A bit of what I did and a little of what I can't wait to do.

The past two weeks haven't even felt like I'm traveling in another country. Being with family friends, who might as well be family, has really spoiled me and given me the taste of home I needed. Not even to mention that I'm living seven times as nice here as I would be in Maiden or in Raleigh!!

A quick (or attempt at quick) update on my/our time in the Philippines...
Well you know that Mama and Daddy flew out here last Saturday to share in this leg of the adventure with me. It was a wonderful reunion!!

Sunday and Monday were a mix of relaxing and shopping. You need the former to be able to do the latter- shopping at markets is hard work and wears me out even faster than shopping in America!!

Tuesday we got a tour of the U.S. Embassy. Unfortunately, they don't allow picture-taking inside (you know, top secret stuff ;P) but it was really cool to see the original arts of the "Chancellory" which is the original part of the building that withstood the war.

Wednesday we (John, Rosario, Mama, Daddy, and I) went to Tagaytay and hiked up to Taal Volcano. Taal is an active volcano in the middle of a lake with a lake in side of the volcano itself. Dad and John and I did the 4.5 kilometer hike up- and when I say up I mean UP. Mom and Rosario rode horses and met us at the top. The view was beautiful and well worth the hike. On the way home we stopped at some fruit stands so Mama and Daddy could see it and taste some of the local fruits. Rosario got us all sorts of free samples and we managed to bring home a could grocery bags of mangosteen, lancones, pineapples, and mangoes.

Thursday was a failed attempt to go to the market just the McChavez' (we talked Rosario into letting us navigate Manila on our own so we could have an outing just the 3 of us). Since the Philippines is such a heavily Catholic country, almost all places are closed during Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday- who knew??
On Friday all of us, including Johnny, went to Pampangas to watch a reenactment of the Crucifixion- nails and all. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. John knows some important people so we got escorted by a PNP (Philippine National Police). On the way to San Fernando where the "play" actually takes place, there were lots of guys walking along the streets whipping themselves. Their backs were all bloody- apparently they do it every year to repent for sings and show thankfulness for God's blessing. Talk about an intense introduction to this experience!! The PNP pulled a few more strings and got us into the VIP section so we got to watch the play close up from under a tent. Like I said, living the high life over here. For the first two hours, it consisted of the guys whipping themselves coming up to the crosses at the top of the hill to lay down and pray before joining the crowd. Finally just before 2 pm, the "guards", "Mary", "the 2 thieves", and "Jesus" came to the crosses. The 2 thieves were tied to their crosses and once everything was ready, they literally put nails through the hands and feet of the guy playing Jesus. He stayed like that for maybe 10 minutes while the play continued. Finally one of the guards removed the nails and they rushed the man to meet the EMTs waiting with a stretcher so they could do their thing and get him better. It was a great thing to see once- very powerful- but the fact that lots of people treated it as a tourist attraction, taking pictures with the actors and buying souvenirs, really bothered me. However, I did make a friend (shocker I know). She is Japanese and our conversation started because she commented that we both were wearing Chacos. Who knew that shoes could be such a bonding opportunity?? (all of you Teva haters keep your thoughts to yourselves)

Saturday all of us, without Johnny this time because he had a soccer tournament, went to Batanngas to spend the day at the beach. We ended up getting to go to this small island with just a couple groups of people. We snorkeled with our own gear and saw all sorts of things- blue starfish, dragonfish, eel, clown fish, etc. Basically like being in Finding Nemo :) We were the last people to leave the beach that day and Captain Sammy took us back to the main island on a bangka (a little boat) that I thought might flip every time we hit even the smallest of waves.

Easter Sunday consisted of noon mass at their church, a much needed trip to the grocery store and a frantic search for a spare key when we found ourselves locked out of the condo with a bag full of ice cream.
Today was some last minute shopping, lunch at Subway (just for comparison purposes... American Subway is MUCH better), packing and getting ready to board a plane in 12 hours.

