How many degrees?

Can you see the temperature here today? -9 degrees centigrade. In 48 hours I will be in Cambodia and it will be about 40 degrees warmer than Ørsdalen today! I have finished packing, it seems strange to pack shorts and tops, suncream and mosquito spray, mosquito net and sandals. My head knows that in just a couple of days I will be in the warmth (and humidity) of Cambodia but some how I am struggling with digesting this idea! It does not help that it has been a gorgeous, if cold day here in Ørsdalen with sun and snow.

I have just had a look at the weather forecast for Phnom Penh next week. They are forecasting +33 - +34 degrees and sunny. The down side is that it will also be 82% humidity. The first night there will be air conditioning but after that... who knows, that remains to be seen! I think I will need to invest in some high factor sunscreen too.

For anyone reading this in warm climates, here is a snow picture from this afternoon. For anyone reading it the north, well, look what you missed.

History Makers

One of the projects Normisjon runs in Cambodia is the History Makers Project. The aim is to give students from the countryside who are coming to take a further education course in the capitol Phnom Penh, a safe place to live. There are two student hostels, one for boys and one for girls. Each one has about twenty places.  The fourty students are cared for by a house mother, Lysom (playing the guitar) and a house father, Situon (below) and their two small boys.

 These pictures were taken on my trip almost Three years ago. Many of the students I got to know on that trip have now finished their studies and moved on although I hope to meet some from last time.

One of the activities these students have started is to bring kindness to the very poor people who live in the slum area of the city. This slum is built on a disused rubbish tip and in the rainy season the rubbish just floats about the make-shift homes. The students have had a number of actions in the slum bringing a bit of humanity, love and kindness to the families who live there.

One of the parents I have contact with through one of our church groups has donated LOADS of clothing for boys and girls aged 0-3 years. I will be taking it with me, after all, I don't really need to take much for just me. The students will then be able to give it to the families in the slum area as a very small act of kindness in what can otherwise be a harsh existence. Picture below.


Most people have not said no to Jesus, they just don't know what he's like. Our small acts of loving kindness in the everyday matters reflect just a little bit of his love and grace. One person cannot change the world but together we can!

Here we go again!

I sit here and wonder how to start off. It has been more than 2 years since I wrote anything on here. There are all sorts of witty ways of beginning again but none of them "feel" right. Oh well, here we go!

I am off to Cambodia again in 5 days. No I haven't known about it for very long, but never mind that. I am off to teach the Agenda 1 concept which we use here in Norway for Christians wanting to lead lives focussed on Jesus. It focusses on living missional lives and growing in our discipleship.

I am travelling all that way alone. Steve Bruns and I will be teaching but Steve's flight lands about 12 hours after mine.

There are lots of things I am looking forward to on the trip. I am looking forward to teaching in English, the warmth - perhaps not the humidity though but most of all I am looking forward to seeing the people I met last time and the friends I made there. It is strange but I find it is the people I miss most, whether it is back in the UK or in Romsdal where we lived for ten years when the children were small or the people I have met while travelling.

As I was praying and thinking this morning I read the story of Jesus' baptism. Before Jesus has done anything he hears the voice of his Father affirming him and saying "This is my Son whom I love." It struck me that this happened before Jesus has done anything. I then wondered how good I am at resting in the fact that I too am loved for who I am before I have done anything. This is my daughter, adopted in my family, whom I love. I know the theory, most Christians do, but do I live like I believe it? Maybe, sometimes... 

The status so far regarding the trip is: vaccinations - done, medical case in event of illness - done, tell people who need to know - done, flights and bookings - done, visa applied for and received back. I guess there is only the packing left to do. I have begun to gather together a heap of things on the dining room table so I am at least started with that.More about the packing tomorrow.

Speechless

Those of you who know me know that it takes quite a lot to leave me speechless. On the seldom occasion that happens I tend to find something to say reasonably quickly but today I am still speechless about it after six hours. I just don't really know what to say or what to think, nor can I think of a joke or whitty comment about it!

As I was driving to work this morning the presenter asked if we (the listeners) had heard of Black Ivory coffee. It would seem that in Thailand elephants like coffee beans. An elephant sanctuary has been giving their elephants coffee with their usual food and then re-claiming them from the elephant dung afterward. The beans are then prepared and sold to consumers. No, this is not a wind up, it is completely true. Not only that but it is the world's most expensive coffee at 6000 kr per kilo or if you prefer $1100 american dollars per kilo.

They say the coffee has an earthy flavor and is smooth on the palate. I am sure there is a good joke in there somewhere...

If you want to read more follow this link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121207/as-thailand-elephant-coffee/?utm_hp_ref=homepage&ir=homepage

I wonder who thought of trying this for the first time and what makes someone actually do so? There are some strange people out there. You and I aren't strange though. Well, at least I'm not strange, I'm not too sure about you now I come to think about it!



Exercise

The temperature is -10 degrees centigrade outside with a blue sky and there would be sun too, except at this time of year it doesn't make it high enough in the sky to get over the mountains. I am sitting inside, close to a warm wood-burning stove, with my computer and a cup of tea. Out of the window there are scores of birds flying to and from the bird table. In many ways it is the perfect traditional scene.

This is a time of year when we allow ourselves a few extra treats. Chocolate and crisps are my weakness. I know I should stay fit and healthy even in the snow and ice but it is just so tempting to stay in in the warm ... Perhaps a walk later ... It is easy to let the days slip by knowing that for my health I should join a gym, go for a walk regularly or go swimming but not actually getting a grip on myself and doing it. My head knows it and I feel vaguely guilty about it now and then but the days just roll past.

