Julie Toivola's Times in Cambodia

Mundolkiri

2010-03-18T19:54:00.002+07:00

Mundolkiri was quite an experience outside of the great teaching time. Maybe you heard about the roads along the way (well at least they are in process of being paved). However, the shower situation was not ideal for me. Showering outside in someone's backyard with people any where and every where... you can imagine the rest. Needless to say I didn't really shower for 3 days. But I felt really bad because the gal I stayed with had drawn water from the well for me. Here is a picture of the kids nearby washing dishes.

Typhoon

2009-10-03T16:36:00.002+07:00

I was in Siem Reap when the tail end of the typhoon came through Cambodia. It rained hard all night and day which flooded the river. The river became so full that the water covered the surrounding streets in some place up to mid-thigh. The pressure of the water felled some really big trees too. We rode in a friends truck and there were some places we dared not drive because of the depth of the water. Remeber the people who have been affected by this tragedy. 8 people died in Ratanakari. Many houses are flooded...

Teaching

2009-08-29T17:10:00.002+07:00

I met with the Sunday School Teachers at one of the churches in the city for the first time today. I think it went well but I had some problems recording the teaching for language purposes. I enjoy the group of young ladies and had fun with them but I do not like the fact that nothing starts on time. I had to wait for them to arrive a half hour which is hard because of the heat. I get tired quickly so it was kinf of hard. However they thanked me and want to meet with me again. pray that God will give me what I need to continue this.

Update

2009-08-06T06:39:00.003+07:00

I met with V last Saturday and will meet with her again this Saturday. I am trying to get together with her once a week, if that does not work then to meet with her 2 times a month at the least. V has a lot of questions about the Christian faith and really wants knowledge, but pray that God would not only help her to know but that it would reach down deep in her heart and she would desire to allow God to do a transforming work in her life. Our last converstation was about Truth and why we cannot believe many religions. I have real joy in the fact that I can meet with this young lady and that I can share with her what God has done in my life and that she is open to hear all of this.
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Heavenly Father

2009-06-21T19:21:00.002+07:00

Today is Father's day and also a day in which one young lady has become God's daughter. She now knows her Heavenly Father. A group of ladies met today to study the Bible and English. Today there were 5 ladies in attendance where we shared the gospel message. We talked about creation-the fall-sin-our need-salvation. One of my friends was able to have a deeper conversation about the lesson with this young lady. Following she decided that she wanted to accepted Jesus as her Savior and to become a child of God. She was led in prayer and then I had the opportunity to pray for her after she recieved Christ. Pray for V and her new life in Christ.

Relating Scripture to Life

2009-06-08T19:15:00.002+07:00

Today I met with a Khmer leader at the dorm. The leaders are only a little older than the students but are responsible for them-making sure that the rules are obeyed, the house is kept clean, the students go to school...It is difficult since everyone are adults. This leader has had some trouble with confronting the students, sometimes they do what they are supposed to one time but then fall back. Some students think that since they are adults they can chose for themselves. I encouraged this leader to use scripture how God sets guidelines for us and we chose to obey them because we are His children-we know that God has our best in mind and that if we choose to disobey there are consequences and life has more problems. The same is with living at the dorm there are guidlines, rules and when we decide to live there we are saying we will obey these. There are rules because the leaders have the students best interest in mind, but if they chose to disobey there will be more problems. There we other things I shared from Scripture and this leader went away encouraged and feeling supported in a new way.

PRAYER

2009-05-22T10:45:00.002+07:00

Please pray for me to know how to respond to the great financial needs of the Cambodians that I have a relationship with. May God lead and guide me as not only the people I know struggle but most everyone in Cambodia is struggling with poverty. How am I to respond to this issue-I know what Gods word says about taking care of the poor and needy, but the problem is huge-plus I do not want money to be a problem in my relationships with people. So my prayer is for discernment, I want to be blessing others as I have been blessed.

Great Quote

2009-05-18T19:03:00.002+07:00

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
~John Piper

Wednesday Nights

2009-05-14T19:06:00.002+07:00

are a great time of encouragement and support for me. My friends Cathy and Kim were at my house last night. We enjoyed a meal together, chatting about our week. We are doing a Bible Study called I saw the Lord by Ann Graham Lotz. So we spend time in God's Word together and then we spend a lot of time sharing prayer requests and lifting each other up in prayer. It is wonderful.

The Heart of a Child

2009-05-05T18:56:00.002+07:00

A girl from my home church has really touched my heart with her generousity, love and servant heart. She has taken it upon herself to knit dishclothes - one she sent to me with my friend when she visited. She is knitting them and then selling them for $5 each as a fund raiser to help pay for a flight to visit this Christmas. When I heard what she was doing it brought tears to my eyes because it shows that this girl really has a heart after God. May God bless her.

Indoor Activities

2009-04-17T20:38:00.003+07:00

There is not much to do in Cambodia in-doors except go to the mall and eat-no movie theaters but there is a bowling alley. A few friends and myself decided to go for Khmer New Year. One of the Cambodian girls had never bowled before in her life we all had a lot of fun.

Sunday Study

2009-04-07T19:43:00.003+07:00

On Sunday a group of Khmer gals, two of my Canadian friends and myself got together for a group study. Some are Christians and some are not but we spent time reading Matthew chapter 1 about the birth of Jesus. It was exiting especially because for some it was the first time ever hearing about Jesus. We plan to meet at least once a month together to read the Bible and talk about it. I am thrilled to see what God continues to do in the lives of these Khmer gals. Chenda the girl I met last month joined us for this study and I pray that as I continue to spend time with her and her being a part of this group that she will come to know Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

A Meeting by design

2009-03-19T10:00:00.000+07:00

I was walking from my house to a store on Sunday and passed a young lady walking with her bike. She greeted me ans we chatted briefly. On my way out of the store I passed this same gal, which I thought was a little strange. I smiled at her and I kept walking. As I was entering the gate of my house there she was again so I said something to her and she asked me if we could talk. We stood at my gate and talked then we exchanged phone numbers and I gave her a tract and told her to read it and maybe we could meet again sometime. Well sometime came sooner than I expected. On Tuesday morning I got a knock at my door I answered and there she was. I invited her in and we talked for about two hours. We talked about family, she told me about learning Chinese, she wants to learning English and how to cook, she is 16 and wants me to be her big sister. I was able to talk to her some about God but not as much as I would have liked. Anyway when you read this will you pray for her, her name is Chenda. Pray that I would be able to build a good relationship with her and that she would come to know Jesus as her Savior.

