My Garden in the Clouds

If you've ever been to Cambodia, you're probably going to laugh at me when I say that I've found a little piece of paradise here. Obviously Cambodia is, well, everything that a paradise is NOT. But, compared to the craziness that envelopes the city below, my new rooftop apartment is a little bit of peaceful bliss, seemingly dropped from heaven itself. ...Granted, to get up here I have to climb an [almost] endless spiral of rickety stairs, screwed to the building exterior. [Think: old fire escape twisted into a spring] Not exactly like the stairway to heaven of storybooks. But once you eventually do get up here.... you can see the sky again -sunsets, and sunrises, and the stars at night- In the front is a terrace garden with potted palm trees and flowers. From the back porch I look out over a swampy area used for farming.... thick and green and beautiful; with rows of shimmery irrigation canals that turn pink as the sun goes down. I'm sure a lot of people would look at this place and say that it's not much... but for me.... it's just exactly what I wanted.

Si has estado en Camboya alguna vez, probablemente vas a reír de mi cuando te digo que aquí, he encontrado un pedasito del paraíso. Obviamente, Camboya es, bueno, todo lo que un paraíso NO ES. Pero comparado con la locura que encierre la cuidad debajo, mi nuevo departamento en una teraza es como una gotita de paz, caido del cielo mismo. ...Bueno, para poder entrar, tengo que subvir un espiral [casi] eterno de escaleras. Pero, cuanto por fin llegas a la alcancía.... puedes ver el cíelo de nuevo! La alba y puesta del sol, y las estrellas en la noche. En frente hay una terraza con un palmeras y flores. Y del balcón de atrás puedo ver campos... verdes y hermosos. Con canales de agua que se pintan de rosado cuando se pone el sól. Seguramente, al ver este departamento, muchas personas dirían que no es mucho... pero, para mi... es exactamente lo que quería.

Well, last time I wrote mostly about places, so this time I thought I'd tell you more about the people... / Bueno, la ultima vez escribí sobre los lugares, entonces esta vez pensé contarles algo sobre la gente...

Five souls laughing on a motorbike; piled high with random household items and flying off to who-knows-where.... If I had to pick just one photo to describe Cambodia, this would be it! / Cinco almas riéndose en una moto; amontonados con cositas de la casa y volandose hacia quien-sabe-donde... Si tenía que eligir una sola foto para describir a Camboya... sería esta.

My congregation has a great pioneer spirit. This is the photo we took a few weeks ago at our pioneer meeting- more than 40 of us! (4 Gilead missionaries and some Bethelites too) I'm not sure exactly what percentage of our congregation is in full-time service, but it's a lot! Most of the pioneers have come from Japan. Only 3 are Cambodian and the rest of us are from a few scattered countries here & there. I know it probably sounds like there's plenty of help, but considering how much territory Cambodia has to cover, it's really not. According to the 2011 yearbook, we still have one of the highest publisher to population ratio in the world: 1 witness for every 34,510 people! / Mi congregacíon tiene un búen epiritu de precursor. Éste es la foto que tomamos hace unas semanas en la reunion de precursores. Somos más de 40! (4 misioneros de Galaad y unos Betelitas tambíen) No es que porcentaje de la congre siervan de tiempo completo, pero somos muchos! La mayoría han venido de Japón, solo 3 son de Camboya, el el resto de nosotros son de aquí y allá. Probablemente parece que tenemos mucha ayuda, pero si considérdas cuanto territorio tenemos que cubrir, no lo es. Segun el anuario de 2011, aquí tenemos 1 testigo por cada 34,510 personas!

The Cambodian friends I've been getting to know here are funny and helpful and wonderful. This is Srey Mom, who is a single sister working at the branch office. She's a lot of fun:) I showed her how to make cordon bleu and chocolate cookies, and she was responsible for my first near-death experience with an Asian nail salon! :) / Los hermanos Camboianos son chistoso y geniales y fantasticos. Ella se llama Srey Mom, y es una hermana soltera quien trabaja en Betél. Ella es muy divertida. Yo la eñsené a hacer pollo Francés y galletas Americanas y ella fue responsible por mi primer experiencía (de vida o muerte) con unas falsas.

