Thanks, Paul Brandt...and what is it with me and cockroaches???

From Marie Ens, Paul Brandt, and our Gang

What an exciting day for us! This Sunday, Paul Brandt and his touring team, came to ICA church, and Paul sang, and all us Canadians got all excited and met him, and posed for pictures! Very gracious he was, and what an incredibly professional performer! It was a great 3 songs he sang for us.
Not only that, but we also had great regular worship, a song by a Khmer team, and the preacher was a local Khmer pastor who has never spoken outside of his church! What a great morning. Also, a good-bye to a Kenyan woman who came to Cambodia 2 years ago, broken and in need of healing, is now heading back to Kenya in a position of health, growth and overcoming. God is GOOD!

God has also been healing my leg quite nicely this week. I was getting frustrated by Wed, as it was still so sore and not seeming to change for the better yet. By later that day, it seemed to turn the corner--I later found out that the ladies at Chats at SOA, prayed for me that morning, so that lines things up! Very thankful. I still have a skinned section that is healing good, but have been not doing much exercise for the last week, due to the soreness in the muscle, and in order to rest and heal it. SO, I'm anxious to just use my muscles and get them working again.

From 8 days of healing and looking good

This past week was long and busy. Monday after school was staff meeting, so Maya went to "afterschool program," something she begs us to do everyday, cuz it's FUN! I organized a bunch of old media stuff from the library, for all the staff to sort through. I cleaned that all up, and with my sore leg, was pretty beat that day. I think that day, maya fell asleep on the moto heading home.

Tuesday Maya's Kindergarten class led their first chapel and they did a great choral version of "A-phu-sians 4:32" (It's so cute, Maya always getting her words wrong in her bible verses! She has no idea what she's saying half the time!) After school, I had a special guest come into the library, to sort through some of our coding and books to help us with the move. Dean coached volleyball, so Maya went home to stay with Sokhom. I got home about 5:45, pretty late.

From 2009-11-22

Wed. evening, I was invited to some of my students' piano recital. It was very interesting indeed. Not the kid's fault at all, they all did an excellent job, but they just are not being taught basic piano and music skills correctly. It was very hard for me to watch and hear, not just because of the beginner abilities--that doesn't bother me at all, actually, but the incorrect hand positions, the improper rhythm, technique, and the lack of etiquette that I am use to. It was tough. I could go on, but it was just sad for me to think that this is considered a good music school out here, and who knows how many there even are. This country is just in need of EVERYTHING at a quality level, it seems sometimes. This was also the day Maya fell asleep stomache down, on the cool tile of our floor before supper. Poor, tired baby!

From Entrance to the New Logos School

Thursday after school, the girls had another volleyball practice, and after that we went to an orthodontic appointment. Thursdays is when Dean plays ball hockey, so he's out that evening with the boys. It's nice to have the time with just us girls.

Friday, I had a very interesting experience being a passenger on a dirt bike for the first time in my life. It will also probably be my last. My driver was friend and fellow teacher John Roberts and we were heading out to the new school for a quick rehearsal with the senior Choir. OH MY WORD! John drove SO FAST, I honestly held on for dear life and thought I was going to fall off that bike! Plus, with every little bump, my leg just throbbed, and we were on muddy, bumpy roads. Yikes! It was an amazing experience that I probably haven't described well enough, but it was remarkable enough to me!
ANyways, we got to see the new school and sing in the multipurpose room, otherwise known as the "dome room," as it's way up on the top floor next to the cafeteria, and is intended as a large multi use hall, for chapels, concerts, eetc. OH MY WORD! The acoustics in there were unbelievable, in the negative sense of the word! It's a big box room, with a dome on top, concrete on the 4 walls, and tile on the floor! With no bodies in it, anything you say or sing REVERBERATES for about 10 seconds! The sound is deafening, and it's currently impossible to run a concert in it as it is! We were going to have the middle and high school concert in there in three weeks, but unless something can be done by then to muffle some of the sound waves, it's not going to work! Just more changes to be made. What a sound, it was really incredible!
Friday night is just our favorite night to chill out, cuz we're just played out!

Saturday was a 3 on 3 basketball tournament at school, and Dean, S & J were all on separate teams. Julia finished early and headed to a birthday party that we picked her up from at 8 pm that night. Steph was in a final that I went to go see at noon, that didn't end until about 1:30. The rest of the day was rest for S & M, while I went to House of Smiles to spend a small hour of time with the handicapped kids there.

