Maybe I'm just a girl

Well this one has been a long time coming!! Benton and I have been here in beautiful, stinking hot, Cambodia for 2 ½ months now, and sadly have only 1 ½ weeks left until our time here is up. For me, it was a return visit; an opportunity to see familiar faces, visit some favourite places and continue building on what I had already learnt from this incredible place. But for Brenton, it has been an adventure of firsts! And together, it has been one of the best adventures we could have been blessed with to share and always remember.

Our three months started on the 13^th of March, the day after two of our younger cousins in Australia were baptised. It was such an exciting start to our journey! Somewhat naively, we arrived in Cambodia ready to face 3 of the hottest months of the year – good job us!! Our greatest respect and gratitude go out to the person who invented air-conditioning!! The other field workers that were here when we arrived were Verity Van Rooyen (Aus), Rachel Shaw (Aus) and Richard Benson (UK). John and Janet Harris from NZ were also in Cambodia, but were based at BEC 2 in Sihanoukville. Along with Vitou, Dany, and the ever entertaining Jessie, as well as Ratana, we have become a family – a very much needed blessing in a foreign country.

We dived straight into the teaching – big days, hot days, sometimes hard days, but without a doubt the most rewarding days we could have asked for. The students we teach are so vibrant and eager to learn – it’s so uplifting! Our classes range from beginner English classes using a picture bible as a resource as the students have nigh on no English, right up to pre and post baptism classes. Brenton has also been able to share the load with Richard with seminar and bible class presentations. I was also given the opportunity to present a sisters class with some of our beautiful sisters and dorm girls – we had a great morning talking about prayer and then doing some girly craft J

During our time here we have had many visitors through the BEC which has been lovely!

• Bro Rob Oostheizen and his son Reuben from NZ – Bro Rob helped with some classes and seminars for the week they were in Phnom Penh before heading to Thailand to present at the Maisai Bible Week.
• Bro Wayne Ingram from NZ – Bro Wayne stayed in Cambodia for a month and travelled to Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh to assist with seminars and classes.
• Bro K and Sis Sarah Chann with their two little kids Ezekiel and Tiger-Lily – Sarah and K came predominantly to spend some time with K’s family. It was so lovely to have them around and spend time catching up with them over the month they were here.
• Brent’s Dad Danny, and brother Cam also came for 2 weeks – Danny was able to restart dorm classes in the mornings and helped out with a lot of the classes for the first week they were here, and during the second week, we all went to Sihanoukville for a bit of a holiday during the Khmer New Year week. It was so special to be able to share this experience with family! This was the time Brenton decided that Cambodia really was the best place ever – he got to ride motorbikes all around Sihanoukville and had the time of his life!! ;)
• My parents, Peter and Elsbeth, also were able to come for a 10 day visit while we have been here. They had just returned from a trip around Israel so had lots of stories to share. Dad was able to continue with the dorm classes as Danny had done, and gave a bible class as well as a special seminar on Israel, sharing some of the experiences and places they had been with everyone at the dorm. Again, it was so nice to be able to share this adventure with our family.
• Bro Andy and Sis Denise Pitcher from AUS - Bro Andy came to lead the studies at our recent bible weekend held in Phnom Penh BEC. (I will write a separate blog for Bible Weekend) They have sensed travelled up to Siem Reap to assist with some pre baptism classes up there.

We’ve kept ourselves busy with classes at the BEC and dorm but we have also had the opportunity to be tourists and meet lots of new people. Sihanoukville was great fun – it was so refreshing to see the ocean even if it was more like a nice hot bath rather than a cool refreshing swim!! I’m definitely not lying when I say we picked the hottest months to come – most days have reached 40* - we’ve just had accept that sweaty is the new comfortable! Although, over the last couple of weeks we have experienced rain in Cambodia!! This in the 3^rd time I have been here and have never seen rain so it’s been very exciting! It has also dropped the temperature a little bit, hooray! However, you definitely know you have acclimatised when you feel like 32* is a lovely day! Exploring Phnom Penh a bit more has also been really fun.

The opportunities we have had here are amazing. To spend every day with a bible in your hand sharing the incredible hope we have, is beyond a blessing and we are so grateful that we have had this opportunity. We will miss this place and our Cambodia family terribly when we leave, but we’ll always treasure our time here.

Love to you all, and please keep this amazing place in your thoughts and prayers.

Brent and Em Stokes xx