This is a new sister in our hall named Moniphal, on the day she was baptized. Her road to the truth has been rocky... for example her family turned against her when she started attending meetings and she had to move out of the house. Now she lives alone, which isn't easy for a woman in this culture. For sure there are still challenges to overcome, but it's really encouraging to see how much she appreciates having had the opportunity to come to know Jehovah. And personally, she's been a great help. She takes a lot of her time to help me learn about the culture, the language, and even helped with my motorcycle shopping! / Ella se llama Moniphal y es una hermana nueva en mi congregaion, el día que se bautisó. Su camino hacía la verdad ha sido difícil... por ejemplo su familia se enojó cuando ella empezó asistir a las reuniones, y ella tenia que mudarse de la casa. Ahora vive sola, algo que es un verdadero reto para una mujer en esta cultura. Por supesto, le queda obstaculos todavía, pero me aníma mucho ver cuanto aprecio tiene de haber tenido la oportunidad conocer a Jehová. Y ella ha sido una gran ayuda para mi. Me enseña mucho sobre el idioma, la cultura, y fue conmigo a comprar una moto.

It's been nice to have had heaps of visitors here too! Recently, my friend Arisa (formerly-from-Japan-now-living-in-Nepal-and-soon-to-be-Cambodia) was in town, and we had a good time catching-up! Also Marie (from-NY-formerly-Ecuador-soon-to-be-__?) has been staying with me for a month. She brought this fabulous cookbook with her, and we've been having a great time making delicious stove-top experiments in the kitchen! Plus, her experience with sign language has been an ENORMOUS help with my bible studies! / Ha sido bonito tener muchas visitas tambien! Hace poco mi amiga Arisa (de-Japón-ahora-vive-en-Nepal-pronto-será-Camboya) estuvo aquí. Tambien Marie (de-NY-antes de-Ecuador-pronto-será-?) ha estado conmigo por un més. Ella trajó su libro de recetas increíbles y hemos hecho muchos experimentos deliciosos en la cocina! Además, su experiencia con las señas ha sido una ayuda ENORME con mis estudios biblicos!

Speaking of studies... let me introduce you to a few of them.... / Hablando de los estudiantes... dejáme presentarte algonos...

This is Sobut. She's 22 years old and has a 2 year old daughter. I won't get into all the details, but to say her life is a hard one, would be a gross understatement. She was born deaf, suffers from terrible migraines, and has very little opportunity to get respectable work. Recently, she had to send her daughter away to live with relatives because she hasn't been able to earn enough money to feed her. / Ella se llama Sobut. Tiene 22 años y tiene una hija de 2 años. No te voy a contar todos los detalles pero basta decir su vida es mucho más que dificil. Nació sorda, sufre de dolóres de cabeza horribles, y casí no tiene oportunidades para encontrar trabajo aceptable. Hace poco, tuvo que mandar a su hija vivir en otra casa porque no ha podido ganar suficiente dinero para la comida.

But at the Kingdom Hall she's been making real friends. The two women on the right are also deaf bible students. They often will offer to pick her up for the meetings, and have given her some nice clothes to wear. But when I say "pick her up", I don't mean in a car. They ride their bikes to her house- many kilometers through the hot sun and messy traffic- and then one of them will sit on the handlebars while the other one pedals. Of course, myself and the other witnesses also help with transportation when we can, but it's really nice to see them showing enough appreciation to take the initiative and help each other. / Pero, en la congregaion ella ha podido encontrar amigas verdaderas. Las dos mujeras a la derecha tambien son estudiantes de la biblia. Muchas veces ellas ofrecen ir a verla par la reuinion, y le han dado ropa apropiada para ponerse. Y cuando digo que "la van a ver", no es en un carro. Corren muchos kilometros en su bicicleta, con el sol ardiente y trafico loco. Por supuesto yo y los demás testigos ayudamos con el trasporte cuando podemos, pero se bonito ver el aprecio que tienen, y que toman la inicativa ayudarse unos al otros.

