My Cambodia Experience

Wow... Why do we doubt?!

2007-04-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I posted here that I had faith. I needed faith because I was told that I needed $1,000 by Monday to pay the rest of my costs for my internship in Cambodia, and I had no idea where I could get that money.

So, I sat down on Friday and prayed. I told the LORD my need, and told Him I needed an answer by Monday... I knew if it was His will, He would come through. Of course, you all know how this is going to end... :)

My grandparents received a partial payment on their crops today. My grandmother felt that she really needed to deposit the check immediately because the LORD had use for it. She knew nothing about my need!

This afternoon, my grandparents were talking with my dad on the telephone. My dad knew about my need, but was just praying along with me, not telling anyone. Out of the blue, my grandparents told my dad, "We have $1,000 that we feel we should give toward something." My dad said he would call them back. He called me, told me the news, and was rejoicing with me over the answer to prayer!

The LORD provided the exact amount I asked for, on the day it was needed through a vessel that knew nothing of the need!

Wow. The LORD is blowing this door wide open. I am so thrilled to walk through it with His blessing!

By God's grace, I will leave for Cambodia in 10 days!

Trip to Ban Krum

2007-05-12T00:45:00.000-07:00

At 7:00 AM on Wednesday, I hopped on the back of Arun's motorcycle (yes, Mom, I wore my helmet!) and was whisked away to the village of Ban Krum. After about an hour by moto and a ferry across the Mekong River, we arrived. I rode with Lokru Arun, the young pastor of the church in Ban Krum. The church has 65 members and is growing quickly- growing so fast in fact, that the village leaders are afraid that there will be no more Buddhists in the village. So, in an attempt to intimidate him, the village and Buddhist leaders burnt down Arun's house. But, Arun doesn't seem phased. He is continuing his pastoral ministry, which now includes teaching English to 8 Buddhist monks. One of the Monks wants to learn more about Jesus!

We stayed in the home where the church meets. They have purchased land for a church, but do not have permission to build a church there. The woman of the home was kind, hard-working, and warm. She smiled a lot, revealing a few gold teeth. Her husband of nearly 30 years was tall and handsome, a bit reserved, with a golden tooth in his smile as well. They have several children- the oldest is 27 and the youngest is 13. Tirit, the 13 year old, is the only child still at home. She is very small for her age, by American standards, looking like only an 8 or 9 year old girl. Her long black hair was tied in a neat pony tail. She has a shy smile and knows a little English, which her mother was constantly prodding her to speak with me. There is also another little girl of 3 or 4 living with them, probably one of their grandchildren.

Allyn, Li (man who is selling the cows), Mother, Granddaughter, Father, Kiet

Kiet, World Hope's field worker for their rural development projects, drove Allyn on the World Hope moto. The purpose for our visit to Ban Krum was to teach a seminar on animal healthcare. Kiet taught the seminar, which is part of the cattle reproduction project. In Ban Krum, three families will receive a cow. These families must not already own cattle, must be widowed or disabled, and must be poor relative to the rest of the community. The cow's first two offspring will be given away (one is given back to World Hope and another to another deserving family to sustain the project).

Kiet teaching the seminar.

We stayed in Ban Krum overnight, and returned to Phnom Penh the next morning.

The Apartment

2007-05-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's day, I thought I'd do a domestic post. Haha... Hopefully all of the mother's out there (including my own) will enjoy seeing photos of the apartment Kim and I share...

When you come through the door, you see the lovely yellow living room complete with table, chairs, and a couch (which sits to the right of this table). The living room also has a hutch with our pots and pans and dishes inside.

Straight ahead of you as you walk in the door, you see the kitchen. Obviously the walls are still yellow (and we love them! they are so cheery!). We have a refrigerator, gas stove, microwave, and toaster (all the modern amenities!). The cabinet above the sink/counter holds our food. Right now, we have rice, spaghetti, chips, ramen, canned peas, and tea in the cupboards. We have yogurt, milk, juice, chicken breasts, eggs, salsa, butter, bread, peanut butter, and jelly in the fridge. Haha... details!

Our bathroom is just off the kitchen, and it is also very loverly- check out that wonderful porcelain potty! Our shower is great... we're keeping clean.

This is Kim's room off of the living room. Enough said.

My room just off of the kitchen- opposite the bathroom. Very comfortable. :)

Domestic post ends here.

Back from my second excursion...