Becky=Blessing

2009-02-23T08:52:00.002+07:00

My friend Becky is here in Cambodia for 3 weeks visiting me. It is a blessing to have her here. She gets to see some of the work I am doing. We have also taken some time to travel around Cambodia. She brought s suitcase full of stuff for me from many people back home it was so nice. Thank you. We are enjoying are time together.

Continuing on the road to recovery

2009-01-28T16:08:00.003+07:00

I was released from the hosptial today-feels nice to be out of the hospital room and to actually do some other things. My eye sight is not quite back to normal yet but I am seeing improvements. I will be in Bangkok for a little longer, on other meds and have more check ups. Thanks for remembering me in your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Bumrungrad

2009-01-26T08:36:00.003+07:00

I finally found the location of the computers at the hosptial so I get on line and out of my room. Being at the hospital is not all bad especially when I can sit using free internet while drinking Starbucks coffee. I was amitted to the hospital on Friday because of a MS symptom to the left eye causing pain and blurry vision. The pain has since subsided and my vision in the left eye is slowly improving. They only have me on the meds for 6 hours out of the day so it nice to get out and wander the hopspital instead of being cooped in a bed all day. My eye sight should return to normal - I will probaly be dischared from the here in the next few days but will need to be on oral meds for awhile. Through this God is good I have seen his hand at work in a number of ways. The prayer of my heart is that I would find everything I need in Him - I am touched by how he has poured out His comfort upon me and my desire is to help comfort others.

Christmas Chaos

2008-12-29T10:32:00.004+07:00

Yesterday I had the privledge of teaching Cambodian Children at one of the churches. It was somewhat crazy but a blessing to. What I was told to prepare for was 1 hour so of course I prepared for a hour and a half to be safe but the teaching time ended up being 2 1/2 hours long. A young man I know stepped in to help me praise God because he was able to explain things that were difficult for me to do when it was needed it different ways. He also helped to fill in the time. It was very hot in the room and the kids energy was all over the place. Needless to say when the time came to recieve Christ all of them prayed -my prayer is that their little hearts are sincere and that the seed that has been planted is on good soil. Those who really meant it God would help them share this exciting news with others and help them to grow in faith.

Sorry So Long

2008-12-29T10:28:00.002+07:00

My computer conked out on me before Christmas and I wont have it back until Feb. Therefore I have to go to internet shops in order to do many things, because of this it is hard to take time to post on my blog. Just want you to know that if you don't hear much of me it is for this reason.

An Unlikely Sight

2008-12-06T18:38:00.004+07:00

I saw something when I was out in the province that continue to give me culture shock or at least experiences that suprise me. Take a look at this picture.
Can you see what this little girl has? A big knife that she is balancing fruit on.
No Khmer person around was concerned about this.

Jackfruit

2008-11-23T17:41:00.004+07:00

I have seen the fruit on trees and when it is whole, I have also seen the fruit when it is already out of its peel. Today I got the experience of helping to take the fruit from its peel.

You need to peel and discard the skin. Before cutting open the Jackfruit we had to coat the knife and cutting board with a cooking oil on account of the latex. Unripe Jackfruit especially exude a lot of sticky latex.

see the white that is the latex it is like taffy that sticks to everything.

I was really suprised how difficult it was to take the fruit out and

afterwards my hands were sticky even after washing for a long time.

the fruit if you find the pieces like the picture above pieces that are not

too slimy the fruit tastes good and kind of has a flavor of banana and pinneapple,

very different from DURIAN.

Exotic Eating Experience

2008-11-18T20:18:00.002+07:00

One of the Sunday School teachers that has studied with me invited me to go out to eat with her and her family. She took me to a place called Neo Suki (Japansese food -Suki Soup). There is this big hot pot in the middle of the table that they put a vegetable broth in. Then you order meats and vegetables -when they come they are raw then you put them in the broth and let it cook-then eat. You may be asking what is so exotic about that? Well they order things like squid, seabass and even jellyfish among other things. It actually tasted pretty good and I had a good time with good company.

Language Evaluation #4

2008-11-17T19:24:00.003+07:00

Today I had my fourth language evaluation - I was very encouraged by the feedback I got from the Khmer evaluators. They said some very good things about my conversation skills, reading skills...most everything was very positive. They did say that there are some words/sounds that I need to be careful with, but that I continue to make progress in the language. It is nice to hear, because sometimes I don't feel like I am progressing - it is hard for me to see, but that is one reason we have the language evals to help us see that we are moving forward. Thank you God for giving me the ability to hear, speak and read this language which was once so foreign. God it is because you have enabled me and helped me to be diligent in studying and using Khmer.

Eating Loosens the Mouth

2008-11-08T19:22:00.002+07:00

Yesterday I took the three girls who I teach out to eat. We spent the whole morning at the restraunt which was pretty empty. We ate a little in the morning and then studied together. After studying we ate lunch together too. I noticed that our time studying together was good, probably because of the food. The girls seemed to be open to talking more than usual as we looked at the death and resurrection of Jesus and how this impacts our life. I was really encouraged by the questions that they asked and the discussions about the importance of what Jesus has done for us. Thank you for always remembering our meeting times please pray as this week we read and study John 1-2 I am challenging them to spend time in God's Word each day and to put into practice some of the things we have been studying about the Bible.

Car Complications

2008-10-31T08:53:00.002+07:00

This past weekend I had car complications. First a flat tire and then something wrong with the steering. However I thank God for people who are willing to help. When I got the flat tire-three guys from a nearby shop came over and changed the tire for me although it was no easy task. I had my first opportunity of buying a tire. Then praise God that I have to park my car at a local garage at night because they were the ones who informed me of the some kind of steering problem - they told me I should not continue to drive until it is fixed. Thank God for the CAMA office where we have wonderful staff-one of the Khmer staff members came out and took a look at the car and said yes it did need to have work done. So the next day he took care of the whole thing for me. It is a wonderful blessing to have people who can help because I do not know all the words to be able to communicate about car problems and such. So even when there are complication there are also encouraging thins too. Now everything is good with the car.

A Walk in Water

2008-10-19T13:55:00.002+07:00

It rained early this morning before I left for church. When I arrived the church was flooded from the gate at the entrance and through the sanctuary. There is a portion of the building that was not flooded because it was on higher ground up some steps. In order to get into any part of the church we had to walk in the water. So I hiked up my pant legs and waded through the water which was up to mid calf - cold and dirty. We meet in the area above the water- a small room which soon became filled with people. I was suprised at the number of people that came because another missionary told me that if the church is flooded most of the people's houses are flooded as well.

Battambang

2008-10-13T19:24:00.002+07:00

Last week I traveled to this province with some other missionaries on my team to discuss ideas about development and ministry in Cambodia. This was for the new missionaries on the team and the time together was led by the Strongs. They helped us to think about things that are important when getting involved here in Cambodia. We talked about worldview, insider and outsider, working with the poor...It was things that probably all of us have thought about already but it was good to discuss them as a group and hear different ideas. There are still alot of questions but everything we talked about is food for thought. We will always need to be learning from one another and from the nationals.