Being gone for 5 months has given me plenty of time to think about all of the things I miss and have grown to appreciate in the States. I didn't want to let myself dwell on them too much until I was close to coming home in order to avoid any unquenchable yearnings. I figured since I'll be home tomorrow, now's a good time to share...

Things I Miss Most About Home (in no particular order)

people obviously.

drinking water from the tap

being able to understand everyone, even strangers (language wise)

meet & greet time at FUMC- Maiden

chicken salad

Redbox

Southern accents

Jason's Deli

cooking

driving my own car (and knowing where I'm going)

walking/running around town & going to the gym

being able to call whoever I want whenever I want

not having to constantly convert currency, metric measurements, and timezones

wearing shorts without having my knees stared at

libraries

my pup!

I guess that's all for now. I'll have plenty of time to write up a very deep and reflective blog post on "my thoughts about the past 5 months" and "what I've learned" and all that jazz during the 24 hours of travel back home. Until then...

APRIL 2 IS FINALLY HERE GUYS!!! AMERICA, HERE I COME!!!!

Joo-up knea Cambodia, Kamusta Philippines, & Surviving/Thriving Pt. 3

Warning: This is a long one and has multiple parts. You are in no way committed to reading the entire post but since you've already gotten this far, you might as well :)

Well, I've officially left Cambodia. Of course, the 4 days I spent in Siem Reap didn't exactly feel like Cambodia anyways. Yes, the language and food and traffic were the same but it wasn't the city and the places and the people I was used to. Siem Reap was definitely a different experience than Phnom Penh, for a number of reasons. First of all, I was a tourist instead of a volunteer. I stayed in a hostel with lots of other White people versus living with a family on the outskirts of town. I had my map on hand at all times and consulted it enough in the first 2 days to cause a few holes to form in the creases. I spent more time sightseeing and going to performances and talking with other foreigners than taking in the simple pleasures of Cambodian life to which I've gotten so accustomed. The other big difference: I was traveling alone for the first time in 4 months. I was excited about some Risa time- living each day by my own agenda (well, God's of course but you know what I mean). I'm not usually one for being by myself as most of you know, but after 4 months of being with people nonstop even the most extroverted can use a little quiet time. Ha! That only lasted a couple hours at a time. In the span of 4 days, I made two American friends at the bus station (Nate and Nathan), a Cambodian (Lim) and an Italian (Peter) on the bus, a French girl at my hostel (Leslie), a Cambodian waiter (Pen), two Americans (Jen and Joan) at Angkor Wat, an Australian (Cheryl) and two more Americans (Jess and Andrew) at a cooking class, an Australian (Dane) who had been to Zambia and commented on my Zambia soccer jersey, and a Filipino couple at the airport. My definition of "friend" may be loose by your standards but I can tell you what each of these people is doing in Cambodia, how long they have been here, what they do back home, and a variety of other facts about each. Friends? I think so. So much for solitude. Let's be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way.
The short vacation was nice. Quick recap (the pictures I eventually post on Facebook will probably do a much better describing my time in Siem Reap better than my words can.)
Friday (my last day in Phnom Penh): finished up final things at work until 3 pm when I was kidnapped (not exactly but kind of) by my co-workers. They wanted to "take me out" so we went to the mall and had a feast of pizza, wings, and breadsticks to celebrate the past 2 months and to say goodbyes. I had made each of them a friendship bracelet- thanks for the practice Camp Oak Hill. The directors had made me a certificate, my co-workers all signed a card, and Daden got me a krama (Cambodian scarf). Then "Band-aid goodbyes"- quick and painless as possible- and I went to meet some other volunteers for a final dinner (which turned into ice cream).
Saturday: I said final goodbyes to my host family and Michael (the Australian volunteer living there too). Seven hour bus ride to Siem Reap. Street food for dinner (75 cents for a full meal) and the Beatocello concert- a free (donation-encouraged) cello concert put on by Beat Richner, the founder of Kantha Bopha Children's Hostpital, every Saturday night.
Sunday: Explored town, found a map, rented a bicycle and visited Pre-Rup (a temple) for sunset. Unfortunately, it was cloudy so it was anti-climatic but leaving early meant I got back in time to go to the Apsara Dance Performance (traditional Cambodian dancing) at this one restaurant called Temple. I finally tried Amok- a very Cambodian dish made primarily from cauliflower and sauce with all sorts of other stuff, served in a banana leaf bowl.
Monday: Headed to the temples at 5:20 am on my bike to catch sunrise. I wanted to go to a less popular temple but I underestimated the distance from my hostel to the temple route and as it inched closer to 6:10 (predicted sunrise time), I had to "settle" for watching the sun come up at Angkor Wat. Rough life, right? It was absolutely beautiful and a great way to start a day visiting ancient ruins. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves as far as my visits to all of the temples are concerned. I'll just add that 1. biking the 29 km, aka 18 miles, in 90 degree weather is quite a challenge. 2. I don't know that I've ever seen so many people from so many countries speaking so many languages in such close proximity in my life. 3. It was probably better that I was alone because it would have been very difficult to suppress the urge to play hide-and-seek had I had someone that would encourage such behavior (namely Jeff Basey). That evening, I treated myself to some hard-earned ice cream and got some more street food then called it an early night.
Tuesday: Packed and check out of my hostel. Biked around town, went to the market. Cooking class, which was probably my favorite part of the trip to Siem Reap. I learned to cook fresh spring rolls (all of those summers of practice making wraps at Subways made me look like a pro!), Cambodian curry, and this banana dessert. So fun! Eventually, I headed to the airport with Teach (my hostel's tuk-tuk driver), dealt with all of the airport stuff and arrived in Manila at 3:23 am Wednesday morning.

