Well not yet. But we will be soon. In three months we will be headed to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to spend two months working in missions with the Welch family. The mission field we will be working in specifically is an organization called S.N.A.C.K, which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Aiding Cambodian Kids. Most children in Cambodia are labeled as "undernourished" which means they are not receiving the essential nutrients needed to grow mentally and physically to their full capacity. This organization we will be working with visits villages with food trucks and passes out a nutrient-filled peanut butter that is spread on bread and a milk-based drink filled with the missing nutrients that the children are not receiving through their regular diet. This snack (ergo the acronym) is not meant to replace the meals they already receive, but is meant to enhance them. In addition to assisting in enhancing the children's physical development, we will also attempt to enrich their daily lives by providing the mental and spiritual nourishment they lack. We will do so by teaching them about Jesus Christ and His love for them, teaching them about hygiene and health, and teaching them English through Bible stories.
We will be living in Phnom Penh in an apartment together and will commute to the villages every day. We will have the opportunity to be completely immersed in the Cambodian culture and therefore, learn more about another perspective of life other than our Americanized view. THIS IS REALLY EXCITING!!! We look forward to being able to explore some of the things, places, and food Cambodia is known for while we are there as well.
We would like to thank each and everyone of you for your support and encouragement you have given us. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare to go on this adventure, while we are there, and when we come home. Please pray specifically for our safety, direction, strength, patience, a continued open mind and heart and that we would be able to build friendships and relationships that would last. We want to plant seeds that will continue to grow and flourish long after we leave. Pray that we will be the salt of the world and a light in everything that we do, say, and think. We so look forward to this opportunity to serve and learn and are thankful for your partnership in the exciting times ahead!
Peace and blessings.
Over and out until next time,
Shan and Mal
PS. We will post again when the departure date gets closer, when we arrive in Phnom Penh, and then hopefully regularly while we are in Cambodia!
