A Glimmer of Hope

You know, I got back to school today after a weeks long break. Cambodia has suffered horrible tragedy in that time, while we vacationed and had a restful week. Our entire beings suffer with these people, as this tragedy strikes far to close to home.

I have duty on Monday mornings. Usually I do not appreciate the necessity of making sure I'm at school on time first day of the week :), but once I'm there, I love saying good morning to the kids, and seeing their faces. This was especially real today, when I asked some of them if they knew anyone injured or killed in the stampede. Most of our kids have been untouched directly by loss, which is something to be thankful for.

However, the Gr 4 girls I was chatting with this morning, were all a buzz with the details. I talked with them a bit, but as been common, the conversation quickly turns to ghosts, and how everyone is so afraid. "My auntie who usually fights with her sister, they were hugging!" I mentioned just how thankful and priviledged we are to know God and that we don't have to fear spirits when our God is so much bigger and more powerful! The girls chimed in, enthusiastically, "I KNOW!" One beautiful young lady showed me her wrist that was tied with a small red string. She said her Grandma put it on her to "protect" her (We see this all the time, strings tied around people's waists, car mirrors, wrists--it's to somehow ward off the ghosts.) I again said how thankful we can be that we just know it's not a red string that protects us, but God does. This young girls enthusiastically agreed with me, she was honestly so greatful for the knowledge of the truth! What Joy, seriously, that moment has kept me going all day!

What follows here is copy and paste of a potentially bland blog post, that I've been writing over the last few days. It updates everyone on the "stuff" that's been going on since I wrote last. It's been a while, and alot has taken place, but the above story is the heart of the message here. We are protected, we are loved, we do not have to fear! Oh how our prayer is for all Cambodians to know that!!! The gr. 4 girls this morning gave me that glimmer of hope for one day....

Long Overdue Blog Update :

Phnom Penh Tragedy

We are so grieved along with this country, in the wake of the staggering loss of life due to the crushing crowds on MOnday night. The death tally has risen to over 400 people now, and here's what we see around the city: Many offering sites all over the place (Incense sticks, candle wax, bananas), fewer crowds and the newspapers full of articles, first hand accounts, authorities passing the buck, etc. We have not personally been to the bridge site, although know where it is, and are still somewhat hesitant to head that direction. On the night of the chaos, Lesley and the girls were in the province of Mondulkiri with a group of staff members, a good 400 km out of Phnom Penh. Even if we were in the city during Water Festival, we would never have frequented the accident site at that time of night. It is dangerous to be in the crowds in general. My parents phoned all the way from Winnipeg to the simple cabin porch I was sitting on , in the middle of the sparcely populated province, to see if we were Ok. I still cant' believe that phone coverage can get all the way around the world, from WInnipeg, to such a remote place in Cambodia!

Our prayers are with the people of Cambodia, such useless loss of life, that could have been so easily prevented. Such a horrible situation, terrible, yet not really the least bit surprising. With safety standards and crowd control as poor as they are here, what's surprising is that this has not happened yet, or happened even worse. So sad.

Ghosts and Hauntings

Our neighbor placing a scarecrow to ward off the evil spirits from the many dead in Phnom Penh

Because of their Buddhist and animist beliefs, Cambodians are now very scared of the many deaths that have taken place, because of the wandering spirits. They are afraid of ghosts and bad things happening to them by the souls that haven't had a proper burial. All over town we see the appeasing offerings that are meant to keep the spirits at bay. Right 2 doors down from us, appeared two scarecrow type statues; fully clothed, stuffed with grass, meant to trick the spirits to pass by their house. It was eerie to see them and know their purpose was for spiritual protection. (No "pretend" halloween here, folks, this is the real deal!)

Many are saying the bridge won't be used anymore and that they should just take it down because of all the dead and the ghosts that will haunt it and the island. This is very real to Cambodians, who have had centuries of these beliefs, that they could potentially be harmed by ghosts and spirits. And to a people who easily believe what they are told, the underlying fear in this city is evident. Whatever your thoughts or opinions on this subject, we really pray that the people will learn through this event, that God is bigger, smarter and more powerful than any evil spirits. It is very real, their fear.

Two other quick comments in wake of the tragedy. We've been reminded to pray for medical teams, as they continue to help the injured. Unfortunately, hospitals are understaffed and insufficient for this size influx. Many injured have internal bleeding, and that requires immediate medical attention (we are first hand aware of how true that is, when our Julia had internal injuries when she was in Gr. 2). Amputated limbs leave very poor people, with the inability to work, and the situation for many will be very difficult. The state and number of the injured is still a serious issue.

