tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2708097346216116902012-02-17T20:56:29.107+07:00Cambodia. Faith. Travel. Us.Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.comBlogger1391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-74821067003171984182012-02-15T08:59:00.000+07:002012-02-15T08:59:17.916+07:00

Yesterday we hosted a Day of Prayer for the ministry of 2Five2 in Prek Pneu. We have been operating our official program for 3 months and been in the community for one year and wanted to take a step back and spend some time in prayer. Each student had the opportunity to write or draw (most students can still not write) a prayer request they had personally.  The children then took the cards and

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-8612296812207150482012-02-06T19:12:00.000+07:002012-02-06T19:12:37.612+07:00

Chris and I spent the last weekend at a conference called "Refocused."  It is an all year conference where we meet for 2-day retreats four different times throughout 2012.  It was wonderful.  We both felt tired and a little skeptical going into it (partly because we had no idea what we were going to be doing).  The weekend was spent in good teaching, with amazing people, and was very thought

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-25717762042003336412012-01-31T19:41:00.000+07:002012-01-31T19:41:26.311+07:00

The Deremers from Stuart Atkins on Vimeo. The time has come again for Leanne and I to ask our community, friends, family and extended network for the financial support that is essential for us to continue living and working in Cambodia. We have been so blessed with the generous support of many people thus far,  but we are still asking that people connected to us think and pray about

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-28150395042411944962012-01-20T21:10:00.000+07:002012-01-20T21:10:25.898+07:00

As of this month we have lived in Cambodia for 18 months.  Year and a half. Sometimes it can be extremely hard to not think about what we could of accomplished in 18 months.  Payed off a new car, saved for a house, gone to grad school, maybe we would of gotten ready for a baby (no big ideas we are still waiting several more years).  But we have done none of those things. BUT we have done many

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-37206142183813363522012-01-15T20:13:00.003+07:002012-01-16T14:52:27.073+07:00

It is time again for winners/losers of our life over the past couple of months here in Cambodia. This past semester flew by and it is only now that I am able to understand all that occured over the holidays and into the year 2012. This winners/losers for the past few months. I will keep them short, if that is possible. Winners: The weather: It has been cool in Cambodia for the last 8-weeks.

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-66628923786723451352012-01-09T13:16:00.000+07:002012-01-09T13:16:03.543+07:00

Chris' older brother Paul, and his fiance Brooke came to town last month.  These two wonderful people got engaged last August and both made the awesome decision (we think so) to come and spend their first Christmas together with us in Cambodia.  We were elated to find out that they would be arriving on December 23rd and not leaving until the first week of January. Christmas is different in

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-34086204493418992172012-01-04T08:04:00.000+07:002012-01-04T08:04:49.307+07:00

I know it has been over a week since Christmas but we wanted to share about the excitement of the Christmas program we had for 2Five2 last December 23rd.  All month the kids in the catch-up school were learning the story of the birth of Jesus through stories being read to them by their teachers, and a daily coloring book of all the characters from the story.  Being that this was the first time

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-29398044440457637602011-12-19T12:25:00.001+07:002011-12-19T12:30:43.889+07:00

Here we are again, Christmas time.  The season of advent.  The season of celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus.  Last year, was a series of ups and downs as we missed snow, family, and our traditional Christmas parties with friends, however, we quickly learned that Christmas in Cambodia is a wonderful time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and be with those you love dearly without the huss and fuss

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-79790338304118956482011-12-15T09:01:00.000+07:002011-12-15T09:01:29.779+07:00

We have another video to post (guess we really got into the video thing)... the catch-up school for 2Five2 is in full swing now, but this video is taken in the first couple of days when we just started.  The little First Graders are learning a fun Khmer song that is similar to our American version of "Singing in the Rain" (you know...I'm singing in the rain, with my knees together, butt out, head

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-59943802706717159052011-12-12T13:07:00.000+07:002011-12-12T13:07:53.066+07:00

About a week ago, Leanne and I both ran a race through the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap. Leanne ran a 10k race through the 1200 year old ruins and I completed the half marathon. The race itself was fantastic and memorable though, for both of us, very difficult. Leanne had been fighting a lingering cough and chest cold while I, devoid of excuses, suffered through a substantial part of the race

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-58365704292724160252011-12-05T18:57:00.001+07:002011-12-05T19:01:05.014+07:00

Below is a video for one of our ministries, 2Five2, the program that Leanne works with in the village of Prek Pneu.  Check out what we are doing with this amazing community... "And Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man." - Luke 2:52

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-80669243382563322802011-12-03T17:18:00.003+07:002011-12-03T17:54:26.001+07:00

Our brave buddies Sky and Kristin Williams came out to visit Leanne and I in Asia and, as expected from all of us, our time together was nothing but fun, laughs and rejuvenation. We met them in Bali, Indonesia and spent the better part of a week navigating the mountains and beaches in Ubud, Nusa Lembongan and Kuta, three idyllic vacation destinations. We wandered the cities, went on bike

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-80911803970603881962011-11-29T13:54:00.002+07:002011-11-30T14:35:12.442+07:00