2007-05-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Child in Toul Sre

On Monday, Allyn and I left Phnom Penh and traveled by bus to the city of Kampong Cham (the capital of the province of the same name). We met Kiet in Kampong Cham (his hometown) and traveled to the village of Toul Sre by moto. World Hope has built two wells and is sponsoring an agricultural project in this very rural village. There is no school in Toul Sre, and so the 80+ school-age children here are not receiving any formal education. The community asked World Hope to help them build a school, so we are investigating the possibilities. We went to Toul Sre to see the progress of the agricultural project and to hear from the community about their ideas for a school. Because of a miscommunication, Allyn, Kiet, and I arrived at the community meeting over an hour late, but everyone was still gathered. Allyn facilitated the discussion very well and divided the adults into small groups to draw out their ideas for the school on some large sheets of paper she brought. The groups presented their ideas to the community, and amid the laughter, friendly banter, and applause, the three of us gleaned some helpful information that will guide the structuring of this school project.

Homes in Toul Sre

Allyn and I spent the night with a Wesleyan pastor and his family. On Tuesday morning, we spent some time with Kiet's family in Kampong Cham, and then Allyn and I took the scenic four-hour bus ride to the town of Kratie.

In Kratie, World Hope has a school and a latrine project. The school holds English and computer classes in the evenings and currently doubles as the Wesleyan church. Pastor Titus teaches the English classes usually, but he invited me to teach two classes on Wednesday night. The Cambodian teaching style is very lecture based. The students are expected to write down the lectures and memorize them. Student teacher interaction is quite limited. I enjoyed prying the shy students out of their shells. I'm certain I looked like a fool doing it, but by the end of the class the students were interacting, so hey! Small victories! :)

Allyn would like to see the school in Kratie become self-sustaining- able to pay its own bills and teacher fees from its income. Before this can happen however, there may need to be an increase in the student fees. Allyn and I did some research at the government school nearby and found that our current student fees are well below that of the government English classes. There is room for the school to increase the fee and still remain very competitive.

Allyn and I also had the opportunity to see how the latrines are coming. Upwards of twenty families will receive materials to build latrines by the end of the first phase of this project. We visited four homes where the latrines have been dug and are nearly completed. One latrine had been completed, but the woman has not used it yet because she still needs to put up some walls around it. :)

This morning, we got on the bus for the 7 hour trip back to Phnom Penh. This trip was very insightful and got the wheels turning in my brain.

Wheels...

turning...

turning...

turning......

A peek into my week...

2007-05-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

If you ever see a pile of shoes outside of a door, conform. Take your shoes off and add them to the pile before entering. I took this photo from the doorway of a stilted home in Toul Sre.

My brother will be happy to see this one... :) I tried the crickets (chongrit). When the rains start coming, the cricket's burrows fill with water and they come above ground to find new homes. At night, Cambodians, mostly children, go cricket hunting. When they fill a bottle full of crickets, they fry them up with oil and salt (or sugar). This one was crunchy, and the spiky legs hurt my tongue a tad... but I found out that most Cambodians don't eat the legs due to the spikes. I should have asked beforehand! :) If you're ever here during cricket season (haha), try one. Not half bad! A random Swiss tourist named Muriel took this photo. We ran into her all over this week!

Allyn and I went for a ride on the Mekong river near Kratie (we bumped into Muriel here as well- she's the blonde in the video). We saw some endangered Irrawaddy dolphins up close! The boat driver said he usually sees one or two at a time, but we saw eight, swimming in two groups. These freshwater dolphins used to inhabit the Mekong river from headwaters to delta, but now, the stretch near Kratie is where the only remaining Irrawaddy dolphins live. The dolphins are dying out in part because they have been over-hunted and the soldiers in this historically war-torn region used them as target practice. There are only 80 Irrawaddy dolphins left, so the World Wildlife Fund and other environmental organizations are trying to educate the farmers and communities around the Mekong to preserve this specie.

Allyn and me on the Mekong river.

Getting around Phnom Penh is fairly easy once you get the hang of it. There are three modes of public transportation. A cyclo is a like a backward tricycle that pushes a little cart. It's similar to a rickshaw, except it pushes instead of pulls. These are dying out since motorized transportation is significantly faster. A moto is a motorcycle, and this is my preferred method of transport because it is economical and convenient. Moto-dopes (moto drivers) often carry two or three people on their motos. I've seen motos loaded down with lumber, chickens, and a myriad of other things since I arrived. Tuktuks (as shown in the video above) are motorcycles pulling a little cart on the back. This vehicle was created in Thailand and is becoming increasingly popular on the streets of Phnom Penh. The downside is that a tuktuk is slower and more expensive than a moto. If you have a larger group of people or a lot to carry, however, a tuktuk might be a wise choice. For example, Allyn, Kim, and I used a tuktuk to pick up my bag from the airport and to get around town during our cultural orientation. Hiring transport goes like this: I walk down the street looking back and forth. A moto-dope waves his hand and yells at me. I tell him a landmark near my destination (a market, temple, or monument) and ask his price. He gives me an inflated price. I give him a surprised face and cut his price in half. We haggle back and forth until we arrive at a good price. I pull on my helmet, hop on (sidesaddle, since straddling an unknown man is inappropriate), and we're off!

