make deposits in the love bank

This Post Secret made me smile!

I took a one-semester counselling subject as part of my undergraduate degree. The lecturer said I had empathetic eyes. I got an A.

I attribute my academic success to having already ingested countless episodes of Dr Phil and Oprah. (...particularly during my formative years when I had holidays from high school and really should have tried to find something more constructive to do with my free time!)

a place to play

Here's another photo from Steph (short-term visitor with GDT who walked the streets and helped me out by taking a few hundred photos). This one reminds me that while I see filthy flood waters, these kids see a place to play.

more surprising encounters

A group visited Poipet for a few hours one day this week. They came to talk about funding a project or two. I didn't meet them but was involved in some chats before they came, throwing around ideas to put to these potential donors. I was told that one factor to consider was that these guys said they're not adverse to doing something with a bit of.... "wow".

I'm not anti-"wow". I embrace wow. If anyone has a desire to give to the community in Poipet and trusts me to share some tips on how to do that? Wow! Yes! I've got a stack of ideas!

The wow team did get me thinking, however, that maybe I have come to see wow little differently. A friend of mine teaches that WOW stands for Walk Observing Wonder. When we practice the discipline (and the art) of looking for wonder, our ordinary daily life experiences can become wow.

I had one such moment the same day as the wow team was in town. I was drinking coffee and doing some work at an outdoor cafe. A street kid (well known by Poipet expats) pulled up a chair to join me. We talked for a while. Then, he emptied his pockets to count the money he'd earned from begging that day. As the small notes and coins scattered across the table, a singe wrapped lolly spilled out too. He reached for it and then decided instead to give it to me. Twice he pushed it over towards me. Are you sure? I asked. Yes. Take it. Thank you.

Wow.

fruit nuts & etc

Today I renew my vow to use snacks for good and not for evil.

Pursat River Run post 3

Why Pursat 2008? Was it the scenic running course? The friendly competition? Supporting youth involvement in sport? Being part of encouraging people with disabilities to participate? Yes to all! However, maybe the deeper reason I came to Pursat was that there was 250 000 riel on offer for the first woman home in the 10K!? This was my chance to chase prizes and popularity.

Let me explain; I have never hoped to win a running event. I made my track debut in third grade. Lining up for the Under 9's 100m heat, I sprung up at the sound of the gun and sprinted as fast as my stunted legs would carry me, finishing 7th out of 8. I quit running. Then in late 2007 a friend convinced me to sign up for my first 10K in Siem Reap. We trained. We ran. I became hooked.
With US$62.50 for first place, I figured this Pursat race was worth some investment. I spent a grand total of $38.50 over the weekend on registration, hotel room, bus tickets for the 440k return journey, drinks and snacks.

My pre-race prep was good. I relaxed in my hotel room. I tried to decide what to wear. As a concession to the local culture, I dug out a more “modest” pair of little shorts with at least an extra inch of fabric, matching them with a sleeveless top and a fabulous sweatband. Ready to run, baby!

As we mingled at the starting line, I noticed some of the experienced athletes warming up. I tried a little pre-race jog but after a half a block I was sweating like crazy so figured I was hot enough already. Running with some of the Cambodian national runners was inspiring. (I could see them for at least 100m before we turned the first corner and they were gone.) I ran much of the race alongside a young guy who was running his first 10K in a pair of socks. What he lacked in proper footwear he made up for in a mate who rode his motorbike alongside him the whole way offering bottled water and shouts of encouragement! After finishing at the provincial stadium, I watched other competitors cross the line, cheering them on for their final few steps. Some had pushed themselves to their limit, collapsing into the mud at the end. Their determination was awesome.

Returning home to Poipet, several of my friends said they had seen me on the CTN broadcast. The TV coverage was a clear boost to my popularity!

Coming back to the 250 000r prize? I was stoked with second. I bagged a trophy, winners T-shirt, soft toy and the equivalent of US$50 cash. (It was a good thing that I’d already sponsored one of the disabled athletes because I would have felt awkward coming home with a profit of $11.50 from a fund-raising event!)

