More of the same this week, with a few variations. On Monday we went to the YWAM base for worship and found out that the staff who were going to Thailand for the YWAM Jubilee celebrations were $350 short of what they needed. So they had prayed about what to do (send part of the group, none of the group....) and felt like it was so important to go as a group that they would walk if they didn't get the money. It's about 150km from Battambang to Thailand. They had a time where everyone at worship could contribute if they felt like they were led to and they ended up with more than enough money to go which is really exciting!
One of the staff guys who left (who was also in our agriculture classes) lent me his bike while they are gone which has been a huge blessing. It's so nice to have the freedom to leave for teaching at the youth centre early enough to pray with the teachers and leave when i'm done my conversations at the end instead of being tied to the tuk tuk's coming and going (although I do miss the big huge smiles of our tuk tuk driver).
Our work projects this week have included building up, putting in drip irrigation lines and planting 10 beds in Phnom Kol (the refugee village) as well as building up some more beds in the same village for a widow and her daughter. We built up beds from "topsoil" (still not great soil and filled with roadside garbage) at the orphanage, but were unable to start work on the fence because they had another visitor the day we were supposed to go. We've also installed drip lines for the Khmer agriculture students in their garden at the base director's house and started building a base for a water tank/filter for drip lines in their garden on the YWAM base.
Highlights of our work projects included planting seeds, Angela almost falling in the pond at the YWAM base, and completing the Phnom Kol project.
On Wednesday morning we said goodbye to the Blakely family as they made their way to Phnom Penh and flew back to New Zealand yesterday. With the Blakely's gone, I've been asked to step into a relief student-leader role on the team which basically means that if our leaders Laura and Seang need a break that I can step in to help. I'm really happy to be doing this and have been praying a lot about what my next step is after I finish DTS. Staffing has crossed my mind as well as doing an SBS (school of biblical studies) 9 month course....a lot more prayer before decisions are made and also I am really focussing on living in our present moment and putting my all into our last few weeks of ministry in Battambang.
We had an exciting first night without them as on Wednesday night Mark had sharp stabbing pains and swelling in his abdomen. After a fruitless trip to the clinic (no dr) we were left to wait until morning and after some intense prayer the pain subsided and has not returned (praise God!). He's been laying low and resting, but seems to be back up to speed again.
My students at the Youth centre treated me to some delicious green mango on Wednesday and are trying to bribe me to stay longer. I am enjoying working with them so much. I taught two classes on Friday which was really busy and an extra challenge. It's so nice to be teaching. One of the other teachers at the youth centre was really encouraging the other day when she told us that God enjoys it when we teach and for Him it's a sort of worship :)
Our plans for the rest of our time in Cambodia have somewhat changed. It sounds like we will be here in Battambang until the 16th of February now, then doing a couple days in Siem Riep (with an option to visit the temples at Angkor Wat). A day in Phnom Penh and then heading to Ratanikiri for only two weeks. Our debrief location is still to be announced but will either be somewhere in the mountains or on the beaches of Sihanoukville in the south.
Prayer requests for continued health, team unity and communication, finishing our last week of ministry in Battambang strong, decisions that have to be made about ministry money, and guidance about our time in Ratanikiri as well as the big question of what to do after DTS which is looming over all of our heads.
Blessings to you all and hope you are well. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
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