New Look for '09 and Grandparent Glory

We've had a hard time keeping up with all the happenings around here lately, so before I get into the most current, most exciting news, I'm going to make you wait and start with some older news to catch you up. : ) (I guess you could always read bottom up, but that'd be cheating!)

On New Year's Day, Kai finally received his very first haircut!

This is how long his curly locks were before the cut...

This was right before the shearing.

Here we have the freshly-shorn boy (who cooperated for the most part, held by Daddy and distracted by Juliana's Cinderella movie) and the stylist. He looks very different!

Okay, so the big news around here is that we have visitors of the personal, familial variety! Mom and Dad Freed arrived at the airport around 11:30 pm Friday (our time) after traveling over 28 hours to get here. They reported uneventful flights, and so far, jet lag has not seemed to bother them too much. We're so grateful to be able to spend lots of time together, and are planning to travel on Friday to Siem Reap, home of the ancient temple complex of Angkor Wat, for a week of vacation.

"Maw-maw" and "Paw-paw" and grandchildren at an outdoor restaurant (Kai seems to be wondering where he can get a cool hat like Maw-maw's/Juliana's)

Paw-paw and Kai getting (re)aquainted. So far Kai is really enjoying his grandparents, which is a blessing and noteworthy, since he surely doesn't remember them from 9 months ago.

We were also very blessed, overwhelmed and thankful for the two, full suitcases of gifts, etc. that came along with them. We feel extremely loved and cared for! Thanks a million to all who contributed to the stash of goodies - we love you, too!

Checking out the gifts after Christmas came again

A special treat for all of us are/were Nana Umble's banana muffins, per Juliana's request. They made it fine all the way to Cambodia - mmmmmmm! (So did the sweet potato bread, Auntie Joanne!)

- Bethany

Christmas, etc.

Well, as I’m sure is the case for many families in the U.S., much has happened in the life of our family over the past several weeks.

One thing we did this year to make Christmas special here in Cambodia was singing some Christmas carols by candlelight after our suppers during the last two weeks before Christmas. Juliana now recognizes more carols than her two favorites: “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger.”

Following are some snapshots of Christmas day and the days following...

We enjoyed receiving many Christmas cards from Church family and friends. We also had fun opening thoughtful gifts from our MST on Christmas day...


Juliana quickly leafs through one of her gifts: a Cinderella Storybook.

Here Kai poses with a puzzle he has thoroughly enjoyed chewing on.

Sandwiched in-between Christmas and the New Year, we enjoyed a few days at the beach. While many in the U.S. were experiencing cold weather, we traveled four hours to enjoy the water and the sun.

Juliana eats a snack on our rice-mat.

Bethany and Kai enjoy the warm waters. Kai loved his first ocean experience!

Our Christmas vacation time was very relaxing and refreshing. It felt like it did for us what a vacation is supposed to do. Life is busy and challenging, but we enter this new year excited to learn, grow, and be a blessing... -Ryan

Umble Holiday Snapshots

The following are a collection of recent pictures, giving you some snapshots into recent events during the holiday season here in Cambodia...

"Merry Christmas!" from a Cambodian Santa.

Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus (center) in Phnom Penh Mennonite Church's Christmas play. The church did a fantastic job of organizing a joyful Christmas celebration.

Bethany stands with her language teacher, Socheata, for a picture at Khmer School of Language's Christmas party.

We recently had the pleasure of hosting "Yey" and "Tah" (grandmother and grandfather) and their family. Because this family, as our first landlords, was the first Cambodian family that we interacted with on a regular basis, they will always have a special place in our hearts.

And of course, Kai turned the big "1" on December 17th. The little porker had a cake (appropriately) in the shape of a pig. Though not as sweet as American cake, it was yummy and Kai had no problem enjoying his first taste of dessert.

Juliana did a fantastic job playing a sheep as part of Hope School's Christmas Concert. We were impressed by how well she remembered the lyrics and music to the songs they sang. She's got the Umble musical gift.

Merry Christmas from us to you!

May you enjoy this season of celebrating our generous God,

and may we all grow more like Him, being people of generosity...

-Ryan

Birthdays All Around...