Teaching Lesson 2

2008-10-05T18:59:00.002+07:00

Yesterday I met with the girls at the dorm to discuss lesson two-it was about how sin entered the world. This week the girls suprised me because they actually had questions to ask me that they wanted to discuss. This I was excited about because when they ask questions I feel like we are actually discussing and learning. However, they asked questions that are difficult to answer even in English. Questions like: Why did God create Satan? Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden? When did God create the angels?...Well I did my best to try and give them some answers and things to think about but again language can still be a barrier at times.
Also I am still learning how to pray in Khmer-I can pray short prayers like to open the meeting, but at the end of the meeting I asked if one of them would pray and no one wanted to so they told me I could pray in English for the requests that were mentioned.
Please pray that I would grow in ability to communicate and in my leadership skills as well.

Sunday School Seminar

2008-09-27T20:46:00.002+07:00

The past few days my nerves have been really high. My nervousness has grown as today approached. I have been more nervous the past few days then I have been in a really long time. However this morning I was not really nervous, I felt mostly calm-I credit it to God (alot of prayer). Not many teachers showed up for the seminar today, but the feed back I got was great. I was told by a fellow missionary that I did a great job and another Sunday School Seminar has been planned. The teachers that attended seemed to be excited by the seminar. I hope that this will create a positive desire for more teachers to attend the next seminar and hopefully in the future I there will be a desire for me to plan one a month.

Teaching Time #1

2008-09-20T18:57:00.002+07:00

Today was the first time I have taught in Khmer. I met with three ladies at the dorm and we studied the first lesson about God, his character and the first commandment. I prepared a number of questions ahead of time which was great but of course there were a number of things that I wanted to ask and talk about that I had not prepared. This was a little bit of a challenge but I feel that it all went well. It was great to talk about how we have seen God at work in our lives, our devotional times, importance of the Holy Spirit and putting God first in our lives. There was some challegeing things that came out of our conversation that I think will help each of us grow in our relationship with God. It was a little difficult at times with the language but overall I think I was able to express myself-praise God.

The Meeting

2008-09-14T15:27:00.003+07:00

Yesterday I met with two gals from a dorm (gals who are studying at university level in the city). We went out for coffee at a nearby cafe and had a nice chat. The location was a bit on the noisy side so some of our conversation was lost. However, I think that as we meet on a regular basis I feel that God will bless our time together and I will get to know these gals better. I will keep you posted as time goes by on what transpires. Pray for us!

Planning - planning - planning

2008-09-03T20:16:00.002+07:00

As I write this I am thinking of all the planning and preparation I need to do to be ready to do some teaching. This month I will be leading a study with 2 other believers on New Life in Christ. May God bless me with the language skills I need in order to have good discussion. I am also planning a Sunday School teachers session for the end of the month. My schedule is pick up pace as a plan and then implement.

Loud Music

2008-08-26T19:19:00.002+07:00

Tonight there is a party somewhere near my house-how do I know you might ask-LOUD MUSIC! If you like loud music this is the place to be. When there is a party usually a loud speaker is rented to pump out the music and everything is outside. Since there are vent openings in the house and the houses are close to one another I cannot only hear the music (can't watch tv during that time) but can feel it as well. Sometimes I can even see what is happening from my window. This party has already been running for a hour and a half starting around 6pm it can go all the way until midnight. Although for a good night sleep it will be nice for it to end by 10.

House Guests

2008-08-19T19:36:00.002+07:00

Since returning from Thailand I have had a short-termer staying at my house off and on. She left today to return to the states. It was a joy to have her as company especially over meals. We were able to talk alot about Cambodian culture and life. Now that she is gone I am looking forward to having one of our missionaries who is returning from vacation staying at my house for a few days. She serves in Siem Reap and so before she heads there we will get to spend a little time together.

1 YEAR

2008-08-19T19:33:00.002+07:00

It is hard to believe that I have been living in Phnom Penh Cambodia for over a year now. As I continue to study the language I realize how much more there is that I need to learn the problem is that there are not a lot of materials that I have access to in order to continue to steady well. So I am very excited about having more experiences using my language in different settings which hopefully will help my speaking and listening to grow.

Khmer Verses to Memorize

2008-08-10T19:09:00.004+07:00

The first verse is Acts 10:43
The second verse is Romans 14:9
We read from left to right (Praise God) however there are no
spaces between words only spaces when there is a complete phrase
or at the end of the sentence.

Needles-70 doses-Air Asia

2008-08-08T19:16:00.002+07:00

What do you get when you cross needles, 70 doses and Air Asia = PROBLEMS.
I flew Air Asia to Bangkok and back. On my way back I was bringng about 70 doses of medication with me. The airlines told me that I had too many needles in my carry on. They meade a big deal about it at the scanner and at the gate. However eventually they let me on the plane and did not even take my luggage.
The funny thing is that this is the first problem I have had transporting my medication. Different people have brought my meds from the US to Cambodia without any problems. I think it was the Airline. Praise God for making the way for me to bring my meds back with me.

Thailand Trip

2008-08-08T19:12:00.002+07:00

I had a wonderful vacation in Thailand with the Youngs. It was relaxing and fun time. I was able to see some of the sights of Bangkok. I had the opportunity to share a Missions Moment at their church and they prayed for me it was a blessing. I felt very encouraged and supported by them.

Language Eval #3

2008-07-18T19:39:00.003+07:00

Yesterday I had my 3rd language evaluation. Afterwards I always meet with my language supervisor and she gives me feedback from what the evaluators share with her. I was very encouraged by what she said... ...compared to the 2nd evaluation they saw much improvement... I am speaking more fluently and my pronounciation is good. I was able to share my testimony and they understood, they will be correcting the grammar of the written version for me. I was able to have good conversations. I thank God for giving me the ability to learn Khmer. Sometimes it is hard for me to see the improvements that I am making, but the evaluations are very helpful.

Baptism

2008-06-30T19:41:00.002+07:00

The highlight of my trip this past week was being able to celebrate with the churches in Siem Reap in a baptism ceremony. There was 8 people who recieved baptism. The event was held at the lake. We gathered together first for a time of singing, prayer and a short message about baptism which was followed with a local pastor baptizing the 8 individuals taking this very important step in their Christian walk.