When I got here, I was greeted by Rosario who has been a family friend since her daughter, Raisa, and I were 5 and 3 months old respectively. Yes, we are Raisa and Risa. Yes, it's been known to cause some confusion. It's so nice to finally be with family after so long. Rosario has planned out tons of fun and relaxing things to do. Just to give you a little taste, day one consisted of sleeping in in an air-conditioned room, cereal for breakfast (which was really at lunch time), a hot shower, a massage by a lady who comes to their condo, tacos for dinner (with homemade tortillas), a walk around town with a stop to get bubble tea, and lounging on the big comfy sofa watching television. Life doesn't get much better than this! Especially in 2.5 days when Mama and Daddio walk off a plane to me!!!


TALKING THE TALK: Surviving and Thriving Part Three
I was only able to learn a little of Khmer, it is a very difficult language and even uses a different alphabet. One of the most fun things was to say one of the few phrases I knew to a Cambodian and watch their face light up because they didn't expect the White girl to know any of their language. Sometimes they overestimated me and started to say all sorts of things that I couldn't understand. That's when the charades came out and we navigated the language barrier in broken English, pointing, and facial expressions.

Hello: sua s'dei
Goodbye: leah sun howie
Have a nice day: reek re-ay tenai de-awe
Good morning: a-ruhn sua s'dei
Good night: ree-uh try sua s'dei
Tonight, have sweet dreams: you-up-mee soh-bun-duh-ho
How much does it cost?: tuh-lei bon-mahn
I miss you: nhom nek nak
Thank you: aw kuhn
See you tomorrow: joo-up knea s'ei
eat: nyum
noodles: mee
rice: bye
market: phsar
sister/brother/affectionate way to refer to someone: bong
friend: meut
work: gaa-ngee-a
mango: swy-ky-wo-miet
grandma: maht jyay
finished: jop
1, 2, 3, 4, 5: muay, pii, bye, bu-en, pram
6, 7, 8, 9: pram muay, pram pii, pram bye, pram bu-en
10, 11, 12...: dop, dop muy, dop pii...

 That's all I can recall for now. Sorry for a poor attempt at spelling the words phonetically. Cambodians' mouths and throats make sounds that mine is incapable of making and therefore difficult to spell. Also just a little taste of written Khmer...
 

It's not goodbye yet.

