Last night while out seeing the town of Battanbang, Jeremy got a text from a friend we met at the hotel pool asking if we would like to join his family for dinner. We met at the Gecko Cafe for not only a delicious meal, but wonderful company. The Eng family is here from Canada with a clean water project. It was so great to share a meal & tell our stories. Thank you David for reaching out to us.We awoke with the sun this morning, about 5 am. There is a wedding celebration going on just a short distance away from the hotel and the music is ongoing, which means you hear it late into the night and it begins again with the sunrise. I contemplated unplugging their electrical source under the cover of darkness last night as the earplugs weren't enough. That being said, the kids are still sleeping extremely well and for that I'm really thankful.
Thank you for all who have been praying about Faith eating; it has been so cool to see God at work. Since asking for prayer for Faith on Facebook, she has been eating at least 2 solid meals each day and usually a snack of peanuts somewhere in their as well. My next prayer request is for Jeremy. We believe he has tonisilitis, whether bacterial or viral, I'm not sure; but I had him gargle with doterra Oregano & OnGuard this morning.
We are on the road again this morning traveling from Battambang to Siem Reap. This will only be about a 2 hour drive and I love watching out the window. I thought I would spend most of my time reading, but the countryside is just so fascinating. It's so bizarre to see little barber stands pop up in the middle of nowhere, cows wandering wherever they wish, rice fields being prepared for planting, endless roadside markets, or passing the random moto loaded with a dead cow or a bunch of chickens on their way to market. I also enjoy listening in on the conversation that Jeremy and Ny have. I love learning about their culture and share with him about ours.
On the way into Siem Reap we stopped at a silk farm where they walked us through the entire silk-making process. This was awesome! From the mulberry tree to the egg, caterpillar, cocoon & butterfly, they walk you through each and every step. We got to see the eggs, billions of caterpillars munching away on mulberry leaves, multiple butterflies mating, and even watch a butterfly come out of it's cocoon. He was a lucky one as , most of the cocoons are put out into the sun for 3-4 days which kills the silk worm leaving the cocoon for harvesting. The outer portion of the cocoon is where we get raw silk from and the inner portion gives us fine silk. From here, they walked us through the various processes of spinning the silk, bleaching and dying it, then onto the looms where they make gorgeous fabrics. We loved every minute of this tour!
We pulled into our hotel here in Siem Reap about 1:00 and let the kids swim until 3:30. Jeremy napped after taking some Advil, gargling more oils and getting some Royal D (a rehydration drink) in him. About 3:30 we walked around the market and found some fun Christmas gifts for family. On our way back to the hotel, we told the kids our big secret of the trip. An ATV tour of the countryside! If you come to visit Siem Reap, I highly recommend it! Not only is the sunset tour beautiful and a total blast, but it gave us all a deeper understanding of how these people really live. I was floored by the living conditions & really brought a good perspective about for me and the kids we came to visit in Prek Eng. Running water, toilets, actual walls....that's considered an absolute luxury. It also made me so thankful for Asia's Hope and the transformation & hope that they have brought to so many kids. They have running water, showers to bathe in, fresh meals, clean clothes, healthcare, a private education, loving parents & a family, and most of all the hope of Jesus Christ. Thank you John for your vision so many years ago and for giving of yourself to make Asia's Hope a reality!