Bug Zapper Estraordinaire

Tim: Hey All! I am sitting here at my new Rattan desk (yippie) and doing some lesson planning and I realized I had unconsciously grabbed the bug zapper raquet ball looking contraption with a button that makes it Electrified. You swing it at a mosquito, or for that matter anything at all!... small bugs, fowl, mice etc... and it gives a nasty "snap" and away goes the, Now Crispy bug in an explosion of light and sound.

Actually this is quite exciting for me because you have no real nightlife here in Cambodia. I suppose I could go stand in the alley outside and flash some money around and then run for it! LOL.

Anyway. It's pretty much in by dark if you are on foot and our landlords close and lock the metal gate at 9:00pm. You definately don't want to be locked outside the gate at night. Had a great time with the high school Principal and his family at the mall tonight. (they offered to pick us up on their way...Rule# 697: never, ever, refuse a free ride and the blessing that comes with spending time with friends) Cynthia and I were treated to 25 cent soft serve ice cream cones. What a yummy, unexpected treat! Then off to home before we turn into a pumpkin.

We have found that in this heat it is best to get as much down time with sleep as possible. You can get away wih 4-6 hours a night in the states for a while, but here? You do that one night and you are down for the count about 10 am the next day, just exhausted.

Cambo Factoid: There is no coin change here when you do transactions. If your change is less than one US dollar then they give it to you in Cambo currency. The lowest bill s a 100 reil bill worth about 2.5 cents. the next is 500 reil=12.5, 1000 reil= 25 cents, 2000=50 cents, 4000 = 1 US dollar (Actually about 4200 = 1 US dollar, but the open markets go by 4000 as an informal exchange rate.) So..... I have about $1.35 in Coins on the Ant cabinet that I will not be able to spend until I leave Cambodia. Who knew???

We are catching an average of 1.5 rats an evening in our "sticky pizza plates". The little dears just look up at you in the morning, all stuck to the plate. I keep wondering if they are thinking sorrowful rat thoughts, or are they looking at me thinking "If I EVER get outa here I am so going to mess up this guy who is staring at me! " Of course I believe that the little buggers are up to no good and really do not know any sorrow for their little rat-like behaviors.. so off I go picking up pizza plates of rats and down stairs to deposit them along the street outside the door where the dogs and cats can enjoy... breakfast? Its a weird life we lead... the scary part is that it is becoming fairly normal to head down the stairs and give the greeting to our landlords of "Arun-Suy-Stiey" while carrying rats! The best part is that everyone just smiles and does a little bow, like this is the most normal thing that has happened this morning. I love the smiles and the politeness. Even when they really don't like you they are smiling and quite jovial. Its very bad to embarass anyone, or cause someone to loose face. I think we should adopt this trait in America. It would singlehandedly do away with almost all road rage. Imagine just smiling or ignoring the most flagrant traffic violation in front of you.... That's Cambodian driving. And no I am not about to start!

Keep praying for focus and opportunity to express God's Love to this wonderful people,who are so incredibly lost in a hopeless cycle of a mix of Budhism and Fate/Karma/Spirit Appeasement/Good Works to better the next time around etc...

The gift of Christ to the Khmer People is Joy! We sang a song this Sunday in a Khmer church, (Headphones for the white folk for interpreting) one of their songs said "Christ is Joy and Christ is Fun" and by their worship, I can tell you that for them, Christ is Joy and Christ is alot of Fun! You could feel the hope and love for their Savior-God just oozing out all over them... and the smiles! my goodness, I am re-learning what it looks like to have a joy that cannot be contained. Jumping up and down, dancing, really having a blast in the presence of God. It is realy cool and very freeing! I am learning alot from my brothers and sisters in Christ here in PP (Phnom Penh)....And with the volume level on High, and the 15 musicians and singers in a 40 x 40 room of about 200 people, Iam sure God and all the Angels could here the worship just fine. LOL!

Our Love to all. Thank you for your prayers and support of the work here!