Signing Off for a Few Days

I just wanted to let you all know that I am going to be away (South of Phnom Penh - close to the Vietnam border) for a few days. It is going to be crazy in Phnom Penh with an estimated 4 million people coming to participate in the king's memorial weekend. So, I will be somewhere next to the ocean with dear friends Jenny and Emma, clean air, but no computer. When I return I will post some new pictures and updates about the trip.

Tonight was a blast! We had a pre-movie dinner at the Terrace Restaurant and then saw Argo at the coolest arts movie theatre I have ever been to. It is set up in a beautiful home and is totally comfortable. I wish I could stay there for more than one movie! We saw "Argo" and even though I had seen it once before I found myself caught up in the excitement again.

Terrace Restaurant with Christina, Mary, Emma, and Jenny.
Having dinner with these amazing, beautiful, Christ-loving women
I thought what an amazing church God has in Cambodia. I think that
the biggest blessing for me on this trip has been the fellowship with
such amazing people like these four women. (Notice Mary's shirt: she has
completed three Australia Ironman competitions!)



Jenny mentioned that she nearly went somewhere else besides
Cambodia. I cannot imagine what this trip would be like without
her being here. Jenny has a depth of spiritual maturity that is
uncommon in people three times her age. Her spirit encourages me
and her friendship blesses me.

The super-cool, super-comfy Flicks Community Theatre in
Phnom Penh. Yes, that is a futon we were sitting/laying on and
they serve drinks in cozies. Emma (foreground) is a very talented designer
who is largely responsible for the Spice Garden Café that I have raved
on and on about for weeks and also for the design of shirts, bags, purses and more
that has claimed the lion's share of my spending on this trip. When I return home
you all will be the beneficiaries of her great designs.

Painting Pictures, Bike Outing, and Movie

I wanted to show you a couple of the pictures from the Tuesday-Wednesday painting project. I have to say that I really like the pink bike seat and think it could really catch on in the States, but for now it might serve as a landmark for the Centre - "meet me on street 178 where the cyclo with the pink seat is". I rode a bike to the Centre today and for all the talk I have chattered on about for the last 2 1/2 weeks about how crazy traffic is here I just jumped right into the fray today. I passed a bus on the right side even though it had its right turn blinker on. I darted out into intersections that had traffic coming from both the left and right - just trusting the other drivers to avoid me. I rode up onto sidewalks and into oncoming traffic. Then when I finally got there and walked into the Daughters Visitors Centre one of the staff said, "why are you so wet?"

Today I finished the series of financial workshops. This last one was titled "The Power of Community". We talked about how God makes each one of us unique and that He loves us so much that He has engraved our name (each of our names) into the palms of His hands. That because we are unique that means that we have experienced some things that no one else and that we also have some unique gifts/talents. But that alone we can only do so much. Using the example of wanting to start our own clothing line we talked about someone who is an excellent sewer, but they need a designer, someone else to is good at finding the right fabrics at a good price, and someone to advertise and sell the products. That requires us to work together in community. We looked at Matthew 14 and 15 where Jesus feeds 5,000 and 4,000 people with very little food. We talked about how so often things seem impossible to us, but that they are never impossible for God. It did take, though, the sharing of the bread and fish, God's blessings, the disciples belief, and then after they were fed they collected more than they probably started with. So, we shared how when we live and work together in community and seek God's blessings that He multiplies what we put in much more than we can imagine. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" (that is where Danet, the Khmer interpreter, gave me a puzzled look).

Tonight I am joining some friends for my first movie in the last 3 weeks (other than the 10 movies I saw on the long flight over). I am going to see "Argo" again. I am wondering if this will be in English with Khmer subtitles or in Khmer with English subtitles. Either way, I am glad I have seen it before!

The best Tomato Basil Soup I have ever had! Sugar and Spice Café



PS - I did buy a new pair of jeans today! I know that has got to be exciting news to all of you, but really it is exciting news for me. Yep, I am wearing them (debut) to the movie tonight.