My roommate, Kim, had a modeling gig at a local restaurant on Friday. Haha... The expatriate community holds crazy events like this one, a trash fashion show, at restaurants on the weekends. Participants designed their outfits using recycled materials (aka- trash). Kim's outfit, designed by her supervisor's daughter, consisted of mosquito netting, old newspaper, and tissue paper. There were some wild outfits, including a dress made entirely of milk cartons that won first prize.

Here is the Cambodian money- Riel. All the bills are pictured (front and back)- 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000. I have not seen any coins yet. In Phnom Penh, US dollars are used as much as Riel, creating a nice cash flow that helps keep Cambodia's economy stable. I use Riel for transportation and haggling in the market, but at grocery stores and most restaurants here in town, I use dollars. In the provinces outside of Phnom Penh, however, I use Riel primarily. The bills picture scenes from Cambodian life and famous monuments like the Independence Monument and Angkor Wat. The 5,000 and 10,000 bills picture the King Father, Norodom Sihanouk. He abdicated his throne several years ago because of his poor health, and his son, Norodom Sihamony is now the King.

At a wedding on Saturday, I witnessed lots of pomp and ceremony that was unfamiliar to me. Here, the bride, groom, and wedding party are circling the table with the wedding cake before cutting it. I'm not sure of its significance, but they circled the table two or three times before actually cutting the cake. The bride and groom do feed each other cake, but first, demonstrating their deep cultural respect and deference to elders, they feed their parents.

Here I am with Bo, Thida, Rosa, and one of the Aunts at the wedding on Saturday afternoon. I came to the wedding in a dress shirt and Cambodian skirt without any makeup (as is my custom... haha), but my host (Bo) insisted that I needed to look more Cambodian. She gave me one of her dresses to wear and took me to a beauty parlor where she instructed them to do my hair and makeup in the Cambodian style. Obviously they did. Haha... I felt slightly ridiculous, which was partly due to my aversion to beauty parlors and partly due to the foundation that clearly did not match my skin tone... haha... After the transformation, everyone insisted I was so sa'at (beautiful). I just went with it... knowing fully that even with my Cambodian makeover this 5'8" white giant would still stick out like a sore thumb in the throng of wedding revelers. The wedding and makeover was the most stretching experience of my time here so far!

Visit to the Vietnamese Organization

2007-05-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I visited a Vietnamese organization that ministers to children who are at risk of being trafficked. 80% of these kids older siblings have been trafficked, and in the past year since this organization opened, 4 of the kids who participated were sold. It's crazy.

The kids are mostly Vietnamese immigrants to Cambodia. The Cambodians really despise the Vietnamese because of historic land disputes. Add to that the poverty in their families, their lack of education (many Vietnamese immigrant kids never attend school), abusive family situations, the plague of trafficking here in Cambodia, and their Vietnamese cultural perception that getting a good price from a trafficker would honor their family- many of these kids don't seem to have much hope for a good future. But, this organization is helping educate these children. They also provide weekly boarding for some of the children- many of whom come from abusive families.

I enjoyed playing with the kids for a couple of hours on Tuesday. I made a total fool of myself playing one of their games. Please note that I am fairly gangly and uncoordinated - to the extent that my nickname in a former life was "Calamity Jane." Well, this game was basically the same as playing tag, but the person who was "it" had to jump on one foot. The children were imitating me and laughing hysterically as I flopped about like an epileptic chicken. I was desperate to tag someone else "it" to end the humiliation! Anything to make the kids laugh. :)

Pray for Lyna, the director of the organization. She operates the organization out of a home in Phnom Penh. Recently, her neighbors have complained about the children making too much noise as they recite their lessons in the evening, and the neighborhood leader has threatened to have them evicted if he receives further complaints. She's under strain in that regard, dealing with staffing issues, and trying to see to the administrative details with a persnickety computer. Kim, my roommate, has been able to take part of Lyna's load. Kim is developing a child protection plan for the organization as part of her internship responsibilities. Praise God for that, and please pray that Kim will have wisdom as she crafts this policy that will guide this group in the way they minister to the children with whom God has entrusted them.

