Hazards of Missionary Life

So here's Tal on her last day in Cambodia. Her black eye was a BEAUTY!!! A small souvenir of her day at the water slides. (No small children were hurt in the crash.)

Talia's Home

So one last note about TJ -- she called this morning from Texas. They arrived home last night after a 26-hour uneventful flight from Cambodia. She had a wonderfully fun last day at the waterpark with her little group of orphans and is looking forward to getting in touch with her friends and family here again.

Once again, she's back to school and her internship and ready to plunge into normal life.

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Quick Note

I'll just take 2 seconds and update you all about Talia too. I had a very brief phone call from her this morning telling me they're getting ready to come home to the States. They are spending tomorrow (I think) taking a group of kids from the orphanage to a water park, and the next day they'll get on the plane and head home.

Another successful adventure. Thanks for listening.

Call #2

Last time I saw Kate was when Phil and I dropped her off at the airport. It was an EARLY flight - can you tell? Hopefully it won't be too long till I have some China pictures to post.

Till then, I've learned that going to work is a good thing -- when I was in my office Friday morning, Kate called from China. The connection was TERRIBLE, but at least I got to visit with her for a few minutes. Her group arrived in China last Monday, but hadn't had any luck calling home. The team from GE was supposed to call all the parents and let them know the kids were okay, but with our moving and everything, they hadn't been able to reach us.

Kate's group has been working with teenagers at some kind of a government-sponsored (I think) camp. She's been teaching morals and ethics, she said between the crackles of the phone, working with a group of 5 kids. They had just finished up at that camp and were going to be moving to another city in the next day or two. (Vic tells me that the cities they've been visiting are beautiful, and I'm looking forward to seeing and posting some pictures eventually.)

It was night time in China when in was morning in Minnesota, and wherever Kate was, there were a lot of Chinese people talking loudly in the background. Maybe they were having an it's-almost-our-last-night celebration, but so far as I could tell, she was fine. She was even looking forward to having a day off to do her laundry and maybe a little sight-seeing.

I found out later (Kate and I spent Sunday evening texting back and forth) that only 1 of the kids in her group had the flu and so they weren't quarantined like Talia's group. Kate's been healthy and is having a wonderful time. It sounds like she's enjoying the other kids in her group and making a few new friends. Wish I were there. Sigh.

This Week's Call

So I was sitting in my office the other morning, working away VERY ambitiously, when my cell phone rang. And yes, it did ring. That's my favorite ring tone. Guess who was on the other end....TJ. Hurrah. She was calling from Phnom Pehn - her current favorite city in the world.

She just called to tell me that they were finally all out of quarantine and spending the day in the city before going on to a little village (Chuck? Chook? Chalk? Something.) where they would be spending a few days. They'll work with the kids there. They've been doing more VBS. And get to live the village life. Translation - no showers, squatty potties, rice and veggies for dinner. I'm sure she'll correct me if I'm wrong.

Turns out they were working the couple of weeks they've been quarantined. They've been staying at a YWAM camp. Did I tell you this already? And doing VBS with groups of kids who come to the camp. They spent several days making pinatas for some of the classes and a gigantic Chutes and Ladders game for another group. She tells me she thinks it's 10 feet by 10 feet. And wouldn't that be fun :)

Otherwise, she was glad to get to a phone. She was feeling fine and rested - almost as if the quarantine had been a vacation for her - and she was ready to go back to work. The only sad thing about their quarantine was that they were unable to travel to Vietnam. Next time, I'm sure.

One more photo, if you can take it.... and, no, I don't know what she's eating.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Girls

Sometime in the next 12 hours or so Kate should land in China. She called me last night from the airport in LA, saying that she and her pals were waiting and waiting and waiting. When I got up this morning there was a text from here, sent at about 2:30 a.m. P.T., saying that they were finally boarding the plane. She also promised to call when she arrived in China.

Tal did phone home last week one day. Sadly, I missed her. I was in Tempe doing some training for Edward Jones, and Daniel talked to her about 7 one morning. It wasn't a very long conversation, he tells me.

"Hello..." Daniel

"Hello (crackle, crackle, crackle)," Talia

"I can't hear you, Tal," Daniel

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

Long silence. Click. Sigh. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

There is a lovely update on the website for Tal's trip. They're working with kids, going to church, generally having a lovely time. Except for the kids who are sick. Sounds like the flu is going around this time. Sigh, again.

But, enough worries. Here's a new picture that I don't think I've posted yet....

We all know how Tal feels about kids. (grin)

Pictures of Kate as soon as possible. I promise.

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Here She Is...

This is like Where's Waldo, only it's Where's Talia? This was taken over the weekend while they were finishing their training in Garden Valley. Doesn't she look happy?

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