And, I've also heard from a very reliable source, that those little bunches of banana's the people are buying to offer up to the spirits! Usually $.50, the price has risen to $15! Talk about taking advantage of your fellow countryment in their time of grief and need! Now I'm not sure this is a city wide inflation, but it had happened. SO many problems...

Modulkiri

From Mondulkiri

As mentioned, Les and the girls headed with 2 vans full of Logos staff and families, to this eastern province, in a gorgeous mountain range (hills really, for you Rocky Mountain people!) We stayed at the "Nature Lodge" a lovely guesthouse area run by a European gal and her Cambodian husband (their first baby is due in a month or so!) THey are little cabins, complete with bathrooms, on beautiful grass area, cool temperatures prevail and freshness is in the air--very different from the city and much of the rest of Cambodia.

Welcome Eco Lodge

ANyways, the Weisses were the last to reserve, so were put in the "overflow" cabin, which was in a word, camping in the Cambodian bush! The wood boards of the cabin that didn't join together and the grass thatch roof, allowed for any spidery type creature to easy creep inside (Which they did!) We slept under mosquito nets and for the first 2 nights, we checked all the bedding inside and out, before crawling in and tucking in the mosquito net as close as possible! The funny part is that we were told we had a "shared" bathroom. Ok, for 2 nights, we can do that. TUrns out it was a small outhouse, with a toilet with no seat on it, a cold shower, no sink. No one would share that with us! haha. For two days, we used the squatty toilet close to the restaurant, and borrowed a hot shower from one of the other bunkhouses!

Spiders are big in Cambodia.

After the first two nights, they had room for us in a "Real" cabin, and then it was awesome! Still slept under nets, but had a nice attached bathroom and actual windows for light! But, we still ended up seeing huge spiders, a small scorpion that was in our bathroom, and on the last night, a HUGE tree frog that could really JUMP (causing me to scream!) as we tried to get him out back through a crack in the wall. THe name of the Lodge was certainly earned honestly. Oh, and did I mention we all got bit by ants? UNBELIEVABLY painful, it was weird!

Julia on her way to school. Just Kidding.

We saw some beautiful waterfalls, had an elephant ride, saw the traditional homes of the Pnong tribal people that still live there. It was a really nice time, very relaxing with campfires and marshmallow every night, great food from the restaurant, pool table, volleyball court. The kids had a blast hanging out with the Robert's family, kids the same ages. A few camping meals together made it a real different feel for what we know of Cambodia.

John and whole bunch of people jump 5m into the water below. Julia jumped too!i

Dean in Korea

From DeanKorea

Dean, however, spent his week in Seoul Korea, at the ACSI conference, where he needed to attend workshops to get credit for administration. As I write, we're expecting him home any minute. He did have a tour of the city, and travelled with 4 other staff members. He hoped to meet up with a former Logos teacher who is now there, and Ji Hyun, Greg and Shawna's homestay student they had for years. She's living back in Seoul now. I'm anxious to hear how his time was, although I'm expecting him to be tired:). (by the time this is actually published, he is home, it had an excellent time, and he came back with Korean candy treats for the kids and, drum roll please, Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee! What a treat!)

Post Accident News

We are doing well in the wake of our accident on Oct. 31. The car is still dented where it was kicked and hit, and Lesley's still not driving that much in the dark, but the windows are fixed. While processing has been positive, I (Lesley) still don't feel safe on the roads, and tend to be driving slower, which is actually dangerous in and of itself here.) It's been nice to have this week off to just rest, and it has been restful, so that's all been helpfu with processingl. I've written a few things down so that will keep record. Still haven't sent anything to the embassy or newpapers, but still am pursuing that.

Ted Price

A fellow Canadian who does work out here with the Cambodian police, met us for dinner the other night, as he was in town. Ted is also an attender of Seven Oaks, our home church in Abbotsford. IT was so very nice to see him. We introduced him to Pari Sor, a twelfth grade student who has hopes and dreams to become a doctor, and would like to pursue studies potentially at Trinity Western University, next year. ANyways, I have to say, Ted was so very encouraging! He was very enthusiastic about his ministries and our work out here. It was so refreshing and I really needed it right at that time. Our visit was very nice, and we want to thank Ted for taking the time to hang out with us.

