The Runs :-)

You can read on because I am sure this post will have nothing to do with what you are thinking right now. I will leave that for another one...or maybe not. Anyways, Carolyn and I have been running together. We are training for a half-marathon race in Siem Reap (home of Angkor Wat) in December. We have committed to this in part to keep in shape, in part to maintain sanity and in large part to connect with eachother. Although it isn't easy in the heat...it has been the highlight of my last few weeks. We often run at a pace where we can converse while running and the sights we see are more than enough fodder for conversation. Many times we chuckle about how different it is to run here than in Colorado, and the weather is the least of the differences. Here are some of the observations and differences we witness on our "runs":
*We have really changed our standards for what constitutes good running weather. It used to be low to mid 60's was ideal and we wouldn't even think about running if it was over 85. Now, since it NEVER gets below 68 (and I do mean NEVER) that has had to change. After one day in the hot season when we returned from running and our thermometer read 103 F, a few days later I found myself saying "wow, the run felt nice today, it is only 89 degrees."
*We get greeted by "Hello" more times than I can count every time we go running. The person may be 2 years old or 82. We will be running by and hear that wonderful greeting, always accompanied by a huge smile, which is accentuated by the contrast of their white teeth and brown skin. For many, it is the only English word they know so they use it whenever they can. It is such a fun way to connect with our community by shouting back a "Hello" or "Susedai" with a smile and a wave.
*Herds of oxen and goats are often obstacles on our running path. We also dodge many types of poultry. There are more loose dogs than I can count. I am very thankful that they seem as interested in chasing us as they are the world economy.
*Long, dusty, dirty roads.
*Beautiful palm trees dotting the landscape.
*There is even something resembling a mountain in the distance. Comes close to making us feel at home. I didn't see any snow on it though. Probably because it probably only towers 100 meters above sea level and the average daily temperature is 82.635 degrees F. Anyways, I digress.
*People. What we both really love are the people we see. The man herding goats; the women harvesting rice; the children digging through trash to find recycable material to sell; boys walking through a chest deep pond with a fishing net in order to catch a meal; families washing their clothes in large bowls in front of their houses; the unclothed children playing in the dirt and water trying to escape the heat...etc. All of them are going about their days, doing what they can to survive, but almost all of them will pause, stare at us unapologetically and greet us. That is what we both love. That is what at times makes us smile and at times can move us to tears. The utter brokenness of so many here contrasted by their outer joy. That is why we are here. For the people. It breaks our hearts to see their outer circumstances but it pales in comparison to the condition of their hearts. In a country where 95%+ are Buddhist, our hearts ache for the fact that almost everyone we pass would spend eternity apart from their Creator if they died today. Please join us in praying for the people of Cambodia and for the lives of those we interact with on our "runs".

I included a link to more pictures from our running route. Copy and paste it into your browser and enjoy getting a glimpse into what we experience.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=ohlinsincambodia&target=ALBUM&id=5508558802471745377&authkey=Gv1sRgCOWxwaqshb3HTA&feat=email

Empty

How do you empty yourself of self while fighting for self-preservation? Are self-preservation and selflessness mutually exclusive? Those are questions that I am being faced with more and more these days. How do I empty myself, pour myself out for our new culture while at the same time cultivating a life that promotes longevity? They must co-exist. As a result of the path that we have chosen for our family, we have to successfully merge both of those numerous times every day. This is one of the many factors that cause you to live each day here at a constant level of higher stress. Higher stress because almost NOTHING is easy and EVERYTHING is different here. Not only that but the cultural differences can boggle the mind sometimes. One minor, but indicative way this played out just the other day, was when I went to my favorite restaurant for lunch. (I say "restaurant" strictly to mean a place where you can buy and consume food. Just to make sure you don't mistakenly create images in your mind that aren't correct, I added pictures of it J). It is 2 carts on the side of street 315 in Phnom Penh. One cart is for making fried rice or noodles and the other is for compressing sugar cane and making sugar cane juice. It is my favorite for several reasons. The food is great and I love the atmosphere and the price is right. I get a plate of fried noodles with an egg on top for 2000 riel (about 50cents), it is out in the open, the guy who runs it is a happy older guy who always wears a "Live with Regis and Kelly" hat and he always gives me a free cup of sugar cane juice. I think he does this because it usually takes a while since he needs to stoke his fire before he starts cooking my noodles. However, today he broke from tradition and gave me a glass of iced tea instead of sugar cane juice. Sugar cane juice seems relatively safe to me because it is naturally contained in the cane and just squeezed out (of course it is added to ice that is less than clean; but I try not to think about that). Iced tea on the other hand is mostly water…the water that most expats never drink. It just might cause some bowel conditions that I won't discuss on our blog J. This being the case, I found myself really pondering whether or not I should consume the free gift. Should I leave my glass "empty" which would communicate appreciation despite the language barrier? Or should I leave it sit and communicate…who knows what? I am sure some of you now are thinking "It is a glass of stinkin' iced tea…not a big deal. Just dump It out. The guy will get over it." I did think that as well but instead I opted to gamble with my bowels. I would rather offend my innards than a man that I am beginning to develop a relationship with. In the grand scheme of things the iced tea may not matter much but I think it is good exercise for my "emptying myself" muscle, muscle that I need here more than almost anything. So I ended up leaving the glass almost empty even though it tasted a little bit like tea flavored lake water. I also ended up leaving with the confidence that I didn't offend him and that we will continue building our relationship as I frequent his "restaurant" more and more.

