Life Otherwise

Since leaving Siem Reap, I have stayed between Vandy and Tess' house at the Bible College (WBI), and with Greg and Resie inside the city.

On New Years Eve, I attended a Christmas party with all the staff and a few others at the WBI; there were almost 30 in attendance. The children played water relays, the men had potato sack races, and us women tried to blow up balloons without using our hands. We then gathered inside the mission house and had a wonderful service. Each family was presented by singing a song. Pastor Rotha and has family sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, Pastor Arun represented his family by singing Jingle Bells, Titus and I sang We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise (a popular offertory in Cambodia), etc. It's a fun tradition for some, and more embarassing for others. American missionaries, Tim and Tiffany Gallant, prepared pizza, spaghetti, and sugar cookies for dinner. Titus, Tess, and I then went to Pastor Greg and Resie's house, where we stayed up until 2am watching The Wedding Planner and My Best Friend's Wedding.

January 1st, there was a big board meeting for the Wesleyan Church of Cambodia; the meeting was at Pastor Greg and Resie's house, so Tess and I took Aleeyah and Esher (the Fernandez girls) to play in the play place at the mall until lunch.

On Sunday, I went with Titus by moto[rcycle] to his church in Kampong Spue one hour away. One hour on the moto was quite the experience for my backside, but I enjoyed seeing the countryside in a new way, and there is no one where that I would have rather been except behind Titus on the way to his church. We spent some time cleaning the church before we had lunch there. He took a nap in the sanctuary, and I jumped at the opportunity to help some of the villagers set up a new shop on the side of the road. They spoke no English whatsoever, so it was an interesting two hours.

Although there were only eight in attendance and I didn't understand anything, the service was beautiful. I love watching Titus interact with the members and hearing him preach. I balanced paying attention with reading my own Bible in English. I started at Genesis 2, and I was ministered to by the story of God creating Eve.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found... For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Genesis 2:20b and 24)

And I'll pick up there later.

Thanks for reading! Thanks for your prayers!

Engagement

Big news here in Cambodia: I'm engaged!

We were actually twice: first, Titus proposed the American way, and a few days later we had a traditional Khmer ceremony. He proposed on Sunday the 26th in Siem Reap. We drove 2 hours with our 2 best friends to a resort where there was a big waterfall. We spent the morning with them, and then just Titus and I went swimming in the water below the falls. He proposed while we were sitting on a rock in the middle of the pool, the water rushing at our feet, the falls a few meters in front of us, and dragon flies dancing around us.

Then, on Tuesday the 28th, we had a formal engagement ceremony. I expected a small and simple gathering, and was very impressed by how formal and fancy it was. It was held in Greg and Resie's home (our friends, missionaries) and the professional decorators did a beautiful job transforming a simple space. There were pink and yellow fabrics hanging on the walls, royal red carpets laying across the tile floors, colorful fruits on gold and silver platters lining the front, and a beautiful backdrop with a large glittering heart, rings, and our names printed in gold. Forty-nine our closest friends came, and two pastors led the ceremony. We sang khmer hymns, Pastor Greg gave a sort of pre-marital message, and he and his 5-yr-old daughter, Aleeyah, sang a beautiful song, "From Here to Eternity." Friends and American missionaries, Tim and Tiffany sat beside me as my parents.


The following day, we had traditional Cambodian pictures taken professionally. It took almost two hours to do my hair and makeup, and another 30 minutes to get me dressed.



I have been overwhelmed by the love of many people during my short time here. They have given much time, money, and energy into ensuring that this experience is memorable.

Look forward to more pictures when I return!

Love love love, Jewel

Greetings from Cambodia!

I arrived safely in Cambodia on Thursday afternoon and it has been a whirlwind since then. I was very warmly greeted at the airport by friends, and with flowers. So so so good to be home again. I surely missed my family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I am happy to be where I am.

On Friday I attended Pastor Poleak's Christmas service in Takao. Note: Everyone was apparently kidding when they stated that it's cold in Cambodia now; no one was kidding when they stated that Christmas services are very long. In Takao, the service was almost four hours long. The young members reinacted the entire Christmas story from the time of Mary and Joseph's betrothal up to the point of their leaving for Egypt; it was 45 minutes long! After the service we shared a meal, and then made the one-hour drive to Phnom Penh, and left shortly after for the five-hour drive to Siem Reap.