Please remember these children in your prayers. May they learn and grow and chase bright dreams into good futures! May they find hope in Jesus for this life and the one to come!

Photo Credit to Kim Hunt

Takeo

2007-05-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning, Allyn, Kiet, and I took the hour and a half journey to Takeo province. Our driver didn't care to much about the speed limit, at one point topping 80 miles per hour on a small provincial road. Allyn made me laugh as she covered her eyes at points, making wise cracks about the driver. About an hour into the trip, she said to him, "You drive so crazy! Where will you go if you die?"

"I've been driving since I was 15! But, if I die, I think I will go to hell," he replied nonchalantly. He used to be a Buddhist monk, but he left the monastery because he wanted to make money. A good Buddhist aims to become free of all desire, so leaving the monastery because of a desire for money is a serious problem. I hope his desires find rest in Christ!

We stayed on the campus of the Khmer Youth Development Center (KYDC), a compound run by Christian staff that tutors high school students, boards 44 high school students who come to study from villages 20+ miles away, and trains the kids in agricultural work. The farm on the compound is well managed and very productive. The crops that the students grow and harvest are used for food at the center and the excess is sold. The profits feed into projects the students develop, such as building up their their library, purchasing a new water tank, and feeding into the scholarship fund for other students. The older students are given positions of leadership to tutor and help the younger children. When students come to the center, they rarely know about Christ, but through the faithful examples of the center staff, nearly 80% of the current students have chosen to serve Christ! Those who have believed in Christ are discipled by the staff and many of them have returned to their home villages and started cell churches! The Lord is working mightily through this program. The Cambodian government actually gave them the land for this center, but in two years, the government has the right to take the land away or renew the contract. Pray that the KYDC will have the favor of the Cambodian government as the staff seek to renew the contract.

The Poultry House at the KYDC

In addition to seeing how the KYDC was operated, we traveled by moto to the village of Da Po. In that village, the local Christians served as a catalyst to community development. By partnering with donors from Samaritan's Purse and a Swedish foundation, they have been able to encourage the villagers to invest in their own development by tackling the problems that they themselves (the villagers) identified within their community. The problems were lack of water, poor nutrition, inadequate sanitation, and low crop yields. Using the community's own suggestions of fixing these problems, outside donors have provided 70% of the funding. The remaining 30% and all of the physical labor comes from the community. They have dug four community wells, started home gardens, built latrines, and learned how to create compost to fertilize their crops. This community development project has been working wonderfully and is being supervised by a committee of local people that were elected by the villagers. This project was a great example of community development being done right, and I hope what we learned will help Allyn, Kiet, and I as we continue examining, evaluating, and revamping World Hope's projects here in Cambodia.

In Da Po, I made friends with a 12-year-old down syndrome child named Srey. He knew a few words of English. He was fascinated by the little notebook I was carrying to take notes on the projects, and he would point to my strange English scribbles and wait for me to read the words to him. He taught me a game with some little cardboard playing cards. I'm not sure if I understood the game's point, but I just copied what he did when he indicated it was my turn. He laughed at me a lot, which was totally ok, because I was laughing at myself too! Allyn was able to ask him if he knew Jesus. He smiled as he told us he did, and pointed to the little building where the local church meets. I really enjoyed that time with my new friend and little brother in Christ.

On Friday evening, I was able to take a walk alone through the fields. Takeo is such a peaceful and beautiful place. I wish you all could have gone with me on my evening walk. We could have talked to the Lord together and watched the sun set over the lush fields of the Kingdom of Cambodia. I was remembering you in prayer as I walked, so, in a way, we were together.

Path Through the Fields

Thank you for your prayers, and please don't stop praying! God is doing great things here, even in the face of great challenges. Many Christian leaders, even one in Da Po, are threatened with their lives, yet the LORD preserves them for His work. Many other Christian leaders fall prey to corruption, deception, and that demon of pride, and are rendered impotent on the spiritual battlefront. Hard times, challenges, and difficulties are commonplace here. I'm sure many of you know that it takes strong faith to hold on to the LORD when the way ahead is unclear. Yet, like my wise, young friend from the Bible school told me this morning, "I think hard times are important. God sends us difficulties so we can grow. If life was always happy, that would not be good."

Sunset in Takeo

May His presence be your hope and sustenance today.

Innovative Pig Farming

2007-05-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I went to Kin Swai and got a peek at what is a very innovative pig farming method here in Cambodia! Most Cambodians keep their pigs in concrete pens, but this rice husk fodder is ingenious! Read on...