You know, our bible study started this visitation, and although not all of us can go all the time, it's one of those things I usually have to muster up the energy and will to do, but once I go, I am SO Blessed by those kids, enjoy their company, enjoy their smiles and just taking them out for a walk with the others. We lately have been playing ball and just hitting it around as best as we can with them in their wheelchairs. They seem just so happy to get out. There is one older boy whose mind is fine, but he's physically not able to walk, who just sits there all day long watching TV. I always go in and say hi to him, but they say he's depressed, because he's older than the others, and is more aware of his state and condition. I really like him and wish I could speak Khmer to him. Get him out of there for a bit, too. There is one other young boy who just walks around all the time, they say he is autistic, so he can be unpredictable and can act out with hitting and violence. We've seen this and been subjected to it, so we are all cautious. Lately, whenever he comes close to me, I just hug him--you have to realize that his violent outbursts are just treated with violence back from the staff. He hits, they yell at him and hit him back. SO, I'm not sure how much tender care he gets, so I just hold him, give him as much gentleness as I can for the measly hour I am there. I hope he is treated well the rest of the week, it is hard to say. Anyways, he really snuggled up to me yesterday, and smiled alot at me. that's a breakthough, as far as I'm concerned. If only things were different for these kids, but they're not. They are really so sweet. I love them very much. Just one hour every couple of weeks, but they sure make an impression on me!

Finally, Sunday, rest day. when we got to see Paul Brant. I also had a nice chat with Brain McConaghy of Ratanak, as Paul Brandt's team is going to visit some of his work this week. Good to talk to him, it's been a while, but good to hear of some of his projects that are going on.
If you're interested in following and reading Paul Brandt's blog, go to
www.paulbrandt.co
and the Ratanak website is
www.ratanak.org

From 2009-11-22

And finally, after church we go to "Lucky Burger,"--Maya's request. Lucky Burger is our version of McDonalds. Not too bad burgers. I enjoyed my fast food and finished my coke, ready to complain that there was too much ice in the cup--took the lid off to check it out and couldn't believe what I found lodged between the ice! What is it with me and cockroaches??? Sure enough, there's a baby one(1.5 cm about) in the ice of my drink. And yes, I had to drink that whole drink to find him! Yuck! Unbelievable. And yet, not really.
I took the drink to the manager and in horror she said sorry and gave me another one. I wasn't too keen on drinking the other one, for some reason. Just really gross. At least I know they won't kill you if you eat them , it's not like they're toxic or anything. People deep fry them and sell them on the side of the road for a crunchy snack. You can't really get mad at this type of thing out here. Well you can if you want, but You're not going to get your money back or free coupons, or anything in the way of customer service--that's unheard of out here (could you imagine that happening at McDonalds in North America? It would make headline news!!!) So, I just smiled and thanked her for the new drink. I have nothing else to say.

EXTRA: Tonight the landlord's puppy Rosie was outside our metal gate and on the street - where anything goes. She got attacked by a number of larger stray dogs that we KNOW also shredded and killed one of the neighbors dogs. Dean heard a commotion and quickly ran outside the gate where he saw Rosie being pulled apart in two directions by two large dogs. He yelled and threw a big rock at the dogs in hopes that they would let go. The dogs left Rosie and she quickly cowered to the backyard behind the metal gate. We hope she's ok, later in the backyard Rosie was not moving and she seemed unresponsive. The girls are hoping she will be OK but they are worried.

So, that was our week. How was yours? The countdown to Christmas is on. We would put up our tree if we could find some lights to buy, not an easy task. Two more weeks to our staff party, Three more weeks to our concerts, 4 more weeks til moving day. Time is flying--is it for you too? As I write, Maya is "reading" a book to Dean (she'll actually read alot of it!) so yes, our little Maya is learning to read--time is flying. I also extremely embarassed my older two daughters this morning, by waving a canadian flag when Paul Brandt asked how many canadians were here today. I cheered with the others and waved my flag and my teenage daughter was MORTIFIED, as well as my 11 year old. So yes, time flies--I am officially the parent of a pre-teen and a teenager and they are officially embarassed by me. I love it! Just a few years ago, they would have been frantically waving right along with me....

Marie put it in perspective. When I mentioned I was offically the parent of teenagers, she recounted that she has 70 of them ! How right she is!!!

Take care all, will talk soon. Dean posted a great article just yesterday, so if you missed it, please keep reading.

Love, Les
PS It's cool here right now, like cool enough that we all wear a sweatshirt on the moto last night and today! To all you Canadians, it's pathetic--the temperature read abou 24 outside today, and it's considerably warmer inside the house. And we still need something on our arms! We know it's cool when we don't need air con at night, nor a fan, and Julia has long pants on to sleep, and is wrapped up in her fleece blanket! (she's a little extreme!) Anyways, enjoying the lack of sweat!

PPS We saw Ange Booy at church today (she is Maya's new best friend, by the way) and she was sick this week with ..German Measles? Who catches that? You can read her blog, but that's what she thinks it was! Not nice, but she was out in the province for the week last week, with questionable sanitation, so that coudld be what happens.

From 2009-11-22

PPSS We will update you further on our friends the Matushka's who need prayer and support for their marriage and their family here in Cambodia. Please keep praying for them. And we have some good news on our friend Kara that is having the baby--there is some head growth, so things are looking a little more positive than the gloom and doom they were told earlier. Please keep praying for the safe and healthy arrival of this new little baby, due in a few days. thanks all. Love you lots!

See all pictures Here