Different Sort of Summer

I was unzipping my camera case and for a moment (if I had closed my eyes) I felt like I was climbing into a sleeping bag on a glorious camping trip. Maybe I'm spending too much time on facebook and living vicariously through everybody's summer vacations! Whatever the case, I am longing for sitting around bonfires with friends and family, enjoying long and warm conversations, eating burnt marshmallows, going to bed too late and waking up to eat big bowls of cereal. Northern Michigan is beautiful in the summer and I'm dreaming of sitting on its shore.

It doesn't feel too much like summer here, the rains have begun again and school is well underway. We did have a great summer here, our first in Cambodia. It was filled with all sorts of activity; beginning of our homeschool adventure, various teaching trips to the province, language study, etc.

Here are a few pictures of some of Darryl's time in the province (when I say province that basically means the countryside, i.e. anywhere outside of Phnom Penh).

Below are pictures are taken from Darryl's trip to Kampot last week. He and Pastor Narith, Vannie, and Melkie (MTW team member) headed out in the MTW van to do two teaching sessions on the Christian family. Although the van broke down on the way there Darryl was still able to get other transport and make, albeit a tad late, for the session. It was a good turnout--sixty-six church leaders of various sorts (pastors, sunday school teachers) came from the surrounding countryside for the training sessions.

Both sessions went well and there were many questions and discussions after the training. The next training session will be in September, please pray for these times to be blessed! Here are a few pictures, rather grainy in quality, as they were taken with Darryl's mobile.

"Nice" room used for the training at the student center.

Teaching Podium

Small group discussions after the topic.

The following pictures are from an earlier trip to Kampot Province. Darryl went with MTW team member, Lloyd, and Pastor Narin to examine and baptize people desiring to make confession of faith and be baptized.

Both pastors listening to the testimony of the new believers.

Pastor Narin baptizing and praying for them.

Darryl and Lloyd with the whole group of new believers in Kampot. MTW team member, Esther, lives and works in the province. She has been the first one to tell many of them about the good news of Jesus Christ.

So...not quite like the shores of Lake Michigan, but the trails of Cambodia have been a blessed road to travel along as well. We're privileged to be here!

We are woefully behind on fundraising for this year since we did not return home in the summer. If you'd like to give your support you can do so by visiting the Asian Hope site here.

Much love to you all!
Kara

P.S. Please enjoy a slowly melting mint chocolate-chip ice cream cone for me and enjoy the rest of your summer! Drop me a line sometime (dedertfamily@yahoo.com); we'd love to hear from old friends and new folks too!

Experiencing the Body

Mini-Series: Why I Love Living In Cambodia
Experiencing the Body

I know it's been a little long since I last posted on this mini-series, but it isn't due to a lack of things to love about living in Cambodia, just time to write about them!

Last night I was chatting to a friend as we drove together in my trusty old Camry through the dark streets of the city. The events of the last weeks filled our conversation.

The night before our husbands had been called out on their bikes to look for a newly arrived teacher who had been missing for an hour and a half on the dark night roads. Thankfully she had just lost her way and eventually made her way to someone's house. Only two weeks before the Roberts had opened their home to the Rhea family and housed their entire brood of kids (I think that made 14 kids total in the house!) while the parents went with their daughter to Bangkok who was seriously sick from a snake bite. She laughed and said the new name for their family was "The Rescuers".

It is true. We do rely on one another so much over here. There were many times that we called on people for advice or help in the beginning years. Now as we shift to the “veteran” sector (the people called on for advice, help or late-night rescues) I realize what a blessing it is to be tangibly involved with those around us.

There are no safety nets here. There is no fire department to call, police security to trust, no adequate emergency medical care, and very little infrastructure in the country. Life feels raw. It comes, not neatly packaged, not with directions, and there is no number to call if you have questions or complaints. You feel your stark aloneness. But you also realize and depend more on the nearness of God and the body of believers that surrounds you. Strangely it makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before. Less scared, less alone.

