...And Logan slew Veassna.

We were looking at the guys Facebook pages and ran across this series of pictures with a few captions. Lately Veassna has been working on his one arm push-ups.


...then, david cut goliath's head with his foot.

heeeheee

Like in many familys the younger kids my not understand some teasing that happens. But the guys here more than make up for it in the way they include Logan in life and fun. Needles to say when we ask Logan if he glad we moved here he says "yes".

Hey Mom, look what I dug up!!!

We were driving back from the soccer game when we caught up with a digger/Hoe driving down the road at about 15-20 KM/H. This as a whole was a little rare. What I didn't know until we started to pass it was what it was carrying in the bucket. As we passed the traffic cops they looked at itas if it was nothing. It still amazes me what will fly here in Cambodia.How often have you seen a digger carrying a moto in its bucket with a guy still sitting on it. This guy was relaxed as could be.

What is this game?

I have played many sports in my life. None of witch have been soccer or even soccerish. Partially because I felt it was a communist sport :)So why did I move to a country that has a love-affair with soccer in every form.

The guys here 15 and up have been begun to play in a Futsal league. There are 20 teams in all. They even asked that there not be any players under 16. We have the youngest team by far (I'm the only one not in high school) we have an exception for three 15 year olds to play. With my little experience, I end up in the goal. Our first game was today. The score was closer than the game really was. I had fun and so did all the guys. We were able to win 7-5. It is a good opportunity for the older guys to practice leadership and outreach.

Pictured L-R:
Veassna, Tia, Pov, Hocklee, Tess Shults (teacher), Syung Hyun,
Krumm, Joe, Jonathan, Rachael (from girls home), and David

Historically I have had an intentional disinterest in soccer. The only language spoken is Khmer, including the three and a half hour captains meeting, one hour opening ceremony and the officiating. I have to have the guys translate any important information. The things you do for the people you love. :)

Mmm, Mmm, Good

I thought about naming this "That bugs me" But I figured it sounded like a rant. Then again you may find that preferable to my hasty attempt at a poem.

There's a place some call "Central Market";
You can drive a car and pay 25 cents to park it.
If you look hard enough you can find anything;
Maybe Clothing, treats or diamond ring.
The senses will be overwhelmed;
By smells and sights and by sound.
You'll find fried bugs for a treat;
Just pull up a seat;
I have known people to stare;
And some even to dare;
Thank goodness for free-will.
Join in, have fun, if the bugs don't tempt you, the grease will!


If you would like to get a closeup on the pictures go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/jrclhansen/Bugs

You hear about people eating bugs in other parts of the world when you live in the states. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when I encountered by it here, but there I was, standing there like a tourist looking at the vendors wares, dumbfounded. The thoughts running through my mind were "really?... There must be hundreds of each kind... But who eats them?... And you get enough business to make it worth your while?... So do you breed them or what?... Really???" Of course I speak Khmer like an infant and could not really ask. So I took the pictures and went on my way thinking "Bugs?... Really?..."

Honestly I just can't really see anyone saying "What I wouldn't give for a fried cockroach!", but maybe that's just me!

My.... Sermon? Zzzzz....

Rene and I often liken life to a journey through the wilderness. I often see analogies that extend from this same idea. I have felt compelled to write the short version of the most recent one here on the blog. Feel free to sleep through it, drink coffee in the foyer, go to the bathroom, or pinch your infant so you can take them outside until it is over. :)

If Life is a journey with the trail passing through valleys and over mountains, then there are also precipices. Some we carefully navigate around and by. There are still others that crumble beneath us, we blindly walk off of and even willingly hurl ourselves from. For some it is accidental, lack of guidance, fatigue, impatience, not knowing better, thrill, or even self-loathing and suicide. We end-up broken and battered in a crevasse, isolated, lonely, confused, helpless, with little or no hope, just trying to survive. Some of us live in denial of our condition. Some of us work through the pain. Some rage at God. It is at this time of "brokenness" that God waits for us to call to him. It is the time when God shows himself most. We are closest to God when we can do nothing. It is what we all want in our Heart, to feel the presents of God. We can talk with him and interact with him. The sad part is once we are back on the trail we can get so caught up in the "day to day" we tend to go back to how it was before. I have come to the conclusion that "growing" in Christ is calling on God sooner and more often to the point that we talk with him all day in a real relationship. I can't say I'm there yet... but then again odds are I haven't seen my last precipice.

If you are still reading I am honored. If you didn't like it just look at it this way... At least you don't have to burn the extra calories from eating the donuts that set next to the coffee in the Foyer. :)