Highlights from October 2017 to October 2018!

 We've only been here 12 months, but it feels like we've had at least three years of experiences already!  It's hard not to think about what I have missed in America, but we've had a wonderfully blessed and exciting adventure and ministry here in Phnom Penh!

Since we've been here 365+ days, it means that we have now passed every Cambodian holiday, American holiday, and family birthday while living in Cambodia.
- On our 6th anniversary, we took company shopping at Russian Market and had friends over for cake.
- We attended Cambodia's water festival with friends and enjoyed street food.
- On Thanksgiving, we had street chicken and went swimming.
- On Christmas, we had 8 friends over and the day felt very special.
- On New Years, we attended our landlord's party on the roof and I learned that I'm quite allergic to shrimp; an anaphylactic reaction ended our celebrations.
- On Sophear's 4th birthday, we went to a waterpark (and she's still talking about it).
- On Khmer New Year, we took Mom, Aunt Holly, and Titus' dad to Angkor Wat, Cambodia's treasured cultural and historical landmark.

- On July 4th, my Khmer teacher visited for a traditional American cookout and we went to a new shopping mall, Aeon 2.
- Jessie and her family were here on Chamnab's 2nd birthday and we went swimming and had a pizza party with 22 friends!
- On Titus' birthday, we went out for dinner with friends.
- On my 30th birthday, we played Scrabble at a coffee shop and went to a friend's for pizza and cake.
- During Pchum Ben, we spent three days in Kampong Cham province with friends.
- Our 7th wedding anniversary is coming up in two weeks, and we'll be separated while I'm at a women's missionary conference in the Philippines.
- And this Thanksgiving, we'll be on a missions trip with our church in Ratanakiri province.

We started with a 6-month contract, then extended to a 12-month contract, and then decided to stay in our same apartment for the duration of our term.  We wish that we had a little more space for hosting company, we're in a very good location and we have made some very good connections in this building and in this area, including our house-helper (Douer) and her family (Rady and Nis), other building staff (Tino, SreyNat, and Hak), and Jewel's tuktuk driver (Ravuth).  Haktrana Apartment is our home!  We are thankful for a nice home, but especially for so many people to share our home with!

Lunch at our home after church

We have had many friends into our little home - 1, 2, 5 or 20 at a time! - friends from Cambodia and from America!  We have been visited by Pastor Michele and Emma Henry, Ned and Marlene McGrady, Joy Phillips, Kevin and Linda Jones, the Swan family, Harry and Helen Hall, Dan and Pam Schafer, Tim Rickel, Mom and Aunt Holly, Jeffrey and Paige Bennett, Jessie, Aldean, Eleazar, and Gabe, and a team from Ohio Christian University!

A fun outing with friends from church!

I started Khmer language school in January and I'm in Level 5 now!  I am able to read and write the Khmer script, and I'm able to speak really well!  (Titus confirms this).  This has been very good for our ministry and for my life here in Cambodia!  To understand and to be understood is a powerful tool for building true relationships!  I am so thankful for God's help in developing this skill!

Titus and Aldean (our brother-in-law) with Titus' Cafe Discipleship group

Titus meets regularly with a group of university students from our church + their friends.  He calls it "Cafe Discipleship" because they meet in a coffee shop.  Through this ministry, two young men have accepted Christ.   He also meets weekly with another group for pastoral counseling, discipleship, accountability, and teaching, and three have accepted Christ.  During a Christmas outreach, seven others accepted Christ through Titus' preaching!  It's been so exciting to see the fruit of my husband's heart for seeing his people believe in and follow God!

A few weeks ago, I was told by a missionary counselor that most new missionaries report struggles or declines in their spiritual walk.  Praise God that I have experienced the opposite!  Of course there are days where I can gravitate towards loneliness and discouragement, but I consistently have meaningful   and Spirit-filled times of personal Bible study, meditation, and prayer times.  In January, I started reading through the Bible in one year.  To date, I'm two weeks behind, but it's been a wonderful experience and practice.  When we're back in the States next July, I look forward to finding my new Chronological Bible in storage and starting over again!

Pastor Poleax, Aunt Holly, Mom, Titus and Chamnab, Sophear and I - on the Cambodia-Vietnam border in Takeo Province

In April, my mom and aunt Holly came to visit!  They were here during Cambodia's biggest holiday - Khmer New Year - and we enjoyed touring them around Cambodia, including to Angkor Wat and Takeo Province, where they helped us to distribute rice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and cooking oil to 40 families.  At Angkor Wat, Sophear rode and elephant with Grandma and Ta, and Chamnab rode and elephant with me and Aunt Holly.

In July, my twin sister and her family visited.  It was so, so, so wonderful to see the cousins reunited and spend an exciting 10 days together traveling, touring, and playing.  When we brought Sophear to Cambodia for the first time, I thought we were crazy to take a 1-year-old to such a massive place.  Then, we were nine adults and two babies, but this summer, we conquered multiple temples at Angkor Wat with four kids ages 4-years and under and only four adults!