When I’m together with other women, there is a common understanding, a desire to help and lift one another up, a blossom of friendship that can exist even because “we are here together.” Most of us are stretched beyond our comfort zones, sometimes lonely, sometimes exhilarated about being able to be here, sometimes struggling with marriage, family, with following after Him.

It has been a tremendous blessing to find a common bond, to gain sisters in Christ, with women from extremely diverse traditions and circumstances. It’s like I am allowed to peak just a bit further into the masterpiece of God’s hand at work. Brilliant colors, stories of redemption, stories of pain, but ultimately stories all wound up in the red thread of Christ’s redeeming blood. His work is beautiful.

Living the Fairytale

What a fantastic day.

The rat in the front of the house met it's quick and messy demise at the hands of a fearless hunter.

The hunter on the prowl.

And Sophie boosted my self-confidence with a gorgeous portrait of her parents, which apparently, are straight out of a fairytale--leggings, side ponytail, crown, and all.


Hope your day is just as amazing,

Kara

P.S. We are enjoying music from Sing the Word. I highly recommend it--it's a great memory aid and fills the mind and heart with good things! Sophie sings a little clip for you from "Sing the Word from A to Z"...

Day Three: Fresh Fruit

Mini-Series: Why I Love Living In Cambodia
Day Three: Fresh Fruit

Fresh bananas cut right from the tree.

Rambutans, prickly red on the outside and sweet and white on the inside.

Jackfruit.

Pineapple. Sliced and put into a little bag with a skewer stick. Warm, sticky, and sweet.

I love pulling up to the fruit cart and ordering one fresh mango, to go please. The cleaver whacks in a familiar way at the mango, chiseling off the green peel and swiftly dividing the mango into a bouquet of chewy sticks. Chili and salt on the side.

That'll be 25 cents, please.

Day Two: Automatic Focus

Noah and his sweet-looking MILO mustache.

Mini-Series: Why I Love Living In Cambodia
Day Two: Automatic Focus

It's amazing how crystal clear life becomes when it's stripped away from distractions, comforts, and busyness.

Our life in Cambodia is very simple. We pour our energy into three things: Logos, Family, and the Church. Our community overlaps with these three circles. It's simple. I don't have to struggle with many different options of things to be involved with, what event to attend, or whom to spend time with.

Because life here doesn't have a lot of frills and distractions (which I do sometimes crave), we are continually reminded of our purpose for being here. While we are here we want to pour every ounce of energy and passion to living this life, right now, right here in Cambodia, for the Lord. I don't want to spend it wishing I were somewhere else with different circumstances (although sometimes I do!).

There are many times sadness creeps in as we realize we are missing out on years with family that we can never get back. But then we remind ourselves of the purpose of our lives. For us, that means living to serve God in whatever capacity He has called us, and right now that means Cambodia.

So, it's okay. When I'm tempted to feel a tinge of jealousy or longing when I see the homes of friends--not just a place filled with nice things, but a place to plant your roots--I am reminded that it's not the life God is calling me to right now. Maybe someday, but not now. When I feel anxious that somehow we are far behind in the pursuit of providing for ourselves with a house and savings God brings to mind that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He would give this to us if we needed it.

But we don't, not now.

We have food, healthy children, a comfortable place to call home, peace and joy in our marriage, friendships with many believers here, a Savior, and purpose in our everyday work at home and school. I'm not trying to paint of picture that our lives are perfect or we somehow live a superior calling because we are here. Far from it! But I am saying that He provides everything and knows what each believer needs. He has blessed our family in so many ways that it comforts me to know that He knows what we need. He provides the strength to serve Him in whatever capacity He has called us.

Many of the things I desire (career, financial establishment, time with family, a home) simply cannot exist right now, even though they are good things. But when I consider changing roads, there is no peace. He has made the focus of our life clear. Maybe He will call us to serve in a different capacity, but I hope that the focus and purpose of our lives will always remain crystal clear, loving the Lord our God with all our heart and soul.