Sharing and Sugar Cookies

2008-06-18T19:06:00.002+07:00

Today I was invited by one of our Vietnamese missionaries to help with a youth meeting by teaching them how to bake sugar cookies using a recipe in English. Since today is a holiday (no classes) I agreed. These youth speak both Vietnamese and Khmer and some of them speak a little English. First I shared my testimony and since I am still working on it in Khmer I shared in English and Kim translated into Vietnamese for them. When we baked cookies I got to use a lot more Khmer since most of them do not know English. It was somewhat a challege trying to give directions but most of the batches turned out good. I also was able to speak Khmer with a few girls over lunch. It was a nice day. This was the first time since I have been here that I was able to do this kind of ministry it was a joy.

The Rabbit

2008-06-14T19:36:00.002+07:00

I found out the other day that the rabbit is a symbol of wisdom. Made me think of King Solomon. Then I read a fable about a rabbit and discovered that the rabbit maybe smart but doesn't always use it for good. The fable did not end well - there was no moral lesson. The rabbit gets caught in a trap. Along comes a toad and the rabbit convinces the toad that if he helps him out of the trap he can cure the toads skin problem. Well once the toad helps the rabbit the rabbit tells the toad that he will always have the skin problem and hops away.
I was a little confused about this kind of story. It makes me think that there is kind of a lesson -but the lesson is be careful who you help they might turn their back on you. Well I read this but did not have a great feeling about this story. Is this insight into the way Cambodians think?

Sudy Subjects

2008-06-06T20:22:00.002+07:00

At the University I am studying about letter writing. I am not sure when I will ever need to write a letter in Khmer language, but in case I ever do I now know how. We not only studied how to write a letter but in our book is a sample 3 page sample letter for us to study. The subject of the letter is the benefits of breast feeding a baby. A great comfortable subject in which to study in class and words that are really useful for us in every day life (not really). Well I just find this a tidbit of Cambodian culture that I find interesting.

City Company

2008-05-23T19:42:00.002+07:00

Rachael moved and has been gone for almost a week - an adjustment for me not having this friend close by. Today I connected with one of the young ladies from the church-we spent the day together. She is Khmer but speaks good english but we spoke most of the time in Khmer. We walked around the market and then went for a drive and had lunch together. We talked about lots of life things - I hope to continue to develop this relationship on a regular basis(mentoring her). Although she is busy. I prayed for the first time with someone besides my tutor even though it was only a short prayer over our lunch. It was an encouraging day for me.

Singles Retreat

2008-05-18T19:56:00.002+07:00

There are 7 single ladies ministering in Cambodia through the C&MA so we got together for a 4 day retreat. We got away from where we live and minister to a nice quiet location in Cambodia. The quiet was refreshing for those of us who live in Phnom Penh especially - we were able to really think and listen with out a lot of distracting noise. We had beautiful surroundings - flowers and manicured gardens. We went on a hike one day through the forest (there was a path) it had the camp feel. The hike led to a nice waterfall. Us ladies spent time sharing what God has been doing in our lives this past year and how to pray for one another. We spent a lot of time in pray for each other which was a blessing and encouragement. We also played games together. It was defenitely a retreat and we enjoyed one anothers company. Go to my picture page to see some of the pictures of this retreat.

Mid-term exam

2008-05-08T19:27:00.002+07:00

Tomorrow morning I have a mid-term test in my university class. This is a written test and the teacher says it should take us 1 1/2 hours to complete. He did not give us much details regarding what type of things are on the test so I have been reviewing all of the things we have studied thus far. Please pray for me as I take this test I am sure that this test will be somewhat exhausting.

Traveling

2008-05-06T20:49:00.003+07:00

today my roomate Rachael left to move to a village. Today I drove the car around town. I had some business to take care of about 3 miles or so from my house and need to make a few stops so I took the car. While I was out it downpoured making it hard to see and traffic was at a standstill. It ended up taking me over two hours to get back to my house so it was like going 1 mile every 40 minutes. I learned my lesson not to stay out in the car after 4pm unless coming back around 8pm. I know now that I can pretty much manage any thing in traffic. Pray for me as I drive around town.

Cambodia Visitors

2008-04-28T09:38:00.002+07:00

This past week Dave and Maryanne came from Thailand to Cambodia for an International Pastors Conference. This was held in PP and so I had the opportunity to spend some time with them. They took me out to eat (what a nice treat) and we talked and talked. I went with the group as they did some touring of the city to spend more time with them. They left on Friday so I went to the airport to see them off and we had ice cream. I thank God to be able to spend time with these good friends-what a blessing.

Khmer New Year

2008-04-11T19:29:00.002+07:00

Khmer New Year is the 15th of this month. Many Cambodians travel to the province where they have relatives to spend the week there. I have the week off from my university class as well as from tutoring. I am not sure what I will be doing - Rachael and I may just hang out at the house most of the time. Some of my Khmer friends are not going to the province so I hope to be able to spend some time with them. On the 15th I will avoid going to Wat Phnom because I hear that they through powder and water - we would call this paste! Does not sound too fun to me. I guess for those in the city it is a big thing to watch tv because they show traditional celebrations of Khmer New Year on the tv.

Language Eval 2

2008-04-03T19:59:00.002+07:00

I had my second language evaluation today. I had to hold two converstions in Khmer lasting around 5 minutes each. I had to tell a 5 minute story and recite 2 verses of scripture. I also had to read a selected paragraph as well as do dictation of that paragraph. I wrote two papers in Khmer and turned them in at the eval too.
I have received good feedback from this evaluation. I am continuing to improve in the language especially in my speaking ability, but they said I was doing well in every thing. There are some grammar issues that I need to work on, but I think that they will be worked on at the university class because that is the main focus of the 3rd level which I just began.
Thank you for your continued prayers that I would be come fluent in the Khmer language.

Village Visit

2008-03-29T16:22:00.003+07:00

This past week I went to a village it was about a 12 hour drive including stops. The was good most of the way but closer to the village it was really dusty and bumpy. There were no bathrooms I had to use the forest - where wild pigs run about. I also showered in the village water hole wearing a sambot which I had a hard time tying. The village women and kids enjoyed watching the white woman shower. It was a neat experience. I slept outside in a hammock with a mosquito net covering me.

Finally Feeling Settled

2008-03-11T20:56:00.002+07:00

We moved into our new house this past week and finally feel we have a place for everything and it is on its way to feeling like a home. It is a nice place where I feel comfortable. Last week however was a difficult one because it was hard to try to balance moving, setting up home, and studying-so I was able to take a few days off from studying which made the setting up home easier with more time to organize and arrange things. Even when you do not seem to have A LOT it still seems to be time consuming and I realize I have more than I thought. Soom I will post some pictures of this new place where I am living. It is also nice to have Rachael as a roommate-I enjoy her company. PRAISE GOD!

