Last Friday we were able to move into our new rental home. It appears that all the plumbing problems have been fixed. We’re spending the week unpacking and doing projects.
We praise God for allowing us to move here. It is a perfect fit for us: much larger than we expected, great neighbors to play with, lots of access to people. We’re thankful for all God has done.
Can you tell Clara is tired of waiting for a home…or maybe she’s tried of seeing Angkor Wat.
Late Monday afternoon, the day before we were planning to move into our new rental home, we found out that our home had some plumbing issues. So instead of moving into our new home we moved into more temporary housing while deciding what to do. We’re very thankful for the Crowley’s kindness to lend us their downstairs.
The main problem was water was leaking down the side of the house from the bathroom. It appears that the water was coming from the toilet (which hadn’t even been sealed when they installed it). Another problem was that they didn’t install any water cutoffs for the plumbing. Josh has spent the past two days at the house to make sure things are being taken care of.
As of Wednesday night it looks like we’ll be able to move in a day or two. We’re trusting the Lord for His timing. Who know what will happen next. Life is an adventure!
Lord willing we’ll be moving our belongings into our new home this Friday. We hope to sleep there Tuesday or Wednesday night. We’re so thankful the time has finally come!
It will be different living away from the missionary community here (it’s about a 35 minute drive). I think it will hit the hardest when Josh has to travel and I’m home at night by myself, fortunately our kids are very resourceful and are working on building door barricades (just kidding).
So thankful to be moving soon. Thanks be to God!
Can’t seem to keep with how fast our 5-month old is growing! Clara continues to be a joy – I just want to eat her up! She loves playing on the floor and grabbing things. She can turn around, but has yet to creep forward on her own. She now wants to sit up and play. She does pretty well sitting up, but still needs something or one to catch her, since she doesn’t have perfect balance yet.
Sometimes I step back in wonder…I’m the mommy of three girls. What a sweet gift from God. Before we had kids I wanted 6 boys, but I’m so thankful for the precious girls God has gifted us with. Wouldn’t trade these girls for anything. Praying they will become the best of friends
Of course I can’t leave out Isaiah. He is such a sweet boy, full of energy and life. Love him. I remember there was a time I wondered if I would have more than 2 kids. So thankful for these precious four and the man God has given me to live this adventure with. Thanks be to God!
Here in Cambodia we walk the path the Lord sets before us. Sometimes the way is easier than we’d planned. Sometimes it’s not at all what we’d hoped for. Our original “plan” was to move into a new home at the end of June. The adjusted “plan” was to move into our new home August 1st. It’s August 11th, we’re still in temporary one-bedroom housing, and the landlord just told us she thinks it will be another 3 weeks before we can move in. This isn’t the path we were planning on…but it’s the Lord’s path, it’s a good path…lead on O King Eternal.
A few days before my parents left Cambodia, we took them to Angkor Wat. (The trip worked out perfectly since my parents flew out of Siem Reap at the end of our visit.) The big events were an elephant ride and exploring the temples. It was really fun watching my mom take in everything. I think she had a blast. My dad was very hesitant about riding an elephant, but once he got on, he had a great time with the kids.
Thankfully, besides a short rain shower, the heavy rains held off until we were finished for the day. We were very thankful for that. Thankful we could share the trip with my parents.
In the middle of June we were delighted to welcome my parents for their first visit to Cambodia. It had been over two years since we’d seen my parents. They went through quite a time to get here, missing their flight from Seoul, Korea and arriving a day late. We really appreciate all the adventures they went through to come all the way to Cambodia to be with us. We appreciate all the time and money they spent to make a trip halfway across the world to see our world.
The kids were really excited to see Grammy and Grampy Grace (as they started calling my dad). We loved hearing them laugh with delight as they played together. Becca learned some new tricks from Grampy Grace and enjoyed hearing stories about Grammy’s first graders. Anna who typically is a bit resistant at first was warm and friendly when they arrived. Isaiah had so many memories of my dad from when he was 1, he was really excited. Clara was her happy self to meet her grandparents for the first time.