P.S. I hope you don't think I'm sounding preachy or assuming to be very insightful. I'm not imparting some great knowledge that I have (because that department is non-existent, trust me) but rather, I am stumbling along in my own faith, taking steps backwards sometimes, but desiring to understand my life in Christ and live it with all of my heart. Writing it down helps me to analyze and reflect on all these things buzzing about in my head. Thanks for listening :).

Mini Series: Why I Love to Live In Cambodia

That's right folks. Join me this week for a mini-series: Why I Love Living In Cambodia.

I'll be honest, there are days I scratch my head, scrambling for at least one reason why I enjoy living here, but, then again we all have those days, no matter where we are living. It's good to remind myself of the many positive aspects of living in a developing country.

It will be things that come to mind, in no order of importance and by no means a comprehensive list.

Day 1
The two things that come to mind from our recent trip to Kean Svei are neighbors and having my family experience the blessings of God in a simple life, first-hand.

Our dear neighbors nicely pop the isolationist bubbles that we, North Americans, seems to be very comfortable floating around in. I had never even met some of my neighbors when we lived in North America. That's unheard of here.

When I wake up in the morning it's not unusual for me to find people at my door, in the kitchen, dropping off banana-leaf treats or saying good-morning. Our washers are behind our kitchen and we are about ten feet apart. We say a cheery hello in our pajamas as we load up laundry and head back in to our homes to start the day. The kids chatter together and then scurry back to their respective kitchens for breakfast.

There are times I crave privacy and silence, but the advantages of living in a community far outweigh the cons in this setting. I have learned to live my life as an open book, out of necessity.
I am thankful for the friendships and closeness that have formed from our living situation, in this little village.

So when our neighbors asked us to go along for a little trip, we were happy to take them up on it. We went to a little Khmer farmer's market where there were heaping baskets of purple eggplant, bananas, mangoes, and spices. We hopped on a little boat and toured around looking at local farms.

We sat close together, hunched under the tin roof which gave us glorious shade.


Simple dwellings and abundant crops on the farms proclaiming God's provision. God is good, giving us what we need from the earth. We are reminded of the most basic blessings.

We witnessed the joys of everyday life. Families eating meals together on stilted huts, kids splashing and bathing in the river. Simple blessings.

Women selling baked fish and rice in their boats paddled around to the huts selling their meals.

We felt the breeze on our faces. Watched our sweet little Evie stick her head out of the boat, close her eyes, and suck in the wind with a big grin on her face. Delight.

It is good to be alive.

See How They've Grown!

*GASP* "Mom, you've got to be kidding me! We have a camera?"

Yay! The whole family is celebrating!

Beautiful front door and cheerful plants.

Evie (10 months) and Jacqueline (2 years!).

Noah loves watching Roat tinker with his bike.

I love this man. and I love this girl.

Daddy hosing down his bike...and the kids.
A great end to a great day.

Homeless

This morning was a startling reminder of the desperate situation of so many around us and how volatile the city can be.

A community in Phnom Penh (about 800-1400 families) was forcibly evicted from their land (even though some of them had the legal rights to their land) at 6 am this morning.

In the early hours of Saturday morning (24 Jan) 300 police in riot gear and 500 demolition workers surrounded the residents of Dey Krahorm together with heavy machinery ready to forcibly evict the 150 families living in the village. At 6am the police and workers moved
in, using tear gas, batons, water cannons, fire extinguishers and rubber projectiles. The result was a war zone in the middle of PP which has now left hundreds of villages (men, women and children) homeless and with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The scary thing is that this happened at the door step to the National Assembly and just a stone's throw away from Hun Sen Park. -Justin F

Here is live footage from human rights monitors at the scene.
This is NOT appropriate for young children.

It's a Mess

Saturday nights always filled me with a little bit of dread when I was a girl. Don't get me wrong, I always looked forward to the tradition of going out to eat, usually at the Dutch hot spot, Russ', and I loved having my Grandma and Grandpa come over afterward for coffee and dessert. BUT...there was always a pit in my stomach because I KNEW Grandma would come casually strolling down the hallway to take a peek into my room. I like to think that my room was "cosy", but my mom claims she could see my bed FLOATING on piles of clothes, books, toys, and precious treasures. It didn't help that my sister Kristin kept her room in a perpetual state of perfection. How is one supposed to measure up?!

