It snowed in Phnom Penh!

From delivering school kits to a school in the province

Hello all. Need to update the past week and get some really great photos up to you all.
Last Saturday was a very great day for Steph, Julia and I, as we got to accompany some other staff members who were going out to a school in the province of Takeo, to take out 500 donated school kits to the kids there. We have a Khmer TA on staff, Srey, who is from this province and has relatives who teach at the school. She is friends with our kindergarten teacher, Polly Yoder, who went out to visit and stay for a few days last year, and looked into the school rooms and was taken aback at how little they had. Hence, the dream to give 500 of those school children, Grades K-5, a kit with notebooks, rulers, pencils, color pencils, erasers and tracts. Her family back in Pennsylvania fundraised the money to do it, some goods were shipped over from the states (the rest purchased here) and the date was set Sat. Jan 24 to go out there. (Yes Khmer kids go to school 6 days a week. Their only day off is Sunday.)
Originally I knew about the project, and helped just a little bit with the kit packing, but was not going out with the team. However, space opened up on the van and I was invited to go, and could bring ONE of my daughters. Ended up taking 2 of my daughters (couldn't choose) and there was plenty of room for them.
So, were we blessed. Lines and lines and lines of beautiful Khmer children walked from their classrooms to the front building, sat and listened while their principal talked, Polly talked and shared the gospel in front of the whole audience, including a monk. It was a pretty special time. (they served us all coconuts for beverage!)
In groups, we went up and down the rows, handing out the bags of school supplies, stamping hands and saying "Yay su sraline, p'own." Jesus loves you.

From delivering school kits to a school in the province

What a great experience for the girls. THey were really involved and like doing this kind of stuff. We toured a classroom afterwards, and visited some of Srey's relatives in their home. I tell ya, what a great way for children to grow up, compared to the city. So long as there's food, they have acres and acres of land and rice paddies to play on, and so much of the rural living is like camping, that it just must be fun. Lots of work for adults, but for kids, alot of good things.
Need to mention that there were special packages for the teacher's as well, with pencil sharpeners, books, etc. They were given an orientation to be taught how to use all their supplies to the best of their advantage. To my surprise, most of the teachers were men, and a few women. Many were a good age as well, and they seemed quite pleased at their goody bag!!!

From delivering school kits to a school in the province

Remarkably, we weren't supposed to make it home until around 7, but things went so smoothly that we got home early at 5 pm. This allowed us enough time to actually make a concert date that we had tickets for! A Korean University had a dance group that was hosting a ballet concert that night, that they were giving our free tickets for at school. I was so looking forward to going, that I almost didn't go out to the province because then I'd have to give up the Ballet. However, it is amazing: Lay down the things you most desire, and God lets you have more. We still got to go, with all our family.

From delivering school kits to a school in the province

Maya loved it. It was beautiful. A certain sight for sore eyes! Lovely costumes, beautiful dancers, a truly elegant night, at the lovely Chenla theatre, at the Phnom Penh Cultural centre, the first time we'd been there.
That, by the way, is where it "snowed" in PP! THey made it snow during an exerpt of the Nutcracker, and it was funny to watch everyone's reaction, trying to figure out what this "snow" consisted of. haha
This week at school, we enjoyed the Logos jog-a-thon, a huge fundraiser for our new school building. If you check out the school website at http://logoscambodia.org you can see pictures of the fun event. It was on Tuesday, and students raised donations ahead of time, to run laps around our new school site.

From Jog-a-thon 2009

This was the first time I had seem the beginnings of the new building, and it was pretty exciting! We are due to move in october 1, and we are starting school one week earlier next year, in order to have and extra week to move the school at that time. The new campus is consierably further outside the city (all the international schools appear to be headed that way, as land is cheap to lease or buy, and rents in the city are going up astronomically and unpredictably, with no government legislation or rental caps. Amen to democracy!)

Logos building

So, other than that, things are well. Julia's had a nasty cough for a while now, with some choking phlegm, but no fever, so we're keeping an eye on it, but riding it out. It hasn't slowed her much, as she's simply the best darn female soccer player in Phnom Penh! (Ok, mother's eyes!)

Steph has been on student council all year, and among other things they've planned, it's going to be crazy hair day this Friday, for the 100th day of school.
Maya is happy in Pre-K 4, although had a tough time understanding that once she turned 5, she was not going into Grade 5. Poor thing. She's ok with it now, but it was tough going for a while. haha.

From delivering school kits to a school in the province

Dean's spending one half day at home each week, preparing documents for our acsi accreditation visit which will be in a couple of months. There is SO much paperwork that is expected of the school, and if we pass this accreditation and become a member of the ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) it'll be a huge upgrade for Logos. So, it's a pressing deadline, and on top of all the things that cross the principal's office, between Dan and Dean, they are swamped on a minute by minute basis, so the home day allows for work on this accrediation stuff to actually get done.
I (Lesley) am good, but maybe I'm homesick a bit, I don't know. I bit unsettled, very tired again, and need so much sleep just to function. I think it's a combination of my typical January Blah's (doesn't seem to matter about the weather, I guess) and the post-party down time after Christmas and birthdays... Anyways, there is always a ton of stuff to do and look forward to on a weekly basis at school, that I am already rallying. Sometimes things are just so, how shall I say it, difficult? strange? unusual? here, that it wears on you. Even one could say, spritually draining.
For examples, just Driving home from the province, we witnessed a huge mob of women outside a factory on strike, a massive dump truck which was full of coconuts on it's side, tipped over on the road, and a live, pet monkey tied to the roof of a travelling car (among other luggage) and wearing clothes! I mean, he was walking and jumping around the roof of the car, with the leash on! Strange. Yet, there are so many people that ride on the top of buses or vans or even higher, on the top of LOADS on the roofs of buses and vans. People just precariously positioned for the trip.... Good heavens. It's a wonder anyone survives at all.

From delivering school kits to a school in the province

We are in the process of purchasing another moto, and we're finding it just the best way to get around (quickest, that's for sure) and we are oriented enough now that we pretty much know where we're going and can get there on our own. It's a nicer freedom now. With two motos, our whole family can travel at the same time. Also, if I need to take a motodup to get anywhere, I at least now have enough Khmer language to tell directions. That means I can pick up a driver that has no english, and I'll pay cheaper rates. If you get a moto driver that speaks even a few words of english, you'll be paying through the nose. Unfortunate...
Well, I am being evaluated tomorrow morning in my Gr. 1 classroomso I had better head to bed! Friday morning I head teacher devitionals at 7:30 am, Saturday Steph has to be at school at 8 am for a 3 on 3 basketball tournament, and Julia is seeing the orthodontist at 10. SO you see, our lives really aren't that different than anyone's in north america. haha. We are just sweating right now, and you're all freezing. haha
Thanks for the donations, the prayers, the e-mails, the comments on the blog (more of those, please!) the facebook comments (although I don't really see those, Dean does) and the phone calls. Take care all, and will write again soon.
L
PS I forgot to mention that this half of the week has been CHinese New Year. ANyone with any affiliation whatsoever with the Chinese (there is alot of influence and intermarrying here, apparently) has celebrated by closing down their shops. THe traffic has been WONDERFUL, as getting to school is easy, roads are free of the usual conglomeration as many are staying home and visiting with family. Nice. No days off school, though and that's OK. We have a full week off for Khmer New Year in April, right around Easter, and another full week off in May, right before school is out! GO figure! So, happy Lunar New Year to any of you who celebrate!!!
Bye for now