Aside from the obvious prizes and popularity, the Pursat River Run is about participating. For foreigner NGO-types, the Khmer athletes on race day aren’t recipients, patients, clients, students or staff. We are all competitors. We will finish ahead of some and many Khmer runners will kick our butts! Simply running the race together was inspiring.

Youth Meeting

I have no idea what a cool Christian youth group meeting might look like these days. Every so often I get a promo email for a big, awesome event that has some combo of rockn skate park, live band and famous-person-preacher-boy. I've heard accounts of attractive young women wearing skinnyleg jeans & heals jumping around on stage as they lead the worship songs. But I've never seen it and don't think I'll ever be able to match that particular talent....

Last Friday night I was part of leading a youth meeting in Poipet. Maybe an Australian youth looking on would say that the event was pretty lame. But without wanting to talk it up too much~ I thought it was brilliant!

I don't know exactly what "it" was called. Probably "youth meeting". No rad name. No funky logo. No website. We started at 5:20pm, coming together in the room that is used by Sambo's family as living room/ dining room as well as a classroom for teaching English on weekday afternoons. Arriving at 4:45pm the plastic stools were already set up in neat rows. A few young people had come early to help and there was a sense of excitement and anticipation.

The format was for the meeting was simple: Intro. Game. Two testimonies. Song. Two more testimonies. Talk. Prayer. Snacks.

I led the song in English and Khmer, strumming four chords on a donated acoustic guitar. Three other Aussies who were visiting Poipet for a week joined me at the front, each with a percussion instrument in hand. We sang God Is So Good. Our group sang first and the youth joined in as they picked it up. The song couldn't have been simpler. God is so good. God loves me. God loves you. God is so good. Amazingly, this song became living, healing balm as it washed over a bunch of kids whose daily lives often lack simple goodness and love. It was powerful!

I gave a short preach in Khmer. No stage. No microphone. No music in the background as I came to the conclusion of the message. But whether they were hungry to hear or simply being polite, every young person was attentive as the message went out.

Afterwards we ate snacks and talked. Some of the boys picked up the instruments and continued to praise God with joyful, rowdy songs. We left at around 7:30pm.

I'm sooooo thankful that this "uncool" Friday night youth meeting was still really fun. I'd say it was a powerful place of refuge, community and strength for the 50 or so youth who were there. I can't wait to do it again!




(Seriously- what is this gesture!?! Knocking them out with the Word of the Lord?!)

Pursat River Run post 2

I made the podium. Woo hoo!! : )

Pursat River Run post 1

Photos from the run with thanks to Lois Knight.

Titles

This year my job title has changed from Project Advisor (part-time) to Project Director (full-time). The new title goes with a new project and that in itself is a challenge when I wonder if we have a project for me to direct yet?

I'm already starting to think that maybe being a Project Director is more work (even if I'm on the same monthly allowance!). The first time I wrote Project Director on a form I though it at least sounded important. Not I'm not sure. Malis has already threatened to start calling me Big Sister Boss instead of Big Sister Pip and that won't do at all.

Seriously though... this past week I had to do a small Directorish task that was new to me and not at all pleasant. I had to phone a job applicant and tell them that they weren't chosen for the position. Before calling I checked my copy of Tearfund's Human Resource Management guide. Chapter 4. Step 10. Inform unsuccessful candidates. The text was brief. I couldn't delay the call any more so I picked up the phone. I spoke in my best polite Khmer. I said all the important things twice just to make sure I was understood. Thank you for the time you spent coming to the interview. We appreciate that you came to meet us for the interview. I'm calling to say that you were not chosen. We have decided to choose somebody else instead. I hope that we can meet again. Maybe we will see each other in the community. Thank you again. Yes, thank you. Bye bye.

Hmmm...still waiting to find out the perks that come with this Very Important Title ; )