Some Khmer Arcitecture

Here is some Khmer Arcitecture. I am not going to try to describe each photo. They speak for themselves. Some has French influence and some has Chinese influence.

These were taken on my cyclo tour the other week. I hope you enjoy this window into Phnom Penh.

Morning Star Children's Centre

On Thursday I went with Kerry Norman to the Morning Star Children's centre. Kerry has been a volunteer at this Centre in Cambodia for 2 years now. The centre is set up in one of the very poor parts of Phnom Penh as place for the children to come when they are not at school. Children in Cambodia only go to school half a day. The government alternate morning and afternoon classes each month so they can accommodate the population of school aged kids. And that's only the ones that can afford to go. Teachers wages are very very minimal, so most kids have to pay something like 50c per day to the teacher, to attend. Here, at the centre, they do craft, sing songs, learn English and learn about Jesus. It helps keep them off the street and out of harms way, while enhancing there education and future prospects.

During the morning I was invited to accompany a young Khmer man, who is also a christian volunteer at the centre, along a railway track to a little village where he teaches English twice per day.

These are sight from that walk, just to show you the community that they live in.

There were a number of these trolley things covered in pipies. They are collected out of the river or lake each day and left to dry out a bit. Some have added spices to them. Then people (mostly ladies or children) walk the streets, pushing the cart trying to sell them. They are a very popular food for the Khmer Nationals. This is one way the families here make a living.

This is the lake that one of the villages is built beside. The government are gradually filling it in with sand to build on. If you look closely you can see the sand on the far bank. A large part of Phnom Penh is built on filled in lakes. I wonder if that is partly why during the wet season many areas flood as the foundations are already saturated. I don't know what will become of these peoples source of income when that happens.


This is the young man that I went with to this particular village. He faithfully goes there every morning and afternoon to teach English to these children. He had to go to the Village Chief and get permission before he could do this. Then find a house that would accommodate him. The village chief said yes, because he was trying to help the children. He asked me to teach some of the lesson which of course I happily did. It is great for them to hear and practise with a native English speaking person. The dedication of the Christian nationals is just amazing. Most of them are very poor themselves, but so faithful.

When we returned to the centre we joined a prayer and worship time with the young Khmer staff. I was asked to share a testimony. So I shared the words that God had given me when I first got to the country. That He is sending an army of reinforcements to Cambodia, to stand alongside, encourage and work with the faithful Khmer Christian soldiers that are already doing a mighty job. Amen. the longer I am here the more evidence I see of that happening.

Please keep praying for me. I love and appreciate you all. Love and Blessings to you, Lane.

Some Interesting Tid-Bits!!!

Teaching: I have now combined some of my English tutoring with computer skills and it is working very well. It reinforces the spelling, phrasing, etc that we learn in the mornings, and helps with sentance structures. Which in turn helps the girls with speaking English that makes sense. They have come such a long way.. this approach is keeping it interesting for us all!

This ute was parked outside our church one day. I thought this was an ingenious clothes line..what do you think? Do you think it might catch on in OZ?

This is our mode of transport, complete with our Tuk tuk driver. This is Chamnab -he is on staff.

This is an attempt to deter thieves. An extreme accessory, but apparently necessary. Imagine building a lovely new house, and then cementing broken glass all aroung the top of your fence.

I didn't catch all of this guy properly, as I was riding in a tuk tuk when we passed him, and couldn't get my camera ready in time. This is quite common to see in the streets, but still a novelty to me. It is the old ox (?) drawn cart and had a lot of wares for sale hanging off the sides of the trailer thing. Things like clay cooking pots etc. I wish I had got the whole lot, but I will keep my eye out for another one, and hope I have my camera on me at the time.

Julie and I went to see this choir the other night. It was at the Intercontinental Hotel, which is very posh. They were raising funds for the Cambodian Choir for the disabled. (I'm not sure of that correcr name) it was a good night out, and a lovely change from the normal routine.

Well that's it for Today's Tid-Bits. Hope you enjoyed them. And remember to please keep me in your prayers. Thanks heaps, lots of Love, Lane.

Life's a Journey....

Good Morning my Friends,
I pray often that life is good for you and that God is keeping you and your families in His care.
Life is a constant journey isn't it? We never stop growing. Which is of course what keeps life interesting, I suppose. Even when it's boring or routine. If you know what I mean?

I am very well. I am growing daily, as there are a lot emotional battles that being away from home, and living in a foreign country, brings daily. But God is faithful and helps me grow through them. I am healing and becoming stronger. Although I love what I am doing here in Cambodia, I have to work at keeping my spirit woman strong, because it does get lonely. And if you haven't got an excess of money (or mates for company), you are very limited in what you can do in your time off as well.
Each morning the devil tries to bring me down with thoughts like...What are you doing here? Are you really helping? No body loves you. You have no family at home...You'll be lonelier when you go to Kampong Cham (Heartland Int. rural area - I go in July for 2 months), etc etc. Then I have to pray for God to strengthen me, and remind myself that I am here for a season, and a reason. And that only God knows all the where's and why's and how's, so I just have to trust him. He won't bring me here and let me go. He has a plan and that plan is GOOD.
So I planned a couple of little things to do on my days off. After practising my guitar in the morning, (I am having guitar lessons, and also have a guitar teaching DVD that I have been watching on an old borrowed laptop), I had a nice lunch out and then visited the Royal Palace. (I've been here 5 months already, and no haven't done that yet). I loved that cause I got to have a little jam session with some of the national musicians playing their traditional instruments. I just wandered upon them, and the older gentleman invited me to play along. He gave me a beat and then just left me to join it. It was great, I loved it. I didn't do too bad either!!

