Update

Well, since it's been 2 weeks since we've posted, not counting the photos I've just posted, I thought it was time to give everyone an update.
It's late here and I've finished grading and need to get to bed, but I really want to get this done, so it'll just have to be a late night! I can't seem to get it done any other time, so I'll go for it.

Our first, and only, parent teacher conferences this year went very well for both Tim and me.
We had a great turn out from our parents. :) I had my TA there to translate for non-English speaking parents. It was interesting when she would translate for the Korean speaking missionaries. Most of the Korean parents could speak English, but some couldn't, but they could speak Khmer (because they've been missionaries long enough to learn the language). So Chenda, my Cambodian TA could translate for me and the parents. Neat huh?

Teaching is going well. It's hard to believe we are well into our 2nd quarter and will be on break all next week. It's Water Festival here. Many people will be coming into Phnom Penh, so most of us are leaving for a few days or for the whole week. It's nice that this holiday happens to fall during American Thanksgiving break. :) Of course Tim and I won't be eating Turkey. There is a restaurant here in the city that will be serving a roasted turkey meal though, even mashed potatoes! But we won't be back by then. We'll be eating seafood most likely. We going to a little coastal town, very quiet and relaxing. It's called Kep (pronounced Kype). Google it to see pictures. There's lots of green and hills. There's also the ocean. There's Rabbit Island about 45 mins by boat, where there is a beautiful beach. We'll go there. In Kep, they have a crab market on the beach where you can get crab, shrimp and fish. Yummy, we'll be there for sure! There's also a Pepper Plantation (pepper trees) we hope to go see. ANd of course hang out by the pool and relax. We leave Mon a.m. and get home Fri afternoon. So, we'll have the weekend before and weekend after to rest too here at "home." We're looking forward to getting away.

We are enjoying teaching. The students are so wonderful. The most challenges you'll get here is getting kids to remember to bring homework back, reminding students to raise their hand and then there's the occasional wiggly boy who just can't sit still! Can you believe that! LOL yep, that's it folks. We are going to be sooo spoiled! Tim, who's never taught in the States, will never know what hit him when gets back! I remind him though, that I had great experiences teaching at small Christian schools there. :) And I remember that last year teaching middle school special ed students and wanting to quit every day!! Yes, definitely getting spoiled here. Oh yes, you also get parents here who ask why their children are not getting more homework. Imagine that! What a shame! Isn't that just horrible? Yep...I'm spoiled....

Life here is becoming more "normal" for us. Crazy traffic...don't stay out too late past dark...wierd food....not quite getting what you ordered on the menu...etc, etc. Things are settling down. Then there's the abnormal that happens every now and then that just reminds you exactly where you are and that you need to praying every day for safety. A couple weeks ago, the elementary principal and his wife were heading home from a concert and they had stopped at a red light. They got attacked! Young men throwing bricks through their windows, hitting hammers on their doors, etc. All windows crashed in; glass was everywhere, bricks on the floor, but only a minor injury on my principal's hand where he was trying to protect his wife. The only thing they can figure out why these guys did this was: the principal and his wife had just been in an accident involving their car and a moto. Since they don't speak Khmer enough to discuss money, etc, Dean gave the guy the school's address and phone number and told him to come to school on Monday (the next day) to discuss the money. Even though it was the motos's fault, the "rich" white guy with the car will have to pay. That's the just way it is here. Anyways, they think that maybe these kids saw this and thought maybe that since there was no money handed over, that the white people were trying to get away and not pay. Who really knows? Anyways it was quite scary for them and for all of us to realize there is no right and wrong here, it's all about power and money. Even when the cops showed up they did nothing. The boys of course started running away, but Dean even pointed the kids out as they were running, but the cop just shrugged. Anywasy....keep praying for our safety. So far, we've had no accidents, but realistically we know that most likely it'll happen soon enough. It's just matter of time everyone says. Praise God we are safe thus far!

Well, don't mean to end on a sour note, but it's late and I need to get to bed! So, all for now!
Love to everyone and thanks for your prayers and support! We miss everyone!!