Post-Painting Update

Dear friends, Thank you for following this blog! It is really an encouragement for me to know that I can stay connected and share with you about what is happening here; and thank you to those who have prayed for me. My throat is still a little ticklish and sometimes it gets really dry (so it is difficult to breathe). This issue seems to be especially bad when I am in the Tuk Tuk and we are in congested traffic. So, I have become like many a Cambodian who dons a facemask; the kind like doctors wear during surgery. That seems to help somewhat (even though I feel kind of ridiculous wearing one). The air quality here is very poor and I have probably ingested enough particulate to be considered a smoker. Because of the memorial for King Sihanouk there is a 4 day national holiday here. It is anticipated that there will be huge crowds in Phnom Penh. I am thinking that this would be a good weekend to go to a smaller city and one where there are fewer motos, cars, and tuk tuks. Speaking of motos, which I haven't in a few days. I was just thinking that anything you could possibly imagine being too dangerous to try on a scooter (aka moto) I am sure that I have seen it done here and done well. For example, I have seen many motos with very young children standing on the rear portion of the seat like they were surfing the moto or standing on the front of the scooter with no helmet or adult holding them. I have seen many moto drivers texting, talking on their cell phones, or smoking. But that is just scratching the surface. There are many motos loaded up with cases of beer (3 cases wide, 2 cases deep, and 5 cases high). Either they are delivery drivers or someone with a serious drinking problem. I even saw two guys on a moto and the guy on the back was holding a thick and large window pane on his lap. You get any speed going and that guy is going to be a mansandwich on road and glass bread. One moto driver (riding alone) had a 10 foot steel tube balanced on his shoulder. Another moto driver (also riding alone) had a huge wooden pole in between his legs sticking straight up. So, he had to hold it with one hand and steer with the other. In the midst of all this are people walking on the edge of the street pulling large carts. Many collect recyclable cans; some sell fruit or toys; and since they don't have car horns they either play music or squeak a handheld horn that sounds like one of those plastic duck calls. There are even some people pulling carts who collect the garbage that is left out on the street. That is how garbage is handled here: you put it in a plastic bag and place it on the sidewalk. At night someone comes along and picks it up. (Sometimes the dogs tear it open.) I don't know for certain how waste management is conducted beyond that, but it appears to me that it is just dumped into areas where people live along the train tracks or even downtown along the river. (I have posted two pictures earlier showing these heaps of garbage next to people's homes.) Remember too, this is pretty nasty waste - as the sewer systems here are not equipped to handle toilet paper and so the used TP is added in with the other garbage. When I pass a cart hauling garbage the smell turns my stomach.

Today I finished painting the outside of the Daughters' Visitors Centre. It felt so good to finish and then to look up and see how nice it looks. There was actually a little crowd of Tuk Tuk drivers and neighboring business owners who were watching and it was so encouraging to hear a few of them say how nice it looks. Somehow I forgot to take a picture of it, but I will try to soon. I went to Firewall (intercessory prayer group for Cambodia) again today and then met Ruth for lunch. Ruth is the founder and CEO of Daughters. She is an amazing woman - singularly devoted to loving and following Christ, mother of 4 children (two still young), brilliant, and kind. I happened to catch her giving a gift to one of the Daughters staff to help with the staff's children. I also heard a story from Emma yesterday about how in their staff meeting yesterday Ruth had each person write onto a card their name, their title, and the work that they do. Then the cards were passed around (to one or two other staff) and the other staff would add to the card about what they observed that person to do and what they appreciated about that person. Emma said it was fun to write those additions to people's cards, but also so encouraging to get your own card back. I am going to shamelessly steal that idea. In the middle of lunch Ruth's two youngest children came to join us. I showed Ruth's 4 year old son (who I think is the coolest kid in all of Cambodia) my camera and he just went wild taking pictures - some of them really good pictures.

PS - two seconds after I hit save so that I could review this draft the power went out. Talk about fortunate timing!




A new dessert that Spice Garden is introducing
on Valentine's Day. We got to sample the prototype
and it is delicious! Perhaps the best thing I have
eaten this whole trip. I ate this first (all of it) and
then only had appetite left for about 1/2 my salad.

 

I only brought one pair of jeans on this trip and after painting for two days in these I think they are done and I will return home in a pair of Cambodian Jeans.

 

These two pictures were taken by Ruth's son (4 years old)

 

Golf in Phnom Penh?

I know my golf buddies in Phoenix are playing and practicing golf while I am away and they are probably thinking that they can really take advantage of me not playing golf for a whole month, but guess what? There is a really nice driving range in Phnom Penh. So, tonight Jenna, Emma, and I got into a Tuk Tuk and went to the Elite Golf Club driving range. It felt good to swing the clubs again. Jenny and Emma were just learning how to hold and swing a club tonight and they didn't have the best instructor, but they both managed to really get some good rhythm and tempo to their swings and both of them hit quite a few very nice shots. Afterwards we went to a fabulous restaurant (the name, unfortunately, I cannot recall). You walk through a gate into a entryway featuring palms and the seating is under a canopy with comfy bamboo benches and cushions. There is serenity there, which is accented by just the right amount of gentle breeze. Everything we ordered was fantastic especially the chocolate drizzled brownie with cashew caramel ice cream.