Home Sweet Home

2008-02-29T20:05:00.002+07:00

I have a home - I will be moving all of my things in on Monday. It is the second and third floors of a house in which a Khmer family lives on the bottom floor. We have a separate enterance to our house but the main gate we share with them. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom and then a living room-dining room-kitchen all open. On the third floor we have a open balcony with two rooms off of it each has a bathroom they open onto the balcony outside. A very different set up then my other house. I am excited to have all the main living space on one floor. It is located a couple of blocks from the university where I study. God has answered our prayers.

A New Home

2008-02-23T19:48:00.002+07:00

Rachael and I found a house that we like today. It is above a Khmer family's home, but has a seperate entrance. It has a spacious feel and lots of windows. Please pray that all the final things that need to happen for us to rent this place would take place. Thank you.

New Language Opportunities

2008-02-18T19:22:00.002+07:00

Today I met with one of the missionaries that helps me with studying the langauge we meet 2 times a week for a hour and a half each time. She has been coming to my house for months now and we usually study a book or I ask her questions about something else I have been studying if I need further explanation. Today she took me to an orphanage - it is right around the corner from where I live right now and I did not even know it. It was a great time. The orphanage has around 35 children ranging from 2 years old to 12 years old. I spent my time asking the kids their names and ages, playing games with them, taking some pictures and laughing. It was a time of refreshing for me, the kids were excited and having such a good time it made my heart glad. I could not understand all of the children when they talked some do not speak very clearly, but I was able to talk some. I hope to be able to visit there on a regular basis.

On the Move

2008-02-15T21:28:00.002+07:00

As of this morning I was getting ready to move in with a good friend and missionary collegue, Rachael, to where she has been living for the last 6 months. A new contract had already been negotiated for another 6 months. As of this afternoon the landlords have changed their minds and no longer want to rent that apartment. Therefore we are both in need of a new place to move to. We are looking for something that will be able to keep us somewhat cool in the hottest times of the year and a place that is roomy... We will only be living together for a few months so I would like it to be in a nice location near some of the other missionaries for when she moves provincially. Pray as we trust God to guide not only us but also our helper in all these changes. We know that our God is a loving and compassionate God and has a plan and purpose pray that we would listen to his voice and rest in him.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-13T20:28:00.003+07:00

One of my missionary colleagues asked me what my favorite love story in the Bible is. The better question what is the greatest love story of all times?
My answer: I think that if this story was written in a modern way in a non-fiction romance novel many women would be intrigued and interested by the story (even men) – especially of a man sacrificing his life for the one he loves –dying in the place of that one. The story begins with love, leads to pursuing, and eventually the death, but then comes the source of life.
On the side of the one that is loved: at first they have interest, but then reject the lover, pushing the lover away, running to other things/people, the one is sentenced to death for the things done, but saved by the lover who takes the place of this loved one. After the death of the lover the one loved realizes the loss and is grieved, but the lover rises from the dead and they are able to have everlasting love-love that never ends.
This story would be one that may interest many and people may be excited to share it with others but would they interact with it, would it really touch them at the heart?
Maybe People are not wanting to be touched because when they are they feel there are expectations on them.
However, this is not a story in a romance novel it is truth. This is the story between Jesus (the lover) and each one of us (the loved). And there are expectations: once one has heard about Jesus one has to either accept or reject Him. What about you – if you have not accepted then you have rejected and rejection leads to death not life. But choosing Jesus is the greatest love exerience ever-one that has no end.
CHECK THIS OUT!
http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/predesign.asp Then go to Your Divine Valentine under the Valentine Cards!

Prayer Retreat

2008-02-07T19:40:00.000+07:00

Today was the first day of our two day field prayer retreat. First I thank God that all our missionaries in Cambodia were able to come to this time. This is the first time that I was able to meet some of them so it was great. Second I thank God for speaking to us as we spent time quieting our hearts and listening to him. Thirdly I thank God for good time of fellowship as a community. I pray that tomorrow would be just as encouraging and that God would continue to direct us and show us how to do what he wants.

Women's Camp

2008-01-30T20:32:00.000+07:00

This year we had the first ever women's camp - 400 ladies from 3-4 different provinces made their way to Siem Reap to participate in this 3 day event. It was a beautiful sight to see this many in worship together. The church was filled to overflowing - it was nice to see the building since when I was here in 2001 I participated in bulding it. I met some girls that remembered me, they were part of the youth group that we helped with then. I had opportunity to speak with Khmer ladies and to listen alot. It was a beneficial language experience for me (e.g. singing with the other missionaries in front of course in Khmer), but it was also a very encouraging time. It was a blessing to see that the Khmer women were blessed and that God was speaking to them. I also had the opportunity to connect with other missionaries on our field that I had not yet met. It was great fun.

Structure in Studying

2008-01-24T19:37:00.001+07:00

The more that I study the more I learn about Cambodians. In my university class most everything we do is rote and everyday I know to expect in my class. Both my teacher and my tutor have a difficult time answering questions I have about the language. What can I learn about Cambodians from this...Cambodians do not seem to question much, they were taught not to question and to do just what they were told and they seem to have a difficult time thinking outside of the box or creatively. Reason being they were never given the chance to really do this growing up. Well this has gotten me thinking about the church in Cambodia - the church is still fairly new and I cannot imagine what it would be like to be a new Christian in Cambodia. They don't have a lot of resources or a lot of ideas of what to do. I just think of everything that we have had education, many different models of ministry...I guess that is why God has us here. Please keep Cambodia in your prayers, the Christians and all of us missionaries.

Examples of some Khmer

2008-01-21T19:33:00.000+07:00

លេវីវិន័យ Leviticus

ជនគណនា Numbers

ចោទិយកថា Deuteronomy

នាងរស់ Ruth

អែសរ៉ា Ezra

The Books of the Bible

2008-01-14T20:07:00.000+07:00

I cannot really remember learning the books of the Bible, but it must have been in Awana. I just take for granted the fact that I know them and can locate book-chapter-verse quite easily. Now I am going through this again in Khmer language - I know now what it feels like when you don't know the books of the Bible but are trying to learn them and you come across these really strange names that you cannot read or pronounce very easily. I can identify with the Awana kids who are trying to learn the names of the books of the Old Testament it is difficult. Today was the first day that I went through the 66 names. It will take a while for me to memorize all of them but I am working on it and am excited for the day when I can easily find book-chapter-verse in my Khmer Bible.

Byes

2008-01-08T19:09:00.000+07:00

Tomorrow remember me in your prayers for I will say goodbye to my mom as she returns to Minnesota. It has been a wonderful time having her here in Cambodia with me, she was able to experience a lot of things with me. It will be sad to have her go - but I have enjoyed the 3 weeks we have had together. I have gotten used to traveling by tuk tuk every where that on Thursday when I go back to riding motodope I will have to consiously remember my helmet. I will have to adjust to living alone again (hopefully only for a short time longer) as I desire to move in with a missionary friend the end of February. Just keep me in your prayers as I go through this time. Thank you.

