Life or Something Like It

So the past two days I've just continued adjusted to the routine or lack there of here at the White Doves house. I'm going to bed pretty early and waking up pretty early too. We begin everyday with devotions, which I like (especially when I know the songs!). Yesterday and today I taught English classes for the girls. It was really fun, and challenging. They know some basic stuff, but really want to learn conversational phrases. But its hard to teach conversation with out knowing vocab! So I've done basic phonics, vocab, counting, and time. I need to look up more online... I've enjoyed having a specific role though! Since I'm just “visiting” and not staff, I don't feel like I have ownership in the ministry, so its been nice to get slices of it :) Every Thursday the girls and staff go out to the slums for Kids Club, where hundreds of kids from the slum come and sit and sing, and play games, get snacks and vitamins and clean water, and get their wounds treated. I got to teach English there too! Angelina Jolie definitely had the right idea about adopting from Cambodia, these kids are beautiful!! I couldn't help be moved to tears as I watched the White Doves girls dancing and singing songs about Jesus to these impoverished kids. To imagine where these girls were only 6 months ago, and to see them now, doing ministry, it's amazing. I'm honored to be a part. I haven't been taking too many pictures, because Martin & Dary have asked me not to take any of the girls at the home, as not to further their exploitation. A lot of times missionaries mean well, sending pictures of the awful conditions to friends and family back home to raise money. But these girls have been used enough. So my pictures of them will be few and fleeting, but their faces are forever with me. They have started teaching me a little Khmer as well. It is NOT an easy language! But I have most of their names (finally) and hello, goodbye, and 1 – 5. I had to write them all phonetically. Ironically, Joy is hard for the to say, so my name here is Jumpai, after a beautiful flower, which I just saw for the first time today. They picked me one! Today I also helped with some cooking, and made some delicious spring rolls. One of the first things I've enjoyed. Then tonight me and a few of the girls walked over to the Siem Reap Mall again so I could get dinner and the girls could shop. Bonus...caramel frapp and free wifi!! I'm pretty sure that I will be in much better shape by the time I leave here, we are walking and biking EVERYWHERE! Tomorrow evening, I'm biking over to the Angkor Wat Temples (free after 5pm!) with a YWAM guy volunteer visiting from Phnom Penh. Can't wait to see them, especially at sunset. So that's all! Coming soon...laundry!