Anonymity

One of the things that has particularly struck me here in Phnom Penh is that no matter where we go in the city, anonymity is nearly impossible. Why? We stick out like a sore thumb...really. Although there are many westerners here, the overall percentage is very low. The way this plays out practically is really quite comical at times. For example, we can be driving in our van and we will look out our windows and everyone around us are unapologetically staring at us. And when we make eye contact and smile they just continue staring. Another time I had stopped by a little place to get my motorcycle washed. I sat down at a small table to read while waiting. About a minute after I sat down a man sat down in front of me about 3 feet away and just stared at me. He continued even as I looked up periodically and made eye contact. A few months ago this would have seemed weird to me but I am somewhat used to it now.
All of this is compounded by the fact that we are starting to show up at the same places over and over again. People are beginning to realize that this American family is here indefinitely. I love that. This has all caused me to reflect on why we are here. We are certainly engaging here with ministry as a vocation but I am not so sure that our ministry apart from vocation won't be more profound and impactful. What I mean is, our lack of anonymity here means that no matter where we are...it could be in the middle of hundreds of people in the most crowded market in Phnom Penh...we are being watched by dozens of people. Our attitudes and actions towards them and each other transcend the language barrier communicate a lot about who we are and what we represent. As God's word says, "they will know that you are Christians by your love". I looked but I haven't found anywhere in the bible that says "they will know you are Christians by how often you go to church" or "if you uproot your family for ministry" or "by how much you give...etc". So please pray for us as we begin to become more and more a part of the landscape here that as a family we will represent our Creator in a manner worthy of His name. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey. By the way, all of the pictures are from our "back to school" shopping today.

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.

Month at-a-glance

It seems like just a week ago that I posted to our blog but when I reflected back on our last month I wasn't terribly surprised that it had been as long as it had. I wish I could go into every detail of our last 30 days or so but: 1. I wouldn't remember everything and 2: if I did, your eyes would be rolling up into your head by day 3 or so. In light of this, I am going to give you our month at a glance.

I would say the first big event that happened in our family is that the kids finished up the school year at Logos International School. Alex finished 9^th grade, Abby finished 7^th, Calli finished 5^th and Cameron finished Pre-K 4. We are so grateful to God and proud of the kids with how well they adapted to their new setting. They went from homeschooling in America to attending a private international school in Cambodia and did it well. Besides the major, obvious differences, one big thing to get used to in an international school is that many teachers and students are only there for a limited time. Most of our teachers sign 2 year contracts and then they are done. Also, many students' parents are only here for a short amount of time so the good-byes will maintain a sort of regularity. That is just another unanticipated aspect of living internationally.

The second big thing that happened to us in the past month is we ended our 15 months of homelessness. I do use the term lightly as we always had a comfortable place to lay our heads but we hadn't had our own place for over a year. It was difficult to not have a place to call our own, a place to personalize and have friends over. Our yearning for a place of our own came to an end on June 1^st when we moved into our own place here. We are in a new and growing region called Phnom Penh Themey (meaning New Phnom Penh). It is near the kids' school (15 minute walk) and just down the street from House of Hope (HOH; Asian Hope's boy's home). Our neighborhood also has several other families that we know so it really feels like home. We are also really enjoying living near HOH. Several times per week the boys stop in to play ping pong, hang out, play a game, watch a movie or just eat some banana chips and chat. It is so much fun and very consistent with our family's heart to have an open home and open hearts. Thanks God!

I could write for hours on the humorous journey of purchasing EVERYTHING for our new home but that would take…um…hours. But suffice to say, it was a crazy time. First finding where they sell a certain item, then negotiating a price (with language barrier), arranging delivery of larger items (all done on moto's), trying to communicate our address or directions…etc. Some days it was charming and endearing and other days I would select a descriptive word which would be the antonym of endearing (unendearing?). However, through all of the unpredictable and sometimes unimaginable obstacles we had to endure, I am so grateful to Carolyn for so patiently and thoroughly making this house into our home adding touches that really do make it home. To add to our excitement, right as we were starting to move some of our stuff over to the new house, I pulled, tore, strained or otherwise injured my hamstring playing street hockey. OUCH! I quickly looked up treatment for a hamstring pull and read about the RICE protocol and was relieved because we are in Southeast Asia and we have a lot of rice. But then I realized that RICE was an acronym for rest, ice, compression and elevation. So out of those four, I did roughly none of them and I think it is healing just fine. My hamstring has reminded me several times, by way of a sharp shooting pain, that it is still not back to normal but nonetheless we successfully moved in during that time.

The third big event that happened during the past month was that we hosted our first official mission team for Asian Hope. It was a group of 10 wonderful college students from Louisiana Tech. They were here for about 3 weeks and during their time here we ended up kind of adopting them into our family. It was busy but fun. I love having a job where I can have some of my kids or even all of my family be a part of it. While they were here we spent a lot of time serving many who are less fortunate alongside the students from our House of Hope and House of Faith. We hosted some VBS/fun days at our school, taught children from the dump, scraped and painted, removed trees…etc. It was such a great help to have them. The timing worked out great, too, as we were able to host some get-togethers at our new house. A couple times while they were here we were able to have about 3 dozen people at our house, which presented an awesome time of fun and fellowship. Alex, Abby and I also accompanied the team to Kampong Thom, a province about 3 ½ hours north of Phnom Penh. There we visited a ministry which houses, teaches and trains and nurtures orphans. It was a great opportunity to serve and also for me to connect with another ministry. God sure is moving here in Cambodia.

I know this is a brief description of our last month but I will diligently try to make more regular updates to our blog. Reflecting on our last month, I am left with a greater excitement for what God has in store for the people of Cambodia and more specifically for our family. There is a lot of oppression and pain in Cambodia but the longer we are here, the more we can see God's hand at work. We are humbled and honored to be a small part of that. A huge thank you from our family to each one of you reading this, because in doing so you are joining us in our journey.