Jog-a-Thon

From jog-a-thon2010-11

The last day of school before the Water Festival break, Nov 19, was Logos third annual jog-a-thon, a fundraiser for the school. Many thanks to some of you who donated for the kids. They all got their free t-shirt and had their names entered for some prize draws. DIdn't win anything, unfortunately, but the school raised around $12,000 with a matching grant from a private donor. After a computer lab is paid off, we should be able to put monies toward repairing the road to school, so we can all actually drive on it! (it is so nasty right now, after the rainy season, it's just lumps and bumps and is very narrow. ) *As this is published, we've actually driven on this road, and yes, miracles do happen--it's been grated, leveled and gravelled and it's AMAZING! Never thought we'd be so excited about a flat, gravel road!*

From jog-a-thon2010-11

Christmas Concerts

Lesley is in full swing of preparing for the Logos Elementary Christmas concert, Dec 8. We've been practicing for a couple weeks already, now after the week off, we'll prepare to perform in a week and a half. Crunch time! Looking forward to it, as it's such a fun night for the kids, and they put alot of effort into it. The mIddle school band course I teach, will see the kids perform on Dec 18. School goes until Dec 22, then we're still looking for a place to go for Christmas break. Here at Logos, since we start school in August, Christmas break is the half way mark of the school year. Hard to believe.

Future and transitions

WE will be looking at housing when returning to Canada, kids will be going back to MEI, and Dean has a position. Lesley is very excited (seriously!) to see what GOd has in store for her! I'm really hoping to help my family transition as it's going to be a HUGE transition with I'm sure lots of hills and valley's. Please be in prayer for us, as we make decisions and find out what the short term future holds.

Maya cute quips

From Mondulkiri

I have to write some of these down publically. They're so funny.
1. There was a short 3 and 5 K race a few saturday mornings ago. (I ran the 5 k for the first itme in a very long time and I'm still not sure how my sisters run half and full marathons! 5 K was a serious killer for me!) ANyways, after we left the race, Maya and I were driving on the moto just outside the school gate on part of the race route, and she asked, "is this where the Pre-K's ran???" (Get it? She heard "3K" and "5K" so much, she was thinking "pre-K." Cute.)
2. Maya was learning abou 3D shapes in school, so came home and pointed to all the tin cans and glasses on the table and said, "that's a salamander, and that's a salamander.. and that's a salamander!" (Meaning, of course, cylinder.)
3. There is a worhsip song that goes, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.." As much as Maya loves to sing, she often slurs her words and just sings random syllables that make no sense! It's quite funny. ANyways, I caught her singing this song with the following words, "...as we wait upon the floor...wait upon the floor." Well, gr. 1 does do alot of sitting on the floor, waiting.....
4. Just before our break, Maya was insisting to her teacher, Miss Cole, that she would be traveling to CANADA for the break. (Instead of Mondulkiri, Cambodia--poor kid is so confused!) When corrected, she was insistant it was Canada she was going to, and it would take a whole day by van! Cute.

That's all, folks...
Thanks for staying tuned. We have so much coming up these next few weeks, that I hope to stay in touch in smaller doses, and send some pictures along. Take care all, and enjoy the beginnings of the Christmas season.
Lesley

Deaths at Water Front

Heng Sinith / AP
A crowd of Cambodians are pushed onto a bridge on the last day of celebrations of a water festival in Phnom Penh on Monday. Thousands of people celebrating a water festival on a small island in a Cambodian river stampeded Monday evening, killing at least 378.
msnbc.com news services

I am just hearing of the tragic news about the many deaths at the water front yesterday. Many of you have asked if we are OK, and in short 'Yes'! During water festival, we have no school and are away from Phnom Penh. Les and the girls are exploring in Northern Cambodia with about 12 other staff and their family members. I am currently in Korea for a Christian schools international conference (acsi).

Now I should say that I did make an attempt to get to the water front earlier on the weekend but Failed. I tried to get down to the water front on Saturday just to see how busy it is, but I honestly turned around when the crowds were massive. I was still about 1 km away from the water front and I could barely move, and so I decided to give up and turn around and go home. This is looking like a wise decision.

Thanks to many of you for your prayers and concerns.

Below is an article from msnbc I was sent to get information on the tragedy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40318112/ns/world_news-asiapacific/
updated 3:52 a.m. ET, Tue., Nov. 23, 2010

Cambodia festival stampede kills hundreds

Thousands of people stampeded during a festival in the Cambodian capital, leaving at least 378 dead and hundreds injured in what the prime minister called the country's biggest tragedy since the 1970s reign of terror by the Khmer Rouge.