Pig House Dimensions:
3 meters x 3 meters
1 meter deep

Fodder Ingredients:
10 parts/bags of rice husks
1 part/bag of dirt

Method Benefits:
Virtually no smell. (Definite plus. Concrete pens reek.)
Pigs work their waste into the fodder themselves. (Less work for the farmer.)
More comfortable for the pigs than concrete pens. (Happy pigs = Fat pigs)
Fewer piglet casualties due to maternal roll-overs than in concrete pens. (That's a good thing.)
Water only necessary for drinking. No pig cleaning needed. (Conserves their precious water!)
Fodder only needs to be changed 1x annually. (LOW MAINTENANCE!)
The old fodder is very good compost. (Helps their gardens! YAY!)
Much more economical than concrete pens. (The $$ speaks.)
Much less upkeep/care than required with concrete pens. (Velly Nice.)

So, I found this very fascinating. When I found myself explaining this to an American man the other day, he stopped me in the middle of my spiel to ask if I had done 4-H as a child. Haha... :)

Photos...

2007-06-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Allyn with kids in Phiem Phlay.

The young rice growing in the countryside.

The small home of a family of 7. The father is very ill. Please pray for him.

Kids in Phiem Phlay.

A goat.

I'm 21! :)

2007-06-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

My birthday morning... nice breakfast... and wonderful surprise from Kim and Julie (the purse and DVDs)! People were way too good to me... Allyn gave me flowers and took me for dinner on Saturday night... Tim, Tiffany, and the Bible school students threw a surprise birthday party for me on Sunday afternoon- complete with delicious cake... and then Kim, Julie, Tim, and Tiffany took me out to dinner Sunday evening at a nice Cafe downtown!

People have been TOO good to me... thanks, guys. You're such a blessing to me.

Short Rant: About Ants and Mold

2007-06-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our apartment is home to many creatures. Two homo sapiens, a few arachnids, 10-15 geckos, and a multitude of marching ants. The arachnids are elusive, and the geckos generally mind their own business, but the ants have become a nuisance.

The ants march in interminable lines across our yellow walls. We've set ant traps, sprayed their holes with deet in aerosol form, washed them down the drain, and rolled their little exoskeletons betwixt our fingers. We are keeping a clean kitchen and storing our food in plastic containers or in the refrigerator. Still they find reason to call on us.

The weather is humid, which is great for moisturizing one's skin, but unfortunately, it also nourishes the mold garden in my closet. I tried to vanquish the mold yesterday. I hope it's gone for good, because I'm tired of sneezing.

Who put "fun" in fungus?

These are a few of my favorite things...

2007-06-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

I thought that rant should be followed up by some things I really love... there were two negatives in that last rant, but notice that there are SIX very positive things in this post! :) The glass is not just half full- it's overflowing. Haha...

"These are a few of my favorite things..."

Krama- A multi-functional length of fabric often worn by Cambodian citizens around the neck, head, shoulders, or waist. Uses: sweat rag, towel, belt, sun protection, blanket, dust filter, and so on and so forth...

Dragon Fruit- A fruit with pink skin, white flesh, and small black seeds. The skin peels off nicely when ripe. Flesh is almost tasteless, but delicious when served cold.

Terro- Ant killing formula. Place a drop of this formula on a piece of cardboard, and watch the ants greedily drink themselves to death. Wonderful evening entertainment.

Cahve Dteuk Dakor Dako- Iced coffee with milk. A favorite breakfast drink here in Cambodia. Sweetened condensed milk is poured into the bottom of a glass, ice is added, coffee is poured in on top. Served with a straw and a spoon with which to stir in the milk. Chngen! Delicious!

Cell Phone- A very useful tool for communication. Used cell phones can be purchased very cheaply, and Cambodia boasts several affordable pay-as-you-go cellular plans. Rather than call, most Cambodians prefer to text message one another. Text messaging is cheaper, and makes the $10 per-pop service recharge last longer.

Ceres- A South African brand of juices, imported to Cambodia. Supermarkets here import foods from all across the world. Truly a taste of home for an "African-American" like me. When frozen, this juice makes a nice icy slush. A wonderful treat to beat the heat.

What Lonely Planet DOESN'T Tell Tourists to Do in Bangkok... (but they should!!!)

2007-06-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ok... so one or two of these activities might be recommended in Lonely Planet...
but the majority of them are unique to our trip!

Activity: Wear a yellow shirt on Monday in honor of the day of the week on which the King was born. Thais love their King- and tourists had better love him too, if they know what's good for them!
Price: 100 Baht/ $3 USD for a yellow polo with the King's seal embroidered on it.
Location: All across the Kingdom of Thailand.

