Adventure's with God along our red dirt road !!

   WOW! Where does the time go! hard to believe we have been here nearly 3 months! and now its nearly time for me to fly home to tend to my grandma duties, I have some special little ones to meet! and lots of catching up to do with the bigger Special ones!!
 
    Here is a brief look at our lives this past few weeks! I'll be home soon so if you want more details just ask!

    We have been busy tending to the farm, with the Phjum Bun holiday, workers were off duty for nearly 2 weeks, so field work got a behind a bit.

with all the rain Fungal /Rotting babies has been a serious set back to
getting field planted

getting overgrown! 

Cutting the grass , catching up !! 

at 2 months old! looking good

   The cook went home for the holiday also so I had a chance to enjoy cooking:) I made khmer food mostly because that is what ingredients are available, but after a trip to Trapang Prasat  market found potatoes and nice looking chicken! So decided to make friend chicken and Chips, ( Stan enjoyed this meal the most):))

A walk with a friend! 

one of the Cambodian Army bases along our road

A bit fancier base front along our road 

While the Thai and US team was here this past weekend doing a church planting leadership training with the Pastors involved with the Sacha Inchi project, they decided it was time to get an apartment for us, and to set up an office, here in Siem Reap.
 We spent the last few days, here in Siem Reap trying to gather a fews basic necessaties  so Stan & Pitchit can stay here whenever they need to be in Siem Reap. It got a little overwhelming at times, trying to figure out & find things here.... Maybe seemed more so since i've come down with a bad head cold...
    Why is it so hard for us to remember to go to God first before we get frustrated and ask Him to help us?? He tells us many times that He loves us and will help us, that we aren't alone, etc. but still we let ourselves get frustrated & overwhelmed, worry etc. Every time, we have had a problem or couldn't find something, and we asked our Heavenly Father to help us, He never failed!!! He directed us to mechanic shop in a strange town right when we needed it, down to finding sheets for our bed at the apartment, a few doors down from the apartment!! after spending all day driving around to shops,  frustrated not knowing where to go! Sometimes I can allow my set to feel guilty asking Him for small things when there is so many thousands of people with much bigger problems than me looking for household items!!!
We've got wifi set up here, so we will be able to keep updated a lot easier!
 

Here are some photos from the Leadership Training from "Acts" at the New Life Church here in Siem Reap,

(Listed not in order) Troy, & Darrel from Tennessee , Neal from LasVegas, Dr. Chansamone from Thailand, &  Hang Saravuth from Cambodia

Seafood dinner!! 

passion fruit

Passion fruit flower! beautiful

big horned beetles! the kids were playing with them, having fighting beetles war I guess, they also gather them up soak them in  spices and fry them ! "ENJOY"

this is Siem Reap Christian Fellowship, We attend  on Sunday afternoons when we are in  Siem Reap

Prayer Requests: 

Pray for the Sacha Inchi market, that Dr. Chansamone and Neal Creecy will be able to secure buyers.

For Stan, while I'm home America.

continued Prayer to gain Understanding in Culture and Language.

For the people that we work with at the farm, that they would see Christ through us that we would get "good seed planted for the gospel"!! 

More Adventures along the "RED DIRT ROADS"

     These past few weeks, have been a lesson on learning to trust and rely on God each day for direction, wisdom, protection for our health. ect.  Such  relief to have Him to rely on, knowing He is in the driver seat!!
    We mostly live at the farm, making sure the planting is being done, baby plants are taken care of, sprayed, fertilized ect. working on communication, studying language, working on understanding culture. (which can be confusing to our American minds, & trying on our patience).
   Building relationships with the farm workers at the farm as best we can.

Stopping by to give a cold drink to the " Stick man" (he makes the sticks for the plants to climb)

A Cute Farm Worker family! 

At the "Car wash" where they get under the car to get the mud off! 

Watering the newly planted Sacha Inchi field

Helping the ladies finish before lunch :) 

A chance to introduce coloring to the kids at the farm

I enjoy taking every chance available to hang out with the kids, give candy to them and sit & color etc. I've been able to give a sewing lesson to one of the older girls, sewing a string back pack one evening, I would love to do that a lot more, but everyone is busy, on top of generators are off during the day. So we grab chances when we can!

Looking at the roots, of Sacha Inchi, with Thoene 

   God is good, soon as we stopped trying in our own strength to find a translator/ language helper, He provided the "perfect" person! his name is "Pitchit" he is a 26yr. old young man who has a heart for ministry and a deep desire to serve God! he was raised by his grandmother who is now 91yrs old! we had an opportunity to take him to visit his cousin in a village an hour from where we live. It was a real treat to visit them, she made us a nice lunch. Then asked us if we would like to see a waterfall that was close by. It was a beautiful drive, and a nice cool shady place to hang out! lots of Khmer families were enjoying swimming, the water was very brown because of rains so we weren't to tempted to join them :) .

