Cambodia...Part 3

Hey Mom...Sooo nice to here about stuff back home...I did see those pictures Bobby posted...Looks like a good time...I really miss the ice and snow, hockey, and for sure burgers, ice cream, cookies, milk, sloppy joes, and cereal...Rice and tea are apart of me now...And I really wish I could have been there when Uncle Matt brought over all that venison and whatnot...But it's going good here too...

The days are definitely long and I am getting more tired...But it's ok...Since we last talked, I visited two places on Monday that were a place for children to go for school and meals and stuff...It was amazing...The kids were freaking cute and they loved to play with you and just be around you...I honestly didn't want to leave either place at the end of the day...
On tuesday we went to the U.S. embassy in the morning and got to meet with the second in charge here in Cambodia...We got to have a discussion and ask questions about what the U.S. is doing here and how that is taking place...For the most part they are doing ok, but politics were an underlying theme I could tell...That afternoon we visited some sweat shop workers at their home who were fired because they formed a union for better pay and treatment...When we were waling down the alleys to their homes I felt like I was on the Discovery Channel and we were in the documentary on third world countries...It was crazy...They were very nice ladies though and definitely had their head on their shoulders...We asked them how much they make and they said $50 a month...Even with the exchange rate thats nuts...Rent is $15-$20 a month for something even small...
Wednesday was a long day in the bus, but I got to see dolphins! We took a longboat out in the Mekong River and just chilled around while river dolphins came to surface within 15 feet of us...It was awesome...I was feeling sick that day and being out on the water with the warm breeze helped a lot...But I still had the runs for a few days after...Don't worry, I'm better now :)...
Thursday was a long drive too...We left from Kreche, where we were with the dolphins and continued on to Boung Long in the Rhotanakiri province...It definitely was nice to be in the country...The city was chocking me out some...Saw a pretty cool sunset too...We visited a village where the people don't have much contact with the outside and played frisbee with some f the teenagers for awhile...That was fun...It's amazing that even with the language barrier a smile and laugh can communicate just as well...
The day before last was one the best...We swam in a waterfall...It's was freaking awesome...I climbed behind it and we found a tunnel thing that we went a few feet down...So cool...Then that afternoon we went and swam in Crater Lake, which is an extinct volcano bowl...It was warm and a nice sunny day out...Perfect for the lake...Made me miss Michigan summers on the lake...

And God has been working on me these last few days...I have been pretty cocky and selfish and prideful lately...I've been reading a book called Crazy Love and it has helped me get back to the place I was at a awhile back with God...I am starting to go back to when it wasn't all about me and that is soo huge here...There are 15 of us and we get on each other's nerves sometime...But I have to remember that we are here together...And I am sooo ready for God to make himself more evident than has before...I have been in a lull and am sick of it...But pray that I find God here and that this last week, which seems like an eternity, can be all about Him...There are people here I can serve in these last days....I'm sick of living for myself...It has left me worn out and tired...

But I have to go...Time to go back to the hotel...I have been having a blast and this has been way worth it so far...Thanks for letting me go and tell everyone I said hi...I will write at least once more before we leave next week...So...until then...Joom Reap Leah!
Sorry... I will try next time!
Voohey::
::Jake

P.S....I tried to add pictures but the computer wouldn't pick up my camera...:(