Back to Koh Kong: November Staff Retreat

Cambodia has so many national holidays! At the beginning of November was the King's Birthday and Water Festival. NGO's (Non Governmental Organizations), like World Relief, are required by law to recognize all national holidays. To take advantage of this long holiday (at least four days), World Relief schedules the Project Leader's Family Retreat at this time each year. On a rotating basis, each Partner Church sponsors the retreat. This year, the hosting church was Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. Bent Tree sent an amazing team of 13 people to run the retreat! I was so blessed by the time I got to spend with them


[On our way to Koh Kong with coffee in hand!]

We were quite a sight as we traveled around Phnom Penh in a mini bus!They planned an amazing retreat with separate programs for adults, teens, and children--all based on scripture from the book of 1 John. They offered break-out sessions on topics such as Christian Men's Leadership, Love Languages, How to Lead a Bible Study, and Marriage Intimacy. There were also fun things like Jewelry Making, Lego Time for kids, and Beauty Spa (lots of pretty, painted nails!).


[My sneak peek at someone's notes during the session on Leading a Bible Study.]

In the midst of running around and taking care of little things, I did get to sit and enjoy some sweet worship and teaching time. It was so refreshing to spend time with fellow believers and "retreat" a little from daily life. I was also able to take some time to reflect on these past 7 months and all that God has done in my own life.


[On the beach preparing for baptisms.]

A very special event during the retreat was witnessing the baptism of three young believers. Victor Jue, 12 years old, accompanied his parents on the retreat team. (He served by ministering to the staff kids and led the popular Lego session!) Victor wanted to be baptized in Cambodia--and was!--and an invitation was extended to anyone else. Two young Cambodian women (daughters of staff) were also baptized in the Gulf of Thailand. It was a special time for everyone!

[One of my favorite photos from the week:
Victor Jue with his parents (on the right) and Marganne from church.]

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I Ate a Cricket...and I Didn't Die

Within weeks of arriving in Cambodia, I ate a tarantula. A friend challenged me to it before I left and I promised I would give them a try. I figured I should get the gross-ness out of the way, so the first time I saw them, I ate one--a lovely fried tarantula. It tasted...fried. I ate some mango right away to clear my palate. Overall, it wasn't so terrible. And I do feel pretty cool just saying that I ate a spider. Want to see? Pictures are here.

While I jumped at the chance to eat a fried spider. (Okay, I didn't exactly jump.) I was much more opposed to eating another favorite treat in Cambodia: fried cricket. Just something about all of the little parts: legs, wings, head, skeleton--you can see them all (as pictured below)! So, I avoided crickets...for awhile. Two weeks ago, I was traveling with our retreat team from Dallas to visit the CREDIT program. As we waited to board the ferry to travel out for a field visit, our bus was surrounded by vendors selling everything from packs of gum to fresh fruit. The thing that really caught the attention of one member of the team were the buckets of fried crickets!

Victor, for all of his maturity and blessing to the team, is very much a 12 year old kid--and he really wanted to eat some crickets! The staff member with us helped Victor buy a bag of the tasty treats and he was kind of enough to share with everyone! I gave in--once I saw that you can take off the legs before you eat it! (Apparently that was enough to change my mind. Crazy.)

So, here is one of the cute little fried crickets:



Yes, I look a little too happy about this!

And...I ate one! And I didn't die. :)

*Note: This photo was staged. There are some actual photos of me eating a cricket (on Matt's camera). The cricket in these photos had fallen on the floor and was put in a trash can after starring in my photos. Several crickets were harmed (and eaten) on this particular day in Cambodia.

From my plate...

I love food. And I like variety in my food choices. I've found some really great restaurants in Phnom Penh that have assisted me in need for different kinds of good food. I really do like Cambodia food, too, and get to have it fairly regularly at friends' houses and when I travel. And, thankfully, I don't tire of rice! I haven't cooked Cambodian food myself, yet, but I hope to take a cooking class before I leave. I like to cook--and occassionally take the time and effort to prepare a complete meal for myself and/or my roommates.