Activity: Pretend to be a member of the King's Royal Guard.
(Imitation is the highest form of flattery.)
Price: FREE!
Location: Royal Palace entrance.

Activity: Photograph unsuspecting fellow tourists.
Price: FREE!
Location: Anywhere. Bangkok is crawling with tourists.

Activity: Feed the Birds...
Price: Toppins a bag. (Actually, roughly 7 Baht/ $0.21 USD a bag...)
Location: By the fountain in the park across the street from the Royal Palace.

Activity: Videotape your friend getting dive bombed by pigeons.
Price: 7 Baht/ $0.21 USD for the bird feed... I don't know how much it costs to hire a friend who freaks out at pigeons... it's good to plan ahead and bring one along.
Location: By the fountain in the park across the street from the Royal Palace.

Activity: Pose for fun photos with the temple guardians.
Price: FREE!
Location: At any temple with stone guardians.

Activity: Ride the sky train all around Bangkok to see the sites. Stop at all the stops and then get back on and do it again!
Price: 20 Baht/ $0.60 USD for a trip to close destinations. (Just buy a 20 Baht ticket, and ride the circuit before getting off at your stop!)
Location: Siam station is a good place to start, but any BTS station will work.

Activity: Ride a river taxi for transportation with a fun view of Bangkok.
Price: 13 Baht/ $0.40 USD
Location: One of the docks along the river.

Activity: Try a fresh strawberry smoothie.
Price: 20 Baht/ $0.60 USD
Location: Available at one of the many smoothie stands across Bangkok.

Activity: Visit a Christian organization that is making a difference in the world... Learn how to pray and get involved.
Price: FREE!
Location: There are quite a few... one of our favorites (Rahab Ministries), is located in Patpong red-light district... right beside Super Pussy go-go bar.

Activity: Prayer walk the red light districts.
Price: FREE!
Location: Hmm... well, take your pick... there are quite a few to choose from...

Activity: Buy a piece of jewelry made by a young woman who has left the brothels in hope of a better future.
Price: 40-2,000 Baht/ $1.20-$60 USD
Location: Narimon, Bangkok Christian Guesthouse, NightLight, or Rahab Ministries

PS- If you would like to purchase some of this jewelry or sell it on a consignment basis, let me know. I'll put you in contact with someone.

What Lonely Planet DOES tell Tourists to do in Bangkok (but they should NOT!)

2007-06-30T20:02:00.001-07:00

Activity: Go to the red light districts.

Price: 200 Baht/ $6 USD for a drink at a go-go bar.
500 Baht/ $15 USD for a girl for the night.
Location: Take your pick. Patpong, Nana, Soi Cowboy...

While we were in Bangkok, we went to the red light districts every night, but not for peep shows, beer, and sex. We prayer walked and reached out to the women in the bars with NightLight ministry.

Like I said in another post, Lonely Planet travel books tells tourists all about the go-go bars and the "sex industry" in Bangkok. While Lonely Planet tries to sanitize the brothels by making it seem as if the women working there are sex-addicts, desperate for western "love" or something, in reality, the young women working in these bars are there because of family pressure to send home money or find a western husband.

They don't like the "work"- in fact, while they make themselves up as the darkness rolls in each evening, they put on invisible masks to distance themselves from the harsh reality of their world. As I sat across from a young woman in one of the bars and asked her how her job was going, her face darkened, tears welled up in her eyes, and as she shook her head slightly while bravely forcing a smile. We talked for a few minutes, before the bar owner called her to dance on the bar in a thong. As she took off her skirt and climbed up onto the bar, she put her mask back on. As tourists hooted at her with lust in their eyes, my heart ached.

From talking with her, I knew how much she hated her job, but she comes back each night because her father is in debt, and she doesn't know how else she can earn money to help him. She is 21 years old, just like me, but some of the girls in the bars are much younger. Some families send their daughters to Bangkok with a "friend," knowing full well what kind of "gainful employment" awaits them. In Thailand, daughters are easily sacrificed for the sake of the family.

I noticed a middle aged American tourist eyeing her greedily. He called a bar girl and pointed to her. The next thing I knew, the young girl came off the bar and went to sit with him. He was too close and too drunk... and the entire situation was too terrible. Soon another girl joined the man. There he sat, feeling like the king of the hill, arms wrapped around the naked shoulders of two young does. He didn't know their names or stories or anything about them... they were just girls with numbers pinned on their bikinis. Flesh, ripe for his picking. Another younger tourist sat on a bar stool, flirting, laughing, and throwing money in the air. Maybe he got some perverse pleasure from watching the women scramble on the floor to pick up the cash. The whole scene was so dehumanizing, and the men so arrogant. Maybe they, like many other sex tourists, thought they were knights in shining armor- saviors, as if their patronage would really help the women make something of their lives.