I also had an afternoon guitar lesson with my young khmer teacher, TR. That always lifts my spirits, as I enjoy music so much. TR is a christian from New Life Fellowship. He also gives our girls lessons, each Saturday, which I sit in on. Then I help the girls with their practise and timing etc. I have learned to sing and play a Khmer praise song. So the girls and I might perform it for Hilary when she comes back in June. Some of the girls will play guitar, and some will dance to it.

Julie and I went to a teaching night at the International Christian Fellowship Church that evening (yes I fitted a lot in this day - when you are on a roll???). They had a guest speaker, and the topic was ""Living Well with Stress"". The speakers are long time missionaries, and have a lot of experience. Have you heard of Jocelyn & Stephen Head? Stephen is a lovely man with a real pastors heart. He talked about all the stresses of living in a foriegn country, and doing missionary work etc. How to recognise your optimum efficiency level, without going into burn out. (He has suffered burn out and depression) How to manage it all, bring balance to your life etc. It was really good. Julie (the project supervisor) and I want to keep getting fed while we are here, and New Life Church doesn't really do that for us.
There are a couple more teaching nights that sound good, and we plan to go to. "Living well with Grief and Transition", "Where is God in your crisis?"'Personality clash?" Jocelyn will give her personal testimony during one of these sessions. They are here for about a month and are running a few workshops/training sessions at ICF Church. I'm looking forward to the rest of the sessions.
I have also booked a City Architectural Cyclo Tour, for the 10th of May. Thats a three hour tour on a cyclo (a traditional pedal pushed cart in the front of a bike, that you sit in and a khmer man will pedal you around), around Phnom Penh city centre. It covers places of architectural interest, and they give a lot of history of Cambodia also. Which is something I am very interested in. Look out for that blog.
So I have some things to look forward to. And I am looking at an evening river cruise and bike ride one Thursday evening, in the next couple of weeks. We need to plan some things that get us out of the house (where I live and work most of the time), and bring a bit of ""normality"" to our lives - whatever that is...Ha HA HA. It's all about balance...see I did learn something at the teaching night!!!!
But all is GOOD. The house is going well. All the girls are going really well with their studies, and personal growth. Also adjusting to living all together in our "different"environment. We give out Merit/Encouragement Awards once a month to encourage them. We presented three yesterday. The house mums nominate the girls that deserve recognition and praise for doing that little extra. Whether it be in studies, attitude, helping around the house or otherwise.
I have nominated one of my students, for an award next month, for her application to her studies.

She is 15 years old, and although she has had no schooling to speak of, and her learning capacity is challenged, she puts every effort in to learning what you are trying to teach her. She has come along really well in her English, and from what I can see, she has really grown personally. She used to pride herself in being the loudest, and seek attention this way. She has settled down and applies herself better to to the opportunities that are offered to her.
Most of the girls have regular contact with their families, and home visits once a month. It's a learning curve for everyone concerned, including the National and European staff. But we are getting there.
Much love to you my friends. And thank you for your generosity and faithfulness (you know who you are). May God continue to bless you and your family heaps.
Lots of Love , Lane.

The Royal Palace

These are just some random shots of the buildings etc in the yard of the royal palace. I will try to remember any details of them. We didn't get close to the residence of the King.
This gentleman was the one who invited me to play along with the traditional musicians. He gave me a beat to play, then left me to it. It was fun, I loved it.

I gave it my best shot, and didn't do too bad either. I don't know what these instruments are called, but the music they collectively created was beautiful. I could have stayed for hours, but had to get home for my own guitar lesson.

This is a close up of the detail in the cement walls of the shrines that the former kings are buried in. Very minute detail. I wonder how long they take to build and carve?

This is some of the detail in the roof. This is the Kings Coat of Arms. It is on his royal stamp.

And look at the detail here! I'm not sure what this building is.

I just loved theses trees, they are a very effective contrast to all the gold, cement and statues etc.

This building was a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte in France. It was shipped across in pieces and assembled here in Phnom Penh. The building is not used for anything, but because it was a gift from France, it is kept here on the palace grounds, just to look at I suppose.

A close up of the decorations on some of the buildings. I cant remember what my guide told me they were called.

Follow these stairs and you find this huge gold lotus flower.

It took 40 people, one year to paint 604 meters of this wall. This painting is the "Ramyana Story". Not sure what that is, and not sure that I want to know. From the other stories I got from my guide about monkeys changing into people, and changing size so they can pop up wherever they want to.