I know my time in Cambodia isn't actually over but I leave Phnom Penh (aka "home" for the past 8 weeks) to head to Siem Reap tomorrow. Just like with all transitions, there are a lot of mixed emotions- excitement, sadness, nostalgia, anticipation, uncertainty, I could keep going forever. To be honest, I've had a hard time working out my own feelings about this whole situation. I want to share them with you, I do. But my attempt to put it all into words has not been successful thus far. Since such is the case, I will simply update you on my life and hope that within the next few days I can sort out my mind a bit.

Living with a family is still going well. My host mom's sister-in-law moved in with her baby who is the absolute cutest thing I've ever seen. (Sorry if such a claim offends anyone). She laughs every time she sees me and she even knows how to greet- she puts her little hands together and leans forward. I tried to record it but she decided to be camera shy so maybe I'll get in another attempt before tomorrow morning. Panna, the little girl, has been studying for a Spelling Bee so dinner usually consists of a lot of us giving her words and her guessing random letters pretending to spell. Talk about patience- now I know why I decided to give up that dream of being a teacher.

Grandma and I still communicate through a dictionary, limiting our sentences to a few words. We aren't always successful and sometimes spend ten minutes scanning the dictionary, doing charades and talking around the words in a language the other one doesn't understand only to deem it a lost cause. Those instances always end in a shrug and a huge smile from both of us, which bring me about as much joy as does actually figuring out what she is trying to tell me. Last night my host mom said that I was leaving too soon. She said that they had finally figured out what I like- ain't that the truth! (You can only sneak the fried rice they give you for breakfast into your lunch container so many times before you get caught. And I'm ready to eat meat that I know what animal it came from and which parts of it are supposed to be edible.) But new volunteers will take my place and unpack their stuff in the room I've inhabited a mere day after my bus pulls out of Phnom Penh. Then the family will have a whole new set of dietary preferences to get used to. You don't get long to move on around here.

I finished up my big project at work- a Training Program for the Emergency Foster Care Families. Project number 2 (A Foster Care Crises Manual) was finished up today. I think that's enough to deem this a success, by Cambodian standards anyways. Work that I could have and would have been expected to complete in 3, maybe 4 weeks at home, took up 8 and my boss was thrilled about it. I guess I'm just too used to the high-achieving and result-driven American society. The time I didn't spend working on my projects, I was invited to join my team at meetings and training sessions and family visits. It was great to see the behind-the-scenes planning that goes into all of their work and then see it all put into action. I could have never asked for a more fitting placement that allowed me to make a number of networking connections and experience so many incredible things.

Ava Michelle (my travel buddy) returned to America two weeks ago. It has definitely been different without someone to share my room or talk about the goings-on back home or trade inside jokes about the past 4 months. But the time to reflect, or try to reflect, on everything has been nice. Plus I am excited travel alone. It will be a new challenge navigating and exploring Siem Reap on my own, and I am all for a challenge (sorry, Mom). Maybe spending some time in such a reverent place (when you get away from all the tourists) will lead to a better blog post within the next couple days...