A very special event happened on 4 December 2008 (as we write the date here): Juliana Raine Umble turned the Big 4! We celebrated this once-in-a-lifetime, "golden" birthday by packing a picnic breakfast to eat at a new playground downtown. Mommy and Daddy took the day off language study to party, and we all had a good time. Enjoying the "suen-ko-maa" (playground) on her big day

After an afternoon of making whoopie pies to share at preschool, Mommy got tired of the never-ending process and dumped remaining batter in a cake pan for an impromtu whoopie cake - delicious with peanut butter icing! Juliana was tickled pink.
Here she shows the balloon gifts she received from Ginny, talented Korean missionary that lives next door to us with her family.

And just for fun, some pix of the younger brother who will have his own birthday in two days!

Proving that he knows what to do when the camera comes out, and sporting his "I need a haircut!" hairdo

- Bethany

A Pedagog and a Party

For those of you who wait for each new blog post, I apologize: I worked on the following post last week, saved it to finish later when a sleeping child awoke, and then the week got away from me and it never got posted. So, a week later...For the past two and a half months, we've been studying Khmer in a classroom setting, Ryan at the Institute of Foreign Languages, and I at the Khmer School of Language. I'm finally getting around to introducing you to Socheata, my language teacher. She's a student herself - after teaching at KSL in the morning, she studies Geography (to be a teacher) at the Royal University of Phnom Penh in the afternoon. She's young, full of energy and lots of fun. We have a good time together, and she's a good teacher.

Two Wednesdays ago, we had the privilege of being invited to a neighbor's birthday party. The birthday girl turned ONE, and it was quite the party! Lots of people, lots of good food ("Bine-hoy" - rice noodles eaten with fried pork, pineapples, cucumbers, etc., wrapped in lettuce and dipped in a yummy sauce, and delicious skewers of seasoned meat eaten with a spicy "salad"), lots of children's birthday party songs on karaoke, and then, lots of cake. Traditionally, Cambodians didn't celebrate birthdays (we've heard of people that don't really know when they were born, but consider themselves a year older on Khmer New Year), but the birthday thing has certainly caught on in recent years (at least in more well-off circles). It was very fun to hang out with the neighbors gathered there, and to learn to know some of them better.

In photos above, Ree-ZA (in green dress and party hat) checks out her cake after guests feasted, then admired the tower of cakes.

Hello and Good-bye

Hello, Coats Family!

When Darrell and Susan Caldwell returned to the U.S. this past spring after twelve years of service with EMM, we were the only long-term EMM workers in Cambodia. Well, we're no longer alone! We are excited to introduce you to John and Debbie Coats and their boys, Micah(14) and Jesse (12). Join us in thanking God for the new relationship we are establishing with this EMM family!

Though new to EMM, the Coats family isn't new to Cambodia. They have been working here for about 17 years! They've had experience in medicine, agriculture, and church planting. Currently they are operating a tuberculosis clinic, providing mentoring and support to local church leaders, and running a character-shaping program for children. They've just recently joined EMM and we are excited to get to know them and help support each other in ministry.

John, Debbie, and Jesse live 3-4 hours outside of the city and Micah is boarding at his high school here in Phnom Penh. Because of the distance that separates us, we may not see them much more frequently than once a month, but we'll look forward to our times together.

Hello and Good-bye, Don and Keith!
Last weekend we had good opportunities to spend time with Skip and Carol Tobin and John and Debbie. We also had the honor of hosting/visiting with Don Sensenig, former long-term EMM missionary to Vietnam, and Keith Weaver, moderator of Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Don and Keith were in nearby Vietnam for some meetings between the Mennonite Church and the Vietnamese Government. Because they were close to Cambodia, they decided to swing over and it was a joy to have them with us for a few days. They were able to learn more of what EMM and MCC are doing here in Cambodia. Below, Keith and Don join in a time of prayer at our house.

Good-bye, Greta!

This morning, Bethany took Greta Kauffman, the one year EMM mission intern, to the airport. Greta has served and learned here in Cambodia for the past year. She is planning on going to medical school, so was interested in getting her feet wet in medical mission work. She helped Debbie Coats with some medical research and served in some clinics here in Phnom Penh. We regularly hosted Greta for supper once a week and we will miss her. Juliana and Kai have enjoyed having an "aunt" around. Below is a recent picture of Greta and our family.

Hello, care package!

We were excited to receive a care package this past week with all kinds of fun items for the kids and Lancaster County treats. (Thanks Ted and Ann!) Below Juliana and Kai are having fun with the box the goodies came in...

