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Musings from the World of Jewel Scarves for Cambodia Journals for the Journey

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Help me choose our new prayer card(s)!

Please help me choose our new prayer card (or cards, if I decide that I can't choose just 1). I do have my 1 or 2 favorites, but I'd like some opinions!

#1:

#2:

#3

#4

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Pregnant!!

Pregnant!!!! No.. not us. :) Our best friends in Cambodia are pregnant!!!  Tess is due June 13, 2013.  So excited for them!!!!!  Wishing we could be there in June... glad we can go in January!


Friday, November 9, 2012

Romdenhs' November Update

Friends, Family, and Faithful Supporters,
We have great news! Aldean got his visa!!!! Titus and I are praising the Lord for His gift of grace to Jessie & Aldean and we trust that He will be glorified in their testimonies! I remember very well the day that I received news from Titus that he passed the interview; and a week later, when the visa was stamped into his passport. Titus and I are especially happy for Jessie & Aldean because we know personally how relieving and overwhelming and GREAT that piece of news is! Aldean is scheduled to arrive in Indiana from the Philippines on November 17 and the wedding is two weeks later on December 1. We’re excited to meet the guy we’ve heard so much about, and anxious to see how a third culture blends into our family!

In other news, two days ago, Titus and I purchased round-trip tickets to Cambodia. We’ll be leaving a few days after Christmas and staying for three weeks. Our primary ministry will be an encouragement to the pastors and the churches, which have experienced some hard transitions and challenges since Titus’ departure in October 2011. Our plans include coordinating a pastors and wives’ retreat - a time to get away, to get together, and to rejuvenate their bodies while rekindling their passions [at the beach!] We are almost half-way to our goal of raising $1,600, which will allow 30 pastor’s families to attend at no cost to them.

On October 29th, we celebrated our one-year-anniversary. On the 26th, Titus and I flew to Baltimore, Maryland to spend 5 days with friends. As you know, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast on October 29th. Although our friends’ home retained power and had no significant damage, the whole experience will be a long-lasting first anniversary memory! The wind was unlike anything that I have ever heard or felt before and we are very grateful for the protection over our friends’ home!! We had lots of fun before the storm hit! On Friday, we enjoyed exploring Baltimore City and visiting the National Aquarium. On Saturday, we explored Washington D.C. I really enjoyed getting to know the Long family and it was so good for Titus to be able to spend time with a friend from Cambodia! How we value and cherish our relationships with friends who understand cross-cultural marriage!

 As always, thank you. Thank you for reading, for supporting, for praying, for loving, and for giving. The knowledge that you are simply behind us gives us confidence to pursue God’s will and the visions that He has given us.

Serving Him,
Jewel & Titus

Friday, August 24, 2012

The TOEFL


Please pray for Titus as he is preparing to take the TOEFL test tomorrow. The TOEFL test is a requirement for him, as a speaker of English as a second language, to begin taking classes at Indiana Wesleyan University. It will evaluate his listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in English. The test will begin at 9:00am and the estimated length is 4 long hours. We’re really coveting your prayers for the test – as this is very important for Titus and he is pretty nervous. Please pray for: clarity, confidence, and concentration. We will receive his results two weeks after the test.  The waiting game never ends!

Serving Him,
Jewel & Titus

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

She's making me homesick...

My new friend Megan (more on her SOON!) just returned from her first trip to Cambodia and looking at her 294 pictures on Facebook made me so homesick for Cambodia!  Here are a few that made me the most homesick:




A beautiful Bible school


The view of from from inside a tuk tuk; and a tuk tuk


Just sitting outside, waiting for another customer


Roasted pig, anyone??


So many memories made just like this one!


Warm and happy people


The simple life!


Roll out the mats, and it's a bed; roll up the mats, and it's a sitting-area AND a table!


Did I ever think this would be my life??


The country-side


Feasting


Cows living under a stilt home

We cannot cannot CANNOT wait to visit in January!!