Christmas in Cambodia

2008-01-01T19:52:00.000+07:00

Christmas in Cambodia is very different than in Minnesota. First of all the weather is very warm, then there are not a lot of decorations around town, also most of Cambodia treat the day like any other day. My mom and I decided to spend some time as tourists this Christmas. On Christmas day we went to Wat Phnom and to the Royal Palace - if you know anything about touring Cambodia it is the fact that there are many religious ties to the places to visit. There are Buddhist temples at both Wat Phnom and the Royal Palace and after Christmas we went to Siem Reap and saw the temples there including Angkor Wat. Well I believe that this is the Christmas that I have spent the most time in prayer. My prayer - that God would continue to deepen my love for the Cambodian people, that in all I do Christ would be seen in me, that the eyes and hearts of the Cambodian people would be open to the deception they have believed, for spiritual protection...May God continue to open my eyes to see what it is he desires of me and that I would also begin to see more my place here in Cambodia.

Merry Mom

2007-12-24T20:18:00.001+07:00

It has been a merry time since my mom has arrived in Cambodia. She arrived Thursday night-LATE but it was good it helped her to adjust to the time difference to sleep right away. We have been going around the city in the mornings, but in the afternoons mostly have been relaxing in the house because it is hot. Yesterday morning was the church Christmas service which included congregational songs, a short message, special singing, a traditional Khmer dance and even a little play. It was a longer service but there were many different elements to keep our attention. it helped that a missionary preached because I understood and could tell my mom most of what was being said. It is great to be able to celebrate this important holiday with someone so important to me my mom-what a blessing and gift from God. HAVE MERRY CHRISTMAS and make known the reason for the season to those around you with how you live.

Psa

2007-12-18T19:32:00.000+07:00

One of the things that I do a lot is go to the psa. What is a psa you ask it is the market. The market in Cambodia is an out-door place where you can buy just about anything you need depending on the market you visit. There are two markets near my house that I can walk too. This is where I can practice some of my speaking in Khmer and buy vegetables, meat, cleaning products...if you go to the photos page you can see some people selling stuff.

Cold

2007-12-12T19:20:00.002+07:00

I have had a cold since Saturday. It has been making me feel more tierd than usually so pray that I will get good rest. Having the cold has also seemed to make studying harder. Please pray for my health.

Cold

2007-12-12T19:20:00.001+07:00

A Baby

2007-12-11T19:51:00.000+07:00

The family I lived with when I first arrived in Cambodia has a new addition to their family. Pheary had a baby girl yesterday. Now they have 4 girls. Mom and daughter are healthy even though the doctors had said that the due date was not until January. Praise God. I cannot wait to see this little one I am sure she is beautiful. Pray for the other girls as they adjust to life with a baby, also pray for the family they were not prepared to bring home a baby until January. This means that Pheary will be home from the office for a while sooner than expected.

Language Evaluation

2007-12-05T19:17:00.000+07:00

Today I had my first quarter language evaluation. It was encouraging in the sense that I really can tell a story, have a short conversation, do some reading and some writing- it was also revealing in areas that I need to now move forward in this quarter. One of them being speaking Khmer with others, there are some words that I have a hard time pronouncing so I need to be consiously aware when I go to say those words. Obviously there are many things that I still need to learn in each of these areas in the future. I am glad that I am given a long time to learn the language. Thank you for your continued prayers for me in this area of my life.

Decorating For Christmas

2007-12-02T19:42:00.001+07:00

On Thursday I went to the Central Market and bought some Christmas decorations including this fake tree. It is nice to have the house decorated for Christmas because it is the only thing that helps to make it feel like Christmas. As you can see from my blog the weather is still hot in the 70s-although suprisingly the mornings have felt a little cool with me thinking I should have worn long sleeves. It is nothing like having Christmas in Minnesota.

Giving to Vehicle Fund

2007-11-28T19:49:00.000+07:00

Someone asked how they can give to my vehicle fund, there are a few ways:
1. Through your local C&MA church -On Memo Line: Julie Toivola Vehicle Fund
2. Send a check in the Mail The Christian and Missionary Alliance P.O. Box 35000 Colorado Springs, CO 80935-3500 - On the To Line: The Christian and Missionary Alliance, On the Memo Line: Julie Toivola Vehicle Fund
3. You can make a donation via telephone using your credit card 866-443-8262 let them know that your donation is for Julie Toivola's Vehicle Fund.
4. You can make a donation on-line at www.cmalliance.org at the bottom of the page click on the GIVE-DONATE NOW icon, then click on Missions-Donate Now button, under Approved Specials Type in the name line: Julie Toivola, Account number line: 1-47200-46-64-05030.
Thank you all for your continued giving to the GCF, my work specials fund and to this vehicle fund. I am blessed to be supported by you, you are an encouragement to me. I thank God for you continue to uplift me in your prayers.

Exciting News

2007-11-28T19:47:00.000+07:00

I want to share with all of you exciting news I recieved on Saturday. My mom told me that she is coming to Cambodia for Christmas. She will be staying for three weeks I am thrilled. I have already begun planning things for when she is here. This is something I am looking forward to this Christmas.

Dictation

2007-11-22T21:21:00.000+07:00

Today was an emotional day for me. I miss being home especially on a holiday. However what made it especially emotional was the combination of missing home, being tierd and having to do dictation. When I arrived for my tutoring session today my tutor told me that I would do dictation today-the least thing from my mind to do. I had not done this before and I already had in mind that we were going to finish lesson 15 since Friday and Monday are holidays. Well I worked on dictation. The tutor would say a sentance or phrase in Khmer and I would write it in Khmer on the board. This required a lot of thinking and I did not feel like it was the best day to try to do this. After a hour of this I took a break and went to the bathroom and let some of it out in tears. Then I composed myself and we then finished lesson 15.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T21:17:00.000+07:00

My American teammates and I celebrated Thanksgiving with a typical Thanksgiving meal yesterday. We had turkey and even pumpkin pie. It was nice to spend the evening together, but nothing compared to spending the day in the kitchen with my mom getting the Thanksgiving meal prepared and then sitting with family and enjoying one anothers company. Even so there is much to be thankful for. I thank God for wonderful teammates who care for me and encourage me. We have fun together.

