Putting action to our words

So, after two weeks of talking about agriculture we started to put our plans into action. We spent Tuesday and Thursday mornings moving a mountain of dirt to fill in and raise the bed of a garden we’re going to plant at the orphanage. It was exciting to see the kids being excited to help us. I still find it cool how much we can interact and have fun even without speaking the same language. On Wednesday and Friday we prepared plant beds at Seang’s house, and planted corn, snake bean and morning glory. We also set up a drip line which will be a big help to his parents. Who were previously carrying water from the pond to the garden in two large watering cans, making many trips a day. In the afternoons we are continuing to help out at the Youth Center and building our relationships there. On Thursday afternoon we did the Bible program at the orphanage again. This weeks topic was the good Samaritan. It was a pretty busy week, and I’m exhausted. But, its a good exhausted.
Pictures can be found on facebook or through this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019774&id=159100371&l=f1776e86ea

It’s raining

This may not mean much to you temperate climate dwellers, but here in tropical Cambodia it’s very much the dry season. So, this rain is very unexpected.

For the last two weeks, the team has been taking part in an agriculture class along with four Khmer students from the YWAM base. We do that in the mornings. Then in the afternoon we help out at the youth center the YWAM base puts on, where they teach free English classes to kids from the community. We help set up and then sit in on the classes and help the students practice their English. After two weeks, I finally feel like I’m making some good friendships there. Once a week, we go to a local christian orphanage and put on a little Bible program. Last we did the story of the prodigal son. Then we have crafts and play games. This is a bit more challenging as the kids to not speak very much English, nevertheless they are very eager to hang out with us. We give them big hugs and big smiles. Last Sunday, after our little church service something broke out that transcends all language barriers… a dance party. We have plans in the near future to help them start a small vegetable garden. Starting this week, now that the agriculture class is over, we will be doing more practical things like this in the mornings.
I’m still working on getting some pictures up, but I’m doubtful the internet connection here will let me.
Update on the team blog:

Leaving Bali, On to Cambodia

Hello from Malaysia. I am currently sitting in an airport in Kuala Lumpur at a McDonalds using their free internet and drinking some Starbucks. Our team is just here for a few hours before heading on to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We had a very refreshing time in Bali, where we performed a Christmas play for some local villages (Angela and I were shepherds) and helped with several buliding prodjects in the area. (I will post pictures soon.)

Merry late Christmas and Happy 2010!

Stepping Forward

The Earth Care team leaves for Bali, Indonesia in less than 3 hours. Three A.M. Monday morning we are in a van leaving the Oxford, NZ base, and the home we have made here over the last two months. It’s crazy how the time has flown by, and yet it seems as though we have been here forever. It’s sad to be leaving all the friends I’ve made here, but exciting to be moving forward under God’s direction.

We will be in Bali through the end of December. We plan to host a Christmas service at a local church while we are there. Then on January 2, we board another airplane for Cambodia where we will stay untill March. For a more detailed description, I am going to refer you to our team blog: http://earthcaredts.weebly.com/index.html. If you would like email updates from our team correspondent, please email me or leave me a note here. I will be out of touch until January, but I will add you to list then. Posts here should continue at that time as well.

Finally, I ask for your prayers while I am working in these foreign places. Our living arrangements will be close and it will be hard to find quite “alone time.” Our new friendships and team unity will be tested, the spiritual atmosphere will be unlike what we are used to here in the Western world.

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!!!!

Scree Sliding

Last weekend Liz, Sam and I decided to do an overnight at the hut we visited earlier in the Torlesse mountain range. Unfortunately, it was cloudy most of the weekend and we didn’t get to climb Mt. Torlesse like we wanted to. So, we decided to go scree sliding instead.

Scree: noun, a mass of small loose stones that form or cover a slope on a mountain.

Scree sliding: verb, the act of using scree as a low friction substance with which to move down a steep incline.

I don’t even have the words.

This week has been amazing.