Enjoying the Cuisine: Surviving and Thriving Part 2

Real quick before I share about the culinary delights of Cambodia... Last last weekend (so Feb. 16-19) we went to Thailand. Usually people go to the mountains or the beach for a long weekend. Well, like Ava Michelle and I said on November 13- "We threw normal out the window at the RDU airport!" Granted, we did wind up at a beach. It just happened to be a beach on a Thai island called Koh Chang. We had an awesome time- delicious food (real life Pad Thai!), elephant trekking, Tree Top Adventures aka a high ropes course in the forest, air conditioning, hot showers, and a nice little break from city life. The only bad part was that we spent as much time on buses as we did enjoying Thailand. Oh, and crossing the border on foot is a nightmare. Enjoying the Cuisine: Surviving and Thriving Part 2 - try everything: it might surprise you - don't eat too much of anything: you can always find more later but you can't undo damage to your stomach once it's been done - sometimes it's better not to ask what's in a food until after you try it - pace yourself on the rice: there's not really an alternative if you get tired of it - the food on the street carts or at the market is just about the best you will find, especially for the price (a full meal for $1, adding a large fresh fruit smoothie will bump the bill to $2) - taste the fruit!: it looks weird but there are things like dragon fruit & mangosteen & lychee that you can only find as artificial flavorings in America. - quiz a local on how much random things should cost: just like with everything else, they'll try to overcharge White people - know where you can get a simple Western meal to renew your taste buds - be generous: Cambodians love to share everything, especially food. They will insist you take some of anything they have so make sure you return the favor. - do away with germaphobia: like I said, sharing is common. At my work for lunch, everyone puts their food in the middle while everyone crowds around on the floor and takes a little of this and a little of that to add to our own portions of rice. It's a great way to try lots of new foods and even better if I don't like what was packed for my lunch! - be open-minded when ordering: you don't always know what you're going to get when you are an English speaker ordering from an all-Khmer menu with blurry/no pictures. I would advise learning the word "noodles" ("mee" in Khmer)- they are a safe bet and delicious on their own in case you accidentally order some mystery meat. - learn to like spicy foods - don't try to eat on a moto: I was eating pineapple on the back of a moto one day since it was lunchtime and I had a 20 minute ride ahead of me. My Khmer-speaking driver pulled over and told me something about my food. I broke him off some pineapple but he refused it. I figured he was asking me not to eat on his bike- strange but his moto, his rules. We started on the road again and through some charades, I realized that he had told me not to eat because the dust from the road would get in my mouth. What a sweet guy! - don't try to keep up with Cambodian appetites: for such small people, they put away a lot of food! They will insist that you eat until you're stuffed but don't give in, especially if you are visiting for a good while. Eight weeks is a long time to appease people at the price of your discomfort. - accept the fact that you will probably get sick: it's part of the experience and won't last long. Fun things I've tried: - grilled mini bananas - Khmer coffee (basically espresso with sweetened condensed milk) - insects: crickets and the like - pureed fish with chile peppers - Ramen noodles (yes, like in the package) for breakfast - mangosteen* - fresh passion fruit juice - dragon fruit* - lychee* - limpot* - ohm-puhl* (that's the Khmer name, I don't know what it is in English) - coconut cake balls - fried frogs - sweet purple rice - ice cream-like substance made from beans and one made from tapioca - green tomatoes are common too which is cool *A Google search may clarify what some of these look like. I didn't know until I saw them here. The next things on my list to try are an avocado smoothie (don't be skeptical yet) and an Indonesian restaurant in town- I know that's not Cambodian but still... Also, if you are interested in pictures here is the link to my album on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151539154524179.552253.624354178&type=1&l=fb2fdc9a01