The first part of my parents’ time with us was pretty rainy and we spent a lot of time inside. We spent one morning moving a lot of our belongings into storage. We were able to visit the Sleeping Buddha and a waterfall on non-rain days.
Among other local things, my mom enjoyed going to the market and riding the moto and my dad enjoyed eating pork and rice at a local Khmer rice shop we affectionately call The Shack.
It was really great to have my parents here. We’d been looking forward to their visit ever since they mentioned it before we moved to Cambodia. It was nice for us to be able to show them our life…some things just can’t be explained without experiencing them. Between having little kids and the time difference, it’s hard for me to talk on the phone, so it was really nice to be able to talk to my parents in person without having to be on a device.
We really enjoyed my parents’ visit. I’m very thankful for my parents’ complete support of our being here. They are always so excited for us and grateful we’re here. They encourage the kids in their adventures here. That means a lot. I’m thankful for the way they raised me to go and serve the Lord and the ways they encourage our whole family as we serve the Lord in Cambodia. Thankful that they were able to come and see our lives here. Maybe they’ll come again during our next term….
A big thanks to my mom for all the pictures. I haven’t even seen the pictures she took on her phone yet. Next week I hope to post pictures from our trip to Siem Reap with my parents. Maybe I can get my mom to guest post on her impressions from their visit sometime.
This month (July 13th), Clara celebrated her 4-month birthday. For awhile I’ve been calling her Smiles #2 (since we called Anna Smiles), but I have switched to calling her Giggles. Clara absolutely loves to laugh. Sometimes she just looks up at me smiling with anticipation as she waits for me to make her laugh. She is sunshine during this time of transition.
Clara started rolling from tummy to front in at the end of June. She is now a fast roller and can cover a lot of ground. She’s also working on inching forward. This sweet girl is on the move.
A short update on our family: On July 11th we moved out of the house we’d been watching and went to Phnom Phen for a week. We had a friend coming for a three-day visit and needed to renew our visas and driver’s licences. It was the first time the kids and I had been back since we left last July…don’t miss it at all! The best part was seeing friends and eating at our favorite Khmer restaurant.
This week we moved into temporary housing while we wait for our rental home. We’re in a one bedroom flat…we’re praying they can have our house ready by August 1st. It’s going to seem HUGE after living here.
Tuesday Josh and I celebrated 8 years of marriage. So delighted that God is blessing me with my man. Being in Cambodia has brought us closer together (we’re finding that living overseas can make or break a marriage). If not for my dear man, I’m certain I would have lost it here. So glad to have his faithful friendship and leadership.
Thankful for the four precious children God has blessed us with. So glad I get to be on this parenting journey with Josh.
Our major accomplishments for the year: we’ve moved to Ratanakiri and delivered our 4th child together. Looking forward to our new adventures together in this next year!
For our anniversary Josh and I went to the Ratanak Resort. It was a lovely place to relax and spend extra time with each other.
I’m guessing around the age of three, I started praying for a sister…three brothers later, I stopped. I still remember the night when I was 12 as my mom put me to bed and said she was going to Dr. Matthews the next day. I knew Dr. Matthews was the baby doctor and giggled embarrassingly as I tried to ask my mom if she was having another baby. Several weeks later my mom and I had a special date to go to the ultrasound – it’s a girl!
June 4th my sister, Emily, came to spend two weeks with us. She was in Cambodia to serve with a doctor in another province for three weeks and planned a visit to us at the end of her trip.
The kids were excited to see their Aunt Emily. There’s something really special about younger aunts. They kept Emily busy all day long. I think it might have been more exhausting than working in the hospital. 🙂
Emily’s first week we were car-less. Josh was out Monday and Tuesday doing permissions work, then he left early Wednesday morning to take someone to the hospital in Phnom Penh. He was gone for four days. I was so thankful to have Emily with us during that time. It was the first time for Josh to leave since Clara was born and it was his first time in Cambodia to be away from us for more than 2 nights.