I love this picture. On the left, is an 83 year old deaf man who has been attending meetings for a few months now. I remember when I first asked him his name, this sad sad look overtook his face, and he said he didn't know. Can you imagine... living your entire life surrounded by people and no one ever caring enough to give you a name? Now he has a regular bible study with a Cambodian brother who is learning sign. Some friends gave him some ties, and he always brings one to the Kingdom Hall where one of the guys can help him to put it on. Wearing it seems to make his whole face shine. / Me encanta esta foto. A la izquierda es un hombre de 83 años que empezó a asistir las reuniones hace alguons meses. Recuerdo cuando le conocí y le pregunté su nombre. El se puso tan triste y me dijo que no sabía. Te puedes imaginar.... pasar todo su vida rodeada por gente, y nunca a nadie le importó darte un nombre? Ahora tiene un estudio de la biblia con un hermano quien esta aprendiendo señas. Unos hermanos le dieron corbatas, y el simpre las lleva a la reunion, donde uno de los chicos le ayude a ponersela. Parece que la corbata le hace brillar todo el rostro.

I find it really sobering to try to imagine the life this man must have had, and how much leaning the truth now means to him... "On seeing the crowds he felt pity for them , because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: "Yes, the harvest is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the master of the harvest to send out more workers into His harvest." -Mathew 9:36-38. Being here in Cambodia has caused me to understand those verses in a whole new way. / Trato de imaginar la vida que este hombre debe haber tenido, y cuanto aprecio tiene al aprender la verdad ahora... "Al ver las muchedumbres, se compadecío de ellas porque estaban desolladas y desparremadas como ovejas sin pastor. Entonces dojo a sus discipulos "Si la mies es mucha, pero los obreros son pocos. Por lo tanto, ruegen al Amo de la mies que envíe obreros a su siega". Estar en Camboya me ha causado entender estas palabras de una forma totalmente nueva.

This is Sophie, who is 24 years old. Her mom died when she was small and she lives with her elderly father. He can't work much anymore and the two of them have very little to eat. Their house is in a narrow back-alley, in a neighborhood where everyone seems to know everyone. But it was amazing that almost no one- even some old family friends- ever realized that she was deaf. (I guess they thought she was just really, really shy??) The neighbors were all very shocked to see her signing with us and see that, in fact, she can communicate. So when we go study with her, it usually draws a crowd of jaw-dropped spectators and giggling children. Actually, she's really smart. She's now started attending meetings and gave her first comment last week. / Ella se llama Sophie, y tiene 24 años. Su madre murío mucho tiempo atrás, y Sophie vive con su padre envejecido. El no puede trabajar mucho y ellos no tienen lo suficiente para comer. Su casa queda en un callejón chiquito, en un barrio donde todo el mundo se conoce. Pero, fué intersante que casí nadie supó que ella era sorda! (Tal vez pensó que solo era muy muy timida?) A los vecinos les asombro ver como comunicaba con nosotras. Cuando estudiamos con ella, se amontónan un grupo de observantes con las bocas abiertas, y ñiños ríendose. Realmente, ella es muy intelegente. Empezó a asistir a las reuniones y la semana pasada dió su primer comentario.

We've been taking a bit of video of the interpreting here, to help critique ourselves later; so I thought I'd show you a few clips. I'm new at this, so you'll see plenty of mistakes! :) Plus, there's a song where the music doesn't match the lyrics (haha. Ooops! The schedule got changed at the last second and we sort of had to just make it fit.... Oh well. Around here, you learn to improvise- fast!) But it's a pretty realistic look at how things are going... / Hemos tomado video de señas aquí, para ver y mejorar despúes. Entonces, quiero mostrarte un poquito. No tengo mucha experiencia todavía, y verás muchos errores! Y hay una cancion donde las letras no van con la musica (Uups! La cambiaron ultima hora, y tuvimos que hacerlo funcionar... bueno, Aquí esperes lo imprevisto) Pero, creo que es una visata realistica de como nos va...