Today I was at the Daughters Visitor Centre all day painting a bike-like tuk tuk (called a "Cyclo") and an awning for the security gate. It doesn't sound like much, but it took me all day and I still have to return tomorrow for second coating and to paint a desk and a wall. As you can see by the picture it probably took me a bit longer than it should have because I also ended up painting my arms and hands. Also, I am not a talented painter and I kind of had to smile and know that this was helping in some way and just to do my best. I really did enjoy it and knew that I was fully committed when I lay on the sidewalk to paint the underside of the cyclo. I thought, you couldn't pay me enough money to lay on this sidewalk, but for service to God and to Daughters of Cambodia I will gladly do that for free. There was a Tuk Tuk driver hovering nearby and he would occasionally walk over to inspect the paint job and he would smile and give a thumbs up to me. I asked him once if he wanted to help me paint and he just smiled and walked back to his Tuk Tuk.

Amateur painter's hand

Amateur golfers who might someday go pro

Health Update

Good morning (evening for those in the US). I just wanted to give you all a brief health update and ask for your prayers. I have a been battling a sore throat (and admittedly did not act responsibly in going for a three hour bike ride, tennis, and aerobics yesterday). I lost my voice (perhaps to the delight of others) and am feeling a little low on energy. Please pray with me for God's healing so that I may return to full service at Daughters in my remaining two weeks here. I have a fun project ahead tomorrow - doing some painting (and maybe some wall repair) at the Visitor's Centre.

Thank you!

My breakfast this morning at Spice Garden - that's right, I had a lime cupcake for breakfast

 

 

 

Bicycling in to Spice Garden this morning - I am sure that each of us can find a beautiful story in this mural and the foreground 

Sunday Update (Saturday for my US friends)

Late night with the Australia Day celebration and up early to ride around Phnom Penh on a bike tour with Mary who is not only a crazy daring bike rider, but also knows Phnom Penh well and is a gracious host. Plus, she is a strong rider and so we had fun. We saw a lot of the monuments in PP. We also saw an interesting game played with a ball about the size of a grapefruit and made of woven bamboo. There are three players per side and they kick and head the ball over a net that is about the size and height of a badminton net. These guys were so talented as they leaped up in the air turned their backs parallel to the ground and then kicked the ball over the net (much like the kick that soccer star Pele made famous). After an almost 3 hour ride I showered and got back on the bike with Christina to head to church. This week we worshipped at Second Mile - a wonderful church that hosts people from all over the world. Worship is in English. As I looked around the small, but packed room I realized that I knew close to 20 people in the service and I thought how amazing to be in Cambodia and know so many people in one place. That definitely would not be the case if this were a "typical" vacation. This cannot even be compared to a typical vacation; it is so much better! I am posting this from a wonderful coffee shop in PP called "Brown". Jenny and I rode our bikes here and are doing some work before heading out to play tennis. Jenny is writing one of her updates and I feel kind of intimidated being in the same room as her when she is writing. If you have received one of her newsletters you will know what I am talking about.

Here are some reflections that I had yesterday about the trip to Siem Reap:

The trip to Siem Reap was meant to be, probably less so to see the many beautiful temple ruins and more for the conversation with Pear, the young Khmer man who sat next to me on the van ride up to Siem Reap; and most especially for how God moved my heart while traveling back from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Seeing the countryside, the extreme poverty, the enormity of fields that have so much potential, but lie unproductive; and seeing so many young children, some of them naked, playing in the streets as cars literally zoomed closely by throwing up dust, incessantly honking their horns as a warning to stay away. Going through the small town after small town I wondered how their businesses, run out of shacks, could possibly remain operational. Certainly, they must offer trade to one another. Most of them have too little money to buy from another business. Some were selling bamboo sticks, others had plastic grocery bags with a stuffed animal in it – hanging from the ceiling all dusty, and others the typical assortment of groceries that is so common in places like Phnom Penh (sodas, cigarettes, gasoline in coke bottles on the street side). This would all be so sad and heavy on one's heart, yet God moved my heart in such a positive, hopeful way. As I mentioned in a prior posting God placed a prayer on my heart - calling on Him to restore productivity to Cambodia's fields and the benefit from this productivity going to all Cambodians and healthy and just measure. The Cambodian people remaining humble and grateful. On the return trip, when I was awake and watching these fields zoom by I prayed this prayer over and over again and instead of just seeing dusty fields I saw hope. I saw these children living in such poor conditions: severe poverty, unsanitary surroundings (I literally saw a septic truck dumping into the river), their homes would not pass in the US even as a shack, and yet every child I saw seemed happy, they all found ways to enjoy life playing – though not with toys or on any nice equipment. I saw field after field stretching out like oceans extending beyond what my eyes could see and rather than just seeing dustiness and unproductive fields I saw potential; I saw hope and my heart was so moved. God transformed what I saw to be a rich Cambodia with healthy people. I know very little about agriculture and water treatment, but I felt moved to do something about this. 