Grandma at Carly's wedding. She's beautiful!

Grandma would open the door and *GASP*, "Krara, I have never seen a mess like this in all of my life! How do you even get it like this, I can't understand." Her incredulous look still is with me...it's good though, it makes me keep my house clean now! Of course she couldn't understand, she's second generation Dutch, to these people cleaning is FUN, a way to relax. Those genes definetely were recessive by the time they got to me. Then Grandma would report to mom, mom would report to dad, and soon I'd have a whole host of adults peering into my room emitting gasps of horror and disbelief as they stared at my cosy piles of treasures. Then I was doomed...the rest of the night was spent cleaning. Grandma would help me for the fun of it. Didn't she have to work on the blanket she was crocheting? Apparently not, my room presented a greater thrill. I think this happened nearly every Saturday (no, I didn't seem to learn my lesson) until I was 14 or so. At that point I think the shock was wearing off, there was no surprise waiting for them when they'd open my door, because it was always the same, VERY COSY.

I'd like to think I'm wiser as I grow older. And yes, my house is clean now, and no, I don't like the COSY style so much anymore.

On a small scale it reminds me of Cambodia. It's a mess out here. Actually, humanity is a mess. Not without hope, but a mess all the same. NGO's (non-government organizations) are everywhere here, picking up the mess and putting it away for the day just to turn around and find everything is all out of place again.


The UN has a strong presence here. Many women and children's organizations are here too. And while I'm sure they do offer help, most of the time they just put band-aids on the problem or offer a temorary reprieve. The BBC issued a report saying that women and children are facing an increasing risk of rape and sexual assault and that around a quarter of the female population faces domestic violence. What are the NGO's accomplishing? Why are millions of dollars poured into efforts and and little seems to change? There is no lack of international aid to Cambodia. If the West is giving it the best help it can, why isn't it creating change?

TO BE CONTINUED

He's Two!

It's been two years.

Life began quietly for Noah in a Bangkok hospital surrounded by gobs of sweet little black-haired Thai babies. A bit out of place as a big blond boy but just right for us. I miss the days of snuggling him up close, right into my shoulder. He was such a content baby, we were spoiled! Evie brought us back to reality :). When he turned one he was ready to explore the world. For his birthday we bought him a hammer and wooden pegs. You've never seen such force in your life, we laughed till we cried. Following in Grandpa's footsteps.

I love to get him out of bed and see his big grin. I hold him tight and feel the tap-tap-tap on my back from his pudgy little hand. We laugh as we listen to him impatiently expand his increasing vocabulary. "Mom, mommy, mom, mommy....MOM!" He tries to get my attention and then points to the unknown object waiting for me to name it and then practicing it on his own over and over and over.

At night while tucking him into bed we sing "Rejoice in the Lord always" and he gets his hands shaking, ready to clap at just the right moment. Whenever I announce it's time for lunch or time for a snack he jumps and runs with his hands in the air and shouts "Yaaaay!" It's these things plus a million more that make our days full and blessed.

Tonight as we sat at supper he looked at his food and proudly said, "MINE." Then looked to me for affirmation. "That's right", I said, "it's yours." He looked at me quizzically. "Yours?" he repeated and then, "no, mine." Back and forth we went with Sophie giggling away. Finally we settled on, "Yes, that's Noah's food." He sat back proudly and said, "mine".

It's been two years. And we're praying for many more with this little boy.

Noah's birthday celebration with friends

Darryl had fun organizing the balloon games and running all
over with kids going in every direction. What a hoot!

He ate two of these. Just the frosting of course.
Oh yeah, and the sprinkles.

Doing what he does best, PLAYING with his FOOD!

Which ones are mine again?

