Today, as I rode sidesaddle in a dress on the back of a moto down a rain- dampened dirt road, I began to reflect on my life in this new place. I began to recall my preconceived notions about moving to Cambodia, the strange things that have quickly become so normal and my motive for moving away from family and friends to begin life on the other side of the world. Some things are exactly as I imagined and then there are other things that surprise me on a regular basis.
For example, last night was one of the first big rains of the oncoming rainy season. The street we live on flooded entirely in less than an hour and my husband and I arrived home just in time to find that we had left our windows wide open for this sudden down pour. While so foreign and nothing like the 24 years I lived in the U.S., this scenario is roughly how I pictured it and now this will be part of my regular routine. On the other hand it I have felt sabotaged by my emotions in the midst of a totally western-feeling grocery store. Upon an unsuccessful search for black beans I found myself teary and moping in the middle of the canned-goods isle. What was the cause for such a reaction? The simple realization that I could not pick up the phone and call my dad to ask for help with food substitutions. I did not expect black beans to cause such an ordeal…or to be reduced to tears over something so entirely obvious.
Life in Cambodia has revealed the differences in many ideas I held and the reality of those things, including the reality of myself. Despite these many changes, I am reminded of a Constant and my purpose in choosing this life. As the scene before me on the dirt road this morning brought a smile to my lips, I felt myself come alive with the truth that I was made for this. I was made for a purpose and part of that purpose is to live right here, right now and serve. I will persevere when it is hard because there is One who has gone before me to pave the way and shown me what it means to persevere. I will rejoice every day in the fact that my joy is in Him and can be found nowhere else. No location or trial can change these truths and I am so indescribably thankful for this.
Catie Nelson
As a 1st world believer now living in a 3rd world I have been struck by how some scriptures don’t at all seem relevant to my life. Yet the fact that they are not relevant actually frees me up to lay hold of other scriptural admonitions with greater “gusto.” For example in Matthew 6:31-33 we [...]
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With major holidays happening in Cambodia and the US, I have been thinking about the implications. The United States just celebrated Easter and Cambodia will celebrate Khmer New Year over the coming weeks. I think there are valuable things we can take from both cultures that can help others around the world and even our [...]
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Hello friends, Below is a post we stole from the blog of one of the participants from our last trip. As is the case with any sort of long trip in a moving vehicle, I am completely and utterly unable to sleep. Despite my best efforts, for hours might I add, I have had little [...]
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Thanks to Matt Nelson, you are now able to see the city of Siem Reap! Enjoy!
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Hello All, my name is Ryan McDonald and my wife and I moved to Cambodia at the end of January, and I would just like to say that nothing makes me feel more at home than the smiling face of a tuk tuk driver. Yes. You heard me right. The times when I feel most [...]
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Hey! I have been here for almost three weeks and I just wanted to write to tell you about what we have been into since I have arrived and what our team (that you are a member of through your support of me) has been putting their hands to. As I expected, we definitely hit [...]
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I write lots of things, but I have never written a BLOG before in my life. Generally, BLOGs are the retelling of experiences as seen through the writer’s eyes. I would like to share with you one woman’s journey but it is not my journey—it is another woman’s journey–seen through my eyes. This is the [...]
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If you would, allow me to give you a peak of some of our children in the Siem Reap PCL Children’s Home. This is our “bike gang”! These gals were all headed home the other day and I couldn’t help but take a snapshot of their pleasing smiles and matching helmets. Their countenances are always [...]
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I welcome you to the beginning of our blogging from the other side of the world! You will start to see guest blogging from all of our PCL overseas staff and I’m happy to start the journey. My name is Abby and I just moved to Cambodia in January. I plan to stay for two [...]
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Our team created some desktop wallpapers for our computer screens. We thought we’d share them with you. Download 1280 x 800 Download 1920 x 1200 Download 2560 x 1440 Download 1280 x 800 Download 1920 x 1200 Download 2560 x 1440
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