Nate and Christiana

Here are some pictures of Ava and Mommy at the beach in Kompong Som which means “Agreeable Port.”  It was Ava’s first time ever to the ocean, and Christiana’s first time to the beach in Cambodia.

So, we’ve been in Cambodia for nearly three months, now. In some ways it has flown by, and in other ways, it has seemed like a VERY long time–especially with everything that has occurred–setting up house, car repairs, etc. Here’s a glimpse at some of the many moments we’ve experienced in the last several months.

The team heading off to lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

A friendly motorist. It’s amazing, and somewhat scary, to see how many babies/children ride on motos. I guess you do what you have to!

A street vendor

A fabric seller at Olympic Market

I started seeing the name “Dara” everywhere, which was ironic because my middle name is Dara. Apparently, it’s usually a male name, and it means “star”.

One of the more destitute areas of the city

An interesting recycling idea…old stereos used as planters.

Copyright laws are nonexistent here, so you can get away with just about…anything.

Nate brushing Ava’s “hair”. Her locks have changed quite a bit since this picture was taken. The darker, longer hair has been replaced with shorter, blondish-red hair.

Oh, how she LOVES her daddy.

An interesting cultural difference — Men will often sport hats that westerners would consider extremely feminine — like the pink, wispy look displayed above. Also, pink is considered a masculine color here.

A providential meeting – My aunt and uncle had emailed, asking if we knew their church’s missionaries, the Lewis family. Nate had met them in language school, years ago, but hadn’t seen them since. A few days later we ran into Ralph at church. He and the family work in the province/country, so they are rarely in Phnom Penh. It was fun to inform my aunt and uncle that I HAD met him, only a few days after they had inquired.

We had the opportunity to spontaneously spend some time with a short-term team from the HeartCry Missionary Society. We had them for dinner, and enjoyed sweet fellowship. They were SO excited to use the internet. It made me realize that as missionaries to Cambodia, we can also be a blessing to other missionaries/travelers…to those who are desiring a momentary safe haven from the bombardment of unfamiliarity.

I was looking for fabric at the outdoor market, Phsar Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market), and I came across this very unique pattern. I had to take a picture for all of my USC friends!

A man carving idols. It brought to mind several Scripture verses, particularly Romans 1:23 and Deuteronomy 5:8.

There was a huge fire in the slums. These fires are often intentional…a way of purging the city…quite sad.

Ava’s first taste of water. She loved it! We’re glad that she liked it, since she has to drink it every day…for the rest of her life. (And even more since she lives in hot Cambodia!)

Ava devouring her giraffe squeaky toy–a gift from Auntie Joanna, Uncle Gary and cousins, Liam and Sophie. This is definitely one of her favorite toys!

A view from outside the local gas station. All of the employees were on the floor eating dinner, except the one poor girl making coffee behind them. This is a fairly common scene…to go into a store, even a nicer store, and to see everyone eating together on the floor. It is also normal for someone to be cooking up dinner in a back corner…even if it’s a clothing store etc.

A goofy family portrait, whilst sitting on the couch. Don’t stare into Ava’s eyes too long…she WILL hypnotize you!

Nate chopping big blocks of ice to place in the freezer. The hope is that they would help keep the freezer cool during the numerous power outages. It’s worked pretty well so far, but they do take up a lot of freezer space, unfortunately.

Getting around or NOT getting around, more specifically, has been a significant issue in the last two months. We bought our car, a ’92 Land cruiser, after having it inspected by a trusted mechanic. There were no apparent problems at the time of sale and the price was too good to be true–oh, the irony. The following day, as Providence would have it, the car would not start and since then, it has been a constant source of frustration. It has broken down 5 times since we purchased it (and that doesn’t include simply not starting in our driveway), but thankfully, most of the places have been fairly convenient. We’ve had three different garages look at it, but the solutions all seem temporary (which appears to be the general trend in Cambodia…they tend to fix the symptoms, not the root issues). It has actually been running well for the past week, but we still get REALLY excited every time the car actually starts. It has definitely taught us not to take our car for granted. So, all that to say that we would still appreciate prayer for our car! On a positive note, public transportation, a.k.a. “tuk-tuks” are very easy to find, and relatively inexpensive. Also, we’ve been saving money by not using our car–Nate has been using his bike to run errands etc.  We’ve even taken the bike on some dates–which can be more fun (and “romantic”) than driving the car.

Our “new” car at the Beck’s former house

One of our many break downs. The mechanics met us, got the car started, and then limped it back to the garage.

Ava and I waited at a newly opened cafe while the mechanics worked. When I walked into the cafe, they were playing a Keith Urban song. It was so nice to hear American music…until the same song repeated over and over and over… I had to laugh–I think they were trying to attract western tourists, but they just missed the mark.

The Becks let us borrow their van so we could do some of our errands, since our car was in the shop. We were so excited to knock some things off of our huge list. We walked out of the first store to find a VERY flat tire. Again, we had to laugh…You have to laugh, or you could get really frustrated. Nate found a local guy to temporarily repair it before driving it to the tire shop.

My first time driving the car. I followed Nate from the shop to our home. Driving in Cambodia can be very nerve-wracking, especially when you’re first learning. Even though there are laws on the books, the general population seems to disregard them. I’ve only driven three times, but I’ll hopefully learn to drive soon–especially since I’ll probably be driving myself to language class (starting April 5th). I literally pray every time I drive, “Lord, please help me not kill anyone.”

On Nate’s dirt bike for the first time since returning to Cambodia. I borrowed the jazzy pink helmet, but we have since purchased one for me–dark gray. My very own motorcycle helmet. Very fun.