more footage

hello blog readers :)  we have some clips on the YouTube

for some

Forgive me as I attempt to put personal thoughts into words.  It does not come easily.

Doctrine and Covenants 46 talks about gifts of the Spirit.

11- For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
12- To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

Much of the remaining section is devoted to a list of Spiritual Gifts.


McKae and I watched the Footloose remake today.  Ariel bugs me.  McKae asked me why and I decided that it was because she is one of those girls who is so beautiful and knows that she can pull tons of crap, and it's okay because she mostly gets what she wants from the men in the story.  It just bugs me okay.

Later we were talking about people and came upon an idea that some people are just blessed to be incredibly beautiful.  To the point that you're wondering 'How are you even human?? Humans have perceptible flaws.' 

Here is an idea that I've been ruminating on:  McKae is sick.  She has been sick for a while and it's hard.  I'm not sick.  My energy levels haven't been significantly reduced. I haven't felt incapacitating pain.   Natalie and McKae both experienced physical pain while they were here.   For the most part, I've been well.

I think I'd add 'drop dead gorgeousness' to the list of heavenly endowed gifts; not mine, I can't get my life to work out because I'm cute.  Do you think physical strength would be added to this list? Absolutely.  Look at the scriptures, there are so many examples where God has endowed His children with strength.

I'm not ripped and I'm not asking to be numbered with the stripling warriors.  But simply the juxtaposition of incredible people whose bodies take an incredible toll and a body that takes it in stride has helped me realize that I am strong.  I wasn't suddenly given strength when I arrived in Cambodia; this isn't really new.  I suppose that I've been strong for a while.  I wasn't always. 

My body is strong.  Great.  Why?  D&C 46:12 says: "To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby."
What profit is it for McKae to be so ill she has been unable to leave our room on some days?  We can't fulfill a commitment, who does that profit?  What profit is there for 1 teacher when the kids were expecting 2?  And finally, who will it profit when she leaves on Tuesday?

I've been assured that, if there is anyone in the world who could do this on their own, it's me.  When asked if I'll be able to handle things on this end, my answer was 'We'll see'.
That, my dear, is the best I can do.  I cannot see the future.  If I could, I don't know if I would have had the courage to come.  I will try, but there isn't really a litmus test for this kind of thing.  I'm not excited to be without my companion here, but watching her pain for the past few weeks takes it's toll as well and I look forward to her comfort.

 It is said that a person's character is defined by what their thoughts are when no one is around.  What do you do when nobody is watching?
While I am probably more watched here than I have ever been in my life, I think this will prove to be an extremely enlightening experience.  The challenge will be not to feel completely alone.  I'm not.  I know I'm not.
Knowing and feeling are separate things. 

For some, an awaited opportunity is experienced only in part and then is seemingly withdrawn.  For some, an announcement is given to change life's course.  For some it is given to watch powerlessly as someone struggles far from you.  For some, the strength to carry on is given when there is none other to take the responsibility.
Somehow, all will profit.  I think I'll go look up 'profit' in Church literature.  I'm afraid the indended definition is different than my own. 

footage

I know.  I need to work on my blog-communication skills.  Have you ever tried blogging?  It's hard.  I suggest you give it a try and see how you do.  I'll follow you, read all of your posts, even the boring ones, and comment occasionally.

 While we're here, I have footage for you.  I know.  You're excited.  Me too. :)
This is a video compilation of some of the videos that we took during our first week in Cambodia.

So glad I'm here with someone who knows how to video-edit.

Also here for you viewing pleasure today, here is a video from Akin Clothing.

Akin is another organization that was started through SIFE at BYUH.  The organization owner, Ben Howell, donated the uniforms for the kids here at CICFO.

spa

Today we needed to go to the central market on account of our need for food. 
We got on a tuktuk all by ourselves. Yaya wrote down our address so that we could give it a tuktuk drive when we were done shopping.

Look at us!  On our own in Cambodia. 

Last time we were at the central market (like the mall) we saw this thing for 25cent icecream cones.  Uuuummm.  Ice cream.  Duh.  We hadn't had breakfast, we were hungry, it was perfect.  We had pancakes with teeny little butter cubes, a CamBurger with a little flag, and ice cream.  I've noticed that Cambodians don't fill up their icecream cones.  I don't know why, but they never do.  It's a bit of a let-down, but it was only 1000Riel which, again, is 25cents.

We got a lot of shopping done.  Our goal it to not have to come back next Saturday.   This is a market society (that's not an official term, I made it up), America is a storage society.   Cambodians go to the market for food every day, and store it in their little mini fridges.  Americans buy food for a month and keep it in their monster freezers.  We'll see how long we can avoid the stores.

McKae was feeling near the end of our trip.  Yaya and Sunny invited us to go to the spa with them in the afternoon.  McKae didn't feel up to going, but I went.
It's more like a gym.  A few of the kids from CICFO joined us.   The rain came down in blankets as we drove to the 'spa', but we were not deterred. There was a pool, there was a machine room, there was a steam room, sauna, and two jacuzzis.  Why 2?  One was hot water and one was cold.   We spent a few hours in the pool and I ended up teaching everyone how to float.  I recently got an email from the Red Cross telling me that my teaching certification needs to be renewed.  If the Red Cross could see me now, they wouldn't make me retake the cert tests.  Ah well.
After spending a few hours increasing our body temperature, we went home.  It was still a bit overcast; hot chocolate weather?  Not exactly, but had some anyway. 

party time

We went to the market.  We didn't ride on a tuktuk or a car.  You've gotta be kidding if you suggest we ride our bikes there.  No way man.  Sunny and her brother/friend/man/didn't quite understand his name/guy took us on motos.