Most likely the highlight of this week will be Juliana's birthday. It's her golden one, so she'll be four on the fourth! We're plan to celebrate with a trip to a local playground area and, instead of cake, homemade whoopie pies. We plan to share these PA Dutch treats with Juliana's pre-school class as well as some neighbors and friends. Come on by and we'll share some with you too...

-Ryan

Cold Weather, Colds, and Warmed Hearts

On Monday, I road on the back of a motorcycle to language class wearing a short-sleeved shirt, as usual. However, this specific Monday I realized that I was almost shivering. The phrase, "It's cold today," is a new one for us to be using here in Phnom Penh. The climate is changing...

With the climate change has come our share of colds. Bethany was the first to come down with a cold, passing it to Juliana, and then Juliana to Kai, and now I've got a bit of a sore throat. It was hard to hear Juliana and Kai echoing coughs back and forth through several nights this past weekend. They both are on antibiotics and we're seeing some improvement. We look forward to returning to good health.

Juliana's excited about the weather because she now gets to wear pajamas to bed! She's thrilled about the new "jammies" that Bethany picked out for her at a nearby market the other week. (She's also sporting her new haircut!)

What's cool weather without doing some baking? Last week marked the first time our family made cookies together here in Cambodia. We made a batch of chocolate- and butterscotch-chip oatmeal cookies. Above, Kai is doing his part in helping the process.

Our hearts have been warmed with the visit of Skip and Carol Tobin, EMM Regional Reps. for Cambodia. We enjoyed spending time together this past weekend, visiting and "checking up" on how we're doing. We continue to appreciate the servant leaders that they are.

Above and below are two pictures of the church Ministry Team meeting that Skip and Carol led at our house with the Phnom Penh Mennonite Church.

That's all for this week. Blessings to you from afar!

-Ryan

Wedding Weekend - Part Three

Ryan provided transportation for the wedding party's location shoot in the afternoon, so got in on the fun outdoor shots taken in Stung Treng Town near the Mekong River.

Is this a gorgeous wedding party photo or what?! Notice the "un-da-new" (rainbow) in the sky. And now's a good time to explain that Khmer brides become quick-change artists at their weddings - SreyPenh wore at least 8 different wedding gowns throughout the day, probably more. (You may have noticed in the pictures, she wears a different gown in almost every one.) It depends on the bride and the financial status of the family - some brides may change as many as 20 times!



The reception was held in the evening at a restaurant several km. from the bride's home. Here's the happy couple cutting cake. It was then offered to their parents before they ate, and not served to all the guests present. (We only saw children and family eating any.)

Juliana became buddies with Soda (emphasis on the last syllable), one of the young women who travelled with us from Phnom Penh. She, like most other female guests at the reception, wore a very fancy evening gown (different than what she wore to the morning ceremony) and VERY heavy makeup. (We weren't clued in on the two-dress tradition, and I personally opted to pass on the inch-thick makeup application. PTL for the grace extended to clued-out foreigners!)

Kai gets a dance in with the groom. Well, sort of. : )


The weary travellers on the way back to Phnom Penh...

...and the horrible, rush-hour traffic jam that greeted us once we got into downtown PP!

All in all, it was a worthwhile trip, and a blessing to celebrate with Sopheak and SreyPenh as they start their marriage together!

Wedding Weekend - Part Two

Sorry, I really did mean to get back to this before a week went by. Anyway, continuing with the wedding...

Here we are sharing breakfast with other wedding ceremony guests. We are eating a rice-noodle soup called "baw-baw lote." The families provide wedding guests with breakfast and lunch, and then even more guests are invited to the evening reception!


During the ceremony, the groom and bride washed each other's feet. In traditional Buddhist weddings, only the woman washes her husband's feet. This was a believer's wedding, so they shared the symbolism together.

Here, Sopheak and SreyPenh exchange wedding rings.

Wearing silk outfits purchased just for this event, we get our photo taken with the new couple!!
Side note: I (Bethany) actually had my outfit tailored just for me. Cambodia is amazing that way - if you can't find what you're looking for, find someone to custom-make it. Since my feet are large for Asian shoe sizes, I actually found a shop to custom-make leather dress shoes - for $15! Imagine!!

(Continued in additional post)