Glorious Beautiful Mystery

Hello Everyone!!
     It's so good to finally be sitting here, writing you all. It's been one whole week already that I've been in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It is 9:00am, Saturday morning for me here, and 9pm, Friday night for you all there. It's crazy to think about just how far away I really am. I can actually say, I'm a world away! : )
     Ok, so, I want to give you as much of an update as possible and still complete some other things in the one hour that I have to be on the internet. So, bare with me as I simply write what comes to mind.
     First, our team is doing really well. The five of us have been teaching English classes daily, from 9 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. We have a 2 hour morning class and a 2 hour afternoon class. That leaves us with a good three hour break from 11 until 2 to eat lunch at the church (where we're teaching) and rest from being on our feet and trying to cool off from the heat. So, that break is greatly appreciated. Also, in case I wasn't clear, there are 4 different English classes going on at once, so Sam and I teach 2 classes alone, while Yvonne, Coen & Shammah, and Adam are teaching the others. It's really crazy. I'm teaching English! My first class is a higher education level, so they are moving faster and the lessons are more informative, but it's fun to see that they're actually understanding the new concepts as we teach them. Also, we no longer have translators for the classes, so we're teaching in English alone. That's also been interesting. But it's really working. By the grace of God alone, it's all coming together. My afternoon class is filled with kids more on a first or second grade level. So, we have to focus more on memorization than anything else. I've been struggling with coming up with new ways/games/activities to help them remember everything. We've just been praying for Grace, Grace, Grace. And it's really been working. Just yesterday I was able to make flash cards to show objects, colors, and numbers. It was really exciting for me : )
      Ok, so that's English class. More than that, we've been doing all of this in Svay Pak, Cambodia. Which is about an hour Tuk Tuk ride outside of Phnom Penh. It's in Svay Pak that human-trafficking is the most prevalent. We haven't actually had too many conversations yet about the human-trafficking with all of the teaching at the church and things, but every so often I'm reminded that these are not common circumstances. These aren't just normal English classes. These kids have big stories. They don't have easy lives they go home to necessarily. I guess, I've just been so distracted by all the smiles and energy I receive from them in class that my focus has been more on how precious they are. And I've been so blessed to be in that place. So, we'll see in the coming weeks, what else God has on the agenda. Today, my team and I are going with Alli to the Killing Fields, so I'm sure there's going to be alot to take in from that.
       .....also, 'We're taking Khmer classes. This has been so crazy because as much as I'm learning alot, the language is so hard to pronounce. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. Even when I worked at Higher Grounds Cafe and had to learn some Korean, it was easier to grasp. Khmer is filled with so many sounds I never knew were possible to make.

       ....ok, I guess I have to go now. I'm sure I've missed things, but it's something. I hope you're all doing well back home. Things really are good here. God is teaching me to relax in his plans and let him do the work. I've been putting the stress aside that could come with teaching English, or doing children's ministry for a straight two hours on Sunday, and picking up God's peace, and joy. It's been really good. ....And the heat has not been terrible! I mean, it is bad, but as I've been drinking at least 5 bottles of water a day, I've stayed hydrated and feeling good.

Ok, until next time, Love ya'll!
Jenee