Now that I have actually settled into province life and my internship a lot of people are wondering, "What do you actually do?" This blog is my attempt to answer that question.
I work at a creative learning centre in a small village in Kampong Thom province. The centre works alongside the government school and teaches math, Khmer, and English but the focus is more on play-based learning. In Cambodia (specifically out in the villages, less so in the cities) kids can reach school age (age 6) having never held a pencil or kicked a ball. This means they start behind and it's a struggle to catch up. We try to help these kids develop the gross and fine motor skills they will need to get ahead and stay ahead in school. So we play a lot. But we play with things like Lego which teaches patterning and structuring.... and sharing!
I assist in the English teaching as well as do teacher training with the teachers on Fridays. And every Wednesday I share a devotion with the kids which is my favourite time and the hardest time because through an interpreter it's always hard to see what kids are actually grasping. But God is so faithful and ultimately it's His message not mine and the Holy Spirit works despite my weaknesses.
But mainly I smile. I play soccer, I hula hoop, I give hugs, I high five, I smile, I laugh a lot, I sing, we dance, I eat a lot of fruit... and I smile. The smile has become my primary means of communication with the kids. I speak very little Khmer and they speak very little English but as long as we're both smiling I figure the game can go on!
My life is still filled with the struggles and hardships that come with living culturally. Things like trying to communicate across language barriers, loneliness, crazy traffic, and new foods. But now my life is also filled with endless moments of unspeakable joy.
Moments like every morning when the same little girl runs up and stands next to me. She is never interested in chatting but it's clear she needs some loving so I give her a hug and rub her back and after a few minutes she runs off. Lends a new distinction to me about being the hands and feet of Jesus. Or, after the bell rang one day, hearing a little four-year-old shout "DOW RIAN!!!!!!" which means "Let's go study!!!!!" I've never seen someone so excited to learn. Or when I was, thinking no one could see me, adjusting my Cambodian pants which I am still learning to tie, and I suddenly hear the lady who made them for me burst out laughing from where she'd been watching me. Or when a little Kindergarten kid looked at me, said something in Khmer, and burst out laughing. I don't know what she was laughing at (probably my face) but I joined in! Or each day when sixty kids leave the centre and they all make it their personal mission to say bye to me, wave, or high five me on their way out.
All that to say life is good, God is better, and I'm still learning.
Love you all so much.
:)
If you want to donate and be a part of this crazy adventure you can do so at http://www.prairie.edu/giving
I work at a creative learning centre in a small village in Kampong Thom province. The centre works alongside the government school and teaches math, Khmer, and English but the focus is more on play-based learning. In Cambodia (specifically out in the villages, less so in the cities) kids can reach school age (age 6) having never held a pencil or kicked a ball. This means they start behind and it's a struggle to catch up. We try to help these kids develop the gross and fine motor skills they will need to get ahead and stay ahead in school. So we play a lot. But we play with things like Lego which teaches patterning and structuring.... and sharing!
I assist in the English teaching as well as do teacher training with the teachers on Fridays. And every Wednesday I share a devotion with the kids which is my favourite time and the hardest time because through an interpreter it's always hard to see what kids are actually grasping. But God is so faithful and ultimately it's His message not mine and the Holy Spirit works despite my weaknesses.
But mainly I smile. I play soccer, I hula hoop, I give hugs, I high five, I smile, I laugh a lot, I sing, we dance, I eat a lot of fruit... and I smile. The smile has become my primary means of communication with the kids. I speak very little Khmer and they speak very little English but as long as we're both smiling I figure the game can go on!
My life is still filled with the struggles and hardships that come with living culturally. Things like trying to communicate across language barriers, loneliness, crazy traffic, and new foods. But now my life is also filled with endless moments of unspeakable joy.
Moments like every morning when the same little girl runs up and stands next to me. She is never interested in chatting but it's clear she needs some loving so I give her a hug and rub her back and after a few minutes she runs off. Lends a new distinction to me about being the hands and feet of Jesus. Or, after the bell rang one day, hearing a little four-year-old shout "DOW RIAN!!!!!!" which means "Let's go study!!!!!" I've never seen someone so excited to learn. Or when I was, thinking no one could see me, adjusting my Cambodian pants which I am still learning to tie, and I suddenly hear the lady who made them for me burst out laughing from where she'd been watching me. Or when a little Kindergarten kid looked at me, said something in Khmer, and burst out laughing. I don't know what she was laughing at (probably my face) but I joined in! Or each day when sixty kids leave the centre and they all make it their personal mission to say bye to me, wave, or high five me on their way out.
All that to say life is good, God is better, and I'm still learning.
Love you all so much.
:)
If you want to donate and be a part of this crazy adventure you can do so at http://www.prairie.edu/giving