This little chicky went to market, and wobbled all the way home...

Monday night, Titus and I had chicken feet for dinner at my house.

Chicken feet...
for dinner...
at my house.

"These morsels of skin and bones are a unique combination of textures: the wrinkled, puffed up skin on the surface and the soft, gelatinous tendons within."

My husband had all the toes cut off before I got home, so I sadly do not have any pictures of the claws. [Click HERE to see a picture from the fabulous www.]   However, I did get plenty of other INTERESTING pictures to initiate your curiosity, and a recipe to satisfy your craving. The following are three simple steps to creating a fabulous feety feast:

• First, I recommend that you start by removing the claws (you can do this by simply cutting off the toes) as they do not “swallow well.”
• Next, season the feet in 2-3 cloves of garlic, a few pinches of salt, a few more pinches of pepper, and 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar.
• Finally, fry the feet in oil over medium feet. The minute the chicken feet enter the pot, the hot oil will begin to sputter and growl like some form of primordial lava, engulfing the feet until all you can see are the bubbles of the oil.

Something's afoot here...

One foot in the right direction...

Footloose and fancy free...

Put your best foot forward...

Holding one's feet to the fire...

Tip-toeing around...

The shoe is on the other foot...

Going toe to toe...

Putting one foot in front of the other...



Fancy footwork...

Anyone want leftovers??

Love love love, 
Jewel

An Abandoned Blog, but Not an Abandoned Mission

Friends, Family, and Supporters,

     Much has happened since that last time I officially wrote to you all. Some of you have been a part of our life’s most recent happenings, others of you may be wondering where in the world we are and what we are doing. We have decided to pursue American citizenship. This will allow Titus to freely leave and enter the United States without hassle; it removes the threat of being denied a visa to enter the United States; it waves all further increasing visa/paperwork fees; etc. Obtaining citizenship is a long (~3-5 years!) and expensive process, and the decision has been very difficult to make; however, God has been speaking to our hearts, reminding us (I especially need this reminder!) that "…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Yes, there are still days when I yearn for 'peace which passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7,) but I rest in Him and listen to my husband’s confident/encouraging word. I do not know what the next 3-5 years will look like. I just know that right now we are waiting, preparing, training, and seeking.

     Through prayer and fundraising efforts, we continue to be distant partners in the ministry in Cambodia that Titus started before he came to America in October. We wish that we could do more; we wish that we could be there now. Romans 10:14 says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" We are happy to announce that the University Students Fellowship has received funding to rent a house and open a girls’ dorm. More than four students have gotten saved and are being discipled, and the leaders are currently preparing for a Valentine’s outreach this Sunday, at which they will talk about God’s love. Our prayer is that God will continue to bless the ministry that our friends are carrying on in Cambodia, and that He will continue to teach and strengthen us to do His work, wherever we are.
     February is ‘Missions Month’ at our church and we have already enjoyed hearing two powerful missionary testimonies. In a January preview to Missions Month, Pastor Bob preached a sermon entitled ‘Missional Living’ - a lifestyle of adopting the posture, thinking, behaviors, and practices of a missionary in order to engage others with the Gospel message. I had been thinking about this very idea for weeks prior to Pastor Bob’s sermon, and I have felt much conviction. I have a heart for the world – for international missions – but I am embarrassed to admit that I’m a little uncomfortable trying to find my place being a missionary at home. I ask you to join us in prayer that God will direct us, opening our eyes to opportunities to share His love and to evangelize, and especially strengthening us to be obedient. We are grateful for His conviction… and His patience. :)
“No one can say: ‘Since I’m not called to be a missionary, I do not have to evangelize my friends and neighbors.’ There is no difference, in spiritual terms, between a missionary witnessing in his home town and a missionary witnessing in Katmandu, Nepal. We are all called to go—even if it is only to the next room, or the next block.”
(On Being a Missionary by Thomas Hale     Other highlights from life together in America thus far:

On October 29th, Titus and I stood in front of God and almost 300 witnesses to commit our lives to each other and our marriage to Him. We were blessed to have a wonderful wedding party of family and friends who traveled from New York, Maryland, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas to support us. To those of you who were able to come, thank you again so much for celebrating with us. It was a beautiful day – one that I have recollected many, many times – that was enhanced by the presence of friends and family who love us and have invested in our lives. Although no members from Titus’ family were able to attend, we were blessed by the presence of Cambodian friends, ministry partners, former and present missionaries to Cambodia, and others who represent a love for/knowledge of Cambodia.
     Since Titus arrived in America four months ago, he has grown to love my family and my family has grown to love him. It is a blessing to me that – although the adjustment to food, weather, church, language, streets, customs, etc. have been very, very challenging and uncomfortable – He has genuinely found himself “at home” with my family. Many and sincere THANKS are due to our family and friends who have reached out to him and tried to welcome him to America and into their lives. Thank you also to those who have given furniture, kitchenware, and other household items to help make our little block apartment our home.
     After five months of working 50+ hours/week at three jobs (Cracker Barrel, Lakeview Christian Pre-School, and “janitoring” at Brookhaven,) the Lord has blessed me with a full-time position in the School of Business and Leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University – a job with health insurance, a more-than-sufficient salary, paid vacation days, free tuition, and more. Titus and I both plan on taking advantage of the blessing of FREE TUITION, and while Titus is still praying about which direction to take, I am already looking forward to starting Biblical Literature classes this summer.


