Only One Week Left…

At least once a week, during English class, I have the Future Bright International Students use the computers to study, using the Super Mind program. I have been teaching them sentence structure and we finished learning Psalm 23 (they just need to memorize a few more lines)!

The FBI students and I took a trip to the Optometrist this past week to have their eyes checked.  Four out of the five needed glasses.  They are no different from our kids, wanting to have the stylish frames.   Ha told me, “her grandfather likes her glasses and even tried them on!”  A pair of glasses (regular prescription) cost around $30!  A far cry from our $300 glasses in Canada!

Nhi and I went out for dinner with Ely and Miriam.  Ely and Miriam manage a English school for Khmer children in Siem Reap.  During their English classes they share the stories of Jesus to the children.  They also teach piano and guitar lessons. Both of these women have a heart for serving the Lord, their income is very minimal but that doesn’t stop them from being used to further God’s Kingdom.  They completely trust in the Lord to meet their daily needs.

Nhi and I visiting Lok Diang, we are always greeted by an excited group of children.  They look forward to having a gummie vitamin and receiving lots of hugs!

This is one of the moms of our children.  She too goes out and recycles.  There are nine children in this family and four of the children attend Vietnamese class and church.

This little girl has started attending Vietnamese class and came to church for the first time! Her family came from the lake.  This week Nhi, Lieu and Nhi will share the gospel message with  her and her brother!

After visiting Lok Diang, Nhi and I went to visit Viet’s family!  We were so happy that Viet’s mom was back home from visiting relatives in another province.  This was the first time I saw her since her husband passed away.  Again, this group are so hospitable and offered me some tea made with that ice I shouldn’t have.  I prayed and asked the Lord to protect my stomach while I drank the tea and praise God I was fine!  During our visit Viet (who is 8 years old) asked me to come inside their house (I don’t often have the privilege of going in their homes).  As I enter the house and step onto a wooden platform (their bed) Viet shows me the memorial that they had set up for his dad!  Incense was burning, there was a beautiful picture of his dad, there was food offerings too!  I was so moved that Viet would show me his dad’s picture.  I also was saddened knowing that Viet would grow up with out his father!

Art from Sunday activity time.

Nhi taught the children how to pray giving them four specific things to pray. She used the story of Daniel praying three times a day!  The children were very engaged in this lesson, it went very well!  The picture of the children kneeling is them learning, through action, their bible verse!  Nhi also taught our youth service, teaching the youth about loving the word of God.  Just as the youth were leaving the rain started coming down.  Nhat and Men had their superman and batman costumes on, ready to battle the elements!

Monday afternoon Nhi and I took 12 girls to Blossom’s Cafe.  Blossom’s is a cafe and not-for profit organization that empowers and skills Cambodian women who have been through difficult situations.  It’s a chic Cafe that offers delicious cupcakes and fair trade coffee.  This was a special treat for our girls, but I’m not sure they fully grasp the concept of just going out for cupcakes and coffee.  While we there, the girls recognized the manager of the cafe, she apparently knew the girls when they were younger.  She worked with an organization called ‘Bridge of Hope!’  The girls were shy to say hello, so I went over and had a brief chat with her.

Nhi learning to make Rice Krispie squares!

The price of Driscoll’s strawberry’s in Cambodia- $15.20 USD!!

Today it rained most of the day!  Thankfully not in the morning while I was out on my bike to the market!  During Vietnamese class the rain came down so hard that the sound was deafening!  As you can see Kim’s laneway was flooded, some of the children were walking knee deep in water.

I have one more week left in Siem Reap and I will be heading home to my family.   Please pray for me as it will be hard to leave the children.  Many of them are saying “no Canada!” And there already has been tears shed.  Nhi leaves Saturday morning and Nguyen and Hong arrive Sunday morning.

Leah