Visiting Pitchits cousin and her family 

Boys jumping out of the tree at the Water fall! 

Water Fall, out in Odor Meanchey province

Sunset in the "Gau Sue" Rubber Trees

"Oscar" visiting us in our room! before it was dark, unusual....and NOT OK, he is about 10" long,  

    We just finished up a long week of traveling the country (literally) I 'll bet we traveled close to 850 miles or more lots of "red dirt roads" up in mountainous areas, because that is where Sacha Inchi grows best. We saw a lot of beautiful country! and met a lot of very nice Christian farm families. we were privileged to be able to stop in and meet Pitchits 91yr old grandma :) .

Stopped by to visit "Pitchit's 91 yr old Grandmother

While out  farms, one of the farmers, mom made us lunch and he ( farmer) introduced us to his 101yr old grandmother!! she really enjoyed Pitchit.

 

Pulling farmers car out of the mud, we failed so they went and got a tractor....Always exciting  happenings !! 

   One of the things we learned when we left on this trip this last week, was that they had planned a dinner meeting in Phnom Penh. we were to "share" at, Stan introduced us and shared a devotional/challenge from scripture and they asked me to talk about the organic fertilizers & "hormone". It turned out to be a nice time to get to know/connect with  a few more of the people involved in the Sacha Inchi project.
  I would like to have had time to get to meet with friends we have down in that area, but we were in and  out of Phnom Penh to quick :((

They organized a dinner meeting for getting Representative Pastors together to discuss  Sacha Inchi.

  We then ventured on down to " Takeo Province to check on farms, looking at the map, I could tell we were actually in  Kompat Province, which is close to where our friend Mandie lives, who has started the ministry called "Roots" I kinda strongly encouraged us to go visit her, and God blessed us with a rain storm so we could stop searching for farms early and head on to "Kep" :)) 

  We had a wonderful visit catching up, learning about her ministry goals and whats happening with them, and sharing with her on whats happening with us. For (myself, Lori) it was a needed visit !! haven't had a visit with another lady, in my lang. since I left CV.... Beautiful country!! Refreshing! Thank you Mandie:))

Stan having fun with Pitchit in Kep

Crab Pots, watched ladies putting them out and bring them in full of blue crab!

Cooling off while enjoying the cool sea  evening breeze, AHHHH!!  

Love the Sunsets over the water! Gods handiwork is always amazing to see! 

Nice to feel the cool breeze from the SEA. !
  We arrived back in Siem Reap late Saturday eve. we always said we wouldn't drive in this country at night, but sometimes we find ourselves doing so, in our eagerness to return to a place to stay we are familiar with, rather than searching for yet another place in another strange town, we chose to make the 2 hr drive from Sisophon to Siem Reap, after we dropped Pastor Kong kea off, and took care of our last bit of "Business"meeting with a Representative, purchasing seed from their farmers that they had harvested. We took off, it was a dark rainy drive with crazy drivers who are mixed up in what the dimmer switch is for, Stan was exhausted from the stress of it, saying it was the last time....
  Yesterday we enjoyed a refreshing for the SOUL church service at the Siem Reap Fellowship church. before we head back to the farm.

   Our next project it seems is to find a village called Aunlong Chadow, (I don't know if thats how its spelled) We have been asked to look into it and see how we can help, It sounds like they maybe a group of people that were moved off "their" land to new land that the government gave them.
   We were also informed they have several Christians among them. Pray that we would find it, and would be very sensitive to figuring out there needs, and how to help.

Update Life along The Red Dirt Road

Beautiful scenery, we took a wrong road coming to Siem Reap and found ourselves out by Angkor Wat area! So we spent a little time enjoying the scenery!

Look at what i found!! upstairs in the church in Sisophon the Pastor took us to show us the quilting project that the ladies do!! A church in Minnesota sponsors this, selling the quilts back in the states for them. 