Ravuth is a tuktuk driver friend that takes me to/from language school everyday, takes our family and those with us to church on Sunday mornings, and to other errands and family outings throughout the week.  We've been consistently using him since the beginning of January!  Praise God for helping Titus to find a reliable, safe, and trustworthy driver who has become a friend to our family!

And those are just the highlights!  Thank you again to everyone who has supported our family with financial support, encouragement, and prayer!

To see Christ glorified in Cambodia,

Titus, Jewel, Sophear, & Chamnab

Sophear and Chamnab: One year later!

October 2017

We arrived in Cambodia near midnight on October 14, 2017.  We came with ideas and expectations and a calling to a specific ministry, and life doesn't look like we thought it would, but we are thriving, most days are healthy and encouraging, and God has brought us into ministries and relationships where we are being used to speak Jesus' name, share God's love, and disciple young Christians.

October 2018

We praise God for how He has taken care of us - He has taken care of us with protection and health, encouragement and thriving spirits, and with new and old friendships.  He has also put us in places and positions where we have had opportunities to share His love, speak His name, and walk beside new Christians, mature Christians, and non-Christians.  Thank you, Cambodia, for accepting and loving our family! Thank you, America, for supporting and loving our family!

 

The kids have changed a lot since we left, so I'll start with an introduction to 4.5-year-old Sophear and 2-year-old Chamnab.  And tomorrow I'll post a blog of highlights from October 2017 - October 2018!

Sophear is musical, artistic, and creative.  She refuses to wear anything that isn't a dress or skirt and can only be convinced to wear shorts when we're going to the playground.  She's still never had a haircut, but loves going to the salon to have her nails painted for $2.  She does chores for 100riel (2.5 cents), which she generously tithes and shares with company, but occasionally saves for candy or toys.  She spends a lot of time drawing and coloring and in creative or imaginary play.  She's learned how to ride a bike here and loves feeding leaves to the bunnies downstairs.  Although she's learned a lot of Khmer language in one year, including three songs, she's still shy around others who do not speak English with her.  Despite this, her sweet, Princess composure has won the hearts of many around her.  She often says, "When I'm in Cambodia, I miss Gas City.  But when we go to Gas City, I will miss Cambodia."

Chamnab - I look at the top picture taken when we had just arrived and I can hardly believe that we brought a chunky, toddling baby who is now a growing and talkative jumping bean with a big, funny personality.  Chamnab is finally sleeping really, really well!  He loves playing with blocks and cars as well as Barbies, Shopkins, etc., but really he spends most of his time jumping and climbing and riding his little toy car and bike (which he calls "moto") around the house.  He loves playing the drum set at church and he often helps himself to chopsticks from our silverware drawer at home, drumming on anything he pleases.  A month ago, he swallowed a coin and had emergency surgery and an overnight hospital stay to remove the Albanian coin stuck in his esophagus.  He was only saying a few words when he moved to Cambodia at 13-months old, but he's a very talkative (and polite!) little boy now!

Sophear and Chamnab are wonderful playmates who greet each other lovingly and enthusiastically every morning, but they are also rivals at times!  Both children love riding on the moto (motorcycle) and playing in the dirt when we're able to leave the concrete jungle of Phnom Penh.

Praise God!
- For protecting Chamnab when he swallowed the coin and had emergency surgery.
- For protecting Sophear when she was hit by a moto while crossing the street (in June).
- For continued health!  Neither of our children have faced much illness since we arrived in Cambodia!
- For the friendships that our children have made with others and with each other, and for the friendships that we have made because our children are friendly!

Chamnab wants to read "Go Dog, Go!" at least 3 times each day!

How you can pray for our children:
- Pray for safety and protection over Sophear and Chamnab!
- Pray that they continue to pick up the Khmer language!
- Pray that the Lord will continue to give us wisdom and grace as we raise, teach, and disciple our children to be people of love, kindness, generosity, and Christlikeness!

We are also praying that, before 2018 ends, Sophear will ask Jesus into her heart.  She often approaches us with really good questions while or after reading a book, hearing a conversation, etc., so we know she's thinking and processing, and we feel she's almost ready!
- Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to prepare her heart!
- Pray that God would help us to teach her and answer her questions!
- Pray that He would help Sophear to understand and convince her of the Truth!

Families that slide together, stay together!

Thank you for loving our family and loving our children!  Every night before bed, I pray with each child individually - "Thank you for all the people that Sophear loves, and for all the people that love her, and especially for the people that remember to pray for her!"

Taking turns feeding Baby Panun

To see Christ glorified in Cambodia,

Titus, Jewel, Sophear, & Chamnab