Fortunately, before the night was over, I had a chance to tell the young girl about NightLight's jewelry shop- an opportunity for her to find safe and dignifying employment, free from objectification, abuse, and risk of STDs. Although the look on her face told me she didn't believe getting out was an option at this point, I hope and pray that she remembers and takes that opportunity in the future. (Here is an article that the BBC wrote about a woman who left prostitution with NightLight's help.)

According to the UN, 60% of men who go to Thailand are there for sex. So much for the stories about "business trips" and "visiting the temples." You can help by praying against the sexual strongholds both in Thailand and in the lives of the tourists that perpetuate this evil. Pray for the women trapped in this lifestyle. Pray for the organizations that bring the light of Christ into the darkness of the red-light districts each night. And please, write to Lonely Planet and demand that they remove their endorsement of the go-go bars, brothels, and strip clubs in Bangkok from their tourist books.

The challenges are great, but we know our God is bigger.
The battle belongs to the LORD.

Organizations we Visited on Our Trip to Bangkok

2007-07-01T02:22:00.000-07:00

Cambodia Hope Organization (CHO)

An organization on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. They provide support for HIV/AIDS patients and their families, educate villagers about children's rights, network with organizations who rescue trafficked children, train at-risk young men and women for good jobs, and, among other things, share the love of Jesus at every turn.

World Concern

This organization focuses on prevention of human trafficking and heads up a network of organizations in Thailand (called SonJai) that work together to end trafficking, prostitution, and educate people about children's rights.

The Well Ministry/Narimon

A relatively new ministry that offers prostitutes alternative employment making jewelry and greeting cards, giving them education, and sharing the hope of Christ. They generously pay their employees and help them make new starts. They are willing to sell their jewelry on a consignment basis in the United States. See this website for information about their jewelry and greeting cards. Please contact them if you're interested in buying or selling their beautiful jewelry.

Rahab Ministry

A Christian organization in the heart of Patpong red-light district which has helped over 600 women leave prostitution since 1989. They operate a beauty salon above the go-go bars, where women come each evening before the bars open. The Christian staff love on the women when they come in and offer them jobs making jewelry, greeting cards, and working at the salon. This ministry also has a house for at-risk children and children of prostitutes. The staff there humbly submit that their success is due entirely to God's intervention and the faithful prayers of supporters. Please pray for them.

NightLight

A Christian ministry that helps women leave their jobs at the go-go bars for employment in jewelry production.

Two-Wheeling in a Tuk Tuk

2007-07-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

Went to Krang Yaw on Friday with Allyn and Pastor Kiet to present gifts to the top five students at the Hope School there. The first hour of our journey was on paved roads, but then we turned off onto a dirt road... well, the road could have been qualified a "dirt road" were it not for the rain. The rice fields, as always, were beautiful!

But then we got stuck in the mud. Not once, but 3 times. :) The first time wasn't so bad. The driver wasn't too deep in the mud, so he just asked us all to get out so he could drive through the mud without our added weight. Getting out proved to be a challenge for me... haha... I slipped and slid in the mud, and would have fallen on my hiney had it not been for Pastor Kiet, who grabbed me to steady me several times before I regained my footing. When I was able to stand on my own, I realized I was covered in mud. Needless to say, I felt like an idiot. The second time we were stuck, it was Allyn's turn to take a dip in the mud. She stepped out of the tuk tuk into a deep mud pile (the "mire"). As if in slow motion, her thong-clad feet were swallowed by the muddy clay. Images of Allyn slowly disappearing into a hole of quick-mud, her entire body being swallowed from feet to fingertips, came to my imagination, and I found myself chuckling. As she pulled herself free, we all laughed heartily. After pushing the tuk tuk free (a quality team effort), we removed our flip-flops and walked through the mud, enjoying the feel and sound of it squishing through our toes. We did get stuck one more time, on the return trip from Krang Yaw. Here is some video of that third time.

I enjoyed the lightness of those sticky situations. Even the tuk tuk driver, whose vehicle was being demolished by the plethora of potholes, joined in our laughter. As we bounced back to Phnom Penh, Allyn gave me this exclusive interview on the days' events.

Happy Independence Day!

2007-07-04T20:23:00.001-07:00

So, apparently they sell sparklers in the market here...
thanks for helping us find them, Allyn! :)

Happy Independence Day!