I also know that to stay spiritually fit and healthy I need to train my spirit. It is far to easy to think I will just do this or just do that before I sit down to read my bible and pray. The same thinking can happen here too. The days roll by and my good intentions have come to nothing.

I know from when I was at my peak of competing in endurance riding that training is addictive. The endomorphins given out when we train make us want more and so it is lesss difficult to train when we are in a regular pattern of doing it. I remember going on a long ride for 2, 3 or 4 hours in all weathers. I know the feeling of the cold and the snow on my face and my hair turning stiff and crunchy because it had got snowed on; the snow had then frozen to solid ice on my hair so when I touched it, it crackled and crunched. It was not unusual for me to swim a couple of kilometres 3 or 4 times a week too.

It is so much easier to set aside a time for thinking, reading the bible and praying, which includes listening to God, when we have a regular routine. I have huge respect for the people I hear about who get up at 5 or 6am to spend some quiet time with God before the day begins. I realized long ago that I cannot do that: I just do not function well in the early morning. It is all I can do to stay awake and remember what I need to do. I want to give God my best and I am not at my best at that time of day. Some time ago I decided to stop listening to those around me and to work out when I am at my best and give that time to God in prayer, listening, bible reading and worship.

For me it works to have regular time with God. It is addictive too, because when I come close to God, into his presence, I don't want to leave and it is no trouble to come back to him again and again. If I let myself become unhealthy either physically or spiritually then my long-term health and welfare will suffer. I know it in theory ... I think I will go for that walk now!

Coming, ready or not!

What does advent mean to us? It is a time for waiting, waiting for the right time to celebrate Christmas, the 25th of December, or if you are in Scandinavia, the 24th of December. One of my daughters says the reason Scandinavians open their Christmas gifts on the 24th is because Father Christmas has such a lot to do: he has to deliver the "local" presents a bit early.

Advent is a time for preparing. We are inundated with adverts for gifts we might buy so we are prepared with something nice to give a friend or family member when Christmas day comes. The shops, magazines and tv are overflowing with adverts for the traditional foods and treats we will need to buy in in preparation for celebrating Christmas. We prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Advent is about taking time to stop and think about God incarnate who came to live amongst people. He humbled himself and came down to us, to live among us, to be one of us, fully human and at the same time fully God. The light of the world stepped down into the world. We celebrate the baby in the stable. We also celebrate the coming of the Son of Almighty God, the second person of the Trinity.

Advent is not only about preparing to celebrate his coming, it is also about being prepared for his return. In being prepared for Christmas we need to be prepared to meet him in our everyday Christian lives and be prepared for his return. Everything Jesus ever said would happen has happened, therefore we can trust his word when he says that he will return. He is coming, ready or not!

^"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." John 1.9-10

It is hard to wait for something we are looking forward to and each year as advent begins we are challenged to prepare and wait. The preparing is not only about preparing in practical ways but also preparing our hearts, minds and lives to celebrate the coming of God to us. We celebrate that he came - but that was thousands of years ago. The reason it still matters is that he is still here in his people by his Spirit. Not only that; he has promised that he will return. Can we open our eyes this advent time and recognize Jesus for who he is?

Can we set aside ten minutes each day during advent to reflect on Jesus place in our lives? Is our image and understanding of him big enough? Do we recognize him for who he is? How are we going to let our reflections impact our lives in practical ways?

Tropang Krosang village

We have ridden on a lot of busses on this trip. Pat has been generous to all the weary travellers offering polo mints at strategic time. We think she has an endless supply!

Today started with sunday school teaching for the sunday school teachers. The content was virtually identical to what we had in Prey Veng. Anita and Hans taught the theory.

Anita with translator Dara.

 The story of the lost sheep told with puppets to illustrate puppetry as a teaching method.

The day has been one of the hottest we have had and there was no fan or draught at all in the tin church. It did not take long to become like an oven!

After lunch we went to Tropang Krosang village for health care teaching similar to that which we have had in other rural villages.

Pat teaching

With a eurasion tree sparrow above her head.

Anita came to find me and asked me to join her, Situon and some others in praying for a lady. Of course we did once the church's pastor had been located and invited too. We prayed and she said the symptoms had lessoned, we asked for permission to pray again and the symptoms she had complained of were gone. She then asked us also to pray for another problem / ailment she had. We did  and we saw a partial healing for that. I prayed in english, Situon and the pastor and some VIDP workers in khmer and Anita in Norwegian. The lady spoke no english as she would have struggled to know what was said as we all prayed at the same time. Amongst other things I prayed that she would be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. When we had finnished praying she said she felt much better and felt full of joy! Prise God!

The Cambodian children are wonderful, here they are playing with the teenagers in the team.

 Cambodia is a country that is very hard to describe, the feel of the warm damp air, the smell of wood smoke on cooking fires, the sounds and sights that are not usual for us but also the way of life.

Fruit we don't recognise.

Cakes cooked in leaves.

Whole families transported in on moped.

Tuctuc is a moped with a trailer for paying passengers. They are everywhere.

Here is a man with a motorbike carrying chickens somewhere.

Look carefully at what this lorry is carrying, workers on their way home at the end of the day. Cambodians only get one day per month off!

I had an interesting if stinted (due to language difficulties) conversation with the pastor in Tropand Krosang he has a poor homeless family living behind a curtain in the back of his church. There are new people becoming Christians in his congregation and he asks that we pray for the church he dreams of building.

Pastor Chheuy Mit standing in front of the plot he dreams of building a church on. I have promised that we will remember him and his church in our prayers. Will you join me in praying for him to reach even more people with the good news of Jesus and that one day his vision of a church will become a reality?