   The last few weeks, is all about learning flexibility, We helped get 25 Rie of the 100 Rie planned to plant in the ground, and the hard rain started! which is a good thing for all the baby plants,just planted  but due to so much rain, It,  rained so hard it tore up the baby plants in the Nursery so bad that we are now are waiting to plant, on new babies to grow big enough, So it kinda slowed things down as far as getting the next 75 Rie in, that was planned for being done in a couple days, of the first batch being planted.  It also took out our newly installed WIFI,:((.
  We did get adventurous and go out to the closest village (Dai Krahom) and found a cafe/soldier hangout that had wifi available so we could do  little research on our plants and figure some things out.
      The Thai guys left to go back to Thailand, the General went to visit his family and we stayed at the farm until Saturday 8/29, then we went to Siem Reap to try to find an English speaking church that missionary friends in Battambang had told us about. It took a couple "drives" out to find it but "found it"!! It was so nice to go and hear the Word, & Worship, get a bit refreshed!!
      Monday we came to Battambang to pick up  our translator and hope he can help us learn Khmer a little faster. The trip out got extended by a few days because it was requested that we visit some farms to "check in and see how they are doing, and how they can be helped to improve their plants health.  Its always an adventure, going out to visit farms. Meeting the farmers & their families & talking about their experiences in growing the Sacha Inchi Plant. We"re trying to understand the problems they are having and what solutions they need.
    Discovering where they said, there was a "good road" the road really didn't exist! thank goodness for a good pickup and good tires!

"its a "good" road they said LOL

"Lunch at a church with the farmers/Pastors

this is a place, one of the Pastors we met is  trying to grow the Sacha Inchi to Support

   After arriving back at the Farm, our newly hired translator decided the farm life wasn't for him, So he left for home,  It was a bit of a set back, for us... trying to figure out how to find someone who would be willing to live so far out from town. Neal suggested we try advertising in the "ICF" newsletter,  So we headed back out to WIFI cafe, to email an ad, and a couple days ago, soon as our ad came out, we had a couple calls! Today a young man is on his way here to meet us ( We had to drive back to Siem Reap to pick him up on the bus)  hence, I have WIFI to do this update!
Please pray that he is the one God has for us! Pray that we will be able to learn Khmer from him Quickly!! ( He said he has taught foreigners Khmer language. )

   On the farm we have been trying to learn this "new" lifestyle of spending time studying in the Word and studying  Language, working on building relationships with those we are around, ( we've not considered ourselves people persons) but God knows our hearts and our talents.
  When your used to life being filled with constant physical work and business, this has been taking some getting used to.
  One of the workers asked Stan to help him learn English in the evenings, at his home. we are excited about that! always excited for break throughs and opportunities!!
My little three yr old friend's, mom just had a new baby girl a couple days before Janessa, had her baby, So I sewed a couple little blankets for her baby, to take when I went to visit her, She was very happy, she has literally nothing! , Her little girl follows me around, pretty much is my "shadow" from early AM till dark, unless I make her go home...

New baby girl

my friend  she likes my "pink chair"

  In the evenings sometimes when our power (generator) is turned on Ive been sewing quilts for new grand babies , I noticed I've been watched :) So mentioned  to the girls in my limited khmer if they would like to learn to sew, She left.... then one of the ladies brought her daughters back in and asked if I would really teach them to sew in the evenings, Made my heart smile!! I'm hoping this will help in building relationships with them and my language practice !! We are always looking for ways to spend time with the workers.

She asked if she could "try it out" !

  Vondy's ministry continues to grow, she is doing an amazing ministry, she now has over 150 kids on Sundays and during the week the numbers continue to increase for the English classes also, Several of the moms have been coming & learning about God also, and Vondy reviews the next time, to check to see if they are learning and she is encouraged by how much they are retaining and learning.
   She is extremely grateful for the generosity of our Church and friends for helping her continue the Ministry to her people. helping with a large pot & fire Cooker for cooking rice on Sundays, school uniforms, helping with Medical needs and of basic necessities for individuals and families she ministers to.

A new pot to cook rice in so she only has to make one batch instead of 3! makes it a lot easier she says:)

many package of soup & rice she prepares

When it rains they crowd in beside the house under the roof!!

Prayer requests: 1. That our translator /Language helper would work out!
                           2. That we would continue to be sensitive to the Lords leading each day.
                           3. That God would continue to open doors to minister to these people we live and                           work  with.
4. We have a lot of little kids living around us, Pray that we would be an example and blessing to them.

Some things we are thankful for:
A beautiful country to work in! Warm but hasn't been excessively hot :)
Continued safety in driving around this Country!
Health,  we have been blessed with good health!
Friendly people to work with :)
Thankful to find a "English" speaking church in Siem Reap to go to, for fellowship.
Thankful for all of you, praying for us ! this time in Cambodia is a lot different than our other experiences in Cambodia
  Some days we feel a little lost, wonder what we are doing out here, but we know this is Satan working on planting seeds of doubt.

Hopefully our wifi will get fixed soon, so we will be able to communicate with home a little easier,