Coffee Grounds

2007-11-20T19:21:00.000+07:00

Yesterday I meet with three other women missionaries in Cambodia for coffee. It reminded me of times in Caribou-however at Coffee Grounds there are about 4 private rooms with comfortable chairs in which to relax in while drinking coffee and chatting. We sat in one of these rooms and spent two hours sharing with each other and talking about life. It was a nice and refreshing time.

Toilet Trouble

2007-11-17T19:02:00.000+07:00

This morning I realized the tank of the toilet in my upstairs bathroom was overflowing with water. The water just kept running and no matter what I tried nothing worked. I could not locate the shut off valve. There are a few things I can be thankful for when it comes to bathrooms in Cambodia. My bathrooms are not the same level as the floors, upstairs I have to step up from the sitting room and then down into my bathroom also it has a floor drain. This make the overflowing of a toilet less of a problem. I called a missionary friend to come over and help me with this proble. He figured I would need a new set of pieces for inside the tank so in the mean time we would turn off the water to that bathroom however we could not find a valve. This problem is one for the landlords. I called them and they came over immediately. Now I know that the valve for the water (the whole house mind you) is located right outside my front door under a huge cement block. They brought a plumber over and he took a look and realized he need to replace the parts in the tank. They went to purchase the parts. When they returned 20 minutes later they had no parts. They said they would come back at 5pm. Which they did and a hour later I have a working toilet. So I basically went all day without running water in my house. But praise God for landlords who are on top of things and for the type of bathroom I have even though things took longer than I would have really liked.

Children's Bible Stories

2007-11-13T19:24:00.000+07:00

I have been meeting with a lady who is Cambodian and a missionary on our team once a week. This week I met with her yesterday she brought a children's Bible Story Book. I read my first Children's Bible story in Khmer. It was about Adam and Eve disobeying God. There were some words in the story that I did not know, but it was nice to already know the story because it made it easier to read and understand. I thank God for the opportunity to study His Word in Khmer even if for right now it is only in summarized Children's stories.

A Hair Wash Without A Sink

2007-11-10T13:27:00.000+07:00

Yesterday I went for a hair cut and Rachael wanted to get her hair washed. When they cut your hair they do not wash it for you. I got my hair thinned and trimed for $1.25. However when you get a hair wash they massage your head. Rachael sat in a salon style chair with dry hair and the lady squeezed shampoo onto her head. In another bottle was water and the lady added a little water at a time to the shampoo on her head and continued to add until she had a good lather. Rachael just sat there as the lady massaged her head full of shampoo. When it was time to rinse her hair the lady had her move to the bathroom sink. It was quite a sight.

Ladie's Bible Study

2007-11-08T20:59:00.000+07:00

This morning all the lady missionaries on the Phnom Penh team got together. One of the ladies shared a devotional. It was about delighting ourselves in the Lord. Are you truely delighting yourself in the Lord? We spent time praising God and then sharing requests and lifting each other up before the Lord. It was a time of sharing, encouraging one another and bonding. I thank God for times like these because he uses others to speak into our lives and he also uses things like this to unite us together.

Day by Day

2007-11-04T19:41:00.000+07:00

While I was in Thailand I went to Dave and Maryanne's small group. We sang the hymn Day by Day by Carolina Sandell Berg. It was the first time I heard this hymn and the words to the first verse really spoke to me so i would like to share them with you.
"Day by day with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deams best
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest."

This spoke to me because every day there are new things some hard and some easy. but God gives me what is best for me.

Language

2007-11-01T20:08:00.000+07:00

As you can see in one of my earlier blogs I talk about the language and I refer to it as Khmi. I want to expand on this so that you know a little more about this. If I were to write the name for the Cambodian language in English it would be Khmer. However when pronounced by a Cambodian it is Khmi (or phonetically Khmae). The reason we spell it in English Khmer is beecause whhen it is written in Cambodian it has a silent Ro (which is equivelent to an R in English). This spelling however leads us to pronounce the name of the language incorrectly. So I just wanted you all to know if you see the English spelling Khmer rememver it is pronounced Khmi.

Connections

2007-10-31T19:25:00.001+07:00

While I was in Thailand I was able to meet with a lady name Louisa. She and I met in Wheaton while doing prefield orientation and how to learn a second language. She was my roommate then. She arrived in Thailand around the same time I arrived in Cambodia. It was great to be able to connect with her. We were able to share experiences with one another because we are going through the same types of things just in different places. The Youngs took us out to dinner it was so nice. We talked a lot about being single, learning the language, traveling... This was also an encouragement to be able to identify with someone and them identify with me at the same time.

Thai Vacation

2007-10-31T19:18:00.000+07:00

The past 5 days were spent in Thailand with the Young family. It was a perfect time for me to take a vacation and be with some really good friends. Near the end of last week was really when I became more emotional about missing family and friends and being home. But Cambodia has to become home. I had a wonderful time visiting and relaxing in Thailand. It was a blessing and encouragement to be with Dave, Maryanne and the girls, it felt like a touch of home. While I was in Thailand I visited Bumrungrad International Hospital and had a consultation with a neurologist there. It was really good to meet with him and get some questions answered. Now I am back in Cambodia and preparing for class tomorrow.

The Rat Trap

2007-10-24T19:30:00.000+07:00

Since I knew a rat was present in my home I figured I should buy a rat trap to get rid of it. I went to the market and bought the cage kind. The door closes the rat in the cage when it goed to eat the food. It seemed to be like a good option because I did not have to figure out what to do with a rat that was dying. I figured I would just take the cage outside by the handle and leave it. However the first night a bite was taken out of the food I hung and no rat was trapped. The next time I tested it out a few times and hung food again the next morning the food was gone and still not rat. I definetly had a rat in the house, but what to do. I went to the market and bought rat glue. I did not put it out right away, but last night as I was at my computer I saw the rat. So i left the room with the door shut and got the glue put it out on the plate that came with it and then but food in the middle. I opened the door and slid in the room, then shut the door since I really do not like rats this all was not fun. Anyway the rat was finally trapped and my helper took care of it for me I did not have to - what a blessing.

Mentor

2007-10-21T19:38:00.000+07:00

Yesterday I met with one of the missionary ladies on my team, Mary. We had lunch together and discussed her being my mentor. We will probably meet 1-2 times a month to talk about my life outside of language study. I believe that this will be a blessing to me. I believe that will also be a growing time for me in many areas of my life, pray that it is.

Team

2007-10-18T20:07:00.000+07:00

Yesterday the C&MA Phnom Penh Team meet togther. We meet together to discuss the team strategy in the city. This takes place once a month. We have goals that have been set and we evaluate where we are at as a team on accomplishing these goals and develop ideas on how to better do what we are called to do. We have four C&MA connected (KEC-Khmer Evangelical Churches in Phnom Penh). Please pray for our team that God would speak to our hearts about the dirsction that we each and corporately need to move. We desire for the 4 KEC churches would grow in number and in their love for the Lord...how can we best help our churches?