Have you ever read the series All of a Kind Family? When I was in elementary I discovered these gems during the local reading program at Schuler's books. They've long been my favorite series and I'm anticipating the day I can read them aloud to Sophie.

We've had our own sort of 'All of a Kind Family' here in the Dedert house. A happy, bewildering, whirlwind, sort of family. We've had a lovely friend and two three-week old twin baby girls added to the bunch, at least temporarily. These two little ones were rescued and we are busy trying to get these little ones back on their feet. The doc says they appear healthy and are in need of lots of nutrition and human touch.

The kids are thrilled with them. Sophie whispers at night, "Will the babies be here in the morning?" Please pray for strength to take care of these little ones, especially Laura, as she gives them most of their care. Pray that we will be able to find someone soon to give her some relief and for guidance with these little one's futures.

Starving hungry all the time. They are catching up!

Esther is the littlest of the two. Look how big Evie's newborn size shirt is on her.

Good-bye Lydia!

We said a fond farewell to Lydia, the oldest of the girls at the House of Faith home, on Friday. Lydia was part of the first graduating class from Logos last year and was accepted to a nursing program in India. Her desire is to get her nursing degree and then return to Cambodia to work with missionary doctors and witness to her own people. To date, there is no nursing program in Cambodia that can give a high standard education. Please remember her in prayer as she is very nervous, excited, etc. about transitioning to India. I'm sure she'll be having some moments of loneliness too...especially after moving out of a house of eleven or so girls.


A bunch of Asian Hope kids having fun at Lydia's good-bye party. Joe Hansen is the gentleman on the couch, he and his wife, Rene are the new house parents for the boy's home.


Cambodian sisters!


It is the Pchum Ben holiday in Cambodia. The holiday where everybody leaves the city and returns to their village to pay respects to their ancestors at the local wats (temples). It is a mandatory holiday so Logos had to take off for two days as well. It's a difficult day for Cambodian Christians, many of their families think bad luck will come to them if every member of their family does not participate in the offerings.

We stayed in town for the holiday and had some fun with kids in the pool.


Red Chicken Curry...yum. This is a typical dinner at our house. Spicy! It's fun learning all these new recipes over here...I'm still not as good as the locals though!

Fall?

The weather has been absolutely delicious these past few days! At times the air has felt almost crisp; some evenings it's been down in the low 70's. It almost seems like fall is coming. The kids have been enjoying the strong cool breezes and play outside for hours with the neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, we've been blessed with great neighbors on both sides of our home. We live in a sort of townhouse and share a balcony and front "yard" with three other families. One family is a Cambodian couple that lived in New York for twenty years. They have now returned and the husband is working in an important position in the government. He has quite a high position and he is a Christian so they are praying for opportunities to evangelize to those in power. They adopted a little girl when she was just three days old from human traffickers. The wife is always so sweet and sharing all sorts of Khmer traditional food with us. Last night she brought over hollow bamboo pieces stuffed with rice, coconut milk, and beans (they consider this desert). I try to share my less exotic food too, like peanut butter cookies and potato soup :).

Here's the little girl, isn't she a sweetie?

Rice bean desert.

Our other neighbors are a kind family from Indonesia working with a Christian mission organization. They are busy learning the Khmer language. Many evenings we enjoy each other's company sitting on the front steps watching our kids play, sharing stories and concerns, and encouraging each other. I think if we ever move back to N. America I would miss that sense of community. OK, maybe not totally...Asian culture has very little sense of personal space, so several times I've had to explain to kids "please knock on the door before you come in, ask for food before taking it, and no, you cannot take a bath here." :).

Well, it has been a very busy day and I am ready to head off to bed. Tomorrow is Sunday and we look forward to hearing the Word. We are attending an afternoon service as well at a Khmer church plant. A Korean friend who graduated from Westminster West Theological Seminary preaches there in English. Darryl may be involved with this church in the future, filling in to teach as needed.