I mentioned  that I am writing this at a coffee shop. As I am writing a man comes up to Jenny and I and hands us his business card. He is the Executive Director for the International Friendship Development Organization and said that some of the work they are doing is about water quality and agriculture. (This is well after I had already written the paragraph above.) Yes, God does work in amazing ways!

Flowers growing out of temple ruins, Siem Reap

The Freedom Monument, Phnom Penh

 

Thank you Mary for your gracious, joyful, and generous spirit

 

I can tell that these guys are really talented athletes even though I don't fully understand the game they are playing.

Jenny insisted on taking this picture because she thought it was so funny that I put on a sweatshirt.

 

 

This is the face of poverty in Phnom Penh and it sits right across the street from some of the most opulent buildings in the city. Of course, there is a street-side wall to hide it. There are abandoned train tracks bordering these homes and I am told that on the rare occasion when the trains are used that authorities round up the people who live here and force them to temporarily relocate.

 

Three monks are sitting on a bench. Two of them tell a joke about the third one and then...well, you get this picture.

 

 

Some Pictures from Australia Day Celebration

Thank you to my new friends from Australia for including us expat Americans in on your fun celebration. Dave is the clear winner in Australian history and Christina does the best American impersonation of an Australian - including eating vegemite.

Christina is a proud Australian "for the day"

The girls did a great job singing the National Anthem

The Australian guys didn't join in the singing

 

Christina and Lacey had a duo with water-filled rubber ducks. Lacey won.

 

Prize Offering

This blog is getting very close to 1,000 views. I don't know if you can see what number view you are or if only I can see the number. But while I see the number I don't see who the viewer is. If you can see that you are the one-thousandth view then please write a comment and I will bring you back a special gift from Cambodia.

Prayer This Morning and Australia Day

This morning my prayer for Cambodia is that God restores the vibrancy in production of Cambodia's crops and that the benefits from that will be shared by all of Cambodia's people in healthy and just measure; and that they will remain humble and will be grateful to God. Seeing the fields here and the poor quality of water this is difficult to imagine, but what is impossible for man is never impossible for God. What an incredible difference this would make in the lives of so many Cambodians.

On a completely different note: today (January 26) is Australia Day. This holiday, formerly known as Anniversary Day or ANA Day, commemorates the arrival of the first fleet of British ships on the Sydney Cove shores (New South Wales) in 1788; and the establishment of "New Holland", now Australia. This is somewhat of a controversial holiday (for reasons similar to America's celebration of Columbus Day). Despite the controversy I am very glad to be living with so many Australians who are each and every one beautiful and gracious people; and I am honored that tonight they have invited me to join them on our guesthouse rooftop to celebrate Australia Day. (Being unfamiliar with the tradition of their celebration I hope that it does not include sacrificing the oldest Asian male in the group by throwing him off the rooftop.)

Ankgor Wat

Friday, January 25, 2013

5:20am, Angkor Wat Permit Station…dozens of buses and tuk tuks cram the parking lot and tired tourists stumble about in the dark to get the photo id passes for entry into Angkor Wat. I immediately regret not having gone to the ATM last night as this $20 permit leaves me with only $25 in my pocket – and breakfast, lunch, and elephant ride still awaiting me in Angkor Wat. (Fortunately, $25 USD goes a long ways in Cambodia.) My tuk tuk driver, an affable man named Pov, drops off at a place in the dark and points in a general direction (it is still dark) and says that I should walk that distance, wait for sunrise, and then walk around the temple; then come find him in this area again. I follow the darting flashlight beams of tour guides and tourists with cell phones. A young man carrying two books starts walking with me. He is trying to sell me the books and we begin bargaining on price even though the only thing I ever say is, “No, thank you.” He comes down from $28 to $20, then to the other book – starting at $5. Intermingled in the price negotiation is the sentence, “I am a student.” That line must have worked at some point and it did on me too. After several hundred meters walking together and a dozen “no, thank yous” I finally consent and buy the second book for $3. Now I am down to $22 in my pocket. The crowd ends up in a field in front of the temple. It is dark.

