Last days in Cambodia...

Breakfast with Mesa and Sourssdy

Sorry about no contact for a while. This past week has been so delightfully full with  meals and meetings with students. Combine that with electricity being off more than usual, and it was hard to find time to write.

GREAT WEEK....Still on the usual 4 am wake up to get prepared for the day. I  actually had talks prepared before I came  but staying with the students I found that there were several issues and some things that we could all benefit from. So have gone in a different direction and we studied some Scripture together and GOD taught us  all.. So each day  was up early to prepare before meeting with students.

The  students usually do not have breakfast, they just grab a fried banana or roasted sweet potato as they  bike to school. This week was fun for me as different ones who did not have early classes asked to meet to go  out for rice porridge or noodles ($.60 for a great breakfast)

I was out every meal the whole  week....loved that one on one time with the students....and getting ready for starting the inevitable good byes. When we were here in September, the farewell was painful....sort of heart surgery without anesthesia and we had only been there 10 days but had connected with several especially. This time I feel like I have heard the story and become close to almost all 85. I was soooooo not wanting to do that "singing" and do the round of goodbyes. Since I was leaving on a Monday morning and there is not typically a Sunday night service, I was feeling quite good that we were going to be able to  avoid that.

Saturday was full....breakfast with Mesa and his newly  proclaimed "friend" Soursddy. She is delightful and we had such a special time again.  I had taken both new girlfriends out earlier in the week, while the guys are out at the Plantation. The  boys only come to town every other week.  After time with them, the day continued to be full of appointments including a time with Pipor who took me for lunch and a pedicure in a very Interesting little side of the road place. I  am now sporting bright toes with flowers on them. Pipor works at Bloom Cafe, a place that rehabilitates girls who  have been trafficked. We had a great visit and girl talk. The rest of the afternoon was filled with more  goodbyes,  special handmade little gifts and remembrances....smiles and fun.

Once a month, the girls birthdays are celebrated. Whoever has a birthday , buys gifts for all the other girls...about 40. That way on your birthday, you are GIVING and you only have to buy gifts once a year not 40 times and you can get everyone all the same gifts. The party  was a Crazy Hair party so they really had a fun time.

When it was over the girls from Pillars.....the dorm way across town, mostly for the older girls, asked if I  would do a sleepover again. SO, 9:30 at night, we all piled on the motorbikes and headed out. We sat up talking....but I started fading around midnight. I  moved from a sitting position on my bunk, to a prone position, but still listening...:) Before long,  I was lying down.....but still listening' :)  but I only remember a flash of a camera waking me up so assume I fell  asleep on them, and they thought it was funny !   I was not sure if I had set my phone alarm, so woke up often checking. I  had to leave at 5:45 am to head back to my place. Chamnab, one of the boys had agreed to motorbike me home so  that I could be there to shower and be ready for SS at 7:30.   I seemed to  check the phone every 1/2 hour to see if it was "time" to wake up. Finally,  at 4:30 I decided to just get up. I picked up my little pile of stuff and headed down the dark hall to the bathroom.I didnt want to wake up  the girls on the other bunks in the room, so kept my phone flashlight off til the hall. I am still not totally familiar with the little phone that we use overseas, so THOUGHT that I had pushed the flashlight but nothing came on, but before long, I heard HELLO? HELLO?  Whoooooops, I had pushed redial instead of the light button. I am sure that Chetra was thrilled :( to hear my  voice at 4:40 am.

I commented to Chamnab how quiet the streets were so early in the morning (NICE)......but he responded, "Grandma, Phnom Penh has many robbers and they have guns, and this is when they  steal....so I will not be stopping at any lights on the way home."  Well, ok then!!!

The morning went well. Thanks for praying for those two last messages!
Lunch with 6 of us after church....then  soccer, sporting my new Judy Lynn soccer shirt :)  Cana  house had invited Jessica and I for a combined birthday and farewell dinner, and they outdid themselves cooking. After dinner everyone was slipping off and I had a feeling something was going on since I was left alone with a visiting Mom, trying hard to talk Khmer.  Soon, one of the students was back and I was picked up by motor bike and brought home to find a surprise farewell had been planned up on the roof.   All of the dorms were present. Each one had brought a special dessert, and songs. It was so fun. We were up on the roof.....gorgeous evening and just a wonderful time. It was not really sad at all.....we laughed and did the inevitable photos. Someone took my camera and I noticed that I had 100 new photos after the evening was over. It was soooooo very special. Hardly any tears except one time during a song and Panet, dear guy, just leaned over and squeezed my hand til it was over..Just an amazing evening. Handmade gifts that will be treasured forever.

When everyone was gone, there was still the late night chat with the guys that live there.....til after midnight. I have to say, whoever is on my "energy patrol" prayer team has outdone themselves. I have had so much energy, and I feel so blessed. Almost 5 weeks here.....and not a moment of sickness and hardly a moment of tiredness.  That HAS to be ALL GOD.

Pedicure with Pipor
 

English Class Students

Farewell Meal