Getting Around Town: Surviving and Thriving part 1

So I thought I would switch it up a bit. Although I have loved my time here in Cambodia, most of the best moments are silly little things that mean nothing to anyone but me. Instead, I figured I could use this opportunity to enlighten you on how to survive and thrive in Cambodian culture. Edition one will obviously be transportation... IN GENERAL: - A "moto" is the shortened term for motor bike - A tuk-tuk is basically a carriage pulled by a moto - Tuk-tuks cost about twice as much as a moto but you can share them with 3-5 other people (depending on how much you like them). - Honking is rarely vicious. The horn is used to tell a car to scoot over so you can pass, or let a smaller vehicle know you are coming up on them so they don't accidentally swerve in front of you, or sometimes just to say hi. It is more strange to not hear a horn than it is to hear one. - Traffic laws don't really exist. Technically, you drive on the right side of the road but if the left side seems more convenient then go for it! It is not unusual to have 6 lanes of traffic- 2 going the same direction as you, 2 coming at you, and 1 crossing each way in front of you (Sorry if that doesn't make sense). You just do what you gotta do to get where you gotta get. BEFORE TRAVELING: - If possible, get a Cambodian to help you get a tuk-tuk or moto- they can explain in Khmer plus locals get a much better deal (for everything). - Find and keep with you a bilingual map (both in Khmer and English)- thankfully, pointing is universal. - Allow 10 extra minutes for explaining to the tuk-tuk or moto driver where you want to go- they will probably have to consult at least 2 other people before even pretending they are familiar with your intended destination. - Give yourself another 5 minutes for when the driver gets lost and has to back track or stop and ask for more directions. - Don't pay what they ask for initially- it's usually about $.50-$1 cheaper than what they say. If you're patient, a lot of times they will give in before you will. EN ROUTE: - If you are in a tuk-tuk, just sit back and relax. Sit on the seat facing backwards to avoid the dust if possible. - Motos are a different story... - Be alert but not too alert: it is absolutely necessary to keep your arms and knees as close to the moto as possible to avoid getting knicked by passing vehicles, and avoid the exhaust pipe by your feet. It also helps to pay attention to where you are so when the driver almost misses the road, you can catch it before he has to turn around and face oncoming traffic. - Enjoy the ride. There are some great sights to be seen on Cambodia roads such as oxen crossing city streets, motos hauling absolutely anything (the most impressive I've seen is a guy with a couch and an oversized chair), and shops that might be fun to visit later. Plus, focusing on other things keeps your mind from thinking up all the terrible scenarios that could happen in such crazy traffic. - Practice your balance: it's awkward (and probably not encouraged) to clutch the wait of the Cambodian male drivers and some of the motos don't have a handle behind the seat. Anyways, the more relaxed you are on a moto, the more legit you seem. - Avoid skirts... until you are comfortable enough to side-saddle. But even then, avoid skirts. ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN TACT: - Always exit from the left side to avoid getting what they call a "Cambodian tattoo" - aka a burn from the exhaust pipe. - Try to pay with exact change- there are many times when drivers conveniently don't have change on them... WALKING: - It's always easier to depend on your own feet to get you from point A to point B. It will definitely take longer but the exercise is nice and you can avoid language barriers. - Prepared to be offered a tuk-tuk or moto at least once every 2-3 minutes. Just shake your head and smile. They will usually give you even bigger smiles in return- I've never seen people so happy to be rejected. - Stay hydrated... it gets hot here. - When crossing the street, be brave but cautious. The drivers are crazy but they do slow down for pedestrians so just be ready to weave and run until you make it safely to the other side. - Watch out for dogs. Most are nice and the others might only have a fierce bark but I'm not going to be the one to find out. - Figure out a way to pass the time. The streets of Phnom Penh aren't exactly pedestrian friendly so you may have to take the long way around sometimes. A fun game I play is trying to see how many people I can make smile on each trip- my record is 18. And as our host mom says every time we leave the house... "Good luck!"

from Africa to Asia.

