Hmmm, posting pictures directly to blogger wasn't working. That's OK, you can click on this link to see some new pictures I've posted.

The following is rated US for un-squeamish audiences

I was settling down on the toilet with a good book today and all was going well. I had some stomach issues in the morning before church, maybe because I had gone fishing in a muddy pond the day before and I had to get in the water to catch the fish. Also I don't think I washed my hands too well before having lunch that day. But I was feeling much better since my system was purged in the morning. However I did feel like a blood vessel was being pinched right at the top of my left hamstring, probably due to the way I was sitting. It felt kind of like a tickle, and maybe you have had a similar experience, when the pressure builds up in your blood vessel and you can start to feel your heartbeat right where the pinch is. So I adjusted myself and went back to reading. After about a minute the tickle feeling came back at first I thought, man this is a difficult toilet seat to get comfortable on. Then I noticed that the tickle didn't feel like my heartbeat. Suddenly I thought maybe something is touching me! Horrified, I jumped up to see what kind of brightly colored insect or giant spider it might be. Luckily it was neither of those. Instead, a small gecko poked its head out of the inside rim of the toilet seat. It probably didn't know why it had gotten so dark all of the sudden and it must have been terrified to see me. After a half second pause it scrambled up onto the toilet seat and literally jumped off in a flying leap with its tiny legs sprawled out to the sides. It landed in the corner behind the toilet and ran up the wall as fast as its little legs could take it. I laughed to myself and then sat back down to continue reading.

Moral of the story. Always check under the toilet seat for geckos.

Pictures

At the Silk Farm with Heng and Phearum

English Camp trip to the War Museum

"Lower Mountain" It's more like a big hill

Heng and I

At the Angkor Wat Temple Complex

Ana Caitlin Me and Dara

The Guys

Traditional Khmai Costume

Pray

I will be speaking at the church here in Siem Reap on Sunday morning. That will be sometime after 7pm on Saturday California time. Please pray for me! I will be talking about the life of Moses and using chapter 34 of Deuteronomy.

Old Friends

July 29, 2009

We're in the middle of English Camp now and it has been a blast! The only problem that I have is that there are too many people that I want to talk to but I have to choose to hang out and talk with one person at a time. Nonetheless I have been able to have some really good conversations so I'll summarize them here.

Sambo is an evangelist who lives here in Siem Reap and attends the Psah Luhr church. He has a heart to reach out to the rural areas of Cambodia. He takes his moto down muddy dirt roads to remote areas to share the gospel with people. Next week he will be moving to the Preah Vehea province which is along the northern boarder where Cambodia meets Thailand.

Dara and Sopheak are two young men who have been good friends of mine since my first trip to Cambodia in '07. They are trying to finish high school which can be quite difficult here due to the corruption in the education system and so by American high school standards they are a few years behind. Because they were taking their exams they could not attend the first few days of EC, but now they are done and it is very good to see them and hang out with them. The results of this exam will determine if they move on to the next grade.

Akphirun is another good friend from my first trip to Cambodia. He speaks excellent English and has served as a translator for the camp for the past three years. Last year I was able to visit the private English school that he and some friends started. The government allowed him to open the school under the condition that he does not teach about Christ there. Despite this limitation some of his students have begun attending his church and he brought five of them to EC this year. They have not trusted Christ as their savior yet but it is so encouraging to see them here.

I should get back to hanging out with the students, I will have more stories later.

Prayer Requests:

• For God's hand to be protecting Sambo, his wife, and his young daughter as they move and bring the gospel to the villages.
• That Dara's and Sopheak's would receive exam scores based on their merit and not on the lack of bribe money paid to the proctor.
• For the salvation of Akphirun's students and more opportunities for him to share Christ despite government regulations.

Siem Reap!!!

