Christmas in Cambodia!eable

Last year's Christmas adventure feels a world a part from where I am today. A season marked by it's extremely long Church services, rockets sounding off every five minutes to celebrate the Virgin Birth, pinatas, ponche and lots of love... from Nochixtlan, Mexico to Phnom Phen, Cambodia the contrast could not be stronger. It has been such an incredible blessing to be with Meghan, an old dear friend, this Christmas.

Her special handmade presents and smiling face have made making it through the holidays, far away from family, all the more bearable. Meghan is doing the Peace Corps and has been here for five months. She has also become quite the little seamstress and made us all Christmas stockings! She also made other little goodies that I will cherish for a long time to come, but the stockings were so much fun! I was able to visit her site and see her new home, it is so great to see the place I have heard of for so long. We stayed Christmas Eve night at her place and then headed to the big city Christmas Morning.

I literally felt like entering Cambodia was like going back in time. It is so different from Thailand, which I expected, but how extreme those difference truly are has been shocking. This nation has huge wounds to heal from and a complicated presence to

sort out. Meghan's stories about the kids in her class are fascinating, as they reflect the status of the Khmai people. This is a beautiful country and I think coming back in 2-3 years things will be very different. This is a Christmas I will never forget. If I had not been with Meghan it probably would not have even felt like Christmas at all... it is so HOT here! I head back to Chiang Mai in a few days and will look forward to spending New Years with some more friends from home!

Meghan and I have been able to do some much needed (more so for her) retail therapy. But this is not your typical after Christmas sale shopping, but rather Russian Market in Cam

bodia style... which basically equates to rummaging through piles of clothes that have liter

ally "fallen of trucks" and some how did not make the cut to be exported, well, to you! There is every name brand you could think of and the prices largely depend on your negotiating skills. It is hot and sweaty and a whole lot of fun! We have had a really great time finding treasures together. It will be hard to leave Meghan because of how wonderful it is to see her and close she makes home feel, but I know that will all come very soon. I truly hope everyone had a wonderful Chris

tmas, that you were able to reflect on the birth of Jesus and all that means, able to connect with family, friends and to eat lots of delicious American holiday food! No calorie regrets! On towards the New Years resolutions! Again thank you for your continues support and prayers of everything God has brought into my life! Blessings to all!!! and a Happy Merry New Year!