Summer Furlough

I'll bet you thought we'd never write another blog post, didn't you?  Rather than falling off the face of the earth, we've been in Pennsylvania, USA, for the past four months, on missionary furlough.  We've been blessed to see many of you, reconnect with family and friends, make new memories in our homeland, and share in a handful of churches about our ministry in Cambodia.  It's been a much busier summer than we anticipated; after bouncing between three houses, making several trips and covering lots of miles in a borrowed minivan, we're looking forward to returning to our home and friends in Cambodia soon.  We're currently unsure of our exact leaving date due to our support not yet totaling 100%, (we're hopeful to leave on September 7), but we know that His ways (and timing!) are perfect!
Thanks so much to all of you who have invested in us, take an interest in our ministry, carry us in your prayers, and support us from afar - we couldn't do this without you!
Please enjoy the following posts of our summer in pictures, and let us know if you'd like to receive our quarterly ministry newsletter.

Introducing Aslan Ross Umble!

Well of course we're a bit overdue with this post (did we really think we could break that habit?), but here's the story of our third child's (overdue) birth, in words and pictures...

On December 10, 2010, being 11 days overdue, I was scheduled for induction at Sripat Hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was hooked up to my pitocin IV and settled in to await labor, watching videos with Ryan to pass the time. Three hours later, contractions started; another three hours and two pushes later - Aslan Ross Umble joined our family! What relief and delight to hold another healthy, beautiful baby!

So glad to finally hold our bundle, and so glad to be done waiting (and done working so hard!)Proud Daddy, grateful Mommy, shocked Aslan : )

What a cutie! He looks very much like Juliana and Kai did at birth.

Super-excited big sister Juliana

Tentative big brother Kai

Dr. Supreeya, the awesome Thai OB/GYN who "caught" Aslan on his quick exit!

Aslan, nine days old and checking us out

We are so blessed and grateful for this new gift from the Lord! Thanks to all who prayed for his safe arrival, and celebrated with us from afar. Though different from Juliana's and Kai's births in the US, my experience in Thailand was wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone. We definitely felt surrounded by grace and the support of a surrogate "family" while we were in Thailand.

- Bethany

Tourists in Thailand

While we've been waiting for our baby's arrival, we've been enjoying time to rest, read, home school, sleep in, catch up on communication, rest, and read some more. We've also spent a few days out, enjoying some of the many things Chiang Mai has to offer.

Here we are at a botanical garden, where the kids got a big kick out of feeding the fish
(sorry, sideways again!)

The garden also had a (very) mini-zoo...

... and fun paddle boats. (But have you ever tried to paddle-boat 8 1/2 months pregnant?!)

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at a restaurant called Duke's, where the kiddie meals were enormous - well, all the servings were big, actually!

Kai ate most of his meal, a feat that amazed his parents! : )

Another day, we went to the Chiang Mai Zoo, which was really nice and in a beautiful setting

A highlight for all of us was buying food to feed a hippo family (father, mother and baby)

Here's a view from above the hippo's mouth! Teeth run all the way down it's throat, or so it seemed.

Juliana and Kai enjoy a close-up look at a giraffe

We've enjoyed playing "tourists" here in Chiang Mai, but are starting to miss our home and friends in Cambodia, where we know the language and how to get around. We're thankful for this restful season - but hopefully we meet our little one soon!

- Bethany

Initial Weeks in Thailand

(Amazing! We're actually up to current events... or getting very close.)

As most of you know, we're in Thailand right now, awaiting the birth of our third child and second son (so they tell us). We are staying at The Juniper Tree, a guest house/resort in Chiang Mai for Christian workers/missionaries in Asia. It's been a wonderful time to rest and prepare for the upcoming changes in our family and schedule, and we've enjoyed being a part of the community here.

This is our house, a two-room "cabin" on stilts with a big porch for playing, reading, and riding scooter and tricycle.

The first full day of our stay, Missy King's care package arrived to brighten our days of waiting. We had such fun checking out the goodies - games, toys and reading material! So thoughtful - thanks again, Missy!

Juliana and Kai enjoy the freedom to roam paths through beautifully-landscaped gardens on the property

An extra blessing at Juniper Tree - free laundry service! Every morning (except Sunday), our laundry gets tagged with our room number and dropped off, to be picked up clean and pressed the same evening. Here Juliana's concentrating on safety-pinning laundry with tags...