6:00am, the light is beginning to rise behind Angkor Wat and it reveals the shapes of the temple structure as well as the trees that surround the temple. I hear monkeys calling out to one another and there is an excited buzz in the crowd of maybe a couple thousand who have gathered on the lawn. There is a pond in the middle of the field and across the pond some drummers begin playing; steady, rhythmic beats. Flashbulbs are going off and it is like being in a field of fireflies.

6:20am, the sun still hasn’t arose over Angkor Wat, the drummers stopped playing a while ago. Many from the crowd have apparently given up that there will be a sunrise and choose to head to the temple.

6:30am, the sky behind the temple is changing colors rapidly. Light is streaming down through the clouds in a pink beam, the clouds turn pink and purple setting the forefront to windows of blue sky. Behind one of the spires to the right we can see the bright orb of the sun begin to peek over. The drummers start playing again, people settle in with their cameras poised and it really wasn’t all that spectacular of a sunrise, but it was still pretty good. Now I can hear elephants chattering in the background and it makes me excited for what is ahead.

8:00am, I return to the Tuk Tuk parking area having done a walk-through of some parts of the temple. I will disclose this now (before getting to descriptions about the other temples I also saw today) I do not feel a deep connection to Buddhist temples. They do not move me spiritually. In fact, it is kind of the opposite. While I am there I feel a spiritual tension. I do admire the impressive detail and immensity of human labor (even devotion) that went into constructing these temples, but there is nothing that man can make, which I think impresses God or means as much to Him as that we would choose to love Him and to love one another. What we construct in our hearts lasts forever and these structures are now ruins. So, that is my bias on this. When I returned at 8:00 I called Pov and he said “Already?”. I asked him what he said and he embarrassingly said “I mean, where are you?”

From the temple at Angkor Wat we went to ride an elephant. I quickly realized that this is a very touristy thing to do and even felt sorry for the elephants, but I did it and it is probably the only chance in my lifetime I will have to ride an elephant. When Pov dropped me off at the elephant stand he showed me on a map where I would be dropped off and told me to walk through the royal palace, the leper king, and then to Tep Pranam. He said that this would take three hours and so to call him when I got to Tep Pranam. It was at this point that I realized Pov probably was not really very available as my tuk tuk driver today. The elephant ride ended back where we started, not where Pov told me and so I had  longer walk and not only that – it only took me one hour to walk through everything and get to Tep Pranum. I called Pov. No answer. I called him again and he apologetically said that he was no longer in the park. He had gone to pick up his girls from school and so would not be able to get back for at least an hour.

When Pov returned we went to the final destination for the day: Ta Prohm. It is known for the amazing trees that have a lot of above-ground roots. Pov was trying to convince me to see more temples and to go back out tomorrow to see more, but I am now done with temple viewing in Siem Reap. My bottom line for the day is that I am glad that I saw this, but between seeing this and being with the people at Daughters and SHE I would choose the latter any day of the week. In fact, in writing this entry I reflected on how different this vacation would be if the majority of my trip was doing these kinds of things instead of what I am so blessed to do with Daughters. It would have been a completely different trip and I probably would have been ready to go home about 10 days ago. Probably the best part of this trip for me so far: The hotel I am staying at upgraded me to a balcony suite and I feel like I am on vacation (well, actually I am on vacation!). There is a tv in the room and I haven’t seen tv in two weeks. I even have a real shower, not a hand held one. So, yes I am living like royalty this weekend and after I post this I am going to go for a swim in the hotel pool.

Inside the temple at Angkor Wat

South gate

At Bayon

Leper king

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm

Royal Crown hotel - 1 of 2 pools

 

Siem Reap

After teaching a couple of morning workshops at Daughters on saving (investing and planning) Shoklah picked me up and took me to the River Side where I boarded a minivan headed for Siem Reap. I was the only English speaking person on the bus of 13, which made for an interesting 5 1/2 ride. I was, however, fortunate to sit next to Pear, a 32 Khmer man, who did speak a little English although some of our conversation went like this: me to Pear "Do you like living in Siem Reap?" Pear's response, "Anything glass, like rock, or steel". But as the trip went on Pear's English seemed to improve (while my Khmer most certainly did not improve at all). Pear told me that the beautiful, large fields we were passing made up 80% of all of Cambodia's fields for growing rice and vegetables, but that the fields have been unproductive for years, which is one big reason why Cambodia is such deep poverty. I asked him what it would take to get the fields back to productive, but I couldn't communicate that question in a way that he understood me. On the drive up to Siem Reap I did see even more abject poverty than what is evident in Phnom Penh. Pear said that the poverty in the Cambodian countryside is in fact much greater, with lower education as well. But that there are efforts in the current generation to focus more on education.

