iBaked

Kenyon loves apple desserts. His favorite is made by Sue Jones. She makes an apple crumble pie that is yummy. She gave me the recipe and I've yet to try it. However, I did look up the recipe for apple crisp online recently thinking that might be a bit easier since it is sans the pie crust.

There is a kind of apple in Cambodia that is absolutely fabulous. It has become one of my favorite snacks. I don't know what type of apple it is, but the skin is yellow and red. What's inside is soooo tasty...it's a good sweet fix when I am craving sugar.

Here is the result of my first attempt at apple crisp.

Kenyon loved it. He loved it so much I've made three in less than a month and while I was gone he attempted to make one on his own. He didn't like his own as well as mine, he couldn't get the crisp right. That is the hardest part here. Why? Because we don't have a mixer. The recipe calls for mixing in cold butter. Doing that by hand is grueling. I definitely work up a sweat!

I read an article recently that housewives of the 50's stayed in shape through their housework. It was all manual - few kitchenaid's, dishwashers or clothes washing machines. After making apple crisp with nothing but the strength in my arm and a hand whisk; I believe the author. I burn some serious calories mixing up this sweet treat, which I guess then justifies my indulging in eating it later.

Technical Difficulties

I am having computer and internet problems. I will spend some time working on these over the weekend. Expect new posts next week.

Angkor Wat

I will be traveling to our field offices this week and in to next week. Usually, when I am in the field I have limited computer time. I am also behind on sharing photos because I've been having so many technology issues. I've worked through most of them, so, while I travel enjoy some photos of our time in Cambodia so far.

Angkor Wat

When my dad was here for a visit we went to the biggest tourist destination in Cambodia - Angkor Wat temples located in Siem Reap. This name refers to the group of temples as a destination, but also a specific temple on the grounds. In Khmae, Angkor means city and Wat means Temple. It was called this because it was the largest temple built. A photo taken that day is below.

I took a picture of this statue because it reminded me of the Hindu gods I often saw around India. This is considered a Buddhist temple. I am certain there is a connection between Hinduism and Buddhism, I just don't know what it is. There are so many similarities it must be the case. Is there anyone out there who could explain this to me?

Grounds keepers. In the heat of the day they are out there, in the sun, cutting grass with small clippers or machete's. If you saw the size of these grounds you would be shocked they are maintained this way. Bob (my dad) said, "that has got to be one of the worst jobs in the world!" On one hand it is a way for poor people to earn a living. On the other hand it is exploitation. I just thought I'd document it for people who don't see this everyday. There are street sweepers like this around town and so many other manual labor jobs that pay next to nothing for grueling work.

Kenyon, blending in with his surroundings.

Come back for more pictures tomorrow...

God has issued me a challenge

I've been wrestling with God lately. I am only human. I want to be told the sacrifices are worth it, that it's all going to be okay. I want to know what's required of me. This isn't the first time I've asked God this question. His answer always challenges me to the core of my being.

In the past I was struggling with anger at what I had believed was an unfair hand I had received in life. I felt like I deserved some kind of retribution for hurts that had been caused by others. At that time I asked God, what's required of me? He answered with Micah 6:8. It reads:

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

At that stage in life I found mercy difficult to give. What I wanted was vengance. God then showed me a scripture in John that says mercy will be shown to those who are merciful. Okay, I get it - show mercy, even to those who have caused me pain. What I found is mercy is a powerful force in this world, more powerful than vengance could ever be. Though it challenged me to the core of my being, it was a lesson that made me a better person and I can tell you with confidence that I would not be doing what I do today as a vocation if I hadn't of learned this lesson so deeply.

Back to the present - I am asking God again, what is required of me? I had a surprising answer. Again, it was a scripture that challenged me to the core of my being. This time found in I Peter 4:2. It reads:

so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Ouch! That is asking everything. All my hopes for the future, all my ambitions, all my dreams, my desires (even the good ones that aren't about selfish gain) - everything. He doesn't want it tomorrow. He wants it now. Day to day. Every moment. Living the rest of my time on earth, however long that may be, not for my will but for His alone. To be honest the thought of it scares me. If I give all that up, what will the future look like? Am I brave enough to go in to the unknown and let Him guide me completely? Am I able to really surrender my will? The answer to these questions is uncertain, but I can tell you I am going to try. I wrote this post as a milestone, a marker, to put out there in the world my commitment to follow where God leads.

I tried to ignore this request, but it's been haunting me for weeks. This journey may take years. I imagine full submission will take the rest of my life (time in the flesh). But, bit-by-bit, I intend to surrender all.

Men get trafficked too

It isn't just women and children who are vulnerable to traffickers. It might surprise you to learn that men get trafficked, too.

We work in an area of Cambodia on the border of Thailand where it is not uncommon for young men to be trafficked. They are usually looking for work and are offered something that seems legit - work in construction or at a hotel. They willingly travel with the trafficker and when they discover the truth of their situation, they have already given up their travel documents and are usually held in a place they cannot escape easily, they are likely in a foreign country where they cannot speak the language to ask for help. Yes, young men are trafficked for sex work. But what is more common is being trafficked for forced labor, in this part of the world it is usually on a Thai fishing boat.

We recently did a survey in three border communities on the topic of human trafficking. During this survey we discovered a young man in his early twenties who told his own story of being trafficked. He and his brother wanted to help their family by earning money and make their way in the world. They were offered what sounded like a great job in Thailand. They took the offer and found out it was a fishing boat. They were willing to work hard so they figured it couldn't be that bad. From what I hear, the conditions are horrible - not fit for human living. I also hear the staff are treated terribly - like slaves.

In this particular story the brothers worked for years. For years they hadn't left the boat and didn't really get a day off. For years they lived in filth and endured beatings and harsh treatment. For years they had not received payment for their work. This man's brother felt courageous one day and approached their supervisor requesting to be payed for their labor. The brother was beaten to death in public. He became the example to strike fear in the heart of anyone else who thought they deserved to be paid.

Eventually, the man telling the story escaped. He spent five years on those fishing boats. I hope to develop a program to protect other young people from a similar experience.

According to our survey, 80-96% of people who travel to Thailand for work (mostly manual labor jobs as day laborers) would stay in Cambodia if they had an opportunity to earn a living here.

Desperate people, there are many. Those willing to exploit their desperation, there are too many. There seems to be a constant supply of human capital for the traffickers. The only solution I see is to improve their livelihoods to make them less desperate. That is not an easy task, many try and fail, we are dreaming of ways that it could be done. We are open to suggestions...