God is really pouring out his love and power into us as we approach these last few weeks before outreach. For an awesome example of this, I refer you to Angela’s blog on Blessings. Earth Care had a fun afternoon learning some more conversational Khmer, and praying for each members roles on our team. Angela and I are taking on the roles of co-treasurers. And, I will be helping Sam with photography and making a video after we return. Soon we will start practicing short skits to preform in Cambodia. For dinner, we had an American Thanksgiving meal, complete with yorkshire pudding and pumpkin pie made from an actual pumpkin. (They don’t even sell canned pumpkin here.) I would like to say, Happy Thanksgiving to all my family at Grandpa Reimer’s today. I miss you, and I’m sorry I can’t be there with you in person.

A big hug from me.

Ok, Lord. Bring it on.

Last Friday, I gave my life to Jesus. I don’t mean salvation. That happened years ago. I mean the continual process of laying down my rights to my self and just living in obedience to the King of Kings. We are a product of the decisions we make. The most important? Who will be the ruler of your life today? I choose God.

Among many others, here are a few truths that hit me last week:

• Stop looking for what’s wrong, just focus on following Jesus.
• Jesus is the judge, not me. So stop!
• The Holy Spirit has got all of me, I need to take hold of all of the Holy Spirit. (Col 2:10)
• Follow the great commandment(s), then the great commission. (Mat 22:36-40, 28:18-20)
• Love is a verb.

“The Christian life is like going up the down escalator, you have to keep moving.” ~ Mark Parker

Hamner Springs

The weekend activity last weekend was to a place called Hamner Springs. I was expecting more like natural hot springs, but it was more like a water park with warm water in all the pools.

 

And, my new camera is water proof!

Last Week’s Lecture

We learned very practical knowledge for out-reach.
First, we had lessons in Community Development. Basically, learning to minister to all the needs of those we’re going to be reaching out to: physical and social along with spiritual. Second, we’ve had Rus Alit here from Bali, Indonesia, to teach us about appropriate technology. All he does is take modern technology, simplify it down and apply it in rural, poverty stricken areas of the world. He allows the communities he works with to take ownership of these projects and they in turn are motivated to keep these new improvements in good working condition. We will actually be with Rus in Bali for Christmas. We’ll be there for about three weeks, before going to Cambodia on the first of January. Here is a website for Rus’ ministry: http://www.campbali.com/BATI.htm. There’s not much to it at the moment, but it gives you an idea.

Some of you have asked

What are you going to be learning in New Zealand? I have to say, up until two days ago, I wasn’t sure myself. I knew of course that YWAM would be teaching Bible centered Christian theology. But, I didn’t know how to describe the content of that teaching. And then one of our speakers said it so simply. I am learning to hear the voice of God and to step out in what he is leading me to do. So far, this has meant learning to know God. First we learned about the father heart of God. This week, we are studying the nature and character of God.
We are, of course, also preparing for outreach. We are blessed to have a young man from Cambodia join us to teach us Cambodian culture and language, Khmer. We only have time to learn a few phrases, but even this much will do so much for connecting with the people there and showing them we care for them. We leave for Bali, Indonesia on the 14th of December. We will spend two weeks there (over Christmas), learning more agriculture and water conservation techniques, before heading off to Cambodia. We will be in Cambodia for a little more than two months. Then, about two weeks into March, we will leave Cambodia and do about a week of debrief on one of the Pacific islands. We don’t know much about this part of the trip yet.
We had a very special privilege last week in that Rob and Jenny took us out to some land they own on the west coast. They and their family go out there regularly to camp and get away from the business of life. We set up a huge tent that all 7 of us girls could sleep in. We had bonfires on the beach and learned “bush craft.” Which is outdoor survival skills. Basically, we practiced third world living for a week.

Ounatai Beach

We also went Whitebait fishing. Whitebait is a small white fish found in the mouths of rivers here in New Zealand. They are considered a delicacy.  We were told they can be sold for as much as $75/pound. The taste wasn’t very fishy and really quite good for a fish. But, the consistency was hard to get over. You see, you eat the fish whole.

Whitebait Fritter