Cooking Class

On Saturday, I went with the girls from my Bible study group to a cooking class. We learned to make a couple Cambodian dishes. YUMMY.

They started by taking us to the market and showing us what everything was. I never knew there were so many kinds of mint and herbs. Then we learned to make spring rolls.

(3 different types of eggplant.)

(Making the filling for inside the spring rolls.)

That was followed by banana salad and fish amok...two popular Cambodian dishes. It was tasty... and I really enjoy pounding all the spices together with my pestle and mortar. However, if you are ever working with chilies...KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM YOUR EYES. I accidentally touched mine and it burned.

(Beth, myself and Caroline and our chopped banana flower).

(My banana salad once it was complete.)(The ladies pounding their spices to make fish amok.)

All in all, it was a fun day. Its fun to take a day and learn about the culture and just enjoy being with the friends that God has blessed us with.

Street Ministry

Last night as Tabi and I were leaving street ministry, we ran into one of the older girls who usually comes. When we asked her what she was doing she told us that she was going to go dance for money. AHHH! We tried to talk to her about how dancing and taking off her clothes for money isn't good; but, when it comes down to it, if she doesn't, how is she going to have money to eat. It's sad how we put people in these positions and then judge them for making that choice. My heart breaks for her. Right now, there is a dream to open up a shelter for these kids so that the kids can have a place to sleep and food to eat, but the parents can still have access to their children. I just wish we had the place already. It's something that girl really needs -- and many other children just like her.

Snails, Ants, and Fish Eggs

This past week was Khmer New Year. During the holiday, everything shuts down in the city and everyone goes to their home province. My housemate Tabi and I went with our Cambodian housemates to their home for the holiday. It was a lot of fun! I loved waking up in the morning to the rooster crowing and pigs snorting. All the food we ate was SO fresh...maybe a little too fresh. Tabi accidentally walked behind the house one day and saw the chicken being killed for the next meal.

(My housemates' niece drawing wonderful scribbles in my notebook.)

While I was there I left everyone for a day and went to visit one of my Bible College students in a nearby village. He took me to meet his pastor and many people from the church. We had to eat at each place. The first house cooked eel, frogs and snails for dinner but I was only served snails (I am grateful because I don't know if my stomach could have handled all three at once). Later I was also served ant soup and fish eggs.

(Eating snails!)

The church that I visited seems to be really growing and it was amazing listening to the reports on how God is changing peoples lives. They just had a special youth meeting where all the youth were filled with the Holy Spirit -- praise God! The sad part is that I saw a lot of people still clinging to their cultural spiritual traditions. It broke my heart to go visit one house that had two spirit houses and a big table set up in front filled with food to offer to the angels.

Overall, my time in Takeo province was so refreshing -- spiritually, physically and mentally. It was so nice to be able to be in the country and just be surrounded by nature and find quite places where I could be alone to pray and meditate on God's Word. I did not want to come home, but now that I am, I feel ready to start back at work with a renewed purpose.

(While at my housemates house, we made a tasty Cambodian dessert which is kind of like a macaroon. I helped clean the banana leaves and fold them. They then stuffed with fresh coconut surrounded by a dough and then we cooked them. They were so delicious.)

A Sad Conclusion

This week I finished teaching at the Bible College. We had our last class on Tuesday which consisted of a pizza party and the sharing of testimonies in English. It was awesome! Then on Thursday I had the honour of attending the graduation ceremony. I walked down the isle amongst the ranks of teachers instead of students. It felt really strange and cool at the same time. I really enjoyed teaching English at the Bible College. It was such an awesome opportunity to encourage and challenge the future leaders of this nation to deeper heights in their relationship with God. I will really miss my students.

(A group shot of my class!)

testing

test

What a friend we have in Jesus

This week one of my housemates was giving me a mini guitar lesson. She likes older music and so one of the songs that we started to play was "What a friend we have in Jesus" but while we were playing it the lyrics really struck me:


What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.
Oh what peace we often forfeit. O what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.

It's just sooo very true!

WHY?!

This week a team from Vangaurd Bible College in Alberta has been here helping out. Last night I took two of the team members to the Saturday kids service that my children from the orphanage attend. For Easter, they decided to show The Passion movie (they showed it early because Easter time is around Khmai New Year which is a big holiday here). During the scene where they were whipping Jesus, before they hung him on the cross, I held the girl sitting on my lap tightly and tears started dripping from my face. I was lost in thought wondering WHY?! Why did Jesus have to go through that? Why does He love us so much? I saw myself as the one with the whip and realized that each time I am disobedient I am inflicted more pain on the One I love. As I was lost in thought, one of my little boys came up behind me, wrapped his arms around me and wiped the tears from my eyes. Wow!

I was thinking that if I were in Jesus' place, I don't know if I could do it. I don't know if I could withstand all that He did. I don't know if I even love anyone enough to go through all that for them. I wish I could say that I would -- that I would go through torment and die for those I love-- but in honesty, I don't know if I could do it. But, Jesus did it for us! He died on the cross for us so that our sins can be forgiven and that we can have a relationship with Him. He went through it all because He loves us that much! Isn't it amazing that someone could love us that much?! He didn't have to die for us. He was innocent and could have proved it. Instead, He knew that He needed to make the ultimate sacrifice. I am so grateful that He did.

The point of all of this is to say that JESUS LOVES YOU! HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT HE DIED FOR YOU AND HE WANTS YOU TO LOVE HIM BACK. Usually I try not to be too preachy on my blog, because I know that many of you who read this are not Christians; but, today I just really need to tell you this. Deciding to follow Jesus is the best thing that I have ever done, and I want you to experience it to. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Beca