We accomplished a lot in Poipet with the Copelands. We moved in enough stuff that they were able to move into the house and stop paying for a hotel room. It was amazing to see that house transform from an empty space into a fully furnished home. We left early this morning and arrived in Siem Reap at 11 in the morning. We went to the house of a local church worker, Phearum. He has been instrumental in the organization and excecution of the English camps here in Siem Reap. After that we spent the afternoon hanging out at the church jamming and singing worship songs with Phearum, Moch, Pheaerum Phnom Penh, and Chena the leader of the girls dorm in Phnom Penh. We are getting ready to have an authentic Cambodian dinner cooked by some of the church ladies and a Khmer bible study after that. English Camp starts on Monday. I wasn't really looking forward to it because English Camp is always pretty grueling. But now that I'm here I am actually getting pretty excited because I'm slowly meeting all my old friends. If there is any place in Cambodia that feels like home it is the church in Siem Reap.

Prayer Requests:

• Safe arrival of the remaining short term teams coming for English Camp.
• Good gastro-intestinal health.
• Awesome reunions with friends in Siem Reap.

Poipet

1324 Wednesday, July 22
En Rout to Poipet, Cambodia

Since we got back to Phnom Penh from Field Forum we have been spending a lot of time with the students at the dorm. The guys at the dorm spend a lot of time obsessing over their motorcycles or motos. It is pronounced with the emphasis on the t. They spend a lot of time cleaning them and applying sheets of colored adhesive plastic to change the body colors. There are even tinted colors that give the head and tail lights a smokey look. It seems like guys are very similar no matter what country they live it. When we have dinner we all sit on the floor with a bowl of rice and scoop up stuff from a variety of dishes in the center of the circle. Overall the taste and appearance of the food is very typical Asian except for the sour soupy dishes which are common at Khmer meals. This morning I made fried egg in bread (you know the kind that was in V for Vendetta) for the dorm guys, I think the liked it. They were rushing off to classes so they just grabbed them as they were going out the door so I didn't really get any feedback.I'm on the bus going to Poipet now. It's about an 8 hour drive but it has been going by quickly. As per standard procedure for bus drivers the horn has been going off about every 30 seconds and I'm wondering if its pointed forward at the road or directly into the cabin of the bus. But the constant use of the horn has probably helped us to avoid accidents as the bus constantly crosses the dividing line on the two lane road to pass slower vehicles. A lot has been changing in Cambodia including the extent of paved roads. The main road running through the center of Poipet is now a nicely paved, four-lane road. This helps the flow of traffic and decreases travel time since cars and trucks do not have to snake through the numerous gaping potholes that once dotted the road. However this also presents a great danger because the low incidence of traffic accidents was due largely to the speed of the vehicles. Now that the road is paved people are driving much faster and not at all safer so more and more people are being injured and even killed on the road.

While I am in Poipet I will be helping the Copelands unpack and clean up their house in preparation of moving back in. I visited the Copelands for the first time two years ago. Kent is a surgeon and his wife Chrissy is a nurse. During their last four year term they helped to build and run a trauma center where Kent would treat injuries and sicknesses and witness to people in the process. They left for a year-long home assignment in the states and handed the clinic over to the government who is now running it. They just returned to Cambodia a few weeks ago and so they have a lot of preparations to make before getting settled in again. The Copleands have 5 children: CJ, Amber, Beth, Kendra, and Katie. They are all very well behaved and they always call me Mr. Jonathan. They didn't do that so much at Field Forum this time, maybe because they were not in front of their parents all the time. But I still think they are awesome because they always laugh at my jokes... well most of them. I'm looking forward to spending the next couple days before the Siem Reap English Camp with them.

