally able to do a bit of exploring on my way to the Internet cafe. After I got home we had a game night, we played Settlers Of Catan for about 3 hours and drank homemade hot chocolate.

Saturday

I spent the night at the Narita's. We were going to hang out for the weekend which ended up being perfect timing. David, Lara and Kai are on their way to Bangkok. They are going there to be with a fellow missionary family who's son is in the hospital(Andrew Prak). Please be praying for all of us, it looks as if the son is not going to pull through. He has been in a coma for about a month and they had started to see some progress and then things started to change quickly today. I am here staying with the boys so they don't miss school and everything. I am having a crash course on the language because the lady who comes to help out with the house speaks no English. So please be praying for that. I have notes and lists of words so we can try and communicate. She is the one who does all the shopping at the market(thankfully, cuz I would have to try and barter in another language). The boys are doing really great for now, but pray that they would adjust easily and slip into a normal routine. Thank you for all your prayers

Monday and Tuesday

VBS was interesting… The ladies who taught did a good job and the kids had fun. It was just a bit on the iffy side as far as being organized like I had a 30 second warning before I had to have the games ready cuz they didn’t know what went next. It was a very good lesson in being flexible and gracious. About 15 people were giving different instructions, and so game time was short and sweet, no longer than ten minutes (to my relief). We had “Mexican food”. I love the way they told the kids what they were eating. They said that IT was a floury kinda flatbread stuck together with cheese (Quesadilla) and toasted bread with cinnamon and sugar on it. I am not sure but maybe they were trying to make a Churro kind of thing. I was also unaware that all the little kids in Mexico like to sing La Cucaracha. Good times, Good times.

Monday was pretty normal. We did school and went to Lucky (grocery store) where I broke down and bought some American chocolate. After that we went and climbed the Elephant trail again, but this time we went up the normal people way so we didn’t have to play elephant dodge.
Tuesday we had some school teachers over for dinner. 3 are American and 3 are Canadian, they just got here 2 weeks ago. They are here for 2 years teaching in English, so that the kids that graduate from this school could continue on to an American or European college. The plan is for them to come back to Cambodia so their communities can benefit from their education. They want the kids to choose whatever career they want and have the a chance to make their dreams come true. They said that one of the kids was very excited when he found out that with lots and lots of hard work he could be an Astronaut if he wanted to be. All of the teachers are in their mid 20s early 30s and as far as I could tell none of them know the Lord.
So please be praying that we would shine Jesus to them, that they would know that God wants a personal, daily relationship with them, that God loves them and wants good things for their lives.
Also that you are saved by Gods grace ALONE. There is no way we could ever work our way to heaven. That you simply accept God’s free gift of salvation and let him lead your life.


I love our one true God!!! He is so faithful in everything!!!
I love that He loves me, and thinks that I am precious even though He sees how completely wicked my heart can be. I love that when I feel lonely and that no one understands, He is always by my side. I love that when life gets really hard and it hurts so bad that I have no strength to move on, He carries me through it all. I love that He is a very patient teacher, and that when I keep messing up in my words, actions and attitude He is always there forgiving me and showing me the right way to do it. The thing I love the Most about my best friend Jesus is that He loves me like I have done nothing wrong, because in His eyes I am white as snow.

Is. 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Eph 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Eph 2:9
not of works, lest anyone should boast.