     In conclusion, I want to ask for your prayers for two requests that have been on my heart. First: Last week, our friend Soklai– a faithful member of one of the Wesleyan churches in Cambodia’s capital city – died suddenly and unexpectedly. When he died, Soklai was sitting in a chair, playing with his young daughter. Second: My sister and her Filipino fiancé have begun the process of applying for a fiancé visa to America. Titus and I saw God move big mountains during our application period, and I pray that Jessie and Aldean’s testimony will be the same: that their faith will increase.
     As always, thank you. Thank you for reading, for supporting, for praying, for loving, and for giving. We pray that this message finds you happy, healthy, and strong in the Lord.

Serving Him,
Titus & Jewel

Two More Reasons WHY

Contemplating and meditating on these two verses today:

"If you want to think one year ahead, plant rice.

If you want to think 10 years ahead, plant trees. 

But if you want to think 100 years ahead, give education to people."

[Ancient Chinese Proverb]

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

[Romans 10:14 NIV]

Love love love,
Jewel

Scripture is Alive & Active

As I was reading Psalms this morning, this reference reminded me of a very special moment that I spent with Him - Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, Creator of Me - on top of a mountain in Siem Reap, Cambodia two years ago.  I am thankful for that moment - a moment I hope that I never forget - and I am thankful that God's Word is truly alive and active TODAY.

Eternally Grateful,
and in Love,
Jewel

We have been waiting for this day

I am almost without words; without words, but not without emotion.

JOY. Anticipation. Excitement. LOVE. Fear. Submission. Anticipation. Fear. Anticipation. Fear. Anticipation.


So much emotion.

Any idea what this is?

It's one small section of the visa interview schedule at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.  The 7:00:00 hour on September 20th, 2011 is an hour of much JOY. Anticipation. Excitement. LOVE. Fear. Submission. Anticipation. Fear. Anticipation. Fear. Anticipation. ETC.

On September 20th at 7am (that's September 19th at 7pm, for all you Indiana and EST people,) my fiancé, Romdenh Chamnol (aka Titus) will stand before an authority at the US Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and be interviewed in regards to gaining legal status to enter the United States and marry the love of his life.

Who would DARE say no to that, right??

Trusting in His promises:

Love love love, Jewel

August 2011: An Update on What God is Doing Here and There

Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Greetings from a freshly-rained-upon Central Indiana. Praise the Lord for rain!! This past week I attended the Indiana North District of the Wesleyan Church’s Family Camp for at least my 15th summer-in-a-row. “What did you do at Family Camp?” I settled down two- and three-year-olds

in the nursery during the evenings, made special memories with friends around a campfire until
midnight, worshipped the Lord under a tent in the morning, heard the Word preached by powerful evangelists, helped organize a carnival, and joined 300+ others for meals in the dinning hall. Oh, and I dressed like Batman and rode a tandem bicycle with Superwoman in the children’s bike parade! At Family Camp, I have been reminded of all the ways that God has been faithful since this week last year. God has been overwhelmingly good to me in NUMEROUS ways. In the past few weeks my twin sister and best friend (Jessie) has moved to New York for grad school, Grandmom has been so sick and hospitalized since late June, and my fiancé remains 10,000+ miles away… but God has been faithfully present and real to me, especially during my loneliest times.

In July, Titus hosted a short-term missions team from a Wesleyan church in Rochester, New York. He translated for them, traveled with them, and assisted them in their ministry in various

churches, villages, and at an orphanage. He also enjoyed spending time with old friends, and meeting new friends. Thank you to Phalkun and Janell and their team for their willingness to deliver some packages to Cambodia for me, and for their willingness to shop for Cambodian attire for our ring bearer and flower girls. ☺ Their kindness has been a blessing to me! Last week, Titus had a medical exam at an international clinic to meet the visa requirements before his interview. He received the results from the exam yesterday and we are praising the Lord that Titus is healthy, strong, and able to travel. Please join us in praising the Lord for a good health report. There are three remaining documents needing to be processed by the Commune Chief, and we are presently waiting [and checking the website every hour] on the embassy to post Titus’ interview date and time online. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE join us in praying that he will be given an early date!

