Merry Christmas!

Still waiting for the snow to fall, doesn't really feel like Christmas at all...

December 22nd

This picture marks 3 months of us being out of the country. We can't believe we are halfway through our six months here in Cambodia. What an adventure we have had together! Embracing the remaining time that we have here, knowing that the second half of our stay will go by even more quickly than the first. Happy holidays, everyone!

"Teacher, can you say...?"

This past Friday, December 3rd, was the last day of my Intermediate 3 English class. Since they had already taken their final exam on Wednesday, all I had to do was return their graded final exams to them. After I went through them and answered any questions they had, we spent the remainder of the class playing "Hangman." None of them had ever played before, but they caught on quick! They had a lot of fun playing it, and it was good practice with their spelling, vocabulary, etc. I had my camera with me that day, so I was able to get a few pictures to document the occasion...

This is SreyPove, one of my students. She was terrific- never missed a single class! Her word was "pineapple."

This is Mlis (pronounced Mil-ee)... her word was "jasmine."

Even Morgan joined us for class this day! He tried to stump them with "Mekong Express" (a local bus company), but they got it. :)

From left to right- Chan Chav, SreyPove, and Mlis. I only had 5 students in my class and two of the boys were not there on that day.

This past Saturday, December 4th, we had a "Recognition Day" for the students who completed their 10-week courses through our Learning Center. It was held in the classroom directly above Common Grounds. Each of the students got a certificate for completing their course. We played a few games, handed out their certificates, shared the meaning of Christmas, sang "Joy to the World", and had some snacks. My camera died half-way through, which was rather disappointing, but here are a few moments captured from the day before my battery went kaput.

This banner was hung at the front of the classroom.

Playing some ice-breaker games...

The students there were from all different class levels: Beginner, Intermediate, & Advanced.

Julie & Ezra sharing with the students about the meaning of Christmas. Ezra had to translate to ensure that the students understood everything that was being said.

These students were awarded a "Certificate of Excellence" for achieving the highest grades in their classes. The boy to my right in the pink shirt is Sody (pronounced Su-dee); he was also one of my students. SreyPove had one of the highest grades in my class as well.

We will not pick up with a new session of classes until January 10th, so we have about a month off until then. I will be teaching Intermediate 4, a writing course, starting in January. I am really looking forward to teaching it because I really enjoy writing, journaling, etc. Until then, my primary responsibilities will be continuing to tutor Caleb and to teach Peroom & Sreileak the ABC's. I will make sure to post pictures of them soon!

A Cambodian Thanksgiving

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." -W.T. Purkiser

Our first Thanksgiving as Mr. & Mrs.! This is us sitting in Common Grounds, where we had our Thanksgiving dinner this year (along with 90+ other people).

First course: Pumpkin soup

Second course: Apple Waldorf salad

Main Course: Turkey & gravy, stuffing, green beans & carrots, corn, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes

Morgan with his pretty plate of Thanksgiving food

Dessert: Sour Cream Apple Pie (delicious!)

The man in-between Morgan and Julie is Bill Charney aka Captain Biff Windsock. We met him the night before Thanksgiving, invited him to have dinner with us, and he delightfully accepted our invitation. He is such a sweet man, and Morgan and I thoroughly enjoyed his company during our Thanksgiving dinner. He is on an adventure around the world in a Staggerwing... learn more about him and what he is doing at www.captainbiff.com.

This past Thanksgiving is one we will always remember. We definitely missed our families and friends, but we were thankful to be able to spend it with a new friend and make a new memory. To our mothers- don't you worry, nothing can ever replace your home-cooked meals, and we will give you plenty of opportunity to make up for lost-cooking when we get back to the states. :)