Thank you X-Stream!!!

Hello everyone! Well, we got some big news this past week on e-mail! Steph and Julia's middle school group from church at Seven Oaks Alliance in Abbotsford, has been supporting us in prayer since we left, staying tuned in with our blog (THANKS, GUYS!) and NOW they've raised some $$$ for us! A bottle drive drive, a silent auction, some personal tithing! We're so excited--not for the money as much as the way you guys are caring for us, praying for us and now this! Well, we are thinking of some great ways to share this money around Cambodia, so stay tuned, and we'll let you know some of our ideas--if they pan out! You are a great group of kids with some superb leaders, and I hope you all say a special prayer for those leaders tonight, cuz they go all out for you guys! Thank you for everything, X-Stream. You guys are so awesome.

IN more news, it appears to be Christmas even here in plus thirty Phnom Penh. THere are Christmas trees up and around in "western" friendly coffee shops, etc. The main bookstore here is called IBC, (International Book "Something") and it is loaded with tons of fake Christmas trees. Well, we were going to pass it up this year, and decorate a palm tree, but the kids were really longing for that sense of "hominess" you get from setting up a tree. Anyways, we splurged, spent the $34 and bought a fake tree that we will donate somewhere when we leave. IT helps, it really does. It is 2 metres, and decorated with a few strings of lights and some stars from the market, but it really does feel more Christmassy, at least in the proverbial sense.

So, we have delved into that. For those of you who want to pray about this, we have all our concerts coming up in a few days. Thursday night is our elementary one, which I'm in charge of. We've been practicing and my mind has been doing nothing but "Christmas concert" for a few weeks now, but you know, there's always technical problems, ironing out costume details (quite literally in some cases), finding out what props we have here, designing a stage, getting kids on and off it in a timely matter. THe basic premise for our show, is 5 friends who get together and decorate a Christmas tree, using decorations that are symbolic of the Christmas story, while a nativity and scriptures play out. Each class is featured on stage with a special song, costume, theme, and they perform and go back and sit in the choir. I really don't know what to compare it to before at Logos, but I'm really hoping for a great message--there will hopefully be alot of Khmer there, and a quality performance.

I've been warned, though, that the Cambodian audience is not what it is like at home. THere is lots of walking around, standing, phone answering and just general talking and noise while the show is going on. THis is very much like how my classroom would be if I didn't work so hard (often unsuccessfully) at keeping kids quiet. THere is just this general sense that conversations can keep right on going into a class, and that visiting can take place whenever it feels like it! Sociable people or not, a classroom is a place of learning, even the music classroom, and there need to be boundaries.

But I digress. SO, I have told the kids much about paying attention, not getting distracted with all that is going on, but I have my doubts, and it's going to be a big learning curve for me. Quality, is all I ask for! I just want to do a good job!!! So, hopefully, things will swing well. Even if they don't, I hope that parents are pleased and visitors blessed. (Please, God!)

In other exciting news, I decided I wanted to get a traditional Khmer dress made for the event!!! When I say traditional, it is the kind of dress that a women would say, wear to a wedding, or for a special holiday--not traditional like a costume. I would probably say it's a Khmer style dress, instead of traditional.
Anyways, Sokhom our helper has been working dilligently on it for me. She is an unbelievable seamstress, and I've been thinking alot about my Grandma Boucher because of all this pinning and alterning! It is made to my measurements, and is fitting just lovely, and is probably the prettiest colors in the world for me. I tried it on today, and it's really probably the most beautiful thing I've had on since my wedding dress. She'd done hand bead work on it and really, it's stunning. I can't wait to wear it for the concert, take pictures and let you all see. You will agree with me, that it is just lovely!

Then, we've been invited to a co-workers wedding this Sunday. IT's our first Khmer wedding, so I'm all excited to go to it, and maybe wear my dress again! haha.

So this is Lesley's week. Today, as I write, it's Monday night. We've had a rehearsal this morning, another practice tomorrow morning, no students on Wed. as it's human rights day--that am. I have an am rehearsal for accompaning with the High schoolers, THursday aft will be our dress rehearsal, THurs even our concert. Friday aft will be another rehearsal for the Friday evening concert for the middle and high. (I'll be doing the piano playing). Saturday at 1:30 in the afternoon is the STAFF Christmas party, at, you guessed it, OUR HOUSE (Cuz we have a great roof to go up on, and lots of room for entertaining. Our Landlords are great about it--actually, they're great about everything!) and I have to be at another accompaning concert at 3:45, until around 7. Whew. Then, Sunday is the wedding in the morning, and all day.

OK, I know just how busy the Christmas season gets for all of you-please remember, I haven't forgotten, so if you want to write me back with your crazy schedules, I'd love to hear it. But, I thought I'd let you know what this week is going to be like (It's a little more like therapy for me, I guess) and then I can let you all know how everything went, and show you pictures of my dress! (OK, enough with the dress, already!)

Steph is good, and has had a "dress down day" and free ice cream for having great effort marks, at school. She has absolutely nothing to do for any concert, so is having a stress free December so far. She loves playing with small kids, babysitting or helping out, and there are kids on the street that we visited with as they had a new puppy, and Steph just played with the little boy for the whole time. He is very cute, and she loves cute kids.
Julia has a scripture reading in the concert that she has memorized, and she is doing soccer and basketball afterschool, but is finishing up karate, as her teacher is leaving after december. She spent all last Saturday at a friend's place with a birthday party, her 3rd party this year.
The other day at school, Julia's retainer in her mouth BROKE, meaning the metal split right off her tooth, the molar came out, and we had to get her to the dentist. Turns out the dentist can make another retainer for her, so she can still keep wearing her mask! That is great news, as the mask is really helping with correcting her underbite (steph wants to go back on it as her underbite is growing back just a bit!) So, tomorrow afterschool I will take Julia to the orthodontist and we'll get everything corrected.
Maya is good, but did have a tough week last week, with some crying about wanting to go home. However, so far this week, so good. She gets very dirty at school, playing in the "sand" that is realy dirt. But at least she is having fun!. Lots of crafts in PRe-K 4, and her class is singing a really cute song for the concert, about the cows, sheep and donkey all mooing, baaing and hee hawing at the baby Jesus in the manger. She won't stop singing it, so I'm actually looking forward to the concert being over. Haha. Actually, most of the pre-k's, when they see me at school, break out in song to show me what they know. IT's very cute.

Dean is VERY busy, as always, with work. But, we are trying to book Thailand for Christmas. Looing for cheap, a room big enough for a family of 5, and in walking distance to the ocean (hua Hin) is proving to be a challenge. But we'll let you know our plans.

I have to go, but thanks for reading, writ us a note or two, and let us know how you are doing!
PS Two cambodian moments: 1. I had just started teaching Gr. 1 the other day, when we heard a crash, and the air conditioner that is over the carpet area, where we sit regularly with the kids, the cover just "fell" off! I guess the vibration of turning it on caused the fall. Good thing we weren't sitting there. It landed right where the kids sit. There are some days where we do not have to use our airconditioner in the classroom at least for some of the day. It saves alot on the school energy bill to turn it off whenever we can. 2. We have to "raid" our Christmas tree, as mosquitos hide in the darkness of the branches. Never thought I'd be bug spraying a fake Christmas tree.
Have fun, y'all!