on knowing another culture [3 years in cambodia]

somewhere along the way, i wrote this quote in my journal under the heading 

"on knowing another culture"

When you've been in a place for two weeks you feel you can write a book, 

once you've been there for a few months you're happy if you can get a few coherent paragraphs together 

and after you've been there for many years you're not sure if you can write anything at all.*

this season has been a time of reflection for us, as we've had a break between travels & have also been intentionally trying to carve out more time for rest in our lives. 

as we've come our three-year marker (really? already?) we've been processing a lot.  when we left home, it felt like our 3-year commitment was large & looming & that we would come away from the experience so changed, so different, having learned so much about what it means to go, to follow, to serve, to be among the poor.  

well.... yes & no.  our time here has passed in the blink of an eye, life here has been much easier than we expected - filled with such joy, friendships & travel.  but also harder too as we've had to un-learn a lot of the things, beliefs, assumptions, & cultural certitudes we thought we knew. & we thought were solid docking points & that sort of education can be quite unsettling.    

so, while clarity will likely always elude us as we encounter life in all its complexity, what have we learned after 3 years here in Cambodia? 


o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o 

that a masters degree in development doesn't mean you know to respond to a child begging you for food.  that we are not the ones we've been waiting for. 

that Joy comes with the morning.  

that here & there & everywhere, beauty & brokenness cannot be un-twined.  that genocide, atrocity, violence is not a sudden, distinct evil - its your childhood friend wielding a farming tool & following orders, too afraid to disobey, to risk the consequences.  its us too afraid to speak out & challenge oppression, to risk the consequences.  

that we all, all, all need mercy & grace.

that even when we don our best results-based-management-theory, the outcomes are hard to measure.  that maybe transformation can't be written into a logframe.  that the process is the development.  

that faith is the substance of things hoped for & the evidence of things unseen.

o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o       o    

however, one thing we do know for certain is how unbelievably supported we have felt these past three years.  we have been grounded & blessed by our rock solid communities both at home & our new community here.  thank you for all of your support, encouragement & prayers; our cup has & continues to, overflow.

*i'm not sure where this quote comes from & google is no help - sorry to whoever first said this!
** a disclaimer - actually the bulk of our work takes place in an office, but those pictures are not interesting, so i'm posting the field visit ones!

snapshots [october 2011]

[9 months]

cedar james seems less & less like a baby by the day.  at 9 months his personality is really coming out (mischevious & jolly, i'd say).   the bottom's of his feet are no longer baby smooth & this little guy is on the move.  his recent check-up stats came in at 80th percentile for height, 30th for weight, & 90th for head size.  on paper that adds up to an odd looking baby, but luckily for cedar it adds up to continued cuteness.  

cedar's acquired some new skills this month (loyal fans, i.e. grandparents, see video here) & also added in some new stranger anxiety along the way as well.  (we're hoping thats just a phase!)  the quirky guy doesn't seem to mind cambodian strangers holding him, but has been crying at other foreigners lately.

he's been eating lots of rice & vegetables & is proud of his lone tooth.  we're happy for him to stay mostly toothless for now, because we still can't get enough of his wide, toothless grins!

we'd like to hit pause for awhile, because we can't really get enough of this sweet little 9-month old.

*photos by our great friend & wonderful photographer steve chee

reunion in a russian tourist trap [phuket]

the hastings family reunion really kicked into full swing when we all (blaine, lindsay, daniel, cedar & i) met up with our brother ben & his girlfriend lindsay in bangkok.  we had found a great deal on a trip to phuket, so we headed to the beach!

we had NO idea what we were getting into.  i think i thought that phuket would be like our beloved kep, but just bigger & with more hotels.  

not even close.  

phuket was tourist-filled beyond anything we'd seen in southeast asia.  despite the tourist trap vibe, we had a good time relaxing at our hotel (which turned out to be completely full of russians, even the menu & signs were in russian!) & taking a really amazing boat trip out to phi phi island.  turns out phuket is popular for a reason; its beaches & islands are fantastically bright & beautiful & even a boat full of feisty russians couldn't ruin that.    

& I'll meet you at the station [night train from laos]

[my favorite train photo - cedar & his buddy sophia]

our travels with blaine & lindsay took us on an overnight train from vientiane, laos to bangkok, thailand with our entire MCC team.
it was 12-hours, but we actually really enjoyed it!

our seats had fold down tables where we could eat & play games & after that they folded down into bunk beds! when it got dark a nice train worker came & made up our beds with sheets & blankets & we all snuggled up for a night of sleeping to the soothing sounds of the rolling train.

gratitude [elle's parcel of sweetness & light]

ever since this parcel arrived,  it seems like the phrase "thanks, my friend michelle sent it to me" has been a constant refrain around here.

thanks, elle, for the parcel filled to the brim with sweetness & love & for keeping our whole family attired with style & charm!

snapshots [september 2011]