To get to Siem Reap one may pay $12 to take a big bus that is advertised as taking 6 hours or for one dollar more you can take a minivan that is advertised as taking 4 hours to Siem Reap. I don't know how that is possible since it took us 5 1/2 hours and I believe that our driver has a good shot at becoming Cambodia's first NASCAR driver. At one point when we were passing through a town with a posted 40KMH speed limit I looked at the speedometer and we were going over 130KMH! Not only that, but there were good stretches of the road where cows, chickens, and dogs were roaming loose.

Tomorrow will be an early and long day starting at 5:00 when a Tuk Tuk driver is going to pick me up to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Then it will be an adventure, which will hopefully include riding an elephant. (Did you know that unlike cars elephants have their trunk in the front? Yes, I did make up that joke.) Then I am going to meet Jen Leitch and Paul again as they just happen to be in Siem Reap and also are staying just across the street from me!

Pear, said that he was just returning from a business trip to Vietnam and that the economy in Vietnam is better than in Cambodia because their crops have come back strong. He said that he doesn't enjoy the people in Vietnam though; that they are not as kind as Cambodians. Well, I have never been to Vietnam, but I will say that all the Cambodian people I have met have been very gracious. In fact, as I am typing this blog I received a call from Pear wanting to make sure that I made it to my hotel OK.

I am sharing a couple of pictures to show you the countryside we were whizzing by (so they are not the best quality pictures)

A Shout Out to Policy Council

As I have some time of quiet reflection in Phnom Penh (nearly 8,500 miles away from Phoenix) I wanted take a moment to express my gratitude to the Maricopa County Head Start Zero-Five Program Staff and the Human Services Department for allowing me this incredible opportunity to experience Cambodia. I also want to recognize and thank the Policy Council for their leadership and support. In my time here I have tried to share the passion, enthusiasm, and wisdom that you all have; and tried to be a good ambassador of you in this foreign place.

Even though I am absent from this month’s meeting I wish to tell you that I am thinking of you. I am learning so much here and both my heart and my mind are being deepened and sharpened in a way that will make me a better person; a better leader. I look forward to seeing you next month. All the best to you, Dennis

New Wheels

SHE Rescue left this spare bike at the house today and so I am able to use these new wheels to get around today. So grateful! I am not sure what the tagging in the background says.

Tuk Tuk Ride Video

Here is a short video of yesterday's tuk tuk ride. (I couldn't figure out how to load it on the blog and so there I posted my first ever You Tube video - just follow the link.) It is more entertaining in person than what you will experience on this video. In addition to what you will see here, it is common to see toddlers sitting or even standing on a moto without a helmet; and up to 4 people on one moto. Also, I have seen hundreds of dogs in Phnom Penh and only one that was on a leash - they all seem to be content and trained to just stay on the side of the road inches away from all the traffic that is zipping by. My dog, Gizmo, would not survive 5 minutes here.

 

http://youtu.be/tzYX7XjxFW8

100%

       

 

 

Moto v1

It has been another great day in Phnom Penh. After waking up at 4:15 and having morning devotionals I donned my headlamp and went for a run in the dark at 5:45. It is interesting running in the dark in Phnom Penh. There are many places where the pavement is missing or when running on the sidewalk (in the few places where there is sidewalk) the pavers are often uneven and/or loose. But these conditions make me pay more attention and it is a great way to start the day. After breakfast I had my first moto ride. With my hips as tight as they are this was interesting. I went to one of the cafes that Daughters operates called Spice Garden. It is the place that I wrote about earlier that when you approach the door and walk in you immediately feel surrounded by and surrendered to God's love and peace. I am really going to miss Spice Garden. They also make the best vanilla latte I have ever had. I spent the morning there working on job descriptions, the finance workshop on saving, and the message for church service on Feb 8. I also went upstairs of Spice Garden to the House of Prayer - the most tranquil place to pray and to be refreshed. I had lunch at Spice Garden and engaged in a couple of "philosophical debates" with Jenny and she declared herself the winner. Does anyone know how humbling it is for me to lose a debate about the meaning of life to someone who is half my age? I can't remember exactly how the debate went, but I think it has something to do with trees making noise even when people aren't around. After Skyping my niece and nephew (so great to see them!) I got on the back of Jenny's moto and we went to tour SHE. (This was Jenny's first time giving someone a ride on her moto and she did great!) SHE, which stands for "Shaping Her Earth and Shaping Her Eternity" provides safe housing for girls 5 - 16 who have been sexually trafficked, prostituted, raped, and/or who are significantly at-risk to be. SHE helps these young girls to safely and successfully reintegrate back into their families/extended families and communities. They utilize a holistic approach in working with the girls and their families, also partnering with other agencies in Phnom Penh. SHE also supports a micro-enterprise practice that helps these young girls and their families to successfully leave poverty. www.sherescuehome.org

