TO MARKET..... TO MARKET.....

On Saturday the girls and I visited the local market, THE ONLY place to buy fruits, vegetables, and meats in town! Going to the market is always an EXPERIENCE!! PE and Baby Girl held their noses due to the sour smells in the air. They just could not handle the raw meat and seafood smell that lingered in the air! We saw lots for sale! Live baby chicks, pig heads, various animal body parts and organs, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Personally I love going to the market, as each time I go it is truely a learning experience and very "eye opening" to see how the Khmer culture lives. All I can say is W O W !!

FROGS 4 SALE!!!

Two children came by the school the other day selling fresh fried FROGS!!!! The teachers were very excited and bought quite a few to eat for lunch! Baby Girl asked me to buy a frog for her and, like a good Mommy, I DID! She ate the frog and enjoyed it.......(she got the love for strange food from her Daddy)!!

FLAT TIRE

This morning we had a flat tire on the double jogger stroller ~~walked to school with a flat tire.....got it fixed. Now this afternoon a different tire is flat! That will be the task at hand Saturday morning!! (The tires are getting HOLES in them......?????!!!!!).

LOTS OF CHANGES

We will have a new bus (van) driver beginning next week! Also, this weekend, the walls between the two side by side classrooms will be knocked down to make a larger classroom. The "administrator" of the school promises it will only take two days and school will resume on Monday. Can you believe that?? NOT ME!!!! Will be interesting........

UPDATE!!!!! The wall was knocked down over the weekend and now we have a much larger classroom!!! WOW!! I never imagined the work could be done in two days!!!! YEAHHHH!!

HIRING NEW TEACHERS

Two teaching assistants were hired this week. They are Sue Singleton's former English students. One of the girls assisted me all week~~she was awesome!! Next week another teaching assistant will begin. The idea is to train them to be teachers!! The school is growing fast. When I was here in March (2011), there were about 35 students. Now there are about 70!!!!!! The school has been open for almost one year. Next week will be the last week of the school year. The new school year will begin September 12th.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE?????

Do you ever wonder if you are really making a difference? I was just thinking that yesterday, and it was as if someone read my mind! One of the teachers shared with me that my timing on this trip was perfect....that there are changes they are making in the school and they need my guidance and input. WOW! I felt revived! I am glad to be here and be able to share the gift I have been given....of EDUCATION!

The time I chose to come to Cambodia was the ONLY time this fall I could possibly come~~juggling plane fares and availability. Just arriving back from a three month holiday in the good ole USA, I only had TEN days to get over jet lag, unpack my FIFTEEN suitcases (filled with Christmas and birthday gifts for the girls~~and a year's supply of clothing, shoes, etc.....), and get on the plane AGAIN this time heading to Cambodia for a month with the girls. I knew it would be a difficult task, but I knew I could do it.....it really was God's timing. It wasn't MY timing. God's timing is not always convenient or comfortable. Sometimes it is not even what WE want......but He has a plan for all of us, and we have to trust in Him and know that we will be taken care of.

POT LUCK DINNER WITH TEACHERS

Last night I hosted a pot luck dinner with the teachers from the school. There are seven of us. We had vegetable soup, spicy (green) long beans, green beans, some kind of other greens ~~no one could tell me what it was in English!!, and RICE, RICE, RICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone had a great night of fellowship and it was lots of FUN!! I will host a pot luck dinner every Friday night while in Cambodia.