Prayer Requests:

• Safe travel
• Good conversations with the Copeland adults and children

Kim Bui

I met Kim last year at Field Forum and I was later involved in a few ministries with her that summer Cambodia. I visited her house and helped her with an English tutoring session that she provides for a group of Vietnamese students from the churches she works with. She also invited me to attended their youth camp. I saw her again at Field Forum this year and talked with her about the current direction of her ministries here.
Kim is a Vietnamese Missionary from Canada who has been working in Phnom Penh for several years training students within the Vietnamese Christian community and working to protect and rescue girls from sex trafficking. She is now been called to a growing tourist town five hours north of Phnom Penh called Siem Reap. There she will work with a team of three other Vietnamese women to plant churches in the Vietnamese villages in and around Siem Reap. However she is concerned for the safety of the team and herself because of the lack of a male presence. While she is there she will put into practice an evangelism method called the Church Planting Movement. This method centers around short, easy to remember and recite, stories from the Bible. To begin, a short testimony of two minutes is given followed by the story of how God the creator made the world. Evil forces and spirits are explained to be angels who were good and created by God but fell and now work against him but he still has power over them. The Ten Commandments are part of another story that shows mankind's inability to be perfectly good. The sacrifices of Israel demonstrates the price and penalty for our sins. These stories set the stage for Jesus who is the fulfillment of the law and the sacrificial system. Kim says that this method has been particularly effective in Cambodia and the surrounding countries because it answers questions that the people have about the origins of the world. Fear of the spiritual world is also deeply rooted in the cultures of this region so for people to hear that spiritual beings were created by God and are under his control brings great comfort to them.

A positive outcome of the activities of the Non-Government Agencies fighting against sex trafficking in Phnom Penh is decreased trafficking within the city. Since I was here last year there has been a noticeable drop in the number of brothels lining the streets. However, traffickers are now moving to other parts of the country such as Siem Reap. This is part of the reason that she feels she is being called to this city despite having to leave many students who love her and will be very sad to see her leave Phnom Penh.

I will meet with Kim in Siem Reap when I go there for English Camp and I will have a chance to talk to her more there.

Wet!

I am at the end of my third full day in Kampong Som and it has been raining non-stop since we got here! I love the rain but there are a few unfortunate consequences to having it all the time. One being the cancellation of beach day. We are only a few minutes away from some really nice beaches but many were unwilling to go in the rain. True, one an expect to be wet at the beach whether it is raining or not but the experience is somewhat different when the sun is obscured by a layer of thick gray clouds. Another disadvantage to all the rain is the inability to hang dry any clothes. This creates a problem when I only have 4 shirts with me and they take two or more days to dry. But I have been managing and I really like the rain despite its downsides.

Besides the rain Field Forum has been great. I have had an awesome time with the youth ministering to them and spending time with them and coming up with games for them to play. The messages that have been presented every morning fit so well with the theme of what I was planning to teach the youth. God has been at work leading me and leading the speaker before we came to Cambodia to bring us to the same focus. Also, since this is my second time to Field Forum I have been able to connect with the kids really quickly and pick up right where we left off last year. I feel much more effective coming back for the second time.

I have also been able to have awesome conversations with most of the missionaries here. Dave and Doris about how they decided the appropriate level of living conditions for the people they are ministering to. Boon Oy and Chun Thon about their experiences in bringing Christ to the Jarai tribal group. Kent and Chrissy about the direction of their medical ministries in Poipet. Chris and Julie about finding a balance in interfaith dialogue. Jeff and Heather about the progress of their leadership training center. Joyce about the progress that the B'nong believers are making in building their conference center. Seoth and Syna about growing up as a Cambodian American and then responding to the call of God to return to Cambodia as missionaries. Holy about how God lead her to pursue her passions and how he is using them to further his Kingdom here in Cambodia.

Prayer Requests:

• Praise for good devotional sessions with the youth. They responded well and engaged in discussion.
• For good conversations and good connections with the youth and their parents.
• For time to do devotions and be still and silent before God

Kampong Som

2125 Don Bosco Hotel, Cambodia

We just got to the Don Bosco hotel in Kampong Som where Field Forum is being held. The same as last year the interns are staying at a different hotel about ten minutes away down by the beach. I wish we were staying at the same place as the missionaries so we could hang out with them as long as possible. Also there is wireless internet here so I can keep updating every night. But there aren't enough rooms. We had our first session with the youth and it was awesome being reunited with them, I know all of them from my previous two trips. I think we're going to have a lot of fun here. Also I'm looking forward to interrogating a different missionary at every meal so that I can just soak up all the collective wisdom and experience.