I passed Christmas in Siem Reap, and we're leaving here tomorrow morning. I traveled here with Titus, Vandy, and Tess; missionaries Tim and Tiffany Gallant, and another pastor's family (Arun) came also. We attended a Christmas service at Pastor Banyen's church on Christmas Day. It wasn't quite as long; the music and games were almost 3-hours long, and Tim Gallant gave a powerful 15-minute sermon (translation time included.) After the service, we shared a meal, and returned to rest at our guest house for almost 2 hours before visiting some other pastors and church members, then returning to Banyen's church for dinner and a meeting. Friday night we walked through the night market, and last night (on Christmas) we went to the mall for ice cream and stopped at a carnival and threw darts and balloons and won our evening snacks.

The concept of Christmas in Cambodia is very different. Except for Christians, which is about only 1% of the population, the day continued on as normal. People were still sweeping the streets, they were still shopping in the malls, and still going to work.

I have big plans for this upcoming week and I look forward to sharing with again soon! Thank you for your prayers and support. I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends.

Friends, Family, and Everyone,

While some of the reasons drawing me back to Cambodia are personal, I am going with a new sense of urgency that “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here” (Romans 13:12a). Christ is coming back and only 1.3% of Cambodia’s population (15,050,000) knows Christ as Lord and Savior. I feel blessed to have the exciting opportunity to visit Cambodia during the Christmas holiday and to visit a number of churches for their Christmas services. There are approximately thirty Wesleyan churches in Cambodia, averaging twenty members each. Some congregations gather under stilted homes or in small shacks with wicker floors, other congregations are blessed with sanctuaries – with or without windows, with or without chairs, without or without anything more than their voices to make music. Whatever the circumstance, many of the churches will see an attendance multiplied three or four or ten times for the Christmas service. In the province of Kratie, regular attendance includes twenty to twenty-five youth and two to three older women. For Christmas, the youth will bring their parents and their siblings; the women will bring their husbands and children, and even invite their neighbors – some have never before heard of Message of Christ and His birth. So you can see that this is a critical time for reaching Cambodia with the Good News of Christ.

Please pray that in these services there will be a powerful testimony of God’s love and the joy of salvation. Please pray that the Gospel message will be presented in a way that captures unbelieving hearts. Please pray that the focus will not be on parties, gifts, or even gathering together, but on the humble birth of Christ and the significance of that. Also, please pray for safe flights, easy transitions through various airports, protection of my luggage, and safety on the road between the provinces. Finally, please pray that I will have wisdom, discernment, and guidance as I seek God’s will, discuss options, and begin preparations for moving to Cambodia long-term.

For those who like to pray while things are happening, I am leaving Indianapolis at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon (December 21st.) I have a short layover in Cleveland before a five-hour flight to Los Angeles, where I have a short layover before my 15 ½-hour flight to Guangzhou, China. I am in China almost six hours before my last 2 ½-hour flight to China. After thirty-six hours of travel, I should arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia around 1:50pm on Thursday (1:50am on Thursday in Indiana.) I leave Cambodia on January 12th and will arrive in Indianapolis on January 13th.

Any blog comments, emails, or facebook messages of prayer and encouragement will be cherished. For those of you who responded to my “SOS” for prayer while I was in Mozambique this summer, thank you again. You will never know the impact that those messages had, especially during a week that was incredibly difficult. Again, thank you in advance for your prayers!

Love love love, Jewel

Elated.

I leave in less than twenty-four hours for Cambodia. In twelve hours, I will be leaving my house for the airport. At 1:36 tomorrow afternoon, I will be boarding my first plane from Indianapolis to Cleveland. From Cleveland, I will fly to Los Angeles. After sixteen hours and thirty minutes, I will land in China, where I will board a plane to Cambodia six hours later.

How excited am I on a scale of one to ten? At least an eleven. I am so so so excited that I won't even know what to do first once I'm outside the airport. There are dear dear people in Cambodia that I love very much and I haven't seen them in eighteen months. So much has happened, and I have hated to miss it - rejoicing and mourning.

But soon, I'll be there. I know this trip is going to change my life. This trip is also going to change other peoples' lives too - both in Cambodia and Stateside. It really is amazing what God has been doing, and my prayer is that He will receive the glory for all that happens. I serve an amazing God, and it has been an incredible opportunity to travel the world and to worship Him in among many tribes, tongues, and nations.

Thank you Jesus for being born in the manger, dying on the cross, and bringing joy to the whole world. Thank you for calling me to serve you in Cambodia.

Love love love, Jewel

A Special Announcement

A special announcement in regards to my relationship status: I am in a relationship.


♥ Romdenh Chamnol, AKA: Tito or Titus ♥
He is incredibly strong. He is beautifully handsome. He is funny - so funny! He is a pastor, a teacher, a leader, a visionary, an example, and above all, a God-fearing man.

