2006 Christmas Update

Hi everyone

Here is the Christmas update....a little late so sorry all those people who got the cards before the blog....and sorry those people who check this out before the Christmas card arrives!

Hope your year has been filled with many touching moments when you have known the care of friends and family and love of God.

Friends

Arrived back from Cambodia to find my friends Jo & John were engaged. No big surprise, I was carrying an engagement present for them. I was bridesmaid for Jo in September. It was a great day and I was honoured to be a part of it.

My flatmate Jody bought a unit and moved out a few weeks ago. Only one year later than she planned. I was blessed to have her sharing my home for the year.

Church

I managed the KidsGames team at our church. We had a great bunch of young leaders. A couple of girls from my class go to Gateway and it was great to have them and their mums invovled in KidsGames as well. Two other kids from school camealong for the week as well. I hosted Cell group for 3 terms of the year which meant proxy leading. Also was involved with evening crèche. I’m not sure what next year holds yet but I’m sure Jo has plans for me.

School

I moved to Upper Mount Gravatt State School and taught year one. It’s nice being close to home (I can even walk some days). I was feeling a bit lonely teaching a class by myself. Anyway there was a fire in the year two block and classes had to be moved and the other year one class had to move in with me and we team taught for term four. Sarah and I decided we would like to team teaching from the beginning next year. So I am very much looking forward to that.

Did the usual Movie night and we held it at Garden City Birch Carroll and Coyle Movie Theatre. A big hit! Also held a an art show of the kids collage work end of term 2. The invite to the evening looked and sound so professional that some parents thought it as a community event and didn’t realise it was their kids work! Argh!!! That’s what I get for trying to make things look good. Serves me right.

I enjoyed the challenges and rewards of working with a real mix of kids this year. Working and living in the same community meant that I was able to connect and support families more- the main reason for moving schools.

Family

I have just returned from a week at Kingscliff with Hannah and Matthew. I have continued to look after them for stints during school holidays. Also had the occasional day where I have Harvey too. He is two and just so cute!

Shelley and I worked together to cater two Boxten (Pete's business) events, their official opening of their new building and their Christmas party. It was great fun!

2007

Only plans I have for next year are teaching year one at the same school, going to the same church and living in the same house BUT you never know what is around the corner.

Guess this year was needed after the spontaneity of 2006. Happy Christmas everyone!!!

Easter update

I have settled back into life in Australia. I am beginning to make some friends at my new school. The short commute to work is wonderful. I have even started walking as often as I can (2-3 times a week). It takes about 10 min. I have a couple of kids from church in my class which is lovely. I am about to go on long service leave and travel with Stefanie so more photos to come!

Cambodian Party

Hope you can make it.

Happy Christmas

As we celebrate the birth of Christ I thought I would take this opportunity to update you on my year. This year has been a year of surprises and new challenges.

Work

I started working part time juggling 3 roles. Sharing a 1/2 class, doing non-contact time for the Bilingual Bicultural classes and volunteering one day a week with Scripture union.

Half way through the year I found myself unhappy at work and I decided to take leave. Looking back I can’t believe I made such a drastic decision with no real way to earn money lined up. A couple of days later I heard about a teaching job at HOPE International School in Cambodia and in amazingly quick time I applied and got the job. A few miracles later I was on long service leave (with 2 weeks notice rather than 2 terms notice as the requirement is), organised a person to housesit and was off to Phnom Penh.

As a result I have spent the last 5 months working in Phnom Penh. It has been a wonderful experience and I have met many great people.

Working in a Christian school is something I had never planned to do. It has been good to work with such an amazing staff with such a heart to serve and to meet families who are committed to serving God and the poor. Photos includes many of the Khmer staff and a short term mission volunteer.

Life in Cambodia

Phnom Penh is a hustling bustling city, with heavy traffic and noisy streets. I am woken in the morning to the cries of “nOOm bpung” as the street vendor walks down our street at 6am selling bread. By this time people are up and getting ready for the day. In Cambodia people are early to rise and early to bed. One thing I will miss will be the motodops. Travelling around with city is so easy. I step outside my front gate. A man on a motorbike (or a few men) raise their hand to ask if I want a motodop. I nod and a motorbike whizzes to my feet. Sometimes men race from either end of the street. I sit side saddle on the back and direct the driver where I would like to go. The bumps on the dirt roads only adding to the adventure.

Sport

I have been playing some touch football over here in Cambodia. Well, it is really touch rugby and I get a little frustrated with the guys sometimes. The girls played an exhibition match the weekend of the Rugby 10s tournament. We played in the Olympic Stadium. It was good to train and play a little more seriously. Wet season has played havoc with regular games as playing on the fields in the rain would ruin them.

Church

At the start of this year I made the decision not to host homegroup but continued to lead the group. It has been good to see some new people come into the group. Next year I will not be leading the group.

I have been attending a small church here that is pretty much a home church. I mix of westerners and Khmer. I have appreciated the casual interactive approach to gathering together.

Travel

I have had some lovely opportunities to get to see some of Cambodia while I have been here. My long time friend Nina came we spent some time exploring the Cambodian coast together. It was lovely to spend some time with her. It was interesting to see the shells of a former life of the French and the present life of the Khmer.

One of my most treasured memories here was a day outing with the Khmer staff from work. On a long weekend we went for a day trip on the motos. We picnicked by a river, laughed, ate, and spent many hours on our butts.

I hope to do a little more travel with some Khmer friends after school finishes in the few days before I leave.

I also got a chance to go to Chiang Mai in Thailand. This made me realise just how undeveloped and poor Cambodia is. Living in Cambodia day in day out I had become accustomed to life here and stepping into Thailand was a lovely break but made me realise how difficult life in Cambodia can be.

2006

I will be teaching full time at Upper Mount Gravatt. I am looking forward to working in the community I live in and being able to serve the school. I have been working with some of the staff at the school in my role with Scripture Union this year and am looking forward to the challenges ahead of me. Other than this I have no idea what the future holds.