It's a bit strange, after being gone over four months, some things at home and around Ellensburg are the same, some are different, and I know that I've changed, but I could also see myself slipping right back into where I was before and not changing a bit, which I definitely don't want to do. It's very good to be home, I've missed my family a lot and I've missed Ellensburg and Mercer Creek Church too.
The last weeks in Cambodia were good, I went up to Poipet to help a missionary family get moved into their house after home assignment, I think it was the highlight of my time in Cambodia. The last week was English Camp in Siem Reap, and that was a bit hard, only because I was ready to come home and it was hard to keep my heart there, it was a great English Camp, not because the students knew a lot of English but because of the fellowship and fun that was had.
I'm now in the midst of trying to process things while trying to get over a cold, and figure out if I ate something bad or if I picked up a parasite in my last week. :( I've got a lot of stuff to do in the next year if I want to go to NewLife next year in the Philippines, so I'm starting to get some balls rolling in that area as well.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support and e-mails, I've been very blessed and I certainly couldn't have done all that I did without you all. I have yet to contact the church and find out what my financial situation is, I know I probably still owe GV a bit for Cambodia and I have $500 I need to send to Carmen for Italy, but if nothing else I can pay that back when I start working this fall.
Thank you all so much, I look forward to seeing most of you and sharing stories from the last months.
Blessings...
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
2 weeks and counting!
Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying being here and now, but after not being home for 4 months I'm excited to sleep in my bed and see my parents and talk to people that I miss sooo much.
Field Forum was last week and it was great, even though it rained most of every day. I we did have a sunny day yesterday, which was wonderful, we went to the beach and had a wonderful time.
It was great to be able to talk to some of the different missionaries and hear what they do and how they got here. I am very excited that I have the opportunity to go up to Poipet, on the border by Thailand, to help the Copelands get their house cleaned up a bit. Jonathan and I are going up there on Wednesday and we'll stay with them till Friday when we'll go to Siem Riep for English camp next week.
I work mostly with the youth, 11-18. but I went with the little kids a couple times, I really enjoyed hanging out with the youth, for as long as I can remember I've gotten along really well with MKs and these ones were no exception, we had a great time talking about life issues and hanging out and playing lots of games.
Last night we were driving form the hotel that Field Forum was at to our hotel, because they couldn't take us all, and I saw an uprooted tree, a small one, in ther middle of the road, Jonathan said it's basically their version of a trafic flare. I found it very amusing and thought you all might as well.
I don't know what my internet access will be like in Siem Riep, so you might not hear much more from me, but I've said that a few times. Thank you for all your prayers. Please pray for extra grace and wisdom in relationships and dealing with team memebers. And please pray for safety in travel as well as we'll be doing a lot of travel this week.
Blessings,
Naomi
Field Forum was last week and it was great, even though it rained most of every day. I we did have a sunny day yesterday, which was wonderful, we went to the beach and had a wonderful time.
It was great to be able to talk to some of the different missionaries and hear what they do and how they got here. I am very excited that I have the opportunity to go up to Poipet, on the border by Thailand, to help the Copelands get their house cleaned up a bit. Jonathan and I are going up there on Wednesday and we'll stay with them till Friday when we'll go to Siem Riep for English camp next week.
I work mostly with the youth, 11-18. but I went with the little kids a couple times, I really enjoyed hanging out with the youth, for as long as I can remember I've gotten along really well with MKs and these ones were no exception, we had a great time talking about life issues and hanging out and playing lots of games.
Last night we were driving form the hotel that Field Forum was at to our hotel, because they couldn't take us all, and I saw an uprooted tree, a small one, in ther middle of the road, Jonathan said it's basically their version of a trafic flare. I found it very amusing and thought you all might as well.
I don't know what my internet access will be like in Siem Riep, so you might not hear much more from me, but I've said that a few times. Thank you for all your prayers. Please pray for extra grace and wisdom in relationships and dealing with team memebers. And please pray for safety in travel as well as we'll be doing a lot of travel this week.
Blessings,
Naomi
Monday, July 13, 2009
I'll be home in 3 weeks!!!
Hi Friends,
English camp is all over and it went well. I formed some strong bonds with some of the girls that live at the dorm that the Lobbezoos run, which is cool cause we'll be spending 4 days with them next week and they're very excited.
We are going down to the beach for field forum tomorrow for the week. I will be working with a young man named Jonathan from CA. He's really cool and I'm excited to work with him with the youth.
I can't think of much more to say and I have a lot going on around me so it's hard to concentrate. Please pray for unity of our team and a good time at field forum this week, safety in travel and all that.
Blessings,
Naomi
English camp is all over and it went well. I formed some strong bonds with some of the girls that live at the dorm that the Lobbezoos run, which is cool cause we'll be spending 4 days with them next week and they're very excited.