Despite not knowing when Titus will be granted his visa, I have p.r.o.g.r.e.s.s.e.d in planning our wedding, confident that God will bring him here soon enough. It has been very stressful, but I have enjoyed preparing for our special day because – while we have been separated by MANY miles for MANY days – the wedding brings the promise that we will spend the rest of our days together, as husband and wife, as partners in the ministry He has called us to. Throughout this time of waiting and preparation for Titus’ MUCH-ANTICIPATED arrival, I have been reminded of the privilege and mandate to prepare myself to be the Bride of Christ. In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the Church - those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal savior and have received eternal life - to be His bride (Eph 5:25-27). Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated, so is the Bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the Church Age. Her responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:24). At the Second Coming of Christ, the Church will be united with the Bridegroom, the official "wedding ceremony" will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized (Rev 19:7-9; 21:1-2). Oh how I greatly anticipate BOTH of my weddings!

Again, until our YWAM application is complete, processed, and approved, giving to our future ministry is limited to personal donations at this time. If interested, there is a PayPal giving button on this blog. If your church or any church you know would be interested in allowing us to come and share, please share their contact information with us. 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 me confidence to pursue God’s will and the visions that He has given us.

Praying and Believing, 
Jewel (and Romdenh Chamnol)

Cambodian Pastors

I am reposting this note to request prayer for the Cambodian pastors.  The Church is strong, and where the Church is strong, Satan fights. Please keep the Cambodian pastors in your prayers. There are presently 35 pastors -- both male and female -- in the Wesleyan Church of Cambodia.  In the last few weeks, much has happened in the Church, and the pastors need much prayer and encouragement.

Pastors cannot win the battle alone; they need committed intercessors to lift them up in fervent, specific prayer. I believe that the power of God will be released when we begin to faithfully pray for our pastors. Pastors are human—they face the same challenges that their people do, with some additional ones! They grow tired in ministry, are tempted to sin, and may find it difficult to balance their many roles and responsibilities.

Here are just a few ways to pray for the pastors in Cambodia:

• An intimate knowledge of God
• Faithfulness to spend time reading God's Word daily, and for insight into Scripture and an understanding of how it applies to Cambodians today
• That he would preach with clarity, power and boldness, and that his preaching would be anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit
• Protection from the work of Satan and victory over temptation
• To keep a soft heart in the face of abrasive and abusive people; Buddhist families often deny relatives (even children and siblings) when they become Christians, especially pastors.
• A successful ministry - however God defines it in his life - and that people would be won to the Lord through his life, ministry, and preaching
• Boldness to speak the truth, and grace to speak it will humility
• That he would persevere through whatever trial he is facing
• That his children will grow up with a positive impression of church ministry
• That he would remain pure and that his love for his wife would increase daily
• Physical and mental strength, and opportunities to relax
• To live according to God's direction and worthy of his calling as a shepherd of God's people

Pastor Titus and Pastor Greg


Pastor Paroath and Pastor Poleak


Pastor Sopheak and Pastor Sithat


Pastor Kieth, and Pastora Socheata and Pastor Rotha


Pastor Sothkan and Rev. Kimsan, and Pastor Banyen

and many others.

Requesting Prayers for the Visa

Please, please, please keep praying for the visa application process.  Although everything has been approved state-side, we seem to be at a standstill waiting for Titus to receive his paperwork through the mail from the US Embassy in Cambodia.  We cannot proceed until he receives a packet of further instructions, which was expected some time ago.  God has proven Himself faithful with every step of this long process and I have been very optimistic - believing that Titus would not only be approved, but that he would arrive in America much sooner than later; - however, at times, it is easy to become discouraged. It's possible that only God knows where our missing documents are.

Please pray that God will:
* Help the postal service to find our paperwork and direct it to Titus in His perfect timing
* Provide good results from Titus' medical examination
* Allow an early date for Titus to schedule his interview
* And be overwhelmingly present during Titus' interview.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I believe God will continue to be faithful and I commit to testify when He is.

Praying and Believing, 
Jewel (and Romdenh Chamnol)

The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine

Yesterday I finished my first summer read: The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine by Somaly Mam.  I have heard speakers discuss the issue of human trafficking. I have seen pictures of brothel conditions; and videos of raids in brothels, and of victims. I have attended sex trafficking seminars and conferences, and visited the World Hope Assessment Center in Cambodia. I have even read other books on young girls trafficked in SE Asia.  However, it is Somaly Mam's story that has impacted me in such a compelling and truly eye-opening way.  Telling her own story, Somaly Mam graphically personalizes the horror and violence of the sex trade industry in Cambodia.