Spice Garden (view of kid's play area)

Spice Garden (one of the upstairs tables)

My lunch at Spice Garden

The entrance to Spice Garden

Cake for Lunch

The most amazing cake shop is in Phnom Penh. It is called "Bloom" and it is absolutely wonderful. So, what better to do than have cake for lunch? Pictures below are with Jenny and my Phnom Penh housemates: Christina, Mary, Danni, Lacey, and Kat (who all just happened to be there when Jenny and I arrived. I guess eating cake for lunch is not an unusual thing to do at Bloom.)

There is an indescribable joy that has lifted up in my heart. It is an unquenchable, limitless love that God is pouring into me. I know it is not the cake (but certainly cake doesn't hurt the cause).

Throughout this past weekend I had a dream and recurring vision during prayer times of God's hands moving over Cambodia and lifting away oppression; freeing women, children, and men.

Cultural Differences

Five Cultural Differences Between Phnom Penh and Phoenix, Arizona:

1.       In Phnom Penh, the motos (scooters) outnumber the cars by about 20:1 and many of the cars have their brand written in big block letters across the side (especially if it is a Lexus or Land Cruiser). In Phoenix, if you drive a scooter you will certainly not refer to it as a “moto”, you will be outnumbered by cars about 150,000:1, and the Land Cruiser that runs you off the road will not have its brand written in big block letters on the side.

2.       In Phnom Penh, all drinks are served with a straw. Even if you buy a hot tea or bottle of water the cashier will put a straw in the bag. “To go” drinks are called “take away” and are given to you with a thin plastic sleeve that fits around the cup and has a handle (like a grocery bag) attached. In Phoenix, the 98 ounce Big Gulp from Circle K is too big to have a carry handle attached to it and while you do get a straw with it that straw is actually about the same size as the plumbing pipes in Phnom Penh.

3.       In Phnom Penh, there is no expectation of tipping at any restaurant. In Phoenix, even if you get rude and/or non-existent service at a restaurant you are still expected to tip at least 20%.

4.       In Phnom Penh, traffic is a mess, the roads are in grave disrepair, and yet no one ever gets road rage. In Phoenix, traffic is usually fine, the roads are in great shape, and yet people are constantly getting road rage.

5.        In Phnom Penh, two popular games are: soccer with a really small ball, and something like hacky-sack that is played with a rocket like object that clicks when you kick it. In Phoenix, two popular games are not either of the two I just mentioned.

New Life Church

Wow! What an incredibly spirit-filled worship service this morning at New Life Church in Phnom Penh! There were times when singing and praying today that I felt as if I were outside of my physical body worshipping God. I don't even recall exactly what I was thinking or saying at that time, but I remember feeling an absolute peace of being completely surrendered to God's love. Neth, who I posted about earlier this week, was leading the worship songs and I have never experienced anything quite like what I experienced today. There was a freedom and joy in singing that was at once a part of the whole church community and at the same time intimately personal with God. Even though most were singing in Khmer and others of us were singing in English (and perhaps other languages too) there was a beautiful unity of spirit in worship.

A young man named Sokun (sp?) sat next to me and at one time held my hands and began praying for me in Khmer; such a beautiful fellowship. The church ran out of translation headphones this morning and so Sokun pulled out a set of ear buds from his carry bag and tuned his phone to the radio station the church was using, then offered his ear buds to me so that I was able to hear translation of the sermon.

A Fun Day!

Today marks one week since my buddy Malcolm dropped me off at Sky Harbor Airport.

It was a really fun day in Phnom Penh today. Jenny and I went to Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium and played tennis there followed by a trip back to my favorite place for ice cream: Blue Pumpkin. Since it was such a nice day we ended up sitting on the Blue Pumpkin balcony with a view of the Mekong River. Then, we decided that there was still time left in the afternoon and so we went to an absolutely fabulous spa called Anna's and each of us got an hour long massage. Then I went back to Daughters' Spice Garden Café and guess who was there? If you guessed Jen Leitch and Paul you are correct. It was great to see them here in Phnom Penh and sharing with them what I have been doing since I got here it was hard to believe that I have only been here since Monday! (In fact, it seemed almost odd to me to have a conversation with so much English! Isn't that funny? Even Jenny will sometimes spontaneously start speaking Khmer.)

