One Year Milestone

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 have had extreme highs and extreme lows. Hours, days, weeks, even months that made us think we have the greatest life in the world, and then hours, days, weeks, even months that have made us want to board a plane and move back as soon as we could get ourselves to the airport.

In some ways, the year has flown by, and in other ways, it seems such a long time since we have been close with our loved ones. One thing is for certain–that God’s faithful, and has sustained us in ways that continue to astonish us. Yes, there have been difficult moments…learning to drive a moto, or missing dear friend's weddings or my brother’s school graduation. Despite those difficult moments, God has blessed us in ways more deeply than we can express–a house that truly feels like “home", a new community of friends that love and support us, our faithful partners in America that have loved on us through prayer, finances, and encouragement–without which, we could not be here, technology so we can stay connected to those far away, Khmer staff that we have become closer to every day…the list goes on and on.

We are truly in awe of God’s provision during this past year, and we eager to see to see what happens in the next year.

On a slightly different note, I’ve been compiling a list for the past year, of ways that our lives have changed since moving to Cambodia. I hope this doesn't come off as a list of complaints, but rather an interesting record of what has become “normal” for us. Here are some of them:

1. Metric system. Still adjusting.
2. Fan constantly on you…before you sit down, you turn on the fan…every time. And then we sleep with aircon every night.
3. Hang clothes to dry–I always feel like a pioneer woman, even though this is a common practice throughout most of the world.
4. No hot water to wash dishes.
5. Power goes out constantly…sometimes for a few seconds, sometimes all day–especially in hot season.
6. Almost all houses in the city are little fortresses – every door/gate has a padlock, every window has bars, and every fence has barbed wire.
7. Grocery shopping takes several stops at both traditional outdoor markets and more “western” grocery stores.
8. Being exhausted at the end of the day from just trying to talk and listen in Khmer to the people we work with.
9. “New” things are rarely truly new and unused. Even if it’s wrapped in protective plastic.
10. “Stop signs” exist but no one, absolutely no one, stops at them, and if you did, you would cause a major accident.
11. Dusting and mopping every weekend so our house isn't a dirt pit, and sweeping everyday and each time having remarkably large piles of dirt, dead ants, and debris.
12. We think twice before throwing something away, you never know what creative way we can use it again.
13. We consistently make the comment "Is it real?" or "It is almost real."
14. Praying before driving—to not get in an accident or get hurt…and really mean it.
15. Becoming experts in anticipating the movement patterns of mosquitoes, rats, and cockroaches.
16. If you don't get up and run at 5:30am, then it is too hot the rest of the day to go.
17. Going out to dinner with friends and have sweat soaking through your clothes and you are not embarrassed or ashamed because they are in the same boat as you.
18. Being in a formal meeting and not having shoes on because shoes aren't worn inside. I still feel odd because it feels like I am relaxing at home and not in a business meeting.
19. Clothes shopping is something we have to gear up for, and make sure we both are in the right mood to take on the market.
20. Forgetting Spanish words as Khmer is now the foreign language we know the most.
21. Clothes are cheap, both in price and quality.
22. Buying food (Stove Top stuffing and jars of gravy) for the holidays in June because we see it in the store then and it may be February again before you see it. Learning to really plan ahead.
23. Having helmet hair everyday. Without a hairdryer, curling iron, or straightener, my hair is usually a disaster almost everyday, and the helmet doesn't help.
24. Throwing toilet paper in the trash so our toilet doesn't get clogged.
25. Pre-paid cell phones — We love this because there is no risk of going over on your minutes.
26. No prescription needed for anything. Feeling sick, just go get what you need.
27. Skillet handles and oven mitts don't protect your skin from the heat of the stove and oven.
28. Rehearsing a conversation in my head before going and speaking in Khmer.
29. If you don’t water your plants for a day, they will die almost immediately in the heat.
30. Only passengers in the front two seats are required to wear seat belts.
31. Termites eating our furniture…we watch for dust piles and then exterminate as needed.
32. Many food products are in other languages…Thai, Chinese, French…It’s a complete guessing game as to what the food we are buying.
33. Every time it rains, we both rush to several critical “leak spots” in our house–and try to do damage control.
34. “Ant cabinets” in the kitchen – specific cabinets constructed to keep the sugar ants out. The legs sit in little bowls of flour–which supposedly deters ants. Ours is marginal at best.
35. Putting anything and everything (food, make-up, soap, etc.) in a ziploc to keep all the bugs out.
36. Getting really, I mean really, excited when cereal goes on sale.
37. Learning to make everything from scratch since most things are not sold here. I wanted a graham cracker crust for a pie, so I made graham crackers.
38. When coming home from being stuck in the rain asking one another to bring the other dry clothes to the door so you don't leave a lake-size puddle in the house from all the clothes dripping water.
39. Having to de-worm every six months.
40. Flip flops every day.
41. Our toilets has a sprayer. Enough said.  The shower has no door and they are only 12 inches apart.
42. White rice every day.
43. Mosquito repellent nearly every day.
44. No carpet…only tile floors (hard on the feet but easier to clean)
45. It’s very dusty, so our feet get dirty easily (we wash our feel several times a day)
46. When placing my hand into an oven mitt, I always wonder, “Hmm, I wonder if there’s a bug in here”, but then continue anyway.
47. Becoming a blogger and facebook-er.
48. Finding it normal to wait about 5-10 minutes for a 1-2 minute Youtube clip to buffer.
49. Coke tastes better because it is made with pure sugar cane juice instead of processed corn syrup.
50. You can get a full-course meal for $10–and that’s for two people.

So yes, life is a little different now…and we continue to learn more and more each day. Our normal is feeling more normal, and we are so thankful for that. We have had an incredible year, one of tremendous growth, and we wanted to say thank you for loving us from afar.

Today we are off to China for our summer break and we couldn't be more excited! Any fun trips you went on this summer?