Mam was living on her own in the forest around 1980 when a 55-year-old stranger claimed he would take her to her missing family. "Grandfather" beat and abused the nine-year-old Mam and sold her virginity to a Chinese merchant to cover a gambling debt. She was then sold into a brothel in Phnom Penh, and the daily suffering and humiliation she endured is almost impossible to imagine or absorb. She recounted disobedient girls being tortured and killed, and police collusion and government involvement in the sex trade. Somaly Mam managed to break the cycle only when she discovered the advantages of foreign clients and eventually married a Frenchman, Pierre. After a few years in France, Mam and Pierre returned to Cambodia and set up AFESIP - a charity "acting for women in distressing circumstances." Mam has fearlessly devoted herself to helping prostitutes and exploited children. This moving, disturbing tale is not one of redemption but a cry for justice and support for women's plight everywhere.

The statistics are shocking: one in every forty Cambodian girls (some as young as five) will be sold into sex slavery. In Cambodia (and in other countries,) many  people believe that sex with a virgin will cure AIDS; and in Khmer tradition, women are unquestionably obedient.

Love love love, Jewel

May 2011: An Update on What God is Doing Here and There

Earlier in the Spring, the Christian non-profit that Titus worked for (Cambodian Generations for Christ) was forced to close due to financial reasons.  So, Titus was not only no longer employed, but found himself homeless as he could no longer call his CGC office his home. Without a job and and with his church unable to provide a salary or a parsonage, the situation seemed hopeless. However, our God is Father and Provider and He proved Faitful [as He always does.]  Shortly after Titus left CGC, he board aproved the proposal for Titus to rent a room at the old Wesleyan Church Headquarters in the capital city of Phnom Penh, where two or three other Wesleyan Church families are also living.  Living in the community of Pastor Poleak's family, Pastor Reaksmey's family, and others is a huge blessing.  Also, friends who work for other ministry organizations, such as World Relief, have been asking Titus to assist in various translation projects and God has been faithful to provide.

After much fasting, prayer, seeking God's face, and talking to each other and others, Titus and I have decided to journey to Cambodia through YWAM (Youth With a Mission.)  The decision to join YWAM was an easy one, because it is such a wonderful organization and their dream, beliefs, values, and ministry seem to align perfectly with ours [Click HERE and HERE to read more about our vision for future ministry.] However, the decision to take step two was a little more difficult.  To join the YWAM staff, Titus and I first need to complete a Discipleship Training School (DTS) . DTS is the pre-requisite to all other training and opportunities and is offered at over 200 locations around the world, including in Cambodia.  After more prayer, fasting, seeking God's face, weighing the pros and cons, and asking others for wise counsel, we have chosen to apply to a DTS in Louisville, Kentucky.  The DTS is a combination of three months of coursework and two months of overseas outreach, and will begin in Fall 2012.  [To read more about YWAM in Louisville click HERE.]  Louisville is the closest DTS to my family, friends, and church, and we believe there will be the best opportunity for Titus to learn American culture and to lay the foundation of our marriage. Also, because we will still be in the States, we can continue raising prayer and financial support.

Also also, various members of my mother's side of the family has been involved extensively in YWAM, and my second-cousin Amos and his wife Amy are on the leadership team of the DTS in Louisville. Although I do not know them well, I am excited to have the opportunity to be taught, led, and mentored by them because THEY ARE AWESOME!

On April 30th, I graduated with a dual degree in Intercultural Studies and International & Community Development from Indiana Wesleyan University.  I am fortunate to keep the part-time job that I have had since Aug 2007; however, because it is an on-campus position and I am no longer a current student, I can only remain in my current position until September 1.  So, I am on the job hunt and I have already completed 31 applications.  It has been somewhat discouraging, but I trust that God has a plan and already has a job chosen for me - maybe I have not found or applied to it yet!

• Please continue praying for the visa process. With the recent increase in the level of national security (due to Osama's killing), the projected approval has been delayed ONE MONTH. :( When we applied in January, we were told the entire process could take 7-9 months, meaning that Titus could be approved between August and October. Our wedding is planned for October 29. Let's pray him to America!! (If you would like a prayer reminder card like the one on the left, let me know and I will quickly send one to you!!)
• Please also continue to pray for the ministry in Cambodia.  There are currently some transitions in the leadership and relationship between Global Partners (The Wesleyan Missions Agency that brought the Wesleyan Church to Cambodia) and the leaders of the Church in Cambodia.  Pray for God's grace, strength, and wisdom. Pray that God's Name will be glorified and that His Kingdom will prosper and not be hindered by the weakness of Man.

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

Love love love, Jewel