Usually, if I'm left to my own devices (like preparing food for just myself), I'm more likely to take the easy way out and make things like pasta, ham sandwhiches, cereal, and my beloved Mac & Cheese. (Mac & Cheese and Pringles are two of things that are "survival" staples in my diet overseas. I'm pretty sure Mac & Cheese, the Kraft brand if possible, will remain one of my favorite foods for the rest of my life.)

Anyway, back to good food. I was looking through some of my photos from the past few weeks and realized I had photographed quite a variety of tasty treats! So, I would like to show you a few of the yummy (and interesting) foods I've had in Cambodia!


1. Prawn and Pomelo Salad

Cafe Yejj is located just down the street from Russian Market, the place to go for gifts and souvenirs (as well as a great place for tailor-made clothing, silver jewelry, and cheap backpacks). Cafe Yejj promotes good business practices and provides training and education for their staff--who are very professional and kind! All of the food I've tried has been delicious! Recently, I watched a salad pass by me on the way to another customer. It looked so good and refreshing, so I asked the waiter what it was. I then ordered the Prawn and Pomelo salad for myself. Pomelo is one of the many fruits found in Cambodia. It's big and pink, and very similar to grapefruit, but a little sweeter. The salad was great, but surprisingly spicy! There were some chili peppers chopped up underneath all of that lovely fruit! There was definitely a Cambodian edge to this salad!




2. Caramel Latte

Well, it wasn't my first time to get a caramel latte from The Terrace Cafe, but I liked the photo of this one. Terrace is right around the corner from both my house and office, so I go there often in the mornings for coffee and quiet time. The staff know me now, too, which makes it feel a little like home. I love coffee and I am thankful that I can find a lovely cup so close to home!

3. Saffron and Gold Risotto

Luna d'autunno is on the top of my list of favorite restaurants in Phnom Penh. It's Italian, the atmosphere is fabulous, the staff are great, and the food is delicious. My roommates and I have been there often and I try to take as many friends there as I can. Each time I go I want to try something new and I'll often asked the owner, Michael, for his suggestion. When I was in mood for risotto, he recommended this:

Yes, the name said "saffron and gold" and that's what I got! It was really good, definitely something different and new. And what girl can resist edible gold flakes on her food? So fancy!

4. Pink Ribbon Bagel

This was brought in "special delivery" by the team from Dallas that came to host our staff retreat. I had mentioned that I bummed that I wasn't home during October to enjoy the special bagel Panera makes for Breast Cancer Awareness month. It was so good, and even better since it was such a special treat! This was definitely a surprising addition to my food choices!

There is one more very special food item...but the picture didn't load. Get excited--it's good one!

200 Days in Cambodia

How long is 200 days?

It's 4800 hours. It's 28.5 weeks. It's just over 7 months.

With each update that I have sent out, I have calculated the amount of time that I have been here in Cambodia. Now, as my current adventure is approaching its end, it's easier to count how many days I have left (an astonishingly meager 21) and harder to count how long I've been gone. Over the past 197 days, I have experienced many ups and downs, joys and sorrows, laughs and tears. There were times when I wanted to come home early. There were times when I thought I could stay in Cambodia forever. I have met so many new friends from all over Cambodia, all over America, and all over the globe. I've had the opportunity to explore much of Cambodia and even visit parts of Thailand and Vietnam. As I reflect on these experiences I am amazed that this is my life! I am so blessed!

Here are few photos taken over the past week...


[The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on one of the most beautiful days ever!]

[New shoes! Kerstin (left) and I enjoy new kicks from Beautiful Shoes. We designed them ourselves--I had some inspiration from J.Crew!]

[I finally made it to "The Best Iced Coffee in Phnom Penh" found tucked inside the Russian Market. It was really good iced coffee!]

[I got to meet up with Kevin Johnson (a friend from high school) and his friend Chelsea Wait as they traveled through Phnom Penh. We enjoyed a lovely evening at The Chinese House--one of my favorite places to take visitors.]

The countdown has began! Thanks for joining me on this adventure in Cambodia!