A panic-stricken crowd — celebrating the end of the rainy season on an island in a river — tried to flee over a bridge and many people were crushed underfoot or fell over its sides into the water. Disoriented victims struggled to find an escape hatch through the human mass, pushing their way in every direction. After the stampede, bodies were stacked upon bodies on the bridge as rescuers swarmed the area.

Survivors said panic set in when several revelers were electrocuted. Police said some had shouted that the bridge was about to collapse, triggering the melee. The prime minister's special adviser, Om Yentieng, denied the reports of electrocutions and that the panic was sparked by a mass food poisoning.

Ambulances raced back and forth between the river and the hospitals for several hours after the stampede. Calmette Hospital, the capital's main medical facility, was filled to capacity with bodies as well as patients, some of whom had to be treated in hallways. Relatives, some crying, searched for the missing Tuesday morning.

"I was taken by shock. I thought I would die on the spot. Those who were strong enough escaped, but women and children died ," said Chea Srey Lak, a 27-year-old woman who was knocked over by the panicked crowd on the bridge.

'Calls for help from everywhere'
She managed to escape but described a woman, about 60 years old, lying next to her who was trampled to death by hundreds of fleeing feet.

"There were cries and calls for help from everywhere, but nobody could help each other. Everyone just ran," she said at Calmette Hospital, where she was being treated for leg and hand injuries.

Hours after the chaos, the dead and injured were still being taken away from the scene, while searchers looked for bodies of anyone who might have drowned. Hundreds of shoes were left behind on and around the bridge. An Associated Press reporter saw one body floating in the river.

"This is the biggest tragedy we have experienced in the last 31 years, since the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime," Prime Minister Hun Sen said, referring to the ultra-communist movement whose radical policies are blamed for the deaths of 1.7 million people during the 1970s.

He ordered an investigation into the cause of the stampede and declared Thursday would be a national day of mourning. Government ministries were ordered to fly the flag at half-staff. He said that the government would pay the families of each dead victim 5 million riel ($1,250) for funeral expenses and provide 1 million riel ($250) for each injured person.



Authorities had estimated that upward of 2 million people would descend on Phnom Penh for the three-day water festival, the Bon Om Touk, which marks the end of the rainy season and whose main attraction is traditional boat races along the river. In this year's event, 420 of the long, sleek boats competed, with crews of up to 80 racers each.

The last race ended early Monday evening, the last night of the holiday, and the panic started later on Koh Pich — Diamond Island — a long spit of land wedged in a fork in the river where a concert and exhibition were being held. It was unclear how many people were on the island to celebrate the holiday, though the area appeared to be packed with people, as were the banks.
Soft drink vendor So Cheata said the trouble began when about 10 people fell unconscious in the press of the crowd. She said that set off a panic, which then turned into a stampede, with many people caught underfoot.

Philippians 1:27.. A high calling

Phil. 1:27 "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ... (v.28)without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. (v.29) For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him..." (italics mine)

Gulp!

The NLT version words it this way: "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.
(28) Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. (29) For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privelege of suffering for him. (Again, italics mine.)

You know, when Bible study on Friday deals with the topic of community and how we as Christians should interact with it. Then Sunday, the message from the pulpit is on these very verses, you KNOW God is trying to make things clear to you.

In light of recent events in our life out here, I can say what a challenge it has been to live up to this very high calling. Philippians is packed with similar ideas that call us to live above the standard the world sets, simply through compassion and love, not thinking we are better than others, but to humbly serve.

"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." ({Phil. 2:3-5)

As much as I want to dwell on my failures in this area, Philippians then turns to verses that offer so much of the Grace of God: His compassion with my humanity, his forgiveness for my failures, his abounding love that far surpasses my worthiness.

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7)

This is not Christian "mumbo-jumbo." These are LIFE GIVING words, full of hope for everyone!

And when we do screw up? Make wrong decision? Think we are doing good, when really we are putting our desires ahead of others? Guess what? As we "press on" toward living a life of (perfect) faith, as even Paul confesses,

"No dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Phil. 3:13-14)

I keep hoping that "one day" I'll get it right! But in reality, one day...

(Verse 21 of Chapter 3) "He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control."

Not "might," but WILL!

What peace, what satisfaction to live with these promises. I can only be thankful that when others don't understand me, and even I don't understand myself, He does.

Hope you all have a great week!
Lesley