Thank you for remembering us in prayer. There have been several "crises" that we've had to deal with in the lives of students lately so we covet your prayers in that regard. In all the ups and downs of life He remains faithful and continues to encourage and teach us thru His Word. What a good God we serve!

Evie with two of her little friends, Lucia and Ally.

Cambodian Mowing

Improvise, improvise, improvise. That's what you do when you don't have all those handy gadgets around. I have yet to see a real lawnmower (push or rider) in Cambodia. Probably because there isn't enough grass in Phnom Penh in any one spot to actually need one. After walking a few feet with the mower it would be time to turn it off, hardly worth it. Importing machinery is expensive and there is not enough industry in Cambodia to produce mowers.

So...what do you do when you need to cut the patch of grass? Haul out your weed wipper and don your motorbike helmet. It's rather amusing to watch, especially when you compare lawn services back home. My brother works for "Straight Stripes" in Grand Rapids and proudly boasts that he has the straightest stripes in town. When Nate (my brother) was in Cambodia it was downright hilarious to see his facial expressions as he watched the grass get cut. Let's just say that the goal is not so much to "get the stripes straight" as it is to get the grass below shoelace level. We were at the school this morning and I had to grab a picture of the school lawn getting a grasscut.

The weeks are flying by here in Phnom Penh. Darryl is exceptionally busy this year developing new classes. He's filled in a few times teaching at a local church and will be assisting another Khmer church from time to time. My days are busy round the clock taking care of three little Dederts. I enjoy being with them and once my littlest peanut start sleeping some stretches at night I'd like to hop back into volunteering a bit at Logos doing development projects. I'm afraid this blog is becoming very one-sided...as I'm the one who usually posts you hear little from the school front! I need to work on getting Darryl to post, let's see what I can do!

Here's a picture of the littlest peanut...

Out for a Walk

Taking a walk is supposed to relieve your stress, invigorate you, bring you together...or so people say. Walking in Cambodia is a bit different--as for relieving stress, well, that's a stretch, it might invigorate you (if you have to run really fast from a dog chasing you or jump out of the way of a moto), and it definitely brings you together (as Darryl can attest to as we all hide behind him to protect us from the dog following us with it's face half decayed and hair flowing in dreadlocks on the ground behind it).

Several times I've tried to take the kids out but for some reasons the dogs on the street are not intimidated by me like they are by Darryl. One time three small dogs made a beeline (not of the friendly sort) for Sophie while I had Noah in the stroller. I immediately started yelling at the dogs and they beat a hasty retreat, until I turned my back. They jumped at her again trying to bite her so I reached down and grabbed some rocks and threw them at the dogs. Sophie was terrified screaming at the top of her lungs, which thankfully drew the attention of some workers in the garment factory nearby. They came running out and booted the dogs, giving us enough time to get behind the gate of our friend's house. While this scene sounds somewhat amusing it was actually a bit terrifying, especially for Sophie, who now has a healthy fear of street dogs. I just miss green space, bike paths, cool air, and the general safety we have as we move about in the U.S. (I think I need to add Canada here as well, lest I offend my father-in-law).

Having said this, our family had a great time last Saturday at a local park in Phnom Penh. This "park" is much less glamourous than a park by you, but it has grass, a place to walk, and it's not overrun with street dogs. It's hustling and bustling with the Khmer community, full of warm salty smells (and the occasional whiff of "what is that?!"smells), balloon sellers, badminton players (the unofficial sport of Cambodia, everyone can play!), young couples relaxing, and people exercising in one of the only green spots in the city.

Here's some pictures, enjoy!

The crowds busy exercising. Appreciate the space you have :).

Darryl and Noah buying a blow-up toy from the seller. Notice his helium tanks on the bike!

Noah LOVED having space to run and let it all out, much to the delight of these two ladies.

She is very serious about selling her mangoes, any takers?

Sour mangoes with salt and chili is the treat on the menu today.

This dog was safe, it was on a leash and had an owner.
This is the type of dog Sophie falls in love with.

Father and daughter enjoying dinner in the park.

These guys busy playing "sport".

Local corn on the cob.