Rapping up English Camp...

Written by Em Aug 4:

Dear friends and family,

Wow, where should I start after a busy week of English Camp in Phnom Penh? God just doesn't stop surprising me with the way He teaches and stretches me! I learned a lot about having a servant attitude and being a leader this past week. The interns had a lot more responsibility at English Camp and taking care of the short term teams. The team that we gal interns stayed with at the dorms were an interesting bunch. God really surprised me with the situations I faced throughout the Camp. The debrief we did with our teaching groups were... interesting as well. Also, as I'm praying and asking if God is leading me into overseas missions, I've been impatient with God's silence, but I've come to realize that I should soak in whatever He's showing me now and wait for His final piece of the puzzle. I wish I could go into greater details about all this, but I'm pressed on time. I'm going to give a quick update on what happened and what will happen in the next week. God is good though! :-)

Three of our interns left this morning (Natalie, Elijah, Stan). It was a sad teary morning for us... and Jessica will be leaving tomorrow morning. Ohhhhhh, Phearum and his family and Moch from Siem Reap came for the week of English Camp!!!!!!!!!!! We had some nights together to hang out (I even got to sleep over with them at the guesthouse one night with Jonathan and Elijah! Rocio, I know you're jumping up and down screaming right now in jealousy and excitement! It was awesome! Oh, and Heng was here for most of the Camp, and then Seyha came over for a couple days! Heng was crying when they left on Sunday after church, *sniff sniff*.) Phearum and family and Moch will be leaving tomorrow morning as well. Gosh, it will be a very hard goodbye!

Jonathan and I will be staying in Phnom Penh until Thursday morning. We will take a bus at 9 A.M. to Battambang to visit the Strong's. Dave told me to wear some clothes that can endure some muddy activity. Here we go!!! We'll go back to Phnom Penh on Sunday, and leave for Kampong Saom the next morning with Kim and her Vietnamnese youth group. She told me they're on a low budget, so we'll most likely stay in huts near the beach... which is right across from the Jasmine Hotel where we stayed during Field Forum. After that, we'll most likely return to Phnom Penh for a couple days before heading to the outskirts of PP to visit Akphirin and his Bible College.

One highlight from English Camp was the visit to an orphanage with our students. There was a student who gathered a bunch of the young orphans and taught them the song "I Walk By Faith." One of my girls from my teaching team pulled my camera out and took a video of it. I was really touched by the way he worked with the orphans. I still remember his eagerness in teaching them the song and telling them about his great friend, Jesus. *thumbs up* Too bad time ran out at the end, and we had to leave. He left his English Camp book with the orphans, so hopefully they can read the lyrics to the songs we sing at Camp and seeds will be planted in their young and precious lives.

God has truly blessed my stomach so far, although I've had some tummy issues today, but nothing too serious, I think. And although I've been surviving on an average of 6 hours of sleep everyday, I'm still alive and doing fairly well! Thanks for all your prayers and I'm sure glad God is watching over Jonathan and I! Y'all take good care! Oh! I heard about the earthquake! Keep me updated on that please! Chum reap lea!

In Christ,
Em

PS- Oh, we caught a baby rat the other night at the dorms!

PPS- Sorry, no time to do personal emails, so here goes:

Mom/Dad: no worries, i will be alert. thanks for taking care of my fish, it's ok that one of them passed away. hope it didnt scare you too much, ma. i will keep my bags clean so no rats will get to it. i'll try to check my registration. the layout of the school website changed, and I'm having a hard time navigating through it and remembering my password @_@ i might have to try again next time, because i have to make the 930 curfew at the dorms i'm staying at for the last night. i'll be moving to a guesthouse tomorrow and staying there till thurs morning. oh yeah, IMPORTANT- now that our flight has been changed and re-confirmed, do we need our tickets??? We had tickets for our flights back, but they're the cancelled ones. Please check for us! Thank you! Wow, Uncle's here to visit?! Say hello to him and his family for me!!! Show them the pictures from our team blog and email updates!!! And Ma, I will be praying for you on Aug. 7 and 8. Don't worry, you stay strong and take care of yourself, OK? Love you and miss you both very much!!!!!!!
Dad, leave us a message on our team blog! http://sgvac-cambodia-stm-08.blogspot.com/

Rocio: Keep us updated on how it's going back at our piggy place!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm always thinking about you and what's going on at your place, update me on what's happened since last weekend! miss you like crazy!!!!! Oh, and hey, it's Veerak's BD today (aug. 4) and Dara's school exam! I will try my very best to write my journals about our time w/ Phearum, Heng, Seyha, and Moch!

Yvonne, Jackso, and PPaul: If I don't get a chance to email again, happy early birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keiko: Not sure if you're back from your Serbia missions trip, but hope you're doing well! and i'll be praying for a smooth re-entry for ya!

Elijah Stan, and Natalie: Elijah, you'll have to forward this to Stan and Nat for me! I miss you guys already. I'll have to admit that it was a sad morning at the airport, but it was kinda funny seeing you break down and cry right before you headed in, Elijah :-P Praying for all your flights back to the States and Canada!!!!!! Email me and Jonathan!!!! Intern email!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Sharon: Got your email. *hug* Praying with ya about what God's been doing in your life! Will you go to the church retreat later in Aug???

D: HOW ARE YOU?! Jon has a lil notebook he journals in just for you, hahhaa!