2 months down, 8 to go!

I've been in Cambodia for 2 months now and settled into my life here at the Life With Dignity (LWD) office. During my time here at LWD it's been a slight struggle adjusting to the amount of work days. This is the time of year where there are A LOT of holidays in Cambodia so it feels like a majority of my time has been spent having extra-long weekends here at the site. I really haven't had a super difficult time with my transition; but there have been moments here and there where I've missed certain things. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years etc. are getting closer, and this is the first time in my life that I won't be celebrating with family and friends.

The village I am in is very small and quiet, reminding me of Meadow Vista. There are no road signs, street names, or house numbers. I walk down a little road, and after a minute or so, I've reached the main street of the village. There's a place right across the street that I've named the "Yellow Umbrellas" because you guessed it, there are actual yellow umbrellas outside. It's here I can get Khmer and Chinese noodles for breakfast or lunch, as well as a variety of drinks and some snacks. The two women that run the little Yellow Umbrellas are so sweet and patient. They don't speak English and I tend to get flustered trying to speak Khmer. Even though we can barely communicate, they help me figure out how much I owe, and they are always helpful and smiling. A little further down the road is another place where you can grab a quick bite to eat, and across the railroad tracks you can grab some snacks. Snacks refer to: the Khmer version of an Oreo, Olatte drink in either apple or peach (tastes like sour apple and the sour peach rings), and a variety of energy drinks and other small packaged items. Also along the main road there is a Pagoda and a bank. There isn't much here, but I'm slowly finding all I need to survive here on the weekends!

The staff that work at the LWD office with me stay on site during the week and on the weekend travel to their home villages to be with their families. For me, and the other YAGM volunteers, the LWD site is our home seven days a week. Most of the time this means it's just me and a guard on the weekends. This gives me a chance to do my laundry (wash and rinse in a big tin bowl and hung on a line to dry), take care of myself physically, emotionally, and mentally, and sometimes have another volunteer visit me or vice versa. Sometimes being here alone can be very peaceful and other times it can feel very lonely. I am fortunate enough to have WIFI and to be able to connect to those back home and provide weekly updates. Another way I've been able to connect to my family, friends, and community back home is through the letters I brought with me. Individuals wrote letters for me to open up in a variety of circumstances; happy, sad, homesick, during holidays, for my birthday, etc. These have been something that I look forward to greatly, sometimes bringing a smile to my face and other times making me feel even more homesick than before.

Having this time to myself allows me to think and sometimes wonder, what was I thinking, leaving home for a year to serve in another country. I wake up with my legs COVERED in bug bites, I struggle to communicate with others as I continue to learn Khmer, I've left my independence back home which I grew so accustomed to, and I left my loved ones behind. Then, I visit individuals in the community, visit a coworker's home, experience the holidays/traditions of Cambodia, and read about other YAGM volunteers experiences all around the world and realize how much these two months have taught me so far. This helps me forget about the tough times, and remember what my purpose is during my time here. Accompaniment was the term used as YAGM volunteers learned about the ELCA's emphasis. Accompaniment here is walking alongside the individuals at LWD and in the community of the Kampong Chhnang region. I already feel like I've grown and learned so much and can't imagine what the next 8 months have in store for me.

For those reading, thank you for your support. It's hard to think that I won't be home for another 8 months, but I'm trying my best to take this one day at a time. Your thoughts, prayers, letters, FaceTime, etc. have helped make this process a little easier, and I thank you all for that!

Blessings-

Lauren