Fun Times @ VBS

2007-07-13T02:21:00.000-07:00

This vacation Bible school (VBS) was sponsored by the International Christian Assembly, the church I've been attending the past few months. These children come from all sorts of families, backgrounds, and nationalities. Kids from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, USA, New Zealand, Australia, UK, Kenya, and Mexico learned, played, and worshiped God together.

I got so much joy from watching these kids play contentedly with one another.

Each day, the kids learned about a different aspect of our great God through song, stories, crafts, games, discussion, and drama.

Meet Dong! He recently finished high school and moved to Phnom Penh to look for a job. Because of his wonderful English (the best I've heard yet from a Cambodian...), Joyce Meyer Ministries snatched him up as an interpreter for their upcoming crusade in August. Hillsong UK is here in Cambodia for several days holding worship concerts, so Dong is working the concerts as well. He has a joyful spirit and spreads smiles wherever he goes.

This is me... and Rachel. Rachel emceed all week, and I helped her with the singing and dancing. Rachel is from Buffalo, New York. She's a student at Bethany College of Missions in Minnesota and is spending 16 months in Cambodia for her practical immersion. She's only been here for 6 months, but already speaks conversational Khmer and buzzes around the city on her motorcycle named "Dragon."

These characters are Isaac and Brian. They are imitating the photo on the pizza box. Isaac is a 16-year old missionary kid originally from southern Missouri. His parents run a children's home in Phnom Penh. Isaac has four adopted Cambodian siblings! Brian is an American spending a month in Cambodia for exposure to organizations working against the sex trade.

Boys, Bittergourd, and Blessings

2007-07-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Wow. I am blessed.

Not only because I'm clean from a shower I took in my own apartment with water for which I will receive a bill for which I will be able to pay... or even because I'm sitting on a bed with clean sheets and a fan overhead to cut the humidity and maintain a cool temperature... but also because I wandered through the community garden in Toul Sre today with a grinning 11 year old boy and a laughing two year old girl. He proudly showed me the bittergourd, which were ripe, which were not, how the plants grew, which were sick, which we could pick... ah, it was such fun. Then he led me out into an open field where butterflies were fluttering to and fro. He pointed out the field where more vegetables would be planted. He seemed so proud that he could teach me, and I was so proud of him for doing so. Before I left, he came up with a green plastic bag, full of bittergourd that we had picked together. He called my name, "Jan Ny," as I've grown fond of hearing it said, and offered it to me with both of his hands outstretched. I was humbled by his gift- and his gesture- saying my name. Usually, he would have just called me "bong srey" (older sister), but he made the effort to adapt to my culture, and make sense to me. I treasured that... and the wave to me as I rode off on the back of Elizabeth's moto. I may never see his face again on earth, but even if I can, I pray I'll see that joyful boy in heaven.

Monk Paparazzi

2007-07-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

My name is Jennifer Joy Telfer, and I am a recovering monk stalker.

Like a party in your mouth!

2007-07-25T05:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of trying four new Cambodian specialties! :)

Tarantula! (Josh! I did it!) The legs are really tasty. Not even joking.

Yum yum. The girl who sold me my tarantula was carrying a live one on her shirt! :) She let me hold it while I ate its cousin. Poor tarantulas.

Frog... stuffed with ginger and spices! Really yummy.

Channa introduces me to a really wonderful food.

Grasshopper. A tad too greasy and tasteless for me.

Beetle. This one was the total worst.
The texture was not fun to chew through.

Touring the Ancient Temples of Siem Reap!

2007-07-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

Kim and I went to explore the ancient temples of Siem Reap.

We started at sunrise at Angkor Wat- the most famous of ancient Khmer architecture.

This temple was almost completely swallowed by the jungle... HUGE trees have crumbled the walls and overgrown the pagodas... so much fun to clamber all over these ruins!

Rocky Balboa made an appearance at one point.

Kim discovered that she could fly after ascending one of the taller towers!

Haha... You weren't here!

2007-07-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

Kim and I hired a mahout and his elephant to take us back through the jungle at the end of the day. Pretty sweet, huh?

I hate goodbyes.

2007-07-30T21:33:00.001-07:00

My work here is done...

2007-08-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

The evaluation has been presented. The display has been finished. Provincial trips are now just memories. Errands have been completed. The staff meetings are through.

(sigh.)

I'm stuck between wanting to leave (to see my family) and wanting to stay (to continue new friendships and avoid returning to the school environment).

This afternoon, I say goodbyes. Tomorrow, I say goodbyes. On Friday, I say goodbyes.

"Say that you'll see me tomorrow
That way I won't have to cry.
We keep pretending that it's not really ending.
I hate the word 'goodbye.'"
- Betsy Walker