We are going down to the beach for field forum tomorrow for the week. I will be working with a young man named Jonathan from CA. He's really cool and I'm excited to work with him with the youth.
I can't think of much more to say and I have a lot going on around me so it's hard to concentrate. Please pray for unity of our team and a good time at field forum this week, safety in travel and all that.
Blessings,
Naomi
Friday, July 3, 2009
One more month and I'll be home!
That considered, I'm trying to live in the moment and not get burnt out and apathetic about what God's doing here and what He wants to do in me.
We are moving to another guest house today and we won't have wireless access anymore, so it's possible that I won't be able to send any more updates out until I come home. I may, I'm not sure what it'll be like at field forum, so it's possible I might be able to send out something then.
But just in case I don't have any access I want to give you my schedule so you can know what I'm up to and be praying.
This week, Monday through Saturday, we will be doing an English camp here in Phnom Penh, the students are mostly high school and college age. We do worship and testimonies from the short termers for opening, then split up into groups of about 20 for 2-3 hours for "classroom" time. I will be over a group of 4 short termers who will be teaching a group of 20. Then we have lunch and a break then at 2 we will go somewhere, we're going to the market one day, the water park another, the mall another, etc. Then we're done for the day. Friday we're taking a day long trip to the zoo I think and then Saturday we have a little celebration/graduation and it's over.
After English camp we have a short break and then the 14th we'll go down to the gulf of Thailand for Field Forum. I'm pretty sure I'll be with the youth, 12-18ish, hanging out with them while their parents are in meetings and generally just having fun with them, I'm sure we'll be doing some "constructive" stuff too! We'll be down there until the 20th and then we'll come back to Phnom Penh for a day or two.
Around the 23rd we take a bus up to Siem Reap for another English camp up there, same thing pretty much, except we'll have less students and less short termers. So I'll have more interaction with the students and more "teaching" time. We come back to Phnom Penh on the 2nd and then I fly out with Jackie on the 3rd.
I think that's about it. Please pray for love for the students, and good team dynamics between us interns and also the teams that are arriving today. We have 16 people coming to help with this English Camp. Thanks again to those of you who have sent me e-mails and encouragement cards, I don't have the time to respond to each of you, but it has been a huge blessing. Please also continue to pray for my funding. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Blessings,
Naomi
We are moving to another guest house today and we won't have wireless access anymore, so it's possible that I won't be able to send any more updates out until I come home. I may, I'm not sure what it'll be like at field forum, so it's possible I might be able to send out something then.
But just in case I don't have any access I want to give you my schedule so you can know what I'm up to and be praying.
This week, Monday through Saturday, we will be doing an English camp here in Phnom Penh, the students are mostly high school and college age. We do worship and testimonies from the short termers for opening, then split up into groups of about 20 for 2-3 hours for "classroom" time. I will be over a group of 4 short termers who will be teaching a group of 20. Then we have lunch and a break then at 2 we will go somewhere, we're going to the market one day, the water park another, the mall another, etc. Then we're done for the day. Friday we're taking a day long trip to the zoo I think and then Saturday we have a little celebration/graduation and it's over.
After English camp we have a short break and then the 14th we'll go down to the gulf of Thailand for Field Forum. I'm pretty sure I'll be with the youth, 12-18ish, hanging out with them while their parents are in meetings and generally just having fun with them, I'm sure we'll be doing some "constructive" stuff too! We'll be down there until the 20th and then we'll come back to Phnom Penh for a day or two.
Around the 23rd we take a bus up to Siem Reap for another English camp up there, same thing pretty much, except we'll have less students and less short termers. So I'll have more interaction with the students and more "teaching" time. We come back to Phnom Penh on the 2nd and then I fly out with Jackie on the 3rd.
I think that's about it. Please pray for love for the students, and good team dynamics between us interns and also the teams that are arriving today. We have 16 people coming to help with this English Camp. Thanks again to those of you who have sent me e-mails and encouragement cards, I don't have the time to respond to each of you, but it has been a huge blessing. Please also continue to pray for my funding. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Blessings,
Naomi
Monday, June 29, 2009
Pictures!!!
Here's the FB link to my pics.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116625&id=522107441&l=19199cb414
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116625&id=522107441&l=19199cb414
Phnom Penh--a city of contrasts!
I've been here close to a week and the thing that has been most firmly impressed upon me is the stark contrasts here in Phnom Penh. If I can ever get Facebook to work I'll upload some pics so you can all see what I mean. There are huge ornate houses, new malls and banks right next to shacks up on stilts and motorcycle-drawn carts with people riding on them, 20 plus people piled into the back of a truck, people wearing fancy clothes, monks, nuns, homeless kids begging, trash on the side of the road, pollution enough to make you sick, literally. It's quite incredible. I've heard that outside of Phnom Penh they're just mostly poor and there isn't the contrast of western society mixed with a third world country. I look forward to seeing what it's like in other areas.