...while Kai goofs off with the lids to the safety-pin containers!

Another special treat of our time here was making a connection from Pennsylvania... This is Joyce and Lee Mummau, serving with IGo (Institute for Global Opportunities) in Chiang Mai. Ryan worked with Joyce's sister Pauline Boll at S. Clyde Weaver's in East Petersburg, and Bethany's family has attended the same church (Gingrich's Mennonite) with Joyce's brother Robert Weaver's family since before Bethany was born. They contacted us, invited us to their church, and home afterward for a delicious Sunday dinner that reminded us of growing up in PA!

On the second week of our stay, we visited a pool resort with EMM missionary friends also in town to have a baby, and the kids LOVED the high slide - a highlight of the day!

Juliana was great at going down the slide all by herself!

Kai enjoyed the big slide sitting on Daddy's lap, but was game for one this size all by himself!

Here the kids are enjoying a play-place at a local mall. For 30 baht a child (about $1), the kids had a blast in the big play area, especially the great slide into the ball pit

(sorry, this pic is sideways!)

Juliana made a friend in our first weeks here named David. His family is from New Zealand, but live in Singapore. They work with HCJB Global, the same agency Ryan's brother Randy serves with in Ecuador.

If it isn't obvious, we're enjoying our time here in Chiang Mai. Still waiting on our baby's arrival (one week late today!), but we're being blessed in the waiting - while trying to be patient!

- Bethany

October Snapshots...Continued

Juliana gives Kai a physical/check-up. Perhaps to see if he's in tip-top shape to travel to Thailand the beginning of November?

Juliana works diligently on her handwriting work for home school. She's learning lots of new things in kindergarten this fall - and doing a great job!

Since there aren't too many photos showing the upcoming addition, here's a pregnant picture for those wanting to see the belly. : )

Allison (on far left), daughter of Sopheary and Mades from PPMC, celebrated her 3rd birthday the end of October. Kai and Juliana were happy to help her celebrate, but Kai didn't want in the picture. (Davey Will, cousin to Allison and son of Sopheaktra and Mark, is beside Juliana.)

- Bethany

October Snapshots

A few more "catch-up" snapshots from the month of October...

Over the Khmer Buddhist holiday of Pchum Ben at the beginning of October, we enjoyed a short visit to Kompong Thom province to visit the families of some friends from PPMC. In the photos above and below, we shared a meal and an afternoon siesta with the family of Chomno, a former dorm student who returned to his province to work in a new dormitory for a Christian ministry. We also visited Sophea's (another dorm student) family, but forgot to take photos!

October and November are the tail-end of the rainy season in Cambodia, but still capable of damaging downpours. These photos are from one particular storm that left much of the city of Phnom Penh underwater. We were fortunate that water didn't come into our first-floor rooms (though some leaked through the walls!), but many others had standing water in their homes.

Juliana demonstrates the depths of the water

We use the outside "porch" area to store stuff, and even kept boxes for friends who were moving houses, so made a mad scramble to get cardboard boxes out of the flood zone!

Oh, the adventures of living in a tropical climate! : )

Snapshots from Phnom Penh Mennonite Church

Which font is easier for you to read in the sign above? (After quite some time in language study, we're happy to say that we can read both.)
We see this sign on Sunday mornings as we gather to worship with our brothers and sisters at Phnom Penh Mennonite Church. The congregation is made up primarily of universtity students and a handful of young families. Following are some pictures from recent congregation events.

Our EMM regional representatives, Skip and Carol Tobin (L) pray with the elders and I as we commission a new elder team for the church. L to R Dady, Sokhom, Mades, and Sopheary. (Picture taken October 2.)

Ryan will continue to play the role of advisor to the elder team as they provide leadership for the congregation. Though each elder is very busy with responsibilities outside of congregational life, the Tobins and I are very hopeful about what God will do through this team of elders as we work together. Will you pause for a moment and say a prayer for this team, that they may work in a spirit of unity as they discern God's vision for the congregation life and ministry?

After Sunday morning services, many young people enjoy visiting together. Recently, the congregation has also enjoyed fellowship meals/potlucks about once a month. Above, people fill their plates at the food table.

How's it taste? Chumnap and Chenna give a thumbs up...

Davey Will and Allison enjoy some drinks together. Juliