Stories from my phone

Cambodian children off to school on a rainy morning.

Kids waiting to see the dentist at the clinic in Prek Pneu.

Kids coloring on the floor of a home in a relocation village.

Cambodian soldiers waiting for the next dignitary to drive past.

Recently I have had a difficult time blogging because I feel like my words are repetitive or the avid blog readers have heard so many stories about Prek Pneu, Logos, our Tico or our trips around Asia. However, I realized this evening that my phone is still the one tool I use to capture moments that are not mundane to me anymore. My phone is a glimpse into the conundrum that is Cambodia. The four pictures above are from four recent events and each image tells a story of an event that I found to be poignant. So, here we go, stories from my phone.

Image #1: This is the least interesting image of the four because it is the view I have on my commute to school each morning. However, this particular morning was not like most. It was sprinkling rain, the breeze was cool and the road was relatively quiet. Leanne and I were in the middle of a taxing week and when I turned the corner onto this road, saw the girls on their Khmer bikes and felt the cool air on my skin, I could not help but praise God for the glimpses of heaven he gives us in the middle of trying times.

Image 2: As Leanne blogged about last week, Asian Hope sponsored a medical team from the States which came to Prek Pneu to deliver basic medical services to people in that community. There was something right about this event because it brought tangible, immediate help to so many people. When I am sick I go to the doctor but that is not an option for most Cambodians. They were able to get the care they needed and deserved.

Image 3: This week my students from Logos are participating in "Service Trips." The goal of this week is to get our kids to see the work being done by so many NGO's throughout Cambodia. This particular image is taken in a community an hour north of Phnom Penh. These Cambodians had their homes destroyed by the government last January and were given a blue tarp, a bag of rice and a 10-gallon bottle of water. That's it. What would I do in a situation like that?

We have been having these massive thunderstorms at night with heavy rain, wind, thunder and incessant lightning. I was annoyed because these storms, though impressive, interrupt my sleep. I wonder how the people who live in a tarp deal with this rain. Tough thought.

Image 4: The Association of South East Asian Nations is having a conference in Cambodia this week and with these leaders come the heads-of-state from the United States, Russia, South Korea and China. The organization of this conference seems to have befuddled Cambodia. Roads are closed, flights are cancelled, streets have become parking lots and schools have cancelled class. These soldiers are standing guard right near our house in case someone decides to get out of hand. There were groups of five AK-47 toting solders about every 100 yards on the main road leading to the airport (which is also the busiest national highway). Pretty crazy scene around here but interesting nonetheless.

That's it, that's all. These were the four most recent images on my phone and they tell a long and complex story of the country that we have called home for two-and-a half-years. I find these pictures help to explain a lot about our life and this country, I hope you do was well.  

Medical Clinics

For the past two weekends 2Five2 has been hosting a medical clinic outreach in the communities of Prek Pneu and Phnom Penh Thmei.  There has been months of planning, budgeting, meeting, and gathering supplies and volunteers.  But in the end it was all worth it.  Our first clinic was on Sunday, November 4th in Phnom Penh Thmei at the Logos campus.  The students and families from the 2Five2 program were invited in to have acute medical care and receive public health education.  On that day the medical team we partnered with were able to see just over 300 people!

 Patient Registration.

 

Patient care.

Overview of the clinic.

Our wonderful 2Five2 Phnom Penh Thmei staff that volunteered.

 

 

Then we resumed again on Saturday, November 10th with a health education clinic to the public school in Prek Pneu.  Here 4 doctors and their translators went to the Primary School campus and taught classes on nutrition, drinking clean water, wound care, oral hygiene, and disease prevention.  The school has over 1,100 students with an average of 50 kids per class, so it was such a blessing for them to get this training.  Students also received some Vitamin A as well as a horrible tasting (which was very apparent in their faces) de-worming pill.

 



And yesterday we finished the medical outreach with our largest clinic in the village of Prek Pneu.  Similar to the one in Phnom Pneh Thmei this team of 25 doctors and nurses taught and treated 366 patients that live in this community!  Many living here do not have access to health care so for most this was the first time they have seen a doctor before. At the end of these 10 days I find myself tired and excited for our upcoming holiday in a few weeks, but also filled with joy as we saw their thankful and smiling faces (even after getting teeth pulled!) leaving the clinic site.

Waiting to see the doctors and dentists.

Getting their vitals checked.

First doctor station.

 Our wonderful 2Five2 Prek Pneu staff and volunteers.

Inspired

Have you ever been around someone so special that when you walk away you feel like you are a better person because you were with them?  Have you ever been so inspired by someone that you just hope one day you could be like them?

We have encountered that everyday for the past two weeks with our dear friends Ryan and Angie Ketchum.

Angie and Ryan moved to Cambodia last year for Ryan to teach at Logos, and for Angie to finish in Masters in Nursing Education.  Before that they lived in India for 3 years teaching at another school and working as a nurse.  They have four girls, who are even cooler than Angie and Ryan are.

Well, about 2 weeks ago Angie was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at a local clinic here in Phnom Penh. About a week later her and Ryan had to leave to go to Bangkok to get further testing and see if surgery was needed.  It was confirmed she had cancer and now is still there waiting on her treatment and care.  They have had to leave their girls for the past two weeks, and face the scary world of cancer far away from home in America and from home in Cambodia.

But they continue to inspire us as they teach us about waiting on the Lord, about faith in His sovereignty, about trusting God's crazy plan for our lives, about peace in the midst of a storm.  They are faithful followers, loving parents, and friends who can make us laugh and cry all in one coffee date.

If you want to be inspired read this blog.  I know there is tons of stuff out there to read, but this will bless your heart.

Please pray for them, and for their poor girls who have to be under our care while Angie and Ryan are gone.  Last night we came up with the "Top 10 of the first week with the DeRemers"  here they are:

1.) Mr. D burning is foot trying to use the brake on the razor scooter.
2.) Make your own pizza night.
3.) Megann (2 years old) calling us Mommy and Daddy Dreamer.
4.) Mr. D catching the soccer ball on the back of his neck then kicking it afterwards.
5.) Mrs. D's dance moves, which the girls still can't master.
6.) Finding "Otter Pops" in Cambodia.
7.) Getting to Ride in the Tico.
8.) Brenna's (11 years) epic basketball tournament.
9.) Making fall acorn treats and Mr. D's quesdillas (he perfected the art in college).
10.) Skyping with Angie and Ryan.

 

Have you ever told the person who inspires you what they mean to you?

Staff Retreat

Last weekend Chris and I headed out on our annual staff retreat at the Cambodian beach town of Sihanoukville.  We look forward to this time because it a 3 day space where we enjoy a nice hotel room and pool, time with amazing co-workers, seafood, the beach, and encouraging teachings.

We had time to nap, watch NFL football games, play Settlers or Catan with close friends, play at the beach, and share meals with one another.  We also had a guest speaker talk about hospitality, which is right up my alley, so all was wonderful.  I love the picture that the early church gives us at the end of Acts 2 on how to teach with one another, eat together, pray, give generously, and celebrate in our joys and our sorrows.  It's a good read.

But I will leave you with some pictures of our time at the beach, though Chris is not in any of them I promise he did go.

 

 

 

(Pictured above: Leanne with the office staff and another Logos teacher, playing games on the beach with our staff, and Leanne with dear friends Chenda and Dalis.)

Soles for Souls

About a month ago (as you can see we are trying to catch you up on everything that has been going on here in Cambodia) Chris helped organize and fund raise for an event called Soles for Souls.

One of Asian Hope's outreaches is to invite the kids in the Logos neighborhood to come and get to use the school's pool, playground, and soccer field every Saturday afternoon.  This is obviously a huge blessing to these kids to get to be on this amazing campus.  Additionally, while they are at the school, our Khmer teaching staff also does a bible story or VBS type of time with them. 

Chris is the school sponsor for the Logos Student Government and his group of students wanted to help this outreach by providing shoes for all the kids.  In Cambodia most children spend the majority of their time barefoot, with no protection, they are more susceptible to injury and with little access to first aid and medical care, an infection is likely.

So the students raised money and bought or collected over 200 pairs of shoes to give to these children.  Chris' students gave away the shoes and the Khmer staff taught a lesson on following the footsteps of Jesus.

Another cool event...

Worlds Collide

A few weeks back Chris and I hosted a soccer game where our two worlds collided together.  Chris is the Logos boys soccer coach and I work in the village of Prek Pneu (which I am sure the vast majority of you already know this).  It turned out to be one the most fun events we have been a part of in our over 2 years in Cambodia.

A few months back the Khmer church contacted Chris to see if we could host a soccer game of the Logos team vs. the Prek Pneu church.  He agreed enthusiastically.  The event was actually an outreach for the Khmer church to get to know the men in the community more and be able to invite them to church.

Needless to say, the Logos team dominated, I don't know if it was that they are all 15 years old and substantially more fit, agile, and fast, or because Chris is such a good coach.  You can decide...

Chris and I even had an epic showing of a husband and wife, assist and goal combo to end the game.  The crowd went wild.  Really, I don't we have ever been cheered on that much.

We are blessed to play in games like these.  Games when teenage boys learn about their role in church growth, and games when small house churches find ways to build relationships.

Pchum Ben and the death of the King.

The past three weeks have provided a lot of learning for Leanne and I as we learn more about the Buddhist holiday of Pchum Ben as well as reflect with our Cambodian coworkers about the life and times of their beloved King, Norodom Sihanouk.

First, Pchum Ben (Chum Ben) is a Buddhist holiday in Cambodia in which followers visit their local temple (wat) and give food and money offerings to their dead ancestors. These offerings are given in order to keep the spirits of their dead ancestors at peace as their spirits walk through this world. The Khmer believe in waking the dead and their spirits and hoping that as the roam the earth they will find their family's offerings and be pleased, thus blessing the living relatives that left the offering.  There is a certain darkness that is felt throughout this 15 day holiday as spirits are called, offerings are made and according to the Khmer, spirits meander the streets. There is also an interesting dynamic at play because there is little separation between the culture of Cambodia and Buddhism. In the west there is a certain distance between religion and culture, meaning people can avoid religion and still celebrate their culture. In Cambodia, that divide is much smaller with culture and religion being one in the same. This time is undoubtedly a very difficult time for our Khmer Christian friends.

We spent the days of Pchum Ben watching the Cambodian families around us dress in their white mourning clothes and travel with food to the wat. While there was a certain emptiness we felt in this time there was also a certain awe for us as we can now speak with our landlord, his family and other Cambodians about their beliefs, rituals and practices. The weeks of Pchum Ben were interesting as well as disheartening as we see the emptiness and darknes in many of these practices.

During this holiday, the nation as a whole also suffered the lost of their beloved King, Norodom Sihanouk. From my studies of this man, I am left with questions and cynicism because he led the nation during the rise and conquest of the Khmer Rouge. As an unknowing westerner, I judge him as I judge my own leaders and any failure seems to mean they let down their nation. However, Cambodians have a certain and understandable reverence for the King. He created independence for Cambodia from the French, he led the nation in its golden years of innovation and technological growth, he made Cambodia and Phnom Penh the one-time "Pearl of Asia."

Our coworkers and friends mourned his death and so many Cambodians that I love and respect have nothing but love and respect for this man and I believe that I must as well. His resume to an outsider is marred by questionable relationships with some of history's most dubious leaders but I am not Cambodian, I do not know how much he did for the people and both Leanne and I watched with great admiration as the nation mourned a national hero and a father to many Cambodians.

We have lived in Cambodia for nearly two and a half years and we are able to see and learn more about the culture, history and practices of the nation through each passing month. It has been a wonderful and blessed opportunity to learn about and contrast our own beliefs and nations with Cambodia and we both appreciate the opportunity to do so. However, we also ask you join us in prayer for this country as the need for knowing a loving and alive God is of utmost need.

If anyone has been to Cambodia, you might appreciate this video taken in Phnom Penh in 1965. It displays a nation that is far more advanced, orderly and polished than the city is today. I always find these films outrageously interesting.