Vol. 50
RATS!
Yes, that has been the theme for my last week here! I am not talking about the
expression, but the animal!
For many of you who doubt my athletic abilities you would have been amazed
at how fast I jumped from one seat to the other at the same time yelling STOP
in Khmer to the driver! He stopped and I hurled myself out of the tuk tuk at
the same time the rat was coming out!
Then I became the Rat Whisperer when it
decided to go back into the tuk tuk because I was talking to it and saying, “no, stay out and don’t you dare go on the
ice I have just bought for my cooler!” The rat decided to stay out of the
tuk tuk and went into the grass! The driver who was new kept apologizing and I
started to laugh!
Then
yesterday, as I was trying to pack and sort out 2 years of stuff here (how could
I have accumulated so much?) with Traukean, who is Marie’s helper at the house
in Bek Chan, a rat jumped out of the box which had been in my room since I came
there last November, and hurled itself out the back porch!
At six that night as
I sat on my bed, I saw a movement and yes there was another rat! This one was
big and fat!
I just sat on my bed and put the mosquito net around me and prayed
that it would not eat my new laptop cord, which was plugged into the main cable
at my bedside.
I did not get much sleep that night just listening to see if it
was coming near me.
If I lived closer to Rescue or was at Rescue I would have
called someone to come and get it, but being 15 minutes away by car, that was
not a possibility!
It
has been an exhausting last four days trying to get things organized here at
Rescue. Today after my afternoon class, it is moving day. I will take most of
my stuff into the city (in my Canadian hockey bag) in Rescue’s car, and when I
get into the city, I have to start sorting out my stuff there as well! Lois and
Nancy, with whom I have been staying and renting a room, are moving to a
smaller place so I need to get my life into 2 suitcases ready to return to
Toronto. Channak will keep some of my
stuff and I have already begun giving away some things to the cleaners here.
We
had a marathon English class meeting two days ago, organizing the new semester
and the curriculum. We met for over four hours looking at all the students from
Grade 1 to grade 10. Teacher Phally who was the other Khmer teacher teaching
English and computer left yesterday. He is heeding God’s call to pastor two
churches, and we just welcomed a new Khmer teacher who will teach English. In
the interim I am teaching Phally’s class as well at least until next week, my
last week.
It has
been a roller coaster week of emotions and next week will be my farewell party.
I will meet for a special lunch here at Rescue with my three main translators
on Monday to say thank you for their hard work and being my substitute teachers
when I could not teach.
Prayer requests:
-That
God will give me the energy and wisdom
as I pack and decide what needs to be given away and what is to be stored.
-Saying goodbye; to do it well. It will
not be easy. Already kids who are not from my class are coming up to give me
unexpected hugs and house moms are saying how much they want me to come back,
and also just coming up and giving me hugs or food!
-Next steps. In prayer God has been
saying you are coming back to Cambodia, but exactly where is still unknown. It
is weird I have not left here but am beginning to miss it already! BUT, oh so looking forward to
connecting and being with you all and hearing what He has been doing in your
lives!
So
on November 6th I will be back!
Don’t say I did not warn you!
Dancing Khmer Style with Him,
Love, Sister Vidya
