This year has been flying by. First we received new interns in January. Sheena and Hayden come from the US, Menea is our new Khmer intern, and Reatrey is our returning Senior Khmer intern. With each new intern group, I am encouraged and excited to see these young professionals work together and learn from each other. This really is a life changing experience for them, and I am honored to be a part of it.
Then the hot season came… this year has been hotter and dryer then it has been for many years. With less rain this year, the countries hydro-electric power plants aren’t producing enough. For us in the city, this means four hour mandatory power cuts every day. It has been challenging to find ways to work around this. Our office was able to purchase a small generator which we can use to power a few fans and the Wifi, but we are still exhausted by the end of the day. But with little to no complaint, everyone in the office is pushing through, though looking forward to monsoon season in a few months.
Looking ahead, April is the month of Khmer New Year. This is the equivalent of our Christmas to the people of Cambodia. Everyone gets a holiday from work, and most people travel back to their homes in the provinces to spend time with family, eat, and play games. However, it does have religious significance for Buddhists, and many Christian Khmer struggle with how to honor their families in this season, while staying true to what they believe about Christ.
Above and on the Left: My church rented a boat for the evening as a last celebration before everyone leaves for the holiday.
To the Right: I was taking pictures on a site visit the other day, and one of the interns got a shot of me.
Bellow: Our current staff team! We are growing!