My love for Cambodia came before Titus... kinda amazing how God works His will out like that.

I haven't seen him since June 12th, 2009! Can't wait to see him December 23rd. Imagine...

Love love love, Jewel

Paroath is getting married!!!

Pastor Paroath is a young, faithful pastor in the small province of Kampong Chhnang, and HERE is a post ("picture diary" rather) of the short yet influential time I spent with him in May 2009. On January 8th, he's getting married!!! I am beyond excited - so happy for him!

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” [[Genesis 2:18]]
It is always a prayer concern that the single pastors will find their God-ordained partner for ministry. Pastoring a church, whether small or large, is a big responsibility and it is a wonderful thing when a husband and wife can minister together and reach all the members - children, youth, elders, men, and women.

Below is a picture of Paroath and the widow he lives with in KC. She is a gracious member who allowed him to teach English and have church services under her home; that is until a church was built only a few yards from the home.



I currently have no idea whatsoever about my schedule while in-country (December 23-January 12,) but I am hoping that it will include attending Paroath's wedding, or at least a visit to see his new church. My 2009 team funded the construction of his church [Click HERE to see it's construction and HERE to see it's completion] and I would love to see the results in-person.

Below is a letter given to me from Paraoth on my last day in Kampong Chhnang:

Love love love, Jewel

Kratie

Please keep the ministry in the Kratie Province in your prayers. The ministry flourished during the time that Pastor Vandy, Pastor Titus, and Tess were there, and struggled shortly following their transfers to Phnom Penh; in fact, the church and school were both closed [due to a reason other than their transfers] for some time. Pastor Piseth is currently ministering there, and I am sure that God is doing great things in and through Piseth.

God's work in Kratie drew me to return to Cambodia a second time, and it was there in Kratie that my passion became firmly rooted in youth ministry. Because of it's relations with the School of Hope, which shares a property with the church, the congregation has mainly youth and students; however, you will notice two older women in the back right - some parents also attend:

Faithful church members


The Way to Life Wesleyan Church and The School of Hope(A World Hope International school offering courses in English and computer)


Tess, on the far right, was my host for almost three weeks in Kratie. She came to Cambodia as a Filipina missionary and was teaching English at the WHI school when she met Vandy, who was pastoring The Way to Life. Two years later, Vandy and Tess were married. They are like family to me.Pagna was my first friend in Kratie. He and his girlfriend, Nary, are two of my closest friends. They are both currently studying in the university of Kampong Cham to become teachers - Pagna for English, and Nary for elementary.

Pastor Vandy, Ura, Pastor Titus, and Rado(The Tico is a popular Korean car in Cambodia that can be purchased for $2000 to $3000 - less than some motorbikes.)


Dona and Chanta at Kampi - a natural resort along the Mekong River


Church members sharing a meal in the church


Ratana presiding in worship
(Ratana is a name derived from "Ratna" which means precious stone; Jewel also means precious stone, so Ratana and I have a special bond!)

Love love love, Jewel

Dear Cambodia,

Dearest Cambodia,

Children in Kompong Spue

In eighteen days, we will meet again. Only eighteen! It was exactly one and a half years ago that I left. The wait has been long, but at the same time, it feels like I was just there, because I can remember it like it was yesterday. Of course, the wait has been eased by Skype, Facebook, and memories.

Rice field and backside of Wesleyan Bible Institute

I imagine that the 36-hour travel period will feel more like 36 days! I'm quite accustomed to the long trip, but I still don't enjoy it. Going through Cleveland to Los Angeles, then fifteen and a half hours later, I will land in China and finally one more flight to Phnom Penh! Finally... to Phnom Penh - one of my favorite places in the entire world! (And I've seen a lot of places!)

Friends: Leak and Somon
I remember when I arrived there for my second trip; Greg and Resie Fernandez, filipino missionaries who had been on furlough during my previous trip, came to greet me at the airport. I knew Greg and Resie only through email and pictures, but with them came Somon, who was a student at the WBI. When I heard my name and saw Somon, waving, smiling, and leaning over the "do not cross this point" line, I knew that I was home.

Amongst friends at the airport, before my departure in June 2009

I can't imagine what I will feel on the afternoon of December 23rd when I pick up my bags and walk out those airport doors. Who will be there? I haven't been told, but I do know that there will be one very anxious pastor. On June 13, 2009, it was where I said, "Goodbye. I'll miss you." On December 23rd, 2010, it will be the place where I say, "Hello. I've missed you."

Love love love, Jewel

This is My Father's World

This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.