Day Fourteen -- Friday, July 15

Well, our time in Cambodia has come to an end. Today is the day we return to the U.S. 

Cooking at The Coffee Shop.

We began our day with the usual, breakfast at The Coffee Shop, but with an unusual twist.  I cooked for the entire place -- pan-fried toast, just like on a camping trip. Shelley buttered, Marc's son Eli (age 7) put them in the pan, and Miss Vicki distributed the finished product.  I got lots of "Aw khun" from the Khmer and more than a few thank yous from the Anglos. The bread was egg-bread and with a little strawberry jam smeared on, it was a little taste of home.

Our morning assignment was to clean out an old storage building onsite at RDI.  We took the good stuff and carted it over to other places and we took the termite-infested stuff (termites! again!) to be incinerated.  Eli explained that termites were, in fact, edible and that many other insects were too if you eat them properly (never eat the tail end of an ant, the middle section is best).  We got to work alongside Jason and Cindy, Marc's cousins from North Richland Hills. How small the world is when you come all the way to Cambodia to meet some new friends from just down the road in Texas.

Our RDI friends, John and Vicki. (courtesy Chanda Cheng)

After lunch, we packed up, showered up and prepared for our long journey home. We said our goodbyes, some of them tearful, especially as the RDI team prayed for us as they sent us off.  We have a special bond with these folks, mainly because of our shared love of Jesus, but also because we have shared sweat and tears as we have tried to serve the beautiful Khmer people.

Once at the airport, we encountered another little bit of home -- Dairy Queen.  We dined on hot dogs and Blizzards (what, no steak fingers?) and enjoyed some additional time with Da and Lori.

Chad, Shelley, and I are leaving Luke behind.  He is going to spend one more week working with the RDI team, and then will head to Hong Kong to meet up with a group from the University of Arkansas for a study-abroad program. They have a two-week tour of China as part of their studies.

I'm sitting on the Dragonair flight from Phnom Penh to Hong Kong as I write this.  It has been an incredible two weeks. Sometimes it was incredibly fulfilling, as you looked into the eyes of a laughing child as you engaged them in play. Sometimes it was heartbreaking, as you surveyed the poverty and hopelessness of some of the Khmer, knowing that you can't help them all in two weeks. We say (often flippantly, I think) that "God is good". I can tell you, from my whole heart, that He is. He has been so very good to us this week. We can look back and see that we've made a difference, perhaps in someone's health, perhaps in someone's heart, perhaps in someone's life. We can also see that He has made a difference in us. We are definitely not the same as when we arrived.

Thank you to all who prayed for us and sent us messages of encouragement. They meant more than you can know. Blessings to you all. -- M