Prayer Requests:

• Wisdom and effectiveness as the youth leader for Field Forum. To have meaningful encounters with the kids here.
• To have great conversations with the missionaries and learn as much as possible.

Waiting

I am at the CAMA office in Phnom Penh right now. All the missionaries are here waiting for the bus so it has been a good opportunity to reunite with a lot of them and catch up a little bit. There are so many though!!! I would be talking to one and then see another across the courtyard and want to talk to them too. So actually I shouldn't be online, but I wanted to post someting before leaving. My next post will be from Kampong Saoum.

July 11
I'm staying at the student dorm tonight. The place has really changed since I stayed here last time. I mean it's the same place and all just that there are a bunch of guys living here now. One thing is that the toilet is really dirty now. Haha, guys will be guys I guess. The group that stays here consists of about 8 guys who are studying in universities in Phnom Penh. They have been invited to stay at this dorm free of charge because they are Christians and because they have agreed to have some theological training on top of their regular school studies. The goal of this dorm is to produce strong Christians who have a practical job skills as well as enough training to become leaders and maybe pastors in their churches. In Cambodia a church that is able to support a full time pastor is rare so an overwhelming majority of pastors here are bi-vocational. Because the students at the dorm will be graduating with marketable skills that will give them a decent income they make perfect candidates for pastoral positions.

I'm looking forward to the next few days because it will be a little rougher living since I've been staying a pretty nice guesthouses so far. If you are trying to imagine the conditions, think dorm living with a little bit of rural village life thrown in. They do things here like wash their clothes by hand in the yard, which is more like a dirt courtyard. Other things to deal with are the mosquitoes and open-window “air-conditioning”. I am also looking forward to attending a Khmai service tomorrow. I need to sleep early so that I won't fall asleep during service.

Prayer Requests:

• Still need to prep for Field Forum Youth Program
• Making the most of the time I am spending with Khmai friends, encouraging them in their faith.
• Giving the gospel to those I can when I meet them.

Back in Phnom Penh

We had a good trip from Battambang to Phnom Penh yesterday with Dave, Doris, Maria (a missionary workin in Siem Reap), and the short term team. We divided the group in two pickups and two taxis which were white Camrys running on natural gas. Doris was worried about driving in a convoy because conditions on the road can change rapidly between the lead car and the ones following. At one point a cow decided to try to cross the road between us, a cow can be hard to avoid when you are traveling 50 or 60mph. But God had his hand over us during the 5hr drive and we arrived safely. I got to have really good conversations with some of the high schoolers on the drive down. They asked a lot of questions about apologetics and I was able to challenge them to stand firm on their view of the absolute truth and accuracy of scripture. Before dropping them off at the airport we stopped for about an hour and half at the market and did some shopping. I've never seen so many people buy so much in such a short time. They got really good at bargaining.

I've also had good conversations with Chris Bellar, one of Dave and Doris' new team members. I'm looking forward to "interogating" all the missionaries I meet on this trip.

Prayer Requests:

• Still need to prep for Field Forum.
• Need to start typing up stuff for my Field Intership portfolio.
• Praise God, health is still excelent!

0609 Local Time

Battambang, Cambodia

I'm leaving Battambang today. Dave and Doris and the entire short term team that I've been with this week will be heading to Phnom Penh to catch their flight home. It's been a tiring but good 5 days here. We completed the fence that we started. The sunburn on my calves that I got from planting rice is still a little sensitive but much better. Yesterday the short term team performed a skit and song at a New Life in Christ event; more on that later.