Speaking Khmi

2007-10-15T19:23:00.000+07:00

Speaking Khmi is my biggest struggle at the moment. I look back on things that I have learned, I can read many things in Khmi (not all words because it sure is easier to read when you know the words already), I can also listen to many conversations and pick up enough words to understand the jist of it, however when it comes to speaking the words just don't come to mind. The problem is that I have a hard time thinking in English and being able to come up with the Khmi words, but if I see or hear the Khmi it is so much easier to understand the meaning in English. Please continue to pray for me that I would have a mind to retain the information and am learning and the ability to speak.

My friend Soeun

2007-10-12T20:48:00.000+07:00

This week I been off of school since Wednesday. I invited my friend Soeun to come and stay with me for these days. This friend of mine is from the province Kampong Cham but she is living in Phnom Penh in the dorms of the Bible School, she is in her first year there. I met her the first time in 2001 while I was on my missions trip. I met her the second time at my friend Rachael's house. Now she has been staying with me for the last two days and will leave tomorrow. It has been nice to have another person around the house. We have had a lot of fun with each other speaking Khmi and English as well as hanging out with our other friends Rachael and Srey. Soeun is full of energy and loves the Lord. It has been a delight to have her stay with me. Please pray for her as she studies, it is stressful and difficult for her, but she is being obedient to God.

Pchum Ben

2007-10-09T20:56:00.000+07:00

October 11th will be the commencement of a 15 day holiday in Cambodia. The 15 days are days to travel to temples around the country to leave food for the dead anscestors. This day is a Cambodian falls on the full moon and is a kind of All-Saints or Day of the Dead day. This is a time when the spirits of the dead anscestors walk the earth and the living can ease their suffering by offering them food to eat. On the 11th people will go to the temlple around 4am to offer food to the anscestors they do this in the dark because it is said that the spirits don't like the light. So they do have one thing right and what a way to bridge into sharing the gospel. Pray for our missionaries during this time that we would have opportunity to share with people and that our lights would shine brightly in the darkness.

The Mysterious Creature

2007-10-07T21:05:00.000+07:00

. This morning I woke up and went downstairs and as I was putting dishes away from my drying rack I noticed the spatula was outside of it and was chewed up as you can see in the picture. I am taking a poll on what kind of creature you think chewed up the spatula. Post your thoughts on the comments section. It is still a mystery to me so I hope to catch the creature so we can solve this mystery. Pray for me as I live with creatures in my house.

Prayer

2007-10-06T19:13:00.000+07:00

I would like to share with you a verse and part of the prayer I have prayed today. Psalm 55:17 "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: He shall hear my voice." ... God give me patience when it is hard to wait, give me love when it is hard to love, give me understanding when things make no sense, give me comfort when I feel alone, give me peace when things seem out of control, give me words to say when I feel I have none...

The Royal University of Phnom Penh

2007-10-01T19:54:00.000+07:00

Today I began studying at the Institute of Foreign Languages which is a part of the University. My class has about 16 people in it 1/2 of them are from Korea. There is a couple from Wisconsin whom I talked with for a while, they are also missionaries, have been here two months (arrived the day after me) and who live down the street a ways from me. I am hoping that this couple and I will become good friends and maybe meet a little coffee shop around the corner from their house that we both visit occassionally. It was nice to be studying with other people I think that it will make learning a little more interesting. Continue to pray that I would have a mind to understand and recollect, ears to listen and a mouth to speak.

My long house: here is a small tour

2007-09-29T20:24:00.001+07:00

Internet

2007-09-26T09:00:00.000+07:00

Today I will finally have the internet installed in my house. This will hopefully allow me to keep you all updated more frequently via this blog. And soon I will be able to post a few pictures of my times thus far in Cambodia. I thank God for the resources to be able to communicate with all of you often.

Swensons

2007-09-24T09:20:00.000+07:00

For all of you icecream fans you will like this one. Swensons Icecream just opened in Cambodia -this is the second American food place in Cambodia the fist-Dairy Queen at the airport. So you can see icecream is a popular treat in Cambodia people want to stay cool. Swensons opened at Sorya mall on Friday and I went with some missionary friends. The icecream is pretty good and they have a lot of choices. There were many Khmi people there eating the icecream in this little place. Cambodia is developing more and more.

Prayer Covering

2007-09-24T08:57:00.000+07:00

On Friday the Phnom Penh team had a time of prayer. It was really nice becuase what we did was travel to all the new houses that people on our team have moved into and pray over them. My house was one of ones we went to. Everyone spread out to all the different rooms of my house and prayed over it. It was a joyous event, one that was very important for me.

Ohn!

2007-09-21T08:30:00.000+07:00

Ohn who I refer to as bong srey (older sister) is my part-time helper. She is a lady in her mid 30s and always shows up at my house with a smile on her face. She comes every morning Monday - Friday and keeps my house clean, does dishes, and two times a week she will cook for me. The only hard part is she does not speak much English, so I have to work really hard at speaking Khmi and explaining to her what I would like for her to do. So far it has been really positive and it is nice to have another presence around the house even when I am not there.

The Weekend

2007-09-14T09:05:00.000+07:00

God is good. This weekend was a blessing to me. The family I stayed with during the first weeks I was here in Cambodia came to my house and helped me clean and set up many things in my house. They also had me over for meals. I spent Saturday evening with my missionary friend Rachael. She had me over for dinner and we spent a long time talking it was fun.

The adventure of my bed and wardrobe

2007-09-07T09:06:00.000+07:00

I got my bed home and when I went to put it together it would not fit together. So Chris Manfred came over with a saw and we spent about a hour cutting wood and beams so that my bed would go together and so now it does. But it was a learning process. My wardrobe is one that you build with metal beams and when I went to open the box there were cockroaches. What fun. I had to spray the box with Raid and then after they had all died I had to clean all the beams and but the wardrobe together. That did not work to well either. Everything takes a lot longer here. But finally I feel like I am getting settled.

A House

2007-08-29T11:22:00.000+07:00

Sorry it has taken a while for me to post on my blog I have been very busy and have not had time to get to the internet cafe. But I wanted to let you know that I found a house. It is located in Toul Kork an area of Phnom Penh that is in the northwest. This is where other missionary families and the office is located. It is called a long house in Khmi which really means tall. It is taller and skinner than shorter and wider. It is nice it has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, another sitting area and a covered roof. I hope to be able to post a picture once I get everything set up. This week I am shopping for all the furniture and appiances I need. I wil most likely move in on Sept. 3. Thank you for praying, pray as I transition and move in.