Another good thing about getting settled in here is that it is feeling more like home. The neighborhood that we have been in for a little more than one year offers so much to us in regards to the "home" feeling. We can walk and see neighbors, the kids can bike without concern, walk to a friends house for dinner, play a pick-up game of ultimate...etc. Carolyn and I are also finding our niche here and learning what it means to survive and thrive successfully in a foreign culture. That doesn't come without its struggles but God has been gracious to us and we are both still enjoying our lives here.
One of the bad aspects of "getting settled" is the saying of good-byes. Especially in an international culture, this is just a part of life. With many of our school staff only staying here for a 2 or 3 year period, at the end of every school year there are always good-byes to be said. And also, at an international school, teachers, students and parents become quite close. For so many, they are so far from home so your friends and peers become a very tight-knit community. In our kids' case, they not only see their teachers at school but often at church, social gatherings and sometimes even at our house for dinner. Again, this is great for relationships but hard for good-byes.
This is also true for short-term teams that come and volunteer with us. As the primary host of volunteers for Asian Hope, our family gets to know a lot of the visitors better than they would otherwise. This results in children who are mastering the art of getting to know new people quickly but also learning to grieve good-byes well. I am sure those are skills that God is instilling in them for the future.
This is a picture of me sharing the Easter message to a group of kids in Kraviek village. We had a great response from the villagers. |
Alex helping kids in Kraviek village. |
All in all, we are still so thankful to be where we are. We are witnessing so many great things that God is doing here and are so thankful to be a part of it. Thank you so much for being along with us on this journey.
The whole family on a boat ride on the Tonle Sap river with the team of 51 from Seattle. |
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