We've been doing some language study, just some basics for introductions and getting around, going to the market, that kind of stuff. You can't get very far in 5 weeks when you're doing lots of other stuff. We've been around the city to see some different things, an old prison/torture camp in the city that has been turned into a memorial museum, a temple, the new mall they just built last year, which is very impressive and we've hung out with some Kamai (Cambodians) several times, they all go to CMA churches here in Phnom Penh. We've had some great exposure to the culture and I have really appreciated the times when we've been able to go out with the Kamai because you get an inside perspective on stuff. I have always thought that the best way to learn about a country is from a national, and it rings true here, of course!
There will be a team arriving from Canada on Friday to help with the English camp that starts a week from today. We will be in charge of leading the teams and helping teach at the English camp. The week of the 14th we will be going down to the gulf of Thailand for Field Forum, all the CMA missionaries come together for an annual conference. Apparently I'll be working with the kids from 6-12ish I think, in the afternoons at least, I'm not sure what we're doing in the mornings. Then the week before I come home, so about July 26th through August 2nd we will be up in Siem Reap doing an english camp there. I'm not sure if we'll be going to visit any other missionaries while we're here, or not, I hope we'll get a bit of a chance to see some ministries outside of the city, we'll see.
We went to a CMA church in Phnom Penh yesterday, which was neat, they have a Kamai pastor and a decent sized congregation, I think there were close to 50 people, that's just a guess though, they also have a great youth/young people's group on Sunday afternoon that we went to and I was impressed especially by how many guys were there, it was very encouraging.
The Lobbezoos are coming back today and we're having dinner with them this evening, so I'm hopeful I'll find out some more stuff soon. I get along pretty well with Jackie and Caitlin, they are the two girls that I'm with, Jackie is the other GVer and Caity is an intern here for the summer. I have realized though that, other than being within a few years age wise, worshiping the same God and having a heart for missions, I don't have much in common with them. It's not a bad thing, it's just a bit hard. I had gotten used to being a bit alone in Greece and then I had this burst of kindreds in the Philippines and it's kinda hard to go back to being a bit alone again, but it's ok, I need to remember that God is enough.
Please pray for my health, I'm having some irritated skin issues, some eczema and rashing on my arms, I'm not sure if the rash is from sweating in the heat and chafing or what. My digestive system isn't very happy with me either, but I think it's just the massive amounts of MSG that I'm never quite sure is in something or not. Other than that I'm doing fine physically, just a little tired from time to time, but I'm not dealing with jet lag or anything, so that's nice.
The people here are very warm and friendly, easy to fall in love with. I know I will enjoy being here and it will be a bit hard to leave for the love of the Kamai, but I also know I will be very ready to come home!
I got my birthday package from home the day I arrived here, there was a pack of over 125 Encouragement card from my church and a few b-day cards as well. I did the math and decided to read 6 each day until my birthday and it has been so uplifting each evening to read notes from home, so thanks to everyone who sent something, it's been a huge blessing.
Please pray for endurance, and that I would lean on the Lord for my strength. Please pray that my eczema and rashes would clear up and that I would be able to eat things that won't irritate my digestive system. Pray for my growth, that I would learn what God has for me to learn here. And please continue to pray for my finances. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Blessings,
Naomi
We've been doing some language study, just some basics for introductions and getting around, going to the market, that kind of stuff. You can't get very far in 5 weeks when you're doing lots of other stuff. We've been around the city to see some different things, an old prison/torture camp in the city that has been turned into a memorial museum, a temple, the new mall they just built last year, which is very impressive and we've hung out with some Kamai (Cambodians) several times, they all go to CMA churches here in Phnom Penh. We've had some great exposure to the culture and I have really appreciated the times when we've been able to go out with the Kamai because you get an inside perspective on stuff. I have always thought that the best way to learn about a country is from a national, and it rings true here, of course!
There will be a team arriving from Canada on Friday to help with the English camp that starts a week from today. We will be in charge of leading the teams and helping teach at the English camp. The week of the 14th we will be going down to the gulf of Thailand for Field Forum, all the CMA missionaries come together for an annual conference. Apparently I'll be working with the kids from 6-12ish I think, in the afternoons at least, I'm not sure what we're doing in the mornings. Then the week before I come home, so about July 26th through August 2nd we will be up in Siem Reap doing an english camp there. I'm not sure if we'll be going to visit any other missionaries while we're here, or not, I hope we'll get a bit of a chance to see some ministries outside of the city, we'll see.