When we stopped working on the fence on Monday we had all the posts in and about one and a half rows of barbed wire up. Joseph, the owner of the orchard we were fencing in wanted about 5 rows so we had a ways to go. When we returned on Wednesday to finish it we found that it was almost finished. On Tuesday Joseph and his family had returned to the orchard and finished almost three rows by themselves. Dave and Doris were particularly encouraged by this because it showed that Joseph was taking ownership of the fence and seeing it as his own and therefore willing to put work into it. The danger in giving, supporting, and providing for locals is the creation of a dependency relationship. This is why simply sending money will never work. Its the same reason that some take advantage of welfare, the money comes from some impersonal source and there is no accountability. So instead of using the money to help themselves get on their feet, many take advantage of it and spend it on luxuries they would not have otherwise been able to afford. That is why it is crucial to have people on the ground assessing the need and finding ways to "teach a man to fish" and not just "feed him for a day". Micro credit is one way to accomplish this, by letting the lenders know that they need to pay back their small loan they are forced to use it with long term beneficial goals in mind. With service projects, the overwhelming response when foreign aid comes to build something for local people they will not make an effort to care for or maintain the structure simply because "the foreigners built it, it was free, I don't need to care for it". It is unfortunate, but good stewardship is difficult when there is no sense of ownership. Think about the last time you rented a car or stayed in a hotel room.

The New Life in Christ event is one that is held three times a year for AIDS patients that is part health education and part spiritual encouragement and teaching. Those who attend are leaders and members of local churches in Battambang who are involved in care ministries for the HIV positive and the patients themselves. In a conversation with Sharon, a missionary from the Philippines, she told me that the skit and song that the youth of the short term team performed was a good change from the regular program that they hold at these meetings. The skit was performed to the audio track of Brandon Heath's Give Me Your Eyes, and clearly communicated our need for God's perspective to be able to see and love those around us who are in need. A local pastor gave a message in Khmai, I heard that his experience of being a monk has been central to his ability to preach the gospel in a way that challenges many in this Buddhist nation.

Prayer Requests:

• Safe travel to Phnom Penh
• Time to prep for the youth program at Field Forum. I'm supposed to meet with one of the organizers, Mary Westergren, sometime over the next few days.

Battambang Day 2

I've been in Battambang for two days now. After having breakfast with the short term teams and the dorm students I headed off to the bus station on the back of a moto with TD, one of the dorm students, driving (is that the right word to use when talking about motorcycles?). The bus ride in an old, but comfortably air conditioned tour bus, took almost 6 hours. It didn't seem that long though because most of the time I was talking to a Cambodian lady who had gone to live in Pennsylvania after being put in a Thai refugee camp after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. She was visiting family members in Cambodia to participate in a Buddhist ceremony with a few of her brothers who are monks. I tried to turn the conversation to the subject of Christ but she said that as long as you are good and do good things it doesn't matter what religion you practice. At that point I told her that doing good cannot make up for the bad that every one does and that only Jesus can make us good. She didn't seem too interested in talking about that. Every city in Cambodia has a statue which is basically a giant idol that represents the god or spirit of the city. As we passed the Battambang idol she pressed her palms together and raised them to her forehead.

After getting off the bus I was approached by a tuk tuk driver who asked me where I wanted to go. I told him that I was waiting for a friend to pick me up. We started talking and I discovered that his English was pretty good. He asked me what I was doing in Cambodia and I told him that I was here to help the church and work with missionaries who lived in the country. I asked him if he had ever been to church and he said he had when he was very young but now he was too busy working as a tuk tuk driver. Apparently he had started going to church due to the influence of Christian groups that had provided aid and ministered to people in the refugee camps along the Thai boarder. He remembered the games that they played but not any of the teachings about Christ or the Bible. As Dave, my missionary host in Battambang rolled up to the station I said good bye to the tuk tuk driver and encouraged him to go back to church.