The hearing territory in Cambodia is really nice too. This morning I did a return visit on a young woman who, on the initial call, told me she was a Christian. One the second visit I asked her if she had a few minutes to talk and she said 'Yes, She had just been reading her bible'. Apparently she makes a point to try and read a little bit every day and even has a schedule printed out to finish the entire bible in one year. I could see that her copy of the bible was well-marked with notes and highlighted passages.

I showed her the "truth" tract and asked if any of the questions sounded interesting to her. She picked the one on Prayer, and we considered the scriptures in that paragraph. After reading 1 John 5:14 she asked "but, how can we pray according to God's will, if we don't know what God's will is?" (Good question)

She said she likes to read her bible and has many questions but hasn't known where to get the answers. In fact, in the front of her bible she had a list of verses she didn't understand. The first one was about why God killed the first-born babies during the 10 plagues. So, that's our topic for next week....

It's not hard to see that Cambodia needs a lot of help. So, if you think you could use a little more excitement in your life.... would like to contribute towards something truly meaningful.... and enjoy succeeding at things that are supposed to be impossible.... you just might be surprised to find that you like it here.

(And if that's not reason enough, the iced coffees are really really good too ;)

What I find amusing about life here is how unexpected it all is... / Me gusta que vivir en Camboya es espera lo enesperado...

Like you're driving down the street one day and suddenly run into a Santa Clause parade on motorbikes, for no apparent reason. / Por ejemplo, esta pasando por la calle y de pronto encuentras un desfile de Papa Noël con motos.

Or find an ox-cart wandering down the road selling terracotta pots. / O descubres un carrito de vacas vendiendo ollas de baro

I guess I'm becoming a victim of my surroundings too. I mean, I never wake-up in the morning thinking things like: "Today, I should tie some random pieces of furniture onto a moped and try to drive across town at rush hour, without crashing into anything, when I'm already late for work." If you were to ask me, I'd say that would be a very bad idea. And yet, that's exactly the kind of thing I wind-up doing. (and, at the time, there was a perfectly logical explanation for it... although, at the moment, I can't quite remember)

...or, I'll be out in service and get a phone call suggesting that we go experiment with Chinese acupuncture at some guy's house, where they set needles on fire and hook you up to old batteries. And that little voice in the back of my head knows I should say "NO!" ...yet, somehow the word comes out "yes". And there I go again. ...but hey, the "doctor" (?) used alcohol, a lighter, and an empty jar of fish sauce (in that order) and the knots in my shoulders melted away like they were never there. (it was just better than everything! I should learn how to do that too:) sometimes, not listening to myself turns out to be a very good idea.

It's fun to open my eyes in the morning and have no idea what they day will bring! / Es divertido abrir los ojos en la manaña, sin tener ídea alguno de lo que el día traerá.

Top Ten Ways You Know You're Getting Used To Life In Cambodia:

10 Maneras Para Saber Que Tu Estas Enseñada En Camboya:

#10- You can drink juice & send text messages while simultaneously driving a motorbike. / Puedes tomar un jugo y enviar mensajes, mientras manejar la moto.

#9- You can sit still on the floor for over an hour without any part of your body going numb. / Puedes estar sentada en el piso durante más de una hora, sin que ninguna parte de tu cuerpo queda dormida.

#8- Driving on the sidewalk no longer seems unusual. / Ya no te parece rara manejar en la vereda.

#7- Your new passport photo turns out like this: / La foto para tu nuevo pasaporte parece a esto:

#6- You never leave home anymore without a helmet and a mask. / Ya nunca sales de la casa sin tu casco y una masquera.

#5- There is no longer a limit to the number of chickens you can fit on a bicycle. / No hay limite del numero de pollos que puedes llevar con la bici.