First of all, sorry about not blogging for so long. I know all of you await all of my posts anxiously. I can't imagine the distress that 2 weeks without an update must have caused you :P But seriously, a lot has happened since I left Zambia on January 19. I'll do my best to hit all of the high points, share some fun tidbits, and let you in on how I am feeling about all of it. All without boring you hopefully. After we left Zambia, we flew to Cape Town, South Africa for a short holiday in between volunteer stints. The day was filled with emotion as I balanced the sadness of leaving Zambia with the excitement of exploring a new country. Not to mention a bit of frustration at the airport (we won't get into that) and a surprise appearance at the Cape Town airport by my boyfriend. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it took me until the next day to really believe that he was in Africa with me. Also, he brought Christmas to Ava Michelle and me! We got lots of treats from our families and friends- thanks for all of you who sent something along. Our little celebration may be in the running for Best Christmas Ever, mostly because I was expecting to skip American Christmas this year. Plus the little taste of home was a nice surprise. Cape Town was a breath of fresh air from the "Real Africa" that Zambia claims to be. There were Western restaurants, everyone spoke English, and we got to be the tourists instead of attracting attention ourselves. If I hadn't known any better, I might have thought I was back in America! As is evidenced in my pictures that FINALLY got posted (sorry for the huge delay- Africa isn't very photo uploading friendly) we stayed pretty busy. - City tour on one of those double decker buses: another bucket list check! - Simeon's Town to see the Penguin Colony: I was overwhelmed with joy! Plus, I even got to pet one... after he bit me of course. - Safari: A must-do in Africa. Our vehicle got stuck in sand and we had to disembark (that was the best antonym thesaurus.com could give me for "board") while the staff tried to pull it out. Don't worry, we ended up being within like 7 feet of an elephant!! Can I add that to my bucket list just to check it off? - Hike up Table Mountain: 2.5 hours almost straight up stairs but at the top we were in a cloud! Then we rode down in a cable car that overlooked the city. - Jade: We met a woman one day who stopped us to ask for some corn flakes and milk. As we walked to the grocery store with her, she told us about herself and asked all about us- she was so excited just to have a conversation with someone- and then we got on the topic of Jesus. Long story short, she ended up becoming a Christian. God is so good! Then 4 flights, 5 security checks, 2 movies, and countless aluminum-wrapped meals later, we arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The organization that is "in charge" of us here is called Star Kampuchea and is very well organized. We had a day-long orientation the first Monday filled with culture tips, expectations, possible issues, language lessons, and a traditional Cambodian dinner- it only took me a couple days to eat strange things here. Let's just say that even crickets and frogs don't taste like much if you deep fry them! Then Tuesday we went on a tour of the city and visited a local market. There are lots of other volunteers here as well so I have not only got to learn about Cambodian culture, but befriend people from Australia, England, China, Sweden, and Denmark. Talk about culture shock! We are living with a family and they are great. It is a grandma, a mom and a 7-year-old girl. The grandma doesn't speak English but we do our best with charades. If all else fails, I just smile and say "Akun" which means "Thank you". The 7-year old, Panna, is your typical little girl- likes to talk A LOT, never runs out of questions, and loves to sing and dance. It's going to be a fun 8 weeks (no sarcasm intended). I am working at an organization called M'lup Russey, previously known as ICC-SKY. My project is to create a training program for Emergency Foster Care Families. I'm realizing that the language barrier and minimal knowledge of Cambodian culture, and the fact that I'm not a real social worker, make the task a little more difficult. But I am SO excited to have an actual project with an end goal and tangible results along the way. Not to mention the people I work with are great! Side story: For lunch, I bring the rice and surprise that grandma packs for me in the morning and stay at the office to eat with some of my "co-workers" <- can I say that yet? Anyways, we all sit on the grass mat in the middle of the kitchen floor, place whatever side (aka the part of lunch that isn't rice) we brought in the middle and it becomes free game for everyone. Pot luck every day! It's awesome!! Back to M'lup Russey... they are a Christian organization- what a surprise in a Buddhist country. I even got to attend Bible Study at the office yesterday morning. Granted, it was ALL in Khmer (pronounced Kah-mai) but I really enjoyed it. Different language, same God. How cool! Ironically, M'lup Russey is anti-orphanage for a lot of valid reasons I won't get into now. Funny that I go from volunteering at orphanages in Zambia to working for a place that fights to get kids out of them and reunited with their biological families. I have been incredibly encouraged this past week. From getting experience in a field I am passionate about to sweet messages from my friends to enjoying the simple life of a third world country, I couldn't be happier. Here goes part 3 of this little adventure!! For those of you who wish to see pictures... Zambia: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151451518699179.546294.624354178&type=1&l=bd40b44dc9 Cape Town: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151453344379179.546470.624354178&type=1&l=0c3c27cbf5

For every end, there is a beginning.