Later on I thought how strange it was that I met two Cambodians who had both been in Thai refugee camps but one had gained admittance to the States and the other went back to Cambodia. The woman I met on the bus has a comfortable life because of the good jobs that her sons have and because of the numerous and sizable diamonds she was wearing. The man who had returned to Cambodia, however, struggles to support his family by driving a tuk tuk around for less than a dollor each trip. The contrast between a life in the States and a life in Cambodia is drastic.

After being picked up by Dave, myself and a handful of other short term-ers went out to a village just outside the city and helped to build part of a cow fence surrounding a plot of land that will be used for planting. We dug holes for rough, wooden fence posts and nailed some barbed wire to it. It was pretty intense work.

Posts for the fence

But today was even more intense. The short term team and I are staying at the Te o Hotel in Battambang not far from Dave's house. He came to pick us up at 7:30 and we went to a rice field to help a family plant their rice. This family has been very generous with their resources by letting Dave conduct SRI experiments on their land. This planting day was arranged by Dave as a way of thanking this family for their help in his work. The day started out cool and overcast but it got really hot in the afternoon. We finally finished at 5:30 and we were pooped. I slept well last night.

Planting

A local pastor and a church worker

Prayer Requests:

• Praise for good health and good sleep thus far. I still wake up early in the morning, around 5am, but it gives me time to do devotions and write updates.
• Pray for God's blessing on the work of Dave and Doris here in Battambang. They are trying to create holistic ministries where they meet the felt needs of the people here as well as their greater need for a savior.

We'll see how long I last.

The remaining leg of the journey was uneventful. I made it to Phnom Penh on schedule and Bill, one of the the missionaries in Phnom Penh; Caitlin, an old friend we met at English Camp two years ago; and Phearum, the current director of the dorm ministries in Phnom Penh, were waiting to greet me outside the baggage claim area. A lot has changed in Phnom Penh since last year. The once muddy road to the new dorms where the Phnom Penh English Camp will be held this year is now paved over with a fresh layer of concrete. Lots of construction projects are starting up too, including a 43 story sky scraper. This is a big deal in Cambodia. Bill was also telling me that many of the guesthouses lining the streets were once brothels that got shut down by the government. Things seem to be looking up in the capitol.

The first interesting sighting of the trip was out on the road as we were driving through the city. It seemed that a moto had crashed and had caught on fire. As we drove past we could see that the owner was frantically trying to put out the flames by beating them down with papers but the fire only grew worse. It seemed like the gas tank could have gone up at any moment but we didn't stick around long enough to see what happened. I hope the only casualty of that incident was the moto.

It's almost 4:30 in the afternoon here and I'm starting to feel lethargic. I was able to get some rest on the plane but I think I still need some time to completely make the timezone switch. Tonight is dinner with the rest of the team that is here for the Phnom Penh English Camp, almost 20 other short termers, and then coffee and hang out at Bill and Ilana's place. We'll see how long I last.

Prayer Requests:

• Quick adjustment to the time zone.
• Good recall of the Khmai that I learned on previous trips. I'd like to have something to say to start conversations with the locals.
• Boldness to talk to people I meet.
  

Taipei

July 3, 2009

We're descending towards Taipei airport right as I type this. The flight has been uneventful. I watched a couple movies, ate two meals (one of which was porridge for breakfast), slept a little, and typed some things up including this entry. I have to admit that I was a little worried about China Airlines before boarding. I chose them because they offered the best fare, but having flown Thai and Malaysia on previous trips to Cambodia I wasn't sure I could expect the same experience from China. But I have been pleasantly surprised. The plane is modern, the food is pretty good, there is an on-demand entertainment library, and the attendants have been very helpful. Right when I boarded one of them offered to place my travel guitar in a special compartment separate from the other carry-on baggage. Aside from the fact that all of them start talking to me in Mandarin instead of English I have nothing to complain about.

