In my last post on COVID-19, I suggested that perhaps we are in our positions for such a time as this. I ended that post by sharing photos of generosity from North America that I’d seen on social media. “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” Proverbs 22:9 (NLT) Since then…
Lotus Imagery in Hanoi
The national flower of Việt Nam is the lotus. On my trip to Hanoi the first weekend in January there was lotus imagery everywhere. But what special meaning does the lotus hold for the Vietnamese? What can be more beautiful than the lotus in the pond? Green leaves, white flowers, yellow stamen. Yellow stamen, white…
6th Birthday
Charlotte turned six last month. Per her request, she had fried chicken for her lunch (at school) and spaghetti for dinner. The Area Directors were in town for our first country program review and joined the festivities. As parents, we enjoyed that Charlotte asked for birthday gifts like yoga mats and bean bag chairs. (Okay,…
COVID-19: For such a time as this
What a whirlwind the last weeks have been. It feels like the world has been suddenly and fundamentally changed. The disruptions. The cancelled plans. The disappointments. The uncertain future. The distanced relationships. The livelihoods interrupted. The fear of disease. The fear of death. We don’t know what the world will look like after this. Indeed,…
COVID-19: Outline & Update
The first diagnosis of COVID-19 here came in January. Cambodia made news around the world later in February when it allowed the MS Westerdam cruise ship to come to port here after four countries turned it away. Initially, the official response to COVID-19 here was to focus on maintaining a positive relationship with China. There…
Why Mennonite Central Committee?
To me, Mennonite Central Committee is more than an institution. It’s more than a collection of people. It’s more than relationships. It’s more than history. It’s more than methodology. I think of MCC as part of a movement. A movement that’s far greater than but well exemplified by MCC. At the heart of this movement…
First Program Review
Last week we had the pleasure of going through our first country program review with our Area Directors. Arthur and Phyllis Mann are multi-term MCCers who live in Chiang Mai and supervise programs in Southeast Asia. Their wealth of experience in MCC, in international living and in transitions and living abroad with kids is so…
Coronavirus
Given our proximity to China, the single confirmed case in Cambodia and the cruise ship situation, I thought it would be worth updating people on our response to the new novel coronavirus which is spreading across the world. First, you should know that we are not worried. Healthcare in Cambodia has improved dramatically in the…
Follow Me
Matthew 4:18-22 8 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their…
Happy New Years 2020
One year ago we had no idea that we would be in Cambodia now. I remember that we felt stuck on New Years 2019. We had wanted to apply to an Occupational Therapy position working with Agent Orange victims in rural Việt Nam – despite some significant concerns about the girls – but the previous…