One of the harder parts about living in Cambodia is that there is no seasonal change.  We live in never-ending summer.  Sounds great a first (well, at least better than never-ending Winter) but we each get a dose of seasonal depression when our internal body clocks says, "when you go outside you will need a coat," but after 17 months we still have not had that situation become a reality.  So in

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-86970962068045150012011-11-23T10:54:00.000+07:002011-11-23T10:54:35.239+07:00

Last Thursday, the 17th we opened our doors to 72 kiddos to begin their studies at our catch-up school.  Most, if not all, of these children have never been to school before.  They don't know how to read or write, and their math, science, and social studies knowledge is very minimal.  This opening day has been in the works for over a year now, so we are estatic that today we have kids behind

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-19391842637773333742011-11-16T21:56:00.001+07:002011-11-17T05:58:54.498+07:00

Everyone dreams about being able to travel to an island paradise with those you call dear friends.  This is exactly what Chris and I got to do last week.  For 6 days we went to Bali, Indonesia with Skyler and Kristin Williams.  Chris and Skyler grew up together in Fort Collins, and like us, Sky and Kristin met at CU.  Over the years we have been able to share many wonderful memories together,

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-55184522193643207942011-11-08T06:38:00.001+07:002011-11-10T19:50:53.525+07:00

Earlier this week we held our catch-up school's registration to get all the kiddos ready for school to start on November 17th.  The morning was a fun and joy-filled time as kids were able to collect the school supplies they need for class.  In true Cambodian fashion the morning was once again very chaotic (reminded me of just days earlier when we did the rice distribution) but somehow it all

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-15657265710984493202011-11-07T20:20:00.000+07:002011-11-07T20:20:15.686+07:00

As we have mentioned before the flooding was really bad in Cambodia for the past 2-3 months.  Much of the country had lost their rice crop, making rice, and food in general, a little more expensive.  Costs like this are something that families in Prek Pneu can just not afford to face.  With that said, last Wednesday we did a rice distribution of 356 10-kg bags of rice to the families in the

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-37023968501681922622011-11-05T13:23:00.002+07:002011-12-14T16:42:20.880+07:00

Cambodia Bike Project This film was put together by Stuart Atkins and Andy Brophy of Create to Restore. We are so thrilled to be partnering with them and love the images and ideas they captured about Cambodia Bike Project!  Enjoy!

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-24907500131098951462011-11-02T07:27:00.000+07:002011-11-02T07:27:25.828+07:00

Here is a short video clip of us jumping off Sen Monoram Falls in Mondulkiri this past weekend.  You can hear the students cheer him on...

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-69040304216752668852011-11-01T17:42:00.005+07:002011-11-01T19:40:24.162+07:00

Each year students at Logos spend their senior trip with teachers instead of what is traditionally seen as a time to spend with peers, celebrating their head-of-the-school status with debauchery and regretful decisions. This senior trip is a time when the 24 students of the class get to set goals and discuss their job as leaders of the school while resting in what is a busy time of college

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-90145040022198462612011-10-24T07:00:00.001+07:002011-10-25T06:06:30.609+07:00

Yesterday morning was a morning full of joy, celebration, and thankfulness to the Lord.  As we have mentioned the new building we have been renovating in Prek Pneu is all finished and we were able to open it up to the Khmer house church that Asian Hope helps support.  We offered to help host an opening day of the church now being able to use the new building.  We worked with the Pastor on having

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-38212621157708559462011-10-19T19:16:00.004+07:002011-10-19T19:25:47.212+07:00

Leanne and I have been lamenting the Buffs 1-6 start over the last seven painful weeks. We are actually quite used to the Buffs losing ways and many a cheese burger were shared with friends at a restaurant just down the hill from Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado as we discussed their consistent futility.Though the Buffs lost – a lot – we still went to every game. Regardless of how bad the Buffs

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-46579181812835778352011-10-17T20:07:00.003+07:002011-10-17T21:23:47.761+07:00

Culture stress or culture fatigue is a common phrase for us to hear in working in missions overseas.  It can best defined as a season you experience, in waves, when the things of culture -- language, driving, food, smells, sights, ways of doing things, difference in religions, etc.  seem to burden you more than usual.  Now those stresses are always present and you always feel them in your day to

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-54872223228850334242011-10-09T10:15:00.001+07:002011-10-09T10:20:45.789+07:00

Like we mentioned here my mother, Ginger, came to visit for the last couple weeks of September.  Having family visit is one of the highlights we have in the year.  It is so fun for us to show the people we love most our life here in Phnom Penh.  We went to all the markets (this time I took mom to Khmer fabric market so we could get some clothes made for us and for a Christmas gift for my niece),

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-29114663322132029432011-10-03T08:42:00.000+07:002011-10-03T08:42:50.640+07:00

For those of you who follow our blog and our ministries here in Cambodia you are aware that I have been spending the last 6 weeks working on the construction and renovation of Asian Hope's new building in Prek Pneu.  I am VERY happy to say the construction is over, the renovation is complete, the walls and ceiling have been painted, and the floors have been cleaned (or better yet scrapped). 

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-47229910479789834832011-09-22T14:26:00.000+07:002011-09-22T14:26:38.994+07:00

Mom is back in town!  My mother, Ginger, arrived last Wednesday and has already once again jumped head first into our life here in Cambodia.  She has helped finish paint and clean the new facility in Prek Pneu, and also helped in the Pre-K 3 classroom in Logos.  We have eaten out with friends, gotten pedicures, taken a tour of the local microbrewery -Kingdom, and went to church at the Khmer

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-76831010441452627782011-09-17T11:11:00.005+07:002011-09-17T11:21:42.618+07:00

Here are some photos of the bike distribution that happened in Stung Meanchey last month. Andy Brophy and Stuart Atkins of Create to Restore did an amazing job capturing these kids and their families. I am so happy to be able to serve these children with bikes. There is a lot of exciting updates happening on with Cambodia Bike Project so give our Facebook Page a "like" to stay up-to-date on all

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-17332276694737234092011-09-13T21:37:00.001+07:002011-09-14T06:08:38.376+07:00

This video is promoting a partnership that we have created with Andy Brophy of OneNine Images and Stuart Atkins who works with Andy on Create to Restore. For every Senior photo shoot Andy does this year he will donate a bike to a child here in Cambodia in need of transportation to attend school.It has been very exciting to partner with such incredible organizations and individuals. Check out

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-53611555328350645262011-09-09T09:52:00.000+07:002011-09-09T09:52:31.068+07:00

Often when we email or Skype with people our story of how things are going can sway from month to month, week to week, or even day to day.  That is how I have felt this past week.  On Monday afternoon my wallet was stolen just outside of our house.  I don't know how it happened, but it is part of life here, unfortunately.  I was really mad at first, and honestly outright confused on how it could

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-34189956270457543482011-09-03T12:46:00.004+07:002011-09-03T13:33:21.859+07:00

Leanne and I are continuously grateful that we have the ability to work with Cambodians in communities and with projects throughout the country. It sounds odd to say this because you might imagine that we would work with Cambodians because we live in Cambodia. However, there is such a large population of expats and westerners around us that often we feel that we have to seek out Cambodians more

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-79895834218343247992011-08-28T08:58:00.000+07:002011-08-28T08:58:39.826+07:00

  This was really our first time to have our birthdays celebrated in Cambodia. Last year we had just moved here in time for mine, but after only 3 weeks of living in the country we couldn’t tell up from down at that point so this year’s celebrations were much better. For Chris’ birthday he wanted to go on a bike ride through the city and then out to the countryside.  Later that evening we

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-53151266868538331002011-08-20T17:46:00.000+07:002011-08-20T17:46:10.964+07:00

Over the last 8 days we have had the amazing opportunity to host Stuart Atkins and Andy Brophy from Create to Restore as they volunteered their time with Asian Hope.  They came out to Cambodia to update and overhaul the media that Asian Hope has.  We got to spend the week watching them photograph and video our ministries, life, and days here in Phnom Penh.  During the course of their time

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-40829331509485945942011-08-18T18:07:00.010+07:002011-08-18T18:46:50.228+07:00

Cambodia Bike Project provides bikes to children who needed them to get to school. This is a simple task, mundane in nature but substantial for the children who receive them and the communities in which they live. On Tuesday, myself and Asian Hope staff as well as two incredibly talented photographers/videographers from a ministry called Create to Restore went to Stung Meanchey just outside

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-71885465679984252292011-08-09T19:15:00.000+07:002011-08-09T19:15:36.897+07:00

We've been busy over the summer with our ministries and we wanted to give an update on everything that is going on.  First off Logos, school started on Monday for Chris, but this time in an entirely new role.  He is half administrator and half teacher.  He will be teaching one class this year and then filling his schedule with developing the schools curriculum to meet their ACSI standards for

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-27108869111413529462011-08-02T17:47:00.000+07:002011-08-02T17:47:16.961+07:00

It took us a year but we finally got our Cambodian Driver's Licenses.  Now when we get pulled over and have to pay off the cops it will be a much easier process...the sad part is that is true.

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-90714455741928563062011-07-30T16:06:00.000+07:002011-07-30T16:06:23.072+07:00

Once again here is the proof that Chris and I did actually go to China.  From top to bottom:Our bike/hike in Dali, Dali South Gate, wonderful meals in Kunming and Guilin, reading in Lijiang Town Square, walking around the town of Shangri-La, hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge, breakfast at the end of the hike, seeing the river at the bottom, and the limestone cliffs inYanhshuo.

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-74325229629150880792011-07-30T13:40:00.005+07:002011-07-30T16:08:01.391+07:00

(ABOVE PHOTOS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Nightly fires burning in Lijiang, a dog in a Lijiang alley, prayer wheels in Shangri-la, and a man smoking in old-town Kunnming.) To end our wonderful summer, Leanne and I took at two week vacation to southern China.Starting from Guangzhou on the southeast coast, we meandered by taxi, bus, train, plane and hitchhiking through the cities of Yangshuo, Guilin,

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-37127802123719490082011-07-12T06:10:00.000+07:002011-07-12T06:10:22.250+07:00

One year ago today we boarded a plane and moved our lives to Cambodia. July 12 was a bittersweet day of painful good-byes, yet our hearts beating with excitement thinking of our new life ahead. If we were to try to sum up the year it would be near impossible. We have had some of the most incredible days I could of ever imagined, though we have faced challenges that I couldn't of dreamed of. We

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-68716304359933114702011-07-09T09:34:00.001+07:002011-07-09T09:37:21.060+07:00

Since moving to Cambodia we have gone overboard for the holidays.  But for good reason Christmas and Easter are not celebrated because it is a Buddhist country, and obviously Thanksgiving and the 4th of July aren't either.  So with that we do as MUCH as we can to celebrate the holidays we love with the same traditions we had at home.  Once again, we had an amazing time celebrating the 4th of

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-34690709652067512572011-07-06T19:09:00.004+07:002011-07-06T19:26:28.103+07:00

Here are some photos of our work and play over the past two weeks. We had a chance to go to Siem Reap and Leanne's community of Prek Pneu with our friends. At work, Logos hosted two swimming days for the Cambodian kids who live near the school. Having over 90 dirty kids in our pool makes our facility staff work hard but they, like the teachers, love being able to have these kids at Logos. Enjoy.

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-18235460564275624392011-07-05T15:07:00.006+07:002011-07-05T21:03:22.348+07:00

Over the last four months I have been working with Asian Hope to develop a new project that I am extremely excited about. Cambodia Bike Project was an idea that came to me after I sat down with the director of a Cambodian NGO called Kone Kmeng. He explained to me that Cambodia children and their families can benefit from bicycles because it first allows them to go to school and second, because

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-10079122262426019702011-07-03T08:53:00.007+07:002011-07-15T19:33:34.437+07:00

Four years ago Leanne and I had a chance to visit a family living in New Delhi, India. They, like us were CU grads, that had been living in Delhi for over 10 years and we went with our church at that time to meet them, visit their ministries and learn about India. On that trip, we travelled with Amy and Jeff Youngstrom who were also closely affiliated with First Pres. Boulder. Leanne and I

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-24023344440024650882011-06-21T07:35:00.001+07:002011-06-21T07:40:14.038+07:00

Last Wednesday, June 15th we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary.  We have started a tradition of doing 1 thing on the 1st, 2 on the 2nd, and so this year we decided to do 3 meals out for our 3rd anniversary.  In living here for almost a year we have come to find our favorite places, while still knowing of a few un-found gems.  We rarely eat breakfast out because the last thing we want to do

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-50762600826322797862011-06-18T08:52:00.000+07:002011-06-18T08:52:57.948+07:00

A lot of things are changing in the lives our our friends and family back in America.  This post is dedicated to those amazing changes that we still desire to be a part of... First off babies...and a lot of them! No joke we got numerous "We're Prego" emails in a matter of weeks.  Our biggest congratulations go out to: Kelly and Justin Birrell who had their 2nd, Carson, last April Jennie and Chad

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-56049903101745714822011-06-14T14:17:00.008+07:002011-06-14T17:25:05.059+07:00

I think that Leanne and I would both confess that the the month of May was tougher than we would like to admit to ourselves and our supporters. As school finished up and responsibilities shifted, we had to say goodbye, if only temporary, to many people who were heading home for the summer.Our excitement for those heading back to the U.S., Canada or wherever they call home was truly authentic.

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-18324825510598680242011-06-09T14:33:00.009+07:002011-06-09T19:17:56.952+07:00

"There's an air of love and of happiness and this is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness. Summer, summer, summer time - time to sit back and unwind!" - Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff On the last day of school for about a decade I have clicked on my Summer Mix Tape, CD or iTunes play list and played Summertime by the Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. If you are not familiar with

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-79857391498825393292011-06-05T17:50:00.000+07:002011-06-05T17:50:50.252+07:00

School finished at Logos last Friday, and summer has arrived in Cambodia.  Well, it is forever summer here, I haven't worn jeans, closed toe shoes, or long-sleeves all year, but we will still celebrate summer!  We went to Logos' graduation a few weeks back (see above picture) and enjoyed seeing these 15 students get ready for their next stage in life.  Then yesterday we went to a good-bye party

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-13272856291701591742011-05-30T07:54:00.001+07:002011-05-30T19:52:30.536+07:00

I had mentioned several posts back about this new idea that I have been pondering for the past weeks, the thought of thankfulness.  I recently read the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, a book about learning how to be thankful.  When I was told about the book I was not that interested because quite frankly I was tired of reading Christian self-help books on "how to pray" or "how to be

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-42559757956416632502011-05-24T18:06:00.008+07:002011-05-25T07:27:09.833+07:00

I love the winners/losers format, so much so that my only contributions to this blog seem to be in that structure. Efficient, organized, concise - that is winners and losers. Here we go. Winners1) The Last Days of School Finals begin this week and I am in good shape. I have learned how to end the school year in a manner that does not make me lose sleep at night. In my first couple of years

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-80976579564896956442011-05-21T10:22:00.003+07:002011-05-21T10:56:48.379+07:00

I have been inspired by my friend Allie Pyles' blog about all her crafting projects and re-doing of chairs and such. So about 3 months ago I took on the project of creating a vanity for myself because bathrooms here don't have any drawers, cabinets, or anywhere to put things. So I began the search for finding an old desk, sanding it down, repainting it, adding on knobs, and distressing it.I have

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-45471335689331252382011-05-12T06:33:00.000+07:002011-05-14T03:29:38.982+07:00

A few days back I had the opportunity to talk to Chris' 9th grade class at Logos about the work that we are doing in the community of Prek Pneu to help prevent children from being a trafficking victim.  I gave my little "talk" and then they asked some great questions to better understand how they could be a part of the solution.  However, this group of 9th graders had already done SO much, they

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-83113294280730122742011-05-06T18:56:00.001+07:002011-05-06T19:00:15.741+07:00

Last Sunday was a great day for us here in Phnom Penh...we started off by going to our church (or the one we seem to attend the most) and then staying after to eat Pho (a yummy Vietnamese soup) with all the other folks from the morning.  Over the past 10 months we have grown and developed our community into one that we love.  A community that we can sit and eat Pho with for hours if the hot

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-28772917346716148612011-04-29T16:52:00.000+07:002011-04-29T16:52:39.603+07:00

Last Sunday after our wonderful Easter service and lunch, myself and a teammate, Carolyn, headed out to Banteay Meanchey, a province on the northern Cambodian-Thai border.  It is a 6 hour drive, and you don't get the usual stops to pick up snacks and bevies (as our friend Vic would say), but rather bump and bounce your way down the road hoping we don't hit a water buffalo or a bus (which is

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-49324494713297746302011-04-22T06:47:00.000+07:002011-04-22T06:47:00.181+07:00

With Easter coming up this Sunday, it is hard to believe because holidays always look a little different around here.  Now I know that Easter is not the most celebrated of holidays in the U.S. but at least they have egg dying kits in the stores (which I wanted to do here but all the eggs are dark brown and it just didn't work).  Once again, like Christmas, this Christian holiday will pass without

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-61095809771583535312011-04-19T17:11:00.000+07:002011-04-19T17:11:46.198+07:00

These pictures are of our 3:00am summit hike, the sunrise views from the top, the jungle segment that begins and ends the hike, and then our time on the beach as we rest our legs. Legs we could not move from the hours of coming down this amazing peak. Though a little out of order, you still can see how amazing this week was for us!

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-35946284106527215072011-04-18T19:37:00.000+07:002011-04-18T19:37:23.032+07:00

u Last week was Khmer New Year here in Cambodia. A week filled with water fights, family and home for Cambodians and a week of designated relaxation for us without Cambodian heritage. For the holiday, Leanne and I set out on an expedition to hike the 13,400 foot Mt. Kinabalu on the island of Borneo in Malaysia. We wanted this to be a challenge as well as a refreshing experience that would

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-67138542870290355802011-04-17T17:13:00.001+07:002011-04-17T21:19:19.432+07:00

Today is the 36th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge's takeover of Phnom Penh. On April 17, 1975 Khmer Rouge troops, who had long surrounded the capital, defeated the nationalist forces (forces backed by the United States) and "liberated" the city.  The Khmer Rouge took the nation province by province, moving from north to south, enlisting provincial citizens who were eager to support the utopian

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-5586296250880730142011-04-08T17:37:00.001+07:002011-04-08T21:52:49.394+07:00

I bought a bike. I am not saying that as a random, disconnected comment but I am saying that out of pure excitement. One of the great things about Cambodia, in terms of riding around on a mountain bike, is that very few roads are paved. My daily commute from work is often spent riding around on dirt roads that will eventually lead me home. It is great. The bike for me here is not just a bike, it

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-48866076766804230082011-04-03T09:39:00.001+07:002011-04-03T09:41:50.761+07:00

Spirit House Next Door Recycle Woman The view from our back patio There has been so much going on here in Cambodia that I found the easiest way to do an update would be in my favorite format of Winners/Losers. Winners: 1) The Weather: We have been warned for months about this alleged "hot season." A time in Cambodia where time stands still and all the inhabitants of the nation are

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-76918801789498889282011-03-27T20:26:00.000+07:002011-03-27T20:26:44.639+07:00

Last week was a busy one.  A week full with a team of 51 college students who came to work with Asian Hope and serve the people of Cambodia.  The team was from a college ministry called the Inn in Seattle, WA.  A college ministry very similar to the one both Chris and I worked for called the Annex.  It was fun to once again sit across the breakfast table from a college student and talk about our

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-7968269477433924162011-03-21T11:46:00.000+07:002011-03-21T11:46:06.063+07:00

For those who are new to following our blog and our life here in Cambodia, Prek Pneu is the community Asian Hope has decided to implement its Human Trafficking Prevention (HTP) program in.  A lot of exciting things have transpired over the past month with this program I am working on. Through a network of Christian NGO workers as well as other missionaries I was introduced to a young Khmer man

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-12266792932441587662011-03-20T13:59:00.001+07:002011-03-20T14:50:28.745+07:00

Consider this blog post your formal tour of our new place.  We will start from the top...Our bathroom is bright orange, we can't decide if this is a upgrade or downgrade from our previous bubblegum pink bathroom we moved out of.  However, unlike many, we do have hot water heaters for the shower, so we are very thankful, though we rarely use them because it is just too hot.  On to our

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-69642727069527463082011-03-14T12:40:00.005+07:002011-03-15T14:22:29.491+07:00

As Chris mentioned in the previous post, we had a very restful trip to Singapore, which helped us get ready for another stint of work back here in Cambodia. We went to Singapore for several reasons, and one was to enjoy western food again. This post is dedicated solely to our dining...As silly as this may seem to some, it was very good for us to take this trip and enjoy some of these

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-63041787816283674512011-03-13T14:04:00.007+07:002011-03-13T14:49:42.001+07:00

Last week, Leanne and I had the opportunity to visit Singapore for our March break. Not knowing what to expect, we found a city full of remarkable food, incredible sights and unrivaled development.We flew to Singapore with nothing more than an Email that my brother had sent us and some copies of pages from our Lonely Planet book. We were told that we must eat chili crab, visit the ethnic

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-91468131184005226932011-03-03T16:41:00.004+07:002011-03-03T17:02:31.240+07:00

Leanne and I have spent the last week moving into our new home. Just down the street from where we were staying before, our new apartment gives us a feeling of being settled and comfortable in Cambodia. We never imagined we would find a place that feels so western, especially not just down the street from the house we were staying in. We are on the third floor, (the second floor to Cambodians)

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-46898237269461396882011-02-23T20:57:00.005+07:002011-02-23T21:28:34.595+07:00

Several things have happened over the last few days that once again have made us feel like we are back in Elementary school. By this I mean, the many things that were once daily tasks are now events full of stress, anxiety, and sometimes frustration.Event One: Chris went to the dentist last Tuesday to get his teeth cleaned. While driving to the dental clinic your mind runs of thoughts of, "what

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-60718972101671105162011-02-20T19:15:00.003+07:002011-02-20T19:56:55.426+07:00

We wanted to blog tonight to give a recap of the last week for us. Like most, the days are slipping by faster than we can keep up. Our week was full of the normal working tasks for each of us as well as some that are out of the ordinary. The Head of the Board for Asian Hope flew in on Wednesday making for the week to be full of meetings and fundraising talks for me. For Chris it was supposed to

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-76376892427009782652011-02-12T19:27:00.003+07:002011-02-12T20:16:56.994+07:00

This past week was a big one for both Leanne and myself for many reasons. As Leanne wrote about before, Asian Hope has identified the community in which it hopes to initiate its trafficking prevention program. For the past few weeks, Leanne has been working diligently with the Asian Hope staff to create and organize a survey that could be used to assess the needs of this particular community.

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-59480638714152071952011-02-08T08:31:00.007+07:002011-02-08T08:56:20.317+07:00

Last Saturday was the annual Logos Carnival. This is an event for the expat and missionary community and an easy fundraiser for the school. They had it all, over 20 games including tricycles races, darts, bean bag toss, and many more, and then prizes for the kids. The food was great though we choose to have the Johnsville Brat for lunch, being that we don't get that often (or more accurately--

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-60535100860738253562011-02-02T15:44:00.002+07:002011-02-02T16:09:50.050+07:00

Today, I (Leanne) had a meeting with a village chief. Over the years I have had many educational, working, and life experiences that have prepared me for meetings, conversations, budgets, and you know day to day working tasks. In the past when I have been given a responsibility, I can usually think back to another situation and use that previous knowledge to my advantage. Not today. I have no

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-12067538652651772132011-01-29T17:36:00.002+07:002011-01-29T18:17:11.623+07:00

When I first started teaching at Logos I signed-up to be the soccer coach for both the high school boys and girls. However, I was not told by my administrators that the seasons were played simultaneously. Starting in the first week of November, I have been holding practices for the soccer teams on Tuesdays and Thursday with games on those days or Fridays. One team at 6:30 in the morning and one

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-70175393863847648642011-01-25T08:32:00.008+07:002011-01-25T09:58:32.090+07:00

3 years ago today we got engaged! I know this doesn't have much to do with our life in Cambodia, but this day (and of course our wedding day) will always be special to my heart. God has given us a wonderful marriage and has been faithful to us in our 7 months here in Cambodia. We will always continue to be thankful for that. Here are some pictures of our engagement day. It was a windy cold day

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-67159622783032483712011-01-22T15:45:00.002+07:002011-01-22T16:34:18.851+07:00

A good buddy of mine writes me emails in the format of "winners" and "losers." I cannot take credit for the idea but I know he, thanks Gus, will allow me to borrow it to update you on our last couple of weeks in Cambodia.Because I am an optimist, I will start with "Losers," as to end with the best parts of our last couple of weeks.LOSERS:Cream Cheese: Last week Leanne and I went to a friend's

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-17447603307572131982011-01-12T16:22:00.004+07:002011-01-13T18:38:49.229+07:00

One foot here, one foot there. This is how I have felt for the past 6 months, meaning that I have one foot in Cambodia and one foot in the U.S. As time goes by I think I will never be able to completely take my one foot out of the U.S. and have both standing here in Phnom Penh. For those who have followed our blog and for our family that have been able to visit they know and can see that we feel

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-42186007242672539712011-01-10T07:13:00.008+07:002011-01-10T12:49:47.627+07:00

We hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse into our wonderful Vietnam trip. These are of our Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi Tunnels, War Remnants Museum, the Temple of Literature and meals in Hanoi, hiking in Sapa, the women in Bacha market, and our days in Ha Long Bay.

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-66383590171386423982011-01-06T18:36:00.005+07:002011-01-06T19:52:04.035+07:00

With Leanne's mom in town and two weeks off from work for the holidays, we headed to Vietnam to see and experience some of the incredible sights that the country has to offer.We took a bus to Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of the 23rd after celebrating Christmas in Phnom Penh. For three days we took in the history of the city including the Cu Chi Tunnels occupied by the Vietcong during the war

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-67950544709890969862010-12-20T21:44:00.007+07:002010-12-21T20:47:25.614+07:00

My mom arrived four days ago to Cambodia and has already jumped into the excitement of the city! We have taken her to the markets, to our favorite shops (where she is already having shoes made at one), out to get Indian food, to the tourist spots around town, and even to a Christmas church service of all the international churches. She has ridden the moto and volunteered at Chris' school. We

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-32657114128105527352010-12-12T08:43:00.005+07:002010-12-12T20:32:26.521+07:00

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...We have been listening to Christmas music now for two weeks and this song is one of our favorites. The key word for us here is like. Celebrating Christmas in Phnom Penh has been different for many reasons, the weather doesn't drop below 85 degrees, we are away from family and friends, and mostly because 95% of population is Buddhist and doesn't

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-22487031614010486852010-12-10T08:38:00.006+07:002010-12-10T09:36:54.953+07:00

Well several weeks have now passed since the Jog-A-Thon occurred in late November but with having Chris' parents here, Christmas (more to come on that), and now preparing for my mom to come out next week, we are just now getting around to looking at pictures from this event. The Jog-A-Thon is an annual race at Logos where students help raise funds for the school. This year the students raised

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-27516813176055238332010-12-05T12:50:00.003+07:002010-12-05T13:13:07.125+07:00

The other night Chris took me out on a date downtown (though Phnom Penh doesn't really have a downtown, it is the best way to describe the area of town we went to), and the transportation to get there makes me laugh every time. He bought me a new dress a few weeks back and I wanted to wear it since we were going to a "nicer" Italian restaurant. When we lived in Denver we would make our date

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-12422827861142851782010-12-03T07:47:00.004+07:002010-12-03T16:41:03.392+07:00

We blogged a few posts back about the tragedy that occurred in Phnom Penh last week due to the bridge stampede causing a staggering loss of life from the crushing crowds on the bridge that killed an estimated 400 people. This week marks the seven day Buddhist funeral ceremony, where relatives put out offerings to appease their dead ancestors so their ghosts do not come back to haunt them. Because

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-24481982272110296212010-11-29T20:20:00.005+07:002010-11-29T20:41:51.217+07:00

We stayed at an amazing resort called Sokha and enjoyed the huge bed, wonderful breakfast, clear blue water, and magazines that were sent over to us. We even got good Mexican food...It was true R&R!

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-91939322818578742782010-11-28T18:16:00.007+07:002010-11-29T07:40:52.052+07:00

As our last blog post explained, we are just finishing an incredible vacation in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, Cambodia. My parents boarded the plane last night and 18 hours later they are still somewhere over the Pacific. We had a great time and Leanne and I both shed quite a few tears as we watched them depart. Luckily we had Dairy Queen and a

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-73205004310393368432010-11-26T20:00:00.005+07:002010-11-26T21:41:29.137+07:00

So they survived.... Some moments that were overwhelming, shocking, comfort-zone altering, uncomfortable and unbelievable were mixed with moments of awe, excitement, hilarity and relaxation. My parents have been in the Kingdom of Cambodia for two weeks and they will fly out late tomorrow night relieved at having seen where Leanne and I live, the country itself and a completely different lifestyle

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-6123052980311139322010-11-18T21:23:00.006+07:002010-11-19T06:30:32.412+07:00

My parents came into Phnom Penh this week and we have enjoyed our time with them immensely. Phnom Penh can be overwhelming to the senses with its traffic, pollution, sights and sounds. It is a developing country with many frayed ends and is a distant cry from the organization of the States. Though they are just a few days into their trip, they have done great. They have endured the heat in

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-24640442987601271122010-11-13T16:06:00.005+07:002010-11-19T06:30:52.565+07:00

I (Leanne) spent last Thursday and Friday in a 2-day training with 50 other organizations all working to end sexual exploitation and trafficking. The training was put on by Chab Dai, who 5 years ago created a learning community of organizations to better work together and partner effectively in doing this difficult work. There was staff there from organizations that work in prevention,

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-52916064512717831802010-11-12T17:30:00.005+07:002010-11-12T17:55:31.935+07:00

Though the blog title might hint at a philosophical rant, the topic of this post is much more literal than abstract. I have finished my first season, coaching the LIS middle school basketball team to a 10 - 3 season record. Though we did not win the city tournament, we had a very successful season and the boys improved immensely each game.Some of my favorite parts of the season:1) Many of the

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-54520896843240615002010-11-07T10:58:00.004+07:002010-11-07T12:35:36.430+07:00

On Friday night, Leanne and I had the opportunity to volunteer with the MST Project (Men and the Sex Trade). The project's goals are to collect information and data on western men who are soliciting prostitutes, and engage in a dialogue with them on their perception of prostitution in Phnom Penh, and why it is that western men enter into such relationships. The program ultimately wants to educate

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-32012077685978667102010-11-03T19:31:00.003+07:002010-11-03T20:16:06.132+07:00

If there is one thing that I love here in Cambodia, it is noting the differences between how this nation operates compared to the United States. I have become much better at using the word "different" rather than "worse," because the latter implies that my culture and country do some things better than others.These two news stories appeared in successive Cambodia Daily newspapers. They are

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-47205584841387058982010-10-29T07:30:00.003+07:002010-10-29T07:58:56.023+07:00

The other night Chris and I were talking about moving out here, and the amount of work it took to just get us here. That lead our conversation into how much we love living here. We talk almost everyday about how much we like living cross-culturally and getting to know the Khmer people in our day to day. But back to the first part of the stress and work it took us to get on the plane and move to

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-11752299407639727542010-10-23T16:17:00.005+07:002010-10-25T07:11:12.211+07:00

Life is moving on as usual here, so we don't have a lot of stories to write about, or haven't had many new experiences over the past few days. But here is short list of the things we both talk about: 1.) We still feel like it is June because the "summer" weather has not changed. Without having a fall (the weather, food, football, pumpkin patches, etc.) or a change of seasons it seems hard for us

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-68274514049653145862010-10-18T16:32:00.003+07:002010-10-18T16:42:22.391+07:00

I (Leanne) just returned last Friday from a short trip to the city of Poipet. This city sits on the northern border of Thailand, and also is known for its prevalent poverty. These two factors combined allow for the Khmer children in Poipet to be highly vulnerable for child trafficking. I went there to see what some other organizations are doing to protect children from being trafficked into

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-25730208916462932042010-10-12T17:42:00.005+07:002010-10-12T18:00:27.225+07:00

Chris has an amazing ability to capture photos of the people and places we see while traveling. However, here is the proof that we actually did go to Vietnam and that the photos we already posted are his and not stolen from National Geographic. This is our moto ride to Can Tho, breakfast at the floating market, and our speed boat back to Phnom Penh.

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-73491810786396111452010-10-10T18:52:00.007+07:002010-10-10T19:39:52.113+07:00

Over the Pchum Ben holiday, Leanne and I decided to take a trip to the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. The trip was not without adventure, wrong turns, interesting interactions and wonderful experiences.At 3:11 on Wednesday, Leanne and five Cambodians picked me up from school. Four men sat in the front seat of a late-model Toyota Camry and we sat with a lovely Vietnamese man in the back.

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-54405018731580656592010-10-05T07:02:00.013+07:002010-10-05T07:58:42.946+07:00

Tomorrow we leave for Vietnam for some much needed time off, and we couldn't be more excited for this trip and some time out of Phnom Penh to rest, relax, and see a new place. However, while we are gone we are also missing two very special days back in Colorado. We are missing Skyler Williams and Kristin McCullough's wedding in Vail this Saturday, and then Erin Marston and Blaine Bogar's wedding

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-52699988514052241772010-10-03T19:44:00.008+07:002010-10-03T21:54:30.511+07:00

Our time in Cambodia has been defined by ups and downs. There are days and nights that both Leanne and myself find extremely difficult, whether it is our jobs, the transition to a new country, or simply the same issues that would frustrate us at home. This weekend was no different. We went on a wonderful hike, fixed broken water coolers, felt oppressively tired, hosted 25 high school juniors at

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-31508151897158937572010-09-30T17:19:00.006+07:002010-09-30T20:20:32.053+07:00

Last Friday, September 24th marked the start of the Khmer holiday Pchum Ben which lasts 2 weeks and will end on October 10th. It is a Buddhist holiday that Cambodians believe is a time when the spirits of their dead ancestors walk the Earth. Cambodians spend the early mornings cooking meals for the monks, and bringing offerings to the temple hoping that the ghosts of their ancestors will receive

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-14992858947738827012010-09-26T17:57:00.009+07:002010-09-28T07:02:09.691+07:00

Here are some more pictures of the beach and pool we went to on one of our afternoons off. The ocean water was probably 85 degrees, so not super refreshing but still fun to be in. We stopped at this waterfall on the way home from Koh Kong.

Leanne DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957213581224268841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-11027235473997351092010-09-25T13:06:00.008+07:002010-09-25T13:28:31.073+07:00

This week we were fortunate to have three days off to enjoy a staff retreat in Koh Kong, Cambodia which is directly on the boarder of Thailand. It was a time to get to know the other staff and just take some time off from work. We enjoyed great seafood, time with our friends and time learning about how we can make an impact on the people we interact with each day. We spent a lot of time

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270809734621611690.post-1161850623823669542010-09-18T09:48:00.006+07:002010-09-18T10:07:21.042+07:00

My first middle school basketball game was an epic, Hoosiers-esque, full of drama and crushed dreams. I have a wonderful group of 6th, 7th and 8th graders who had their first game last night against Hope International School, the mighty cross-town rival. The game itself was a nail-biter, 4-4 at half and 12-12 with 60 second left. My boys were nervous to play in front of a crowd of their

Chris DeRemerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05612228858933272775noreply@blogger.com1