Hey everyone! Lesley here. Dean has taught me know to get on and write up, so I hope this works and here I go.
Well, we've officially completed our third week of school here at Logos. I'm learning more than the kids, I find. I'm getting to know how Gr. 1 works (I teach that mornings until 11) and the music I enjoy and find easing back into alot of fun. Maya is doing MUCH better at her full day of preschool than last week, as she just didn't want to stay for the afternoons, with it being so long, a change of teacher, a new room... Poor kid, it really is a long day for her, but things are definitely looking up. (Prayer!) She has enjoyed this week, comes home with new little songs and poems and crafts that are so typical to a preschoolers life. It is good

Steph is at a Sat. morning Basketball shooting practice, so I came to school to shoot a few hoops, try to get on the internet. IT's working today, so that's a plus--it's pretty random, even in the lab--one computer might hook up online, the next one won't. We were out at a friend's house last night for supper, when the power went out--it was so completely black, but they had a back up generator. The power has gone out off and on at school, and while the light issue is not such a big deal when it goes, the air/con is, because things heat up pretty fast with all the bodies in a room. I'm not too sure how kids do it out here in this climate--I mean, they're running around all the time, go for recess, outdoor PE. My Gr. 1's are constantly dripping, and they come in from anything outdoors completely soaked (especially the boys!) THey are a sweet bunch and I"m working hard on good classroom management, something I find a challenge. Back to the power outage last night--we thought the kids would be so freaked out because they were all upstairs in the pitch black before the generator was turned on, but they were fine, as they could see by the light of their glowing DS games!! haha THis family we visited is Tom & Danielle Matushka, with their 3 kids, Tom JR (11), Lucy (8?) and Gabe (3) who have just moved here a month before us for Tom to be the CEO of Asian Hope, the homes associated with Logos. They're from COlorado, but TOm's originally from Louisianna, so he talks funny!
Actually, we have alot of people who talk funny on staff, one Australian, a few southern americans, pakistani, and lots of Khmer. I say that as a joke (of course) becuase we keep saying ëh"and can't stop ourselves!
Julia's at home keeping up with homework. We'll catch up with the later. It's nice not to have to rush out this Saturday to try to find furnishings and other things we need for our home. Last weekend, we finally bit the biscuit and purchased the things we needed--were holding out for some second hand items, but we simply couldn't wait any longer--I was mentally done with camping. It wasn't too expensive, some Ikea type furniture, that they send workers over to your house to set up. SOme of them were there for a couple hours with a PILE of screws, setting up drawers. One of them worked well after it was set up, the other one didnt! haha Got it fixed though, through the language barrier. A funny story with that--these young "worker"guys would 

come in and motion for water--I mean, they're lifting heavy furniture up stairs, sitting and setting stuff up, it's hot out--they are dripping and thirsty. So the first guy, I give him a glass, he gets water from the cooler, drinks, and very politely return the glass to the cupboard! I could barely believe my eyes--as soon as he left the kitchen, I swiftly REMOVED the glass from the cupboard and placed it in the sink to wash it! I thought it was a strange thing for him to do. Well, the second guy--I was ready for him. Yes, he did the exact same thing--big smile and nod for thank you, and returned the glass to the cupboard! I removed it as well, and was prepared this time! Gives you an idea of the sanitation ideas in the country, or should I say, lack of them.
ANother funny story, I got "hit"by a "Helicopter bomb"while sitting outside on our porch. I though a bug had flown on me--no, it was a gecko poop! You gotta watch out for those guys--they're always running around dropping poop in their tracks. It was relatively gross, but they're not big or runny, just look like a little mouse dropping. You get used to seeing them all over the walls!
Well, Dean bought a moto (notice I'm correcting his spelling from the previous entry--people whip it off so fast here, it sounds like "modo", but no, it is a "moTo"!" haha Anyways, we'll pick it up Monday when we actually pay for it, but Dean's been getting help from the staff who speak Khmer to get an automatic moto, that we can both drive. 

THey're easy to physically operate, it's the traffic that is not so easy to drive in. We borrowed TOm's moto while he was away in Bangkok last week, and with a bit of practice even I could do the quiet streets. You don't need a licence, or a drivers test, just buy one, try it out and hope for the best! We are getting licences though, so that is probably a good thing. With a moto, we'll have more flexibility to get places quicker with just small portions of our family. 5 helmets, and we could probably put up to 3 people on it to get around. SO far, for us all to travel together (which is most of the time) we've been cycling to school--no problem, and we will probably have to still purchase a car in the future. It's been tuktuks since our arrival, which are fun, but DUSTY--in your eyes, covering your body, and the smells of exhaust and pollution on the street are excessive, so a car might be our best option. Not sure I"ll ever truly figure out where we're going here. But we do have city maps, most tuktuk drivers can sort of follow them, and there is relative order to the street names and numbers. Relative, I repeat, relative. I would guess that more than 50% of our "professional"tuktuk drivers here have not really known where we need to go even with an address (in khmer) or with a map. Leave early, take the map, know where you're going so you can give instructions, then you MIGHT be ok. One time I was sure we had a guy who was here for his very first day in Phnom Penh. haha. Actually, turns out he's a pretty nice guy and he drives for us a fair amount now. I think that's because he's always free--if your tuktuk driver is busy all the time, he's probably pretty good, has good english, and can get people to where they want to go reliably.

We are doing well. Thanks for all the prayers. Next Friday night is a parent open house. I've met some parents. SOme are great english speakers, others none at all. My Gr. 1 class has the following nationalities in it: Australian, VIetnamese; american, Cambodian; singaporean, CHinese... I think I'm missing some, but it's pretty cool, anyways.
THe days are long, tiring and exhausting. WE go to bed early. But me personally, I'm going to bed happy, even if the day was terrible, or close to it. It's good to be here. I'm enjoying being in GOd's will for us, and I Think the rest of the family would agree. The staff here is excellent, great people and it's really cool to get to know them, and hear their stories of how they're here and why. GOd is Good! Praise the Lord.
WIll write again soon! Love to all you friend, family, coworkers, and whoever else just logs on!!!
L
:)