570 Lives

As one of the few families with Asian Hope who stayed in Phnom Penh over the summer, we have the opportunity to witness and help facilitate the arrival of new and returning teachers and staff. The summer was nice with the less rigorous schedule of Summer School but we look forward to the return of a set schedule and increased order in our lives, as many parents do this time of year. However, most of my excitement comes from thinking about the 570+ kids that our schools will have the opportunity to impact this year. The majority of them are not first time students at an Asian Hope school although many are. Regardless, it is so exciting to think of the lasting impact we can make on these lives. Our rigorous academic expectations produce young people who are well prepared for their future school/work plans. This is especially beneficial to our many indigenous scholarship students. It gives them a real, tangible hope of something more in life. A future where they will be equipped to contribute positively to their community, avoid selling their bodies for money and one that will offer infinitely more than the default of poverty and oppression. If that wasn't enough, being a Christian organization with 3 Christian schools, we also offer a hope that will transcend this life into the next. An education, regardless of how good it is, will not matter at all when God says your time on Earth is over. This has even more impact in a country where 95% of the population is Buddhist. So as we enter this year, we are trusting God to implement His sovereign plan in all 50 lives that we have the privilege and opportunity to cross paths with.
I am also excited to be co-teaching a High School class this fall called "Service Leadership". In this class I will have the opportunity to help students plan, develop and implement service projects around the community, city and region. I love being a part of helping broaden the minds and hearts of students, to help them see past themselves. No matter who we are, what history, talents and gifts we have, God has uniquely equipped each of us for a powerful place in His kingdom. Please pray with me that the hearts of the students would be open and receptive to God's leading in their lives and that they would be obedient to the point of follow through. Blessings!

181 Days

Wow! I can't believe it has been 6 months since we began this chapter in our lives. There are times when I look back and it seems like it has been a week. Whether it is because there are still so many things I am still learning and still need to learn or that we are just enjoying ourselves so much that time just flies. I am sure it is a good mixture of both. Then there are times that I feel like it has been forever that we have been here. That happens on days where nothing is going according to plan and discouragement fights its way in. At those times, the struggle seems particularly pronounced and small things that usually seem charming reach in to tip your glass until it's half empty. Luckily those times are few and far between. The other times it feels like we have been here longer is when we take time to look at the relationships we have developed here. There is a neat community of people that have taken different places in our lives, each one different and each one adding one more building block to our lives here.
Six months, on one hand seems short in the grand scheme of things but on the other hand is a fun milestone to commemorate. We are so thankful to God for calling us here and blessing us with so many amazing support people both here and abroad. We are also so thankful to each of you who support our work here, keep in touch with us, read our blog...etc. Each one of your plays an important part in our journey. I love this journey that we are on and am honored to have each one of you along with us. I am also beyond proud of Carolyn, Alex, Abby, Calli and Cameron for the amazing way they have adapted in a situation that is anything but easy. I am honored and humbled to be partnered with such an amazing team. Thanks guys. Blessings!

Longevity

So we are creeping up on 6 months here and still cannot imagine ourselves anywhere else right now. We are continuing to be amazed at how God is blessing us in so many ways that we couldn't have scripted for ourselves. One way that we prayed and hoped that God would bless us is with community. We have seen that happen in ways that we could never have imagined. On June 1st we moved into our new place which is near our largest school, Logos International School (www.logoscambodia.org). We did so for several reasons 2 of which were it was under budget for us, it was close to school and we had a lot of friends that lived there. The last reason is why we are really glad we moved where we did. There are at least 4 other families we know living within a 250 meter radius of us, not counting House of Hope (Asian Hope's boy's home). For many reasons this has blessed us and contributed to our desire for longevity. First, we love and have been wired for a busy home. For the most part, we are not content closing our door and gate to the outside world and keeping to ourselves. This has resulted in many days and nights of some of the boys over for ping pong, cards, movies, hang-out, popcorn, discussions or like today, a hospital visit. Each of the boys are amazing in their own way and gifted beyond measure, which our creator does with each of us. We love getting to know each of them as time passes.
As if those relationships weren't enough, it seems our community relationships are starting to deepen as well. Take for instance our connection with our favorite tuk tuk driver, Wibol. He is in his early 30's and married with 2 kids. Shalom is 8 and she is in 3rd grade at a state school, Mongkol is 5 and attends Asian Hope International School. Our relationship began out of need. We were without transportation for a month and a half and needed to call on him many times. Now it has developed into a friendship where we can call on each other in times of need. Late one night I received a text from him asking us to pray for his son who was running a high fever, another time I called him for some "emergency" help in translating during a situation with Khmai police officer, just recently he called and asked if we could help out in a small way in getting some health care for his Dad. We prayed about it and were pleased to do so. It was so cool while talking to him last night, with evident emotion in his voice he said "Dan, every night Mongkol prays for you and your family. He never forgets." We love how our roots are growing deeper here.
In the interest of longevity, we are also trying to structure our lives in a way that will support it. In doing so we are taking the advice of many missionaries that have been on the field for a long time as well as advice given during our training and we are getting away from the city for a few days. Next week (July 5th) we are taking advantage of rainy season rates in Southeast Asia and driving to Koh Chang, Thailand for time of family connection and renewal. Whereas we love where we live and what we do, it is so easy to get caught up in day to day activities and lose sight of each other and WHY we are here. It also allows us a breather and forces us to step away from our work. As many of you know, when work is ministry to others sometimes you can find yourself working almost 24/7. We are all so excited to venture out on this road trip and see a new part of Southeast Asia. We are praying for and trusting God for a healthy, safe and fun time of renewal for all of us.
Thanks again for joining us on this journey.