After about an hour or two layover there is still another four hour leg before I land in Cambodia. So far so good, I'm looking forward to meeting the missionaries again and seeing old friends in Cambodia. Thanks to everyone who came to the send-off, I felt encouraged and definitely covered in prayer. Props to family and friends who stayed till 12:15 in the morning at LAX to wait for my boarding time.

Prayer Requests:

• Adjusting to the timezone. I'll probably start falling asleep around 6 or 7 local time and waking up around 4 or 5. It's not too bad coming this direction but the struggle is not to fall asleep in your food at dinner.
• Final arangements for my travel north to Battambang where Dave Strong is. I'm still not sure if I will leave immediately or rest a few hours or maybe a day before getting on the bus. I want to be the least burden to the missionaries here. (Update: Dave has requested that I travel to Battambang on Monday so I will need to make somewhat last minute arangements with Ilana to stay in Phnom Penh for a few days)

Funding

Praise God for his provision! After sitting down and working out the numbers today I discovered that I am short of being fully funded by about $250 only. That is totally workable on my budget. I probably won't have much money for souvenirs though. =P Once again God has provided for me according to his grace.

Only 8 more days till departure!

Send Me!

Yesterday was the second meeting of Send Me! a class provided by the U.S. Center for World Missions and Lake Ave church in Pasadena. The purpose of the class is to expose those who are thinking of becoming missionaries to issues which they have not thought about, questions they have not asked, and areas of character and knowledge and skill development which they may not have considered. As always, God's timing is perfect as this class comes at a time when Rocio and I are seriously thinking about our next steps in life. We have already gained a lot from these first two classes and look forward to gaining more wisdom and insight as we live preparing to go but willing to stay. When we attended the first class last week we were pleased and amused to discover that in his providence God had brought another couple into the small class of 12 whose names are Jonathan and Rose. Since the four of us make the only two couples in the class we were naturally grouped together to form a small prayer group. At the end of each meeting we spend about 15 minutes sharing about what we discussed in the class and praying together; we are enjoying our time together immensely.

A couple key issues were brought up this past Tuesday. One was the complexities of raising a family overseas. When children grow up in a home where their parents embody one culture but they are constantly exposed to a different culture in the country where they stay they become third culture kids. TCKs, for short, often exhibit behavior in the extreme ends of a relationship forming scale. On one end they may remain distant with people they meet and resist forming relationships because they have moved around so much and have had to say goodbye so often. On the other end they may be vulnerable to becoming attached too quickly and too deeply because they know that time is short and they want to make the most of every relationship opportunity. Though raising TCKs is difficult they often grow up more resilient and adaptable because of the environment they grew up in.

The second key issue is one that resonates greatly with Rocio and I at this stage in our lives: should those who are planning to go overseas consider buying a house? In the current housing market there seem to be so many advantages, but would we in essence become married to our mortgage and tied down because of it? We heard opinions on both sides of the issue but it seems that the advantages of owning a house outweigh the difficulties. Aside from the investment value, a house is an important step to laying down roots. This becomes immensely important when considering the previous issue of TCKs. A house becomes a place that our kids can call home, a place to live where we can remain connected with extended family and friends after returning from the field, and an inheritance to leave to our children.

I am grateful for this opportunity to wrestle with these issues so that I can walk into missions with my eyes open and aware of some of the questions, issues, and hardships that will present themselves.

Prep Work

I've been asked to head up the youth program for Field Forum. Yikes! I'll have a group of about 15 kids ranging from jr high to juniors in high school and I need to come up with a program that will be engaging, challenging, fun, and helpful for their spiritual growth... I have never done anything like this before so I'm excited and terrified all at once. Please pray for wisdom and an abundance of ideas. If you have any suggestions they will be most welcome!

Welcome!

If you are looking for Jonathan Chua's missions blog you've come to the right place. Subscribe to my blog and get email updates of my preparatons for Cambodia and of my daily activities once I get there. It's a handy reminder and guide if you'll be praying for me. Thanks for stopping by.