We went to a CMA church in Phnom Penh yesterday, which was neat, they have a Kamai pastor and a decent sized congregation, I think there were close to 50 people, that's just a guess though, they also have a great youth/young people's group on Sunday afternoon that we went to and I was impressed especially by how many guys were there, it was very encouraging.
The Lobbezoos are coming back today and we're having dinner with them this evening, so I'm hopeful I'll find out some more stuff soon. I get along pretty well with Jackie and Caitlin, they are the two girls that I'm with, Jackie is the other GVer and Caity is an intern here for the summer. I have realized though that, other than being within a few years age wise, worshiping the same God and having a heart for missions, I don't have much in common with them. It's not a bad thing, it's just a bit hard. I had gotten used to being a bit alone in Greece and then I had this burst of kindreds in the Philippines and it's kinda hard to go back to being a bit alone again, but it's ok, I need to remember that God is enough.
Please pray for my health, I'm having some irritated skin issues, some eczema and rashing on my arms, I'm not sure if the rash is from sweating in the heat and chafing or what. My digestive system isn't very happy with me either, but I think it's just the massive amounts of MSG that I'm never quite sure is in something or not. Other than that I'm doing fine physically, just a little tired from time to time, but I'm not dealing with jet lag or anything, so that's nice.
The people here are very warm and friendly, easy to fall in love with. I know I will enjoy being here and it will be a bit hard to leave for the love of the Kamai, but I also know I will be very ready to come home!
I got my birthday package from home the day I arrived here, there was a pack of over 125 Encouragement card from my church and a few b-day cards as well. I did the math and decided to read 6 each day until my birthday and it has been so uplifting each evening to read notes from home, so thanks to everyone who sent something, it's been a huge blessing.
Please pray for endurance, and that I would lean on the Lord for my strength. Please pray that my eczema and rashes would clear up and that I would be able to eat things that won't irritate my digestive system. Pray for my growth, that I would learn what God has for me to learn here. And please continue to pray for my finances. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Blessings,
Naomi
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
So long to the Philippines, for a while at least.
Hi everyone,
I'm heading to the airport in a couple hours, I didn't get much sleep last night as I was on night shift, so hopefully I'll sleep on the plane some. I saw only 2 births while I was here, but I also saw several labors and a couple of post partums, which is all good, need to be well rounded! I was just thinking last night, as I was going over charts with Janelle, how very much I've learned this week about everything, i understand sooo much more than I did a week ago. I'm quite sure that I want to come here for school. I'm praying that God will provide and that everything will come together well for it. I have a list from the girls of classes that it'd be good to take before I come here and they all suggested I do as many book reports as possible before I come to lighten my work load while I'm here. I've also been told that I'll be very likely to get accepted since I've come for a visit, so that's encouraging.
I'll be in Cambodia for 5 1/2 weeks, I know we're doing 2 English camps and the field forum, a conference for all the CMA missionaries in the country, Jackie and I will be hanging out with the kids. Other than that I haven't heard much, hopefully I'll find out more when I get there. Please pray for good team dynamics, there are a lot of people coming for parts of the summer and there's a lot going on.
Thanks for your prayers and support and e-mails, even if I don't write back it is so encouraging to get notes from you guys. Please continue to pray for my finances, that God would provide in His perfect time. Please pray for endurance for this last third of my trip. I miss home, not a deep aching missing, but I find myself thinking of home and friends and family often, it will be good to come home in August.
Blessings,
Naomi
I'm heading to the airport in a couple hours, I didn't get much sleep last night as I was on night shift, so hopefully I'll sleep on the plane some. I saw only 2 births while I was here, but I also saw several labors and a couple of post partums, which is all good, need to be well rounded! I was just thinking last night, as I was going over charts with Janelle, how very much I've learned this week about everything, i understand sooo much more than I did a week ago. I'm quite sure that I want to come here for school. I'm praying that God will provide and that everything will come together well for it. I have a list from the girls of classes that it'd be good to take before I come here and they all suggested I do as many book reports as possible before I come to lighten my work load while I'm here. I've also been told that I'll be very likely to get accepted since I've come for a visit, so that's encouraging.
I'll be in Cambodia for 5 1/2 weeks, I know we're doing 2 English camps and the field forum, a conference for all the CMA missionaries in the country, Jackie and I will be hanging out with the kids. Other than that I haven't heard much, hopefully I'll find out more when I get there. Please pray for good team dynamics, there are a lot of people coming for parts of the summer and there's a lot going on.
Thanks for your prayers and support and e-mails, even if I don't write back it is so encouraging to get notes from you guys. Please continue to pray for my finances, that God would provide in His perfect time. Please pray for endurance for this last third of my trip. I miss home, not a deep aching missing, but I find myself thinking of home and friends and family often, it will be good to come home in August.
Blessings,
Naomi
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