Friday and Saturday...full and fun filled days!

Friday was spent with the "newbies" touring the Royal Palace and Toul Sleng (the school building where much of the Khmer Rouge torture took place back in the 1970's. It's a sobering experience but a needed one to understand a little of what this country and the people here have lived through). The rest of us visited other areas and shopped. My group gathered at an awesome place for lunch called Jacob's Well - the food was incredible (and cheap!)but the best part about it is that it's owned by a guy who ministers to guys and girls who have been rescued from sex slavery. They are taught spiritual and financial disciplines along with life skills. It was incredible to see how their lives have been healed. We will be going back there with the rest of the team. Friday evening (New Year's Eve) we took a river boat ride down the Mekong River and had dinner prepared for us by Khim (The Mey's wife) and Ranny(Sokhom's wife). We had a fun time hanging out as a team!
Today (Saturday) we boarded a bus for Lveasar to visit our kiddos at Hope for Cambodia Orphanage!!! Life doesn't get much better than seeing their sweet smiling faces as they run to us to give us hugs. What a privilege to get to be a part of these kids lives and to share God's love with them. Today we just played and hung out for a while. We got back to Phnom Penh in time to shop for a little at the Russian Market. It's fun helping "newbies" bargain for treasures to take back home. We also found some nice metal mugs that we will be giving to our kids, moms and teachers at the orphanage - so that everyone will have their "own" mug. At present they all drink out of a couple of mugs! UGH! Trying to work on the hygiene and health... Thanks sponsors for providing these mugs for your kids!
It's dinner time now - everyone has gone to multiple places around the city. Greg and I chose to eat at "grandmas" at the hotel...cambodian club sandwich and french fries! YUMMY!
Fonda, thanks for sharing with us the scripture. It is so encouraging to know that we are being lifted up.
All, please continue to pray for us that we will let Christ's light shine through us in everything we do as we love and serve here in Cambodia.
-Kathy Pickering