Hello friends and family! It feels as if I haven't written in so long...Mr. Veldt's computer broke down last week so for the first time in a long time I was without Internet access. It was weird but also good...if that makes sense. So much as happened over the past few weeks that I don't even know where to begin.

For those of you who don't know (which is probably most of you) we got in an accident with a motorbike about a week and a half ago. We were coming home from Hannah's birthday celebration when it occurred. We were taking a right turn (in Thailand you drive on the other side of the road, so we were crossing traffic) when a motorbike with two men on it ran their red light, hitting us. It was pretty scary. We prayed for the men while we waited for the ambulance to come. I didn't think one of them was alive...but than he started to breath again. Soon after it occurred, families on the Veldt's team showed up to help us communicate with the police. It is amazing how our God provides for us! The men are both better now...they are out of the hospital and have been able to be in contact with missionaries. Praise God for healing them and for opportunities to share his Truth to these men.

Right now I'm sitting in an Internet place (I would say Internet cafe but it is just about 10 computers set up in a room) in Cambodia. Hannah and I, along with Crystal (who has been working with YWAM in Chiang Rai at an HIV orphanage for the past 6 months) and Sivy (who was adopted from Cambodia about 3 years ago) arrived in Phnom Penh yesterday (Friday) morning. In the airport we started making small talk with a family from Texas and they asked us what we were all doing and how we all know one another. It's funny because before Thursday Hannah and I had never met Crystal before and we had only met Sivy a few weeks ago. It's awesome because the thing we have in common is that we are sisters in Christ. We are all traveling together through Southeast Asia in order to see what God is doing in Cambodia and to experience Sivy's life here.

Yesterday we spent most of the day in Sivy's old orphanage playing with the kids. They are so cute and full of life. It was a really good experience even though it was hard to see how they have to live every day. Today we went to the killing fiends and the Genocide Museum: Tuol Sleng. I don't know how much you all know of Cambodian history, but in1975 the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot committed genocide against the Cambodian people. I knew nothing of this occurring until this summer...which has made me wonder why I haven't learned of this in any of my history classes...or why I haven't gone out of my way to learn more history of different parts of the world. It was hard to learn about. Hard to read people's memories. Hard to see the mass graves. Hard to see what humans are capable of.

But among all of that sadness and destruction there was hope. That's the amazing thing about our God. There is always hope. I have been reading The Good News about Injustice by Gary Haugen. In it he says, "It is through his word that God reveals his character, and it is God's character, and God's character alone, that gives me hope to seek justice amid the brutality I witness." It is God's character that gives me hope after learning about Cambodia's recent history. As we were sitting in a park about to indulge in our picnic lunch of chicken, sticky rice, and crickets (that's right...crickets) Crystal prayed for opportunities to share God's love and hope to the people around us. It was only a short time later when a guy about 23 approached us and started asking us about the food were were eating. Than slowly, a younger girl and an old woman came up and sat down next to us wanting to talk. Sivy is the only one of us who can really speak Khmer so she began to talk to them about Jesus and how He has worked in her life. I wish you all could meet Sivy. I have never met anyone who was so joyful about the Lord. When you look at her and when she smiles you can actually see the joy and hope she has found in Christ.

Later this week we are planning on spending two days and one night in Sivy's village...where she used to live before being sent to the orphanage by her family because they could no longer care for her. It should be a stretching time. Almost her entire village is Buddhist so please pray for opportunities to show the love of Christ amongst the language barrier. And for courage when faced with situations that will certainly take me out of my comfort zone (such as meals). There is so much more say and I only wish that I could send along with this post the sights, sounds, and smells of Phnom Penh. Please also be praying for Cambodia as a country as they continue to heal from these recent pain and terror. Know that I am also praying for you all...in your many different parts of the world.

"I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than ALL gods." ~Psalm 135:5~