I am starting to recognize a lot of the staff at the cafés and even saw a few new friends coming in for dinner and also for an evening worship service at the House of Prayer, which is above the Spice Café. So, I am really starting to feel at home here. Tomorrow I will be going to church with a housemate and Soklah, who has been my Tuk Tuk driver this week. The service is in Khmer, but I believe that they have translation headphones. Now I will have the opportunity to have a little window into what it must be like for Spanish speaking parents on the Head Start Policy Council who participate listening translation via headphone. I think that the one key difference is that I have experienced that when it comes to worship the Holy Spirit transcends different languages and moves hearts.

A somewhat blurry picture of Paul and Jen

There is an entire family of four on this scooter!

Dennis' Dinner Review and Update

Last night Jenny and I took a Tuk Tuk down to the River Side for dinner. I learned that Jenny is good at negotiating Tuk Tuk prices and even does it in Khmer. While I didn't understand a word that she said I could tell by her intonation that she was demonstrating disbelief at the rate being promoted by the driver and her deft advocacy quickly led to the driver coming down 50%. (William Shatner better watch out. I think Jenny is a better price negotiator.) We went to a restaurant called "Java" and it was really a nice place. The evening was beautiful with clear air and a slight breeze. So, we sat outside on the upstairs balcony. Most restaurants in Phnom Penh have upstairs seating and generally that area seems to be preferred. Java was packed with a crowd attending an art showing. I had their pumpkin-carrot soup which was incredible. Afterwards we went to a place called "Blue Pumpkin" and had ice cream. Now, this is an ice cream shop unlike any other. Again, at Blue Pumpkin there is a nicer upstairs and when we went up there it was amazing! It featured a wall-to-wall, high and deep couch, arched ceilings, and an outdoor balcony. The ice cream selection was fabulous and the two flavors I got (Caramel Cashew and Chocolate Chip Mint) were both amazing. I cannot wait to go back there again, and again, and again.

Today was a great day. I got up really early and went for an hour long run (beginning with a head lamp in the dark - and because it was so early it was cooler and the air was cleaner). I stayed almost all day at the House of Prayer and Spice Café. At the start of the morning I was able to have some one-on-one time with Ruth, the founder of Daughters and in that time she moved my heart deeply. Ruth is truly a woman who is inspired by, led by, and filled with God's Holy Spirit. I then started working with the Site Director and Site Manager to review some policies and practices. At 10:00 I went to the House of Prayer (upstairs from the Spice Café) and participated in the worship and prayer time for Cambodia. I was deeply moved, ministered to, and inspired in this time. At the end of the day I went to the Centre for a church service. Neth (pronounced the same as "Nate") led worship and Sue, a Pastor visiting from the UK, shared the message. Even though Neth spoke mostly in Khmer God used him to minister to my heart. I would be hard pressed to think of a person I know who is more spirit-filled and joyful than Neth.

Neth

What I Am Doing in Phnom Penh

Today was the first two workshops of 8 that I will be presenting. I am working with Danet, a wonderful staff at Daughters - she serves as Centre Manager and is providing interpreter services for me at the workshops. After presenting the workshops I went to the Daughters café, which is listed on Trip Advisor as the number 2 top place to visit in Phnom Penh - just behind the Killing Fields. It was by far the best meal I have had since arriving in Phnom Penh. I also went shopping there three times because the merchandise they carry (handmade by the Daughters) is the best! I met Breanne, who is from Seattle. She oversees the operations of the Visitor Centre and Spice Café run by Daughters. I will working with her and Sokea to review their policies and practices related to finance and HR.

Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting the founder of Daughters, Ruth. I had read and heard so many great things about Ruth before meeting her that I was actually a little nervous meeting her. She is a powerful person who has taken her passion and vision and turned them into Daughters. I also met Emma, the Daughters designer who left a high-end clothing designer job in the UK to work full-time for Daughters. These staff are not at Daughters just because it is work. They are at Daughters because it is their calling.

I know I have made something of a big deal about the traffic here and especially the Tuk Tuks, but again this morning I was just smiling and laughing on the Tuk Tuk drive in to the Centre. There is a cultural organization amidst what appears to me to be absolute chaos. I have yet to see any accidents and despite traffic going around like it is in a blender and people constantly cutting off or being cut off there has not been a harsh gesture seen or foul word uttered.

It feels to me like it is less humid than when I first arrived. Perhaps this is because the gray cloud layer has not been over us for the past two days. The weather is actually very nice right now even though the air quality still mostly consists of a mixture of dust and Moto exhaust.

The Daughters' store

Delicious pepper sandwich at Daughters' Café

Traffic in Phnom Penh