It's hard to believe that 8 weeks in Zambia, leg number 1 of this world adventure, have come and gone. I've spent the past week trying to take each day at a time which is easier said than done! It's been tough to fight the sadness that comes with leaving the girls at Heartspring who (whom?) I've come to adore while they keep asking how many more days we will be coming to play with them. Then doing my best to keep the anticipation I have for vacation in South Africa at bay as I book a hostel and research ways to spend our 5 days as tourists. Just like the other seven, the past week has been filled with wonderful memories. I realize I haven't done a very good job at sharing stories with you so here goes... On Tuesday, I was sitting on the patio at Heartspring while a few of the girls "plaited" (aka braided) my hair. They got tired of standing so Jennipher (a precious 6 year-old with no front teeth) told me to lay down and she positioned herself so my head could rest on her lap. The girls continued to plait while two others, Olice (pronounced Ol-issy because they don't understand silent "e"s) and Lumunu (the youngest one) rubbed my arms, playing with the freckles and scars that show up on my skin but not on theirs. You will be pleased to know that my hair is currently in tons of little braids and will remain so until I can't stand it anymore (per a promise to keep them as long as possible). This may sound incredibly simple and mean nothing to anyone except me and the girls but that is part of the beauty of it. Simplicity and shared experience, a lot of what this trip is about. There wasn't any pressure to explain a game easy enough for all of them to understand. I didn't have to navigate the language barrier that seems to hinder so much of our interactions. All I had to do was be with them, loving and being loved.And that was enough. I think it's almost always enough. We get so caught up in wanting results from our work and feeling useful that we forget how far those little moments go. As if that wasn't enough for one day, that night we got a call from Big David- the Grace boy whose Facebook picture I was tagged in this week for those of you who might have seen it. He just wanted to call and check on us. When I said that we missed them, he said, "We miss you more." After some chit chat and catching up he said, "Which one am I talking to?" My response, "You don't even know who I am?!| Big David: "Oh, hi Risa." I guess some things don't change even after 8 weeks in Africa. On Wednesday, I managed to cook nshima all by myself! I am not typically culinarily challenged but Zambian cooking is a whole other level. Just imagine a huge pot (we cooked for 17) on a charcoal braizer. You stir the nshima, which is the consistency of THICK mashed potatoes, with a giant wooden spoon. Nchimunya (the oldest girl) just kept adding mealie meal until it was almost impossible to stir. I had to hold the pot handle between my knees, stand up and stir with both hands. Boy was I sweating afterwards! Again, it seems simple but it's taken me two weeks of helping with lunch to get to that point and boy did it feel good! Like I said, our time in Zambia is almost up. I get the question, "When are you coming back?" a lot. I can't bear to think about not returning one day but the thing with kids is that they grow up and who knows where they will be if and when I make it back. And just like with every other transition in my life, I can't stop from thinking about what I could have done better and the liklihood that I am leaving loose ends. Honestly, I'm just glad good byes are over... On the other hand, I am excited for a week of relaxing in Cape Town- making our own schedule, letting ourselves be silly tourists, exploring a completely new city, and being in a place kind of like America. Well, we hear it's like Little London but it is pretty developed and there will be a lot of White people (aka we won't stick out) so that is close enough to the US to clear up the teensy bit of homesickness I may or may not be feeling. Thankfully, God's faithfulness is enough to cover any sadness or longing. His Plan has been perfect so far (even if it hasn't been what I expected) and I trust that His timing will continue to be just as impeccable. I've realized that He has orchestrated this whole trip so that I won't even have time to be sad about one thing ending because there is only a bus ride or a plan ride in between me and the next adventure. We left Kitwe and Dayspring for Livingstone and Heartspring. Then we are leaving Livingstone in a couple hours for Cape Town and in a week, we will be preparing to land in Cambodia for 8 weeks. I have also realized that, busy or not, I can partly control whether or not my life in Zambia stops here. I'm not a big fan of technology but it does give me the opportunity to communicate with the friends I've made and will make. I can come home and share my experiences with people and spread awareness so that the needs of the kids I've come to love can be met. I have been given a beautiful gift, of which everyone here and at home has been a part. I'm not the same Risa I was 8 weeks ago and I know that I still have a lot to learn. Thanks again to those of you who have supported me, written emails, sent packages, prayed for this trip, given me the names of contacts in the countries we are visiting, and for the countless other things I don't even know about. I am blessed that each of you is a part of my life. Cape Town.. HERE WE COME!!!