That's right.  Motos.
We went to the bank.  Word to the wise.  Cash.  Always have cash.

We also went because we felt a tad under the weather and decided to have something that was potentially more healthy.  We decided pizza sounded good.  Cheesy greasy goodness.  Okay maybe not healthy, but familiar.

We had a party planned at the orphanage.  Did you hear that guys?  A PARTY!!!!

It began with Blow-Pops from a senior missionary and went quickly from that to a performance of traditional Cambodian dancing.  Absara (angels), Monkeys, girls, boys, girls and boys with coconuts....really cool stuff.  All on film, working on a video for it that we'll upload to YouTube.

After this traditional show, we ate.

And then we got to the part that we were all most excited about.
 DANCE PARTY!


Let's be honest here, Americans don't really know how to dance anymore.  What happened to us?  We had some good years, but apart from people who break-dance or are in Beyonce videos, we don't really dance to the music that we, for lack of a better word, dance to.   Forgive us Fred Astaire.  These kids know all of the popular songs that you do, so I was curious about how they'd dance in a contemporary setting.

It looks pretty much the same.  Even so, Cambodia does have strong ties to their traditional dance, which I think is really cool. 

On our way

We started our journey at the Canal house, where we were picked up by Natalie and her mom-in-law in a red truck.  Yes, a red, short-ish truck.  All of our stuff fit in the back.  We got pulled over for speeding and found that the officer who had stopped us had served in the military and did a tour in Cambodia in the 1980's.  It was cool talking to him.  We didn't get a ticket.
We breezed through check-in.  Soon we were on our way via KOREAN AIR.

Fly Korean Air.  You'll thank me later.

We flew over Japan.  By the time we flew over Japan, it was Tuesday instead of Monday.  So I waved and sang 'Happy Birthday' to my dear cousin, Elder Bame.  Didn't plan that.

The Korean Airport is beautiful.  McKae and I did some traditional printing because it was the activity of choice.

Then we boarded the plane, Korean Air again, to Phnom Penh.  There was a fair amount of turbulence. But finally we were in Cambodia!


On Wednesday, which was Tuesday night for you on the other side of the world, we explored a bit.
First, we went to the grocery store and the market.
Something you should know about traffic here.  There are no rules.  Well, there are, 1) Moto drivers must wear helmets 2) Watch where you're going.  You would think, by looking at how many vehicles are on the streets, that there are a ton of accidents all the time.  We've been here for a few days and we've only seen one accident.  It was between two motos.  Small kine accident. I think Cambodia people are better drivers because they have to be very aware of everyone around them- otherwise they'll get run over.
The food here- well everything here, but mostly the food- is very cheap.  Cambodia uses the metric system.  I think, deep in my brain, I knew that.  I'm not quite used to it. There is a, you know, slight language barrier.  It is so weird to be the minority tongue here.  Cool, but weird.  It tests your brain to see if there is any other way to get the point across.

After the market, we went to buy bikes.
In the terms of general population, I'm tall.  Compared to my family I'm not that tall, but I'm pushing 5'10''.   The bike store had 1 bike that was my size.  There was a different one that they had me try but the handles were really close together and my knees got in the way of my steering.
So we had our bikes.  Something that we didn't really think of until we were getting ready to leave was...how are we getting our bikes anywhere?  We have no idea where we're going, we don't speak the language, we have no idea how to deal with traffic, and we've only been in the country for about 14 hours.
I'll upload the video to YouTube later.  Natalie has it.
We followed the car- and the car drove slowly- to the orphanage.

CICFO
We walked into the orphanage and the children met us in the courtyard.  They greeted us with hugs- which is difficult because I am substantially taller than they are and I still haven't quite figured that out yet.  The kids lined up and introduced themselves.  "Hello my name is ____, I am ____ years old.  Nice to meet you."
After their adorable introductions, the kids sang for us.  They began with A Child's Prayer.  When was the last time you heard that song?

Heavenly Father, are you really there, 

and do you hear and answer every child's prayer?

I was a goner.  I started crying, it was terrible.  They're orphans and it was one of the sweetest, most touching things I've ever heard.  The thought that immediately followed yes He does, he knows you're here and he loves you was  Neco told me never to cry in front of Southeast Asians because they'll think you're crazy.   I started to sing with them to stop myself from crying.  We got through the rest of A Child's Prayer, I am a Child of God in English and in Khmer (pronounced kuh-my), Listen to the Still Small Voice, and I think there was one more but we'll leave it there. 

A few of the little girls started doing a traditional Khmer (kuh-my) dance for a few minutes and then we were done with the formal meeting and we went off to play.  McKae and I played with the kids for a few hours.  The taught us their games, they communicated in broken English, we ran around playing Tom and Jerry, duck-duck-goose, some other Khmer running game.  They showed us their dogs.   Oh man these kids are so cute!  

When it was time to go, the little ones bid farewell with more hugs and a few of the older children guided us back to Botevy's house so that we wouldn't get lost.  

The end.  There are lots of pictures on facebook that you are welcome to view, I can't post very many here.   

Life just got real.

Remember that time that I told you I was planning on going to Cambodia and didn't get the internship?

I got an email today and I'M GOING TO CAMBODIA!
Tentative leaving date is September 25th.
The other intern is the lovely Miss McKae.

For a little more information about the Cambodian International Children Friend Organization, click the name. 

My life is a dream. I don't actually believe that this is really happening.  I'm both excited and scared out of my mind.  Mostly scared out of my mind.