Serving Him,
Titus & Jewel

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Romdenhs in America: May 2012

Friends, Family, and Supporters,
Titus received his Green Card! (And yes, it is green!) We are praising the Lord!! He is now a permanent resident (at least until his status expires in 2 years!) The process/journey of applying for a fiancĂ© visa, [Titus] transitioning to the USA, applying for a Green Card, interviews, appointments, documentation, etc. has been a CHALLENGING experience. It has, at times, tested our faith, and brought us to our knees in exhaustion; but through it all, we have seen the Lord MOVE MOUNTAINS and we can stand today and testify to His FAITHFULNESS and His GOODNESS! When Titus was still in Cambodia, every time (3 or 4 times) that we needed to exchange paperwork, there was someone (short-term teams or missionaries) going to and/or from Cambodia/USA at just the right time. This saved us 100’s of dollars, and much time and frustration. The same week that we submitted his Green Card application, I started a full-time, well-paying, job with benefits! The Lord is in the details, and we are so immensely THANKFUL for that! His blessings are new every morning. Praise Him!!

With his Green Card, Titus will be allowed to re-enter the United States. That means… we’re planning a trip to Cambodia! Titus and I have already been talking about how we would LOVE to see his family accept Christ while we are there!! Please, please, please join us in praying for the salvation of his parents, brothers, cousins, and every member of his family! While our time in Cambodia will be short and busy, we plan to commit much of our time and energy sharing God’s Love and Good News with the Hem and Romdenh families.

We do not have dates yet, but I am already raising funds for our next trip. Right now, I have lots of unique and beautiful Cambodian souvenirs (jewelry, wallets, hair accessories, & scarves) for sale, as well as some things that I have hand-made (journals, flower magnets, headbands.) If you are interested in purchasing any of these, browse my previous posts or look on my Facebook (facebook.com/jewelromdenh). Thanks to those who have already supported us in this way!

The Lord has been opening doors [and surprising us!] with opportunities to share our story with 3 other Cambodian-American couples who are also pursuing visas of some kind. One of the couples – Amy and Thanak – found my blog while searching the embassy and visa requirements on the internet. If that alone isn’t surprising – Amy lives less than 40 miles from us! The Lord works in mysterious ways. I never thought that the Lord would be using us in this way (other than helping Jessie & Aldean!) and never did I think that my blog would be so far-reaching! Titus and I were HUGELY blessed by having another couple help us through the visa-application process (Thank you Novs!) and it has truly been a blessing to be used in this way! Pray that God will continue to use us to be a blessing and encouragement for these three couples [and potentially others] and that the Lord will continue to guide them. [Megan and Tee pictured above.]

Additional prayer requests include: Please pray for wisdom and discernment as Titus and I continue to pursue his education at Indiana Wesleyan University. The process has been more complicated than what we anticipated, requiring receiving his transcripts directly from Cambodia, not accepting any of his credits from the WBI, and requiring an expensive English proficiency test.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and the support that you have provided for us as a couple in the last year. We have truly been blessed by having so many wonderful friends and family members! To those who we do not hear from regularly: please, let us know how you are doing!

Serving Him,
Titus & Jewel

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Cambodian Treasures for Sale

These unique souvenirs were hand-made (hand-painted, hand-carved, hand-woven, etc.) in Cambodia and purchased at Toul Tom Poung (see my blog on Toul Tom Poung HERE) - a tourist-centered market in Cambodia's capital city.  Thanks to Resie Fernandez for purchasing these items and to Pastor Keith and Aaron Nash for sending them to us!  If you are interested in purchasing any of these items to support our next trip to Cambodia, please e-mail me [jewelincambodia at yahoo dot com] or contact me on Facebook, where you will also find more pictures of these items.  Thank you!!

Bracelets ($5-$8 each)




Necklaces ($8 each)



Leather Flower Rings ($8)







Earrings ($7 or $8)





Silk Wallets ($18, $15, or $10 each, respectively)





Hair Accessories ($6 each)


Silk Scarves ($10 or $12 each)






Again, if you are interested in purchasing any of these items to support our next trip to Cambodia, please e-mail me [jewelincambodia at yahoo dot com] or contact me on Facebook, where you will also find more pictures of these items.  Thank you!!

Love love love, 
Jewel