Emily’s second week here we did a few more things. We visited the sleeping Buddha and watched the sunset.
We visited the local night market that was set up for a week and rode the bummer cars. Emily and Josh ate crickets.
We went in search of a waterfall with water. The first one we went to was water-less!
At the end of her trip Emily was able to visit Angkor Wat and some of the other temples with Josh before she flew out the next morning.
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lly enjoyed having Emily here. She was a big help and we enjoyed the extra time with her. I was blessed to spend some extra time with my grown up 21 year old sister. It was really fun to chat with her and see how much she’s grown up from the little girl she was when I was still living at home. We were all very sad to see her go. Thankful that God answered my prayers for a sister.
Monday Clara turned 3-months old. She’s quite the little mover in her pack-n-play: she rolls from tummy to back, moves from one end to the other on her tummy (not sure if this is intentional), often does an 180 degree from the position I left her in.
Clara loves to laugh. She seems to think diaper changing time is really hilarious. The other day Josh had to ask her to stop laughing while listening to Dr. Casillas’ sermon…she was a little too loud.
The dress Clara is wearing was mine. I thought I’d left it in the States and was happy to find it recently when I was going through clothes. So thankful for our sweet smiley Clara Grace.
Isaiah chose to wait to have his birthday cake until Aunt Emily arrived on Saturday. He also wanted Uncle JD and Aunt Kim to come for cake too.
We had pizza for supper and then enjoyed cake and ice cream. For his birthday we gave Isaiah his first real Legos and a car rug (bought at IKEA in Bangkok).
So glad to have this crazy little man in our crazy little family!
Happy 4th birthday to Isaiah! Our little man was extremely excited the night before his birthday. After I put him to bed he came out to tell me the reason he was grumpy was because he was saving all his joy for his birthday. When I told him he didn’t seem grumpy at all, he insisted he was grumpy so he wouldn’t use up his joy for his birthday!
Part of Isaiah’s birthday countdown calendar was a sleepover with Mommy when Daddy had to be away for the night. Isaiah was thrilled to be Daddy for the night. He wanted to use the computer like Daddy.
It’s been fun watching Isaiah be a brother. He loves playing with Becca and Anna. The other day he wanted to hold Clara too. He’s praying for a baby brother and two more baby sisters (so Clara can have baby sister and that baby sister after that can have a baby sister!).
We love all Isaiah’s silliness and hearing him walk around the house singing Bible songs he makes up. Thankful for our little man!
This week is also Clara’s 11 week birthday! She’s now rolling from stomach to back, laughing, and moving all over her bed. She’s a sweetie!
This is Isaiah’s contribution to the blog:
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May 18 Meeting with Village and Sub-District Heads
On May 18 Josh drove out to Saom Kaning village and met with the head of the village, as well as the head of the sub-district. The village head told Josh he has no problem with our family moving to the village, but first there needs to be a village-wide meeting with us present to allow the members of the village to vote.
The sub-district head said he would approve us only if the district authorities (in particular, the district police) say yes. We’re waiting for him to meet with the district police before we plan a meeting with them.
We thank the Lord that no one has said no yet. Please pray with us as we begin making contact with higher officials to seek their permission: first at the district level, then at the province level. It’s possible that higher officials will say we need official approval from further down first.
In the meantime, we will begin looking for a house to rent in one of the two towns closest to Saom Kaning Village. We will need permission to live in a nearby town, as well, but we expect it will be easier to get permission, because we would be living among Khmer rather than a minority group. Please pray that we can find a home and get permission to move in before the beginning of July, when we vacate our present house.
May 20 Meeting with Jarai Church Leaders
This meeting included about 18 Jarai church leaders, two partners from another mission organization, my team leader, and Josh. Our team leader, JD, facilitated the meeting. The meeting focused on what the churches can do to promote better understanding of the Bible in their churches. The focus then narrowed to the possibility of a Bible translation that reflects the way Jarai in Cambodia speak, and we were encouraged that there was general agreement that the existing translations are hard to understand and that unbelievers in particular don’t understand them. (The existing Jarai Bibles — a New Testament and a complete Bible — are good translations, but they were translated into the variety of Jarai spoken in Vietnam, which is hard for Jarai here to understand.)