#4- Fish paste smells delicious. / El famoso salsa de pescado fermentado te huelle rico.

#3- The hotter it is outside, the more clothes you put on. / Mientras hace más calor, te pones más ropa.

(They say a fur-lined coat, mittens, and a fuzzy hat will keep the sun off, and help you stay cooler when it's blazing hot outside. Ideally you want to cover ever square centimeter of your body, except for, perhaps maybe your fingertips. Doesn't seem to make sense...?) / (Dicen que una chompa llanuda, guantes, y una gorra gruesa te proteja del sol, y te ayudará quedar más fresca cuando hace mucho calor. Debes cubir todo centímetro cuadrado de tu cuerpo, con la excepcion de, tal vez, tus deditos. Éste idea no te parece terner sentido...?)

#2- You no longer expect ANYTHING to make sense. / Ya no esperas que NADA tenga sentido.

And #1...

(I should explain that in Cambodia, if you go to the market in the morning you'll see most of the women there wearing colorful pajamas, funny hats, and fake designer accessories. For example...) / Debo explicar que en Camboya, si vas al mercado en la mañana, veráz que la mayorís de las mujeres llevan puesto piyamas llamativas y sombreros chistosos. Por ejemplo... )

So, you know you're really starting to blend-in, when... / Entonces, sabes que realmente estas enseñada cuando...

What can I say? I just couldn't help myself :) Hey, being a little crazy is what keeps us sane, right? / ¿Que puedo decir? Tenía que hacerlo:) A veces esta bien ser un poco loco. (jaja)


If you've known me for a while, then you know about boxes.

I can't remember who it was that first got it started... but it's a great thing that we do!  If you're playing the game then one day, when the moon turns blue, some strange package will unexpectedly arrive in the mail.  It will be post-marked from a very far away place; and is usually bashed-in at the corners and covered with dirty tape.  It's a box that's seen the world.  And inside will be priceless TREASURES!  Something fabulous or something delicious, and something to make smiles (or probably all three)  We love to send boxes and we love to get boxes!  ...As I think back on all the funny packages that have come over the years,  I'm absolutely blown away by the love that you've shown.  You guys have always made sure that no matter how far I go, I never feel alone.  I want to send a great big THANK YOU to the most beautiful bunch of friends and family that anyone could ever ask for!

For a few weeks now, I haven't been able to sleep much, and my nerves were feeling about as crispy as stale old box of rice noodles... a little change of scene sounded like a good idea... so, Marie and I took a bus to the ocean, and then a boat to a deserted island 125 km into the Gulf of Thailand. We spent a few days out there diving and exploring some forgotten corners of the ocean. It was wonderful! But, our itty bitty little boat rocked and rolled and pitched and swayed so much in the arms of the sea, that we all turned really really green. I think we spent the majority of the trip trying to convince ourselves that we were NOT trapped on a psychotic roller coaster. So unfortunately I still didn't get much sleep, but the stars were so beautiful out there on the water, that for once I didn't mind. / Ultimamente no he podido dormir bien, y me sentí un poco como un bicho seco... un cambio de ambiente me parecía una buena ídea... entonces Marie y yo subimos a un bus al mar, y despúes tomamos una fibra a una isla 125 Km en el Mar de Tylandia. Pasamos unos días haciendo buseo. Fue maraviloso. Pero nuestro barco chiquitito subvio y bajo y bailó tanto sobre el superficie del mar que todos nos enfermamos! Creo que pasé la mayor parte del viaje tratando de imajinar que NO estuviera viajando dento de una liquadora. Entonces, seguí sin poder dormir. Pero, bueno, las estrellas se veían tan hermosos que no me molesté.

...and then the sun went down on another day...

...entonces el sol cayó sobre un día más...

"...and as for Jehovah, what is good in His own eyes He will do." - 1 Chron. 19:13 - "...y en cuanto a Jehová, lo que sea bueno a sus propios ojos él hará."