Joy, finally!

Okay, first of all; I want to let everyone know that we are OKAY! We had a little scare and unfortunetly we were unable to get to the internet due to the election. So I was unable to update you on our position here.

We didn't end up sleeping at Place of Rescue on saturday night at Marie's. We got a van ride back into the city at around 9:30pm, which is the latest we've been out so far and also the latest we've been awake since Canada! Last night Eileen and I had to laugh because we literally can't wait until it's 8pm. I think it's a combo of jet lag and such high and low emotions. I was commenting to Eileen that my eyes are so tired at night. I noticed yesterday when we were walking that my eyes were like bug eyes; peeled WIDE open. I laughed at myself; I can't keep my eyes off these people, this culture, the sites, the sounds, the....smells! We stayed inside all day yesterday and let me tell ya, Eileen and I are REALLY getting to know eachother. We made up this game where we take turns telling eachother everything about our families!! Ha. It sounds boring but when you're living your day meal to meal, any new information sounds so enthralling.

Which brings me to where I am now. After Eileen and I had our little prayer vigil alone on our very stained, very weird, very ugly couch...I felt peace. I believe the combination of your prayers and ours and God's answers have calmed these Foster nerves! And we all know how tight those Foster's can get! On saturday night Eileen was reunited with all of the orphans that she worked with. Tears were flowing. Hugs from the kids were quickly passed from her to me and I actually got the chance to love little Khmer children!! I think that's exactly what I needed. You all know how much I love kids and it was a HUGE encouragement. I would do anything for these gorgeous miracles.

There was a birthday party going on at the orphanage and we had a performance by some very tone deaf children, which when I thought about it made me realize how much more I fit so well into this country! For I am tone deaf too! All those at Camp Nutimik had the pleasure first hand at karaoke night to realize that!!! Anyways, I was sitting there with this little boy on my lap. His dark hair had turned copper at the ends in patches, which I had seen in Peru a bit while i was there in February. Apparantly the discoloration is due to famine or lack of sufficient vitamins in their diets. He was sitting on me and I was hugging him and running my fingers through his hair when I realized that he had a nasty case of... lice! I looked down at my pink shirt and realized he had passed a few little crawleys to me too! And, I looked up and thought to myself..."HA. I don't really care. I'm here. with the mice, the lice and the rats (Eileen almost stepped on a dead mother of a rat yesterday on the street!) And I'm here to do exactly what I'm doing right now. I'm pretending these little ones are my nephews." So I squished those little bugs that had crawlen onto my nice GAP shirt and from that moment on I have fallen in love with Cambodia....

I prayed that God would reveal Cambodia to me through His eyes. That my heart would ache with real sadness for the autrocities that they have somehow over come and also ache with happiness in their triumphs. Brian McCaughley (founder of Ratanak Foundation) was telling me that this is the most stable this country has ever been! I am amazed by that. I am also amazed with these two Canadian girls and so excited for the next 10 months!