Although some concerns were raised about undertaking a new project, we believe that these are issues that can be worked through. We plan to have another meeting in June or July to allow the Jarai make a decision about whether or not to begin a translation project. Please pray that they will have wisdom as they think about and discuss the issue over the next month or two. And please pray that we can find ways to overcome the potential obstacles, as well.
Thank you so much for your prayers. It is very much by your prayers that we are sustained and guided in the work God has called us to.
May 13th Clara celebrated two months. Can’t you tell she’s thrilled! Clara enjoys interacting with us – she is full of smiles and coos. Love this little girl!
Everybody has different opinions on who Clara looks like. There are moments Clara has the looks of the other kids, but she really has her own individual look (see collage on the left).
Life is pretty full around here. Not many dull moments. The other day when our kids were wrestling, I overhead one say: You’re not supposed to be screaming. Dead people can’t scream. We all laughed!
Sunday. For many expat moms attending village churches in developing world countries, it’s not a day to look forward to. Long story short, I try to sit and participate in a service while hot and sweaty as unhappy children crawl over me or ask me when it’s going to be over. (I was encouraged when a veteran missionary told me they never looked forward to Sundays either.)
This past Sunday we visited a Jarai village church. Josh was going to be preaching, which meant I would get all the sweaty unhappy kids to myself. We both rolled our eyes when Josh said he hoped I would have a good Mother’s Day.
We arrived at the church and were pleasantly surprised at how nice the building was: they had tile floors and fans. As the service started, our older kids chose to go to the children’s service. Isaiah returned shortly after, but Becca stayed. When the Jarai children came in to sing for the service, Becca joined them up front and did the motions to the song while the other kids sang (this was a huge surprise to us). Then we watched her go back with the kids and shortly after saw her running hand in hand with two Jarai girls playing games outside. This doesn’t happen at our Khmer church. Typically the Khmer kids play in one group and our kids play in another. (Even with the other great MK’s in our town, our kids haven’t yet found their niche.) I cannot tell you what a blessing it was to this mama’s heart to see her daughter running and smiling and being included. It’s been a long time.
At one point while Josh was preaching Becca came running in for a drink. She stopped and gave him the big thumbs up. Later when we asked her about it she said she had thought it was a Khmer man speaking and was surprised to turn and see Josh preaching. “You sounded just like a Khmer person, Daddy.”
So there I was: sitting on the floor in a Jarai church service with Clara in my arms and Anna on my lap, listening to my husband preach in Khmer, watching my daughter outside making friends while my son (who said he was a dirty monster) chased them. My family was happy and they belonged. Thanks be to God. It was the perfect Mother’s Day gift.
Note: Anna remained happy as long as she could sit on my lap, and as long as the raisins were abundant.
Taking pictures of all the kids is becoming more difficult, but I managed one.
Here’s something to show how dusty/dirty everything gets in our home: I’m constantly cleaning dirt from under Clara’s fingernails. How can an infant have dirt under her fingernails?
Becca lost another tooth two weeks ago.
Sunday Clara turned 6 weeks. Typically most of the day Clara in pretty docile and hardly makes a sound, but it seems like as soon as her older siblings are in bed she wakes up and wants to play. She rarely “talks” during the day, but as soon as she’s the “only child” she has lots to say. Perhaps all the noise during the day intimidates her! Or perhaps she knows it’s the one time she has all my attention.
Most of the time the older kids are too busy to be occupied with Clara, but Anna continues to be very attentive.
Since returning from Thailand, the kids have enjoyed playing together outside. Anna (Becca and Isaiah) is now to the point we can let her outside without our being with her. Becca and Isaiah are pretty good about watching out for her. She loves it!
We’re in the midst of hot season and this year they say it’s unusually hot. We’re looking forward to rainy season starting July/August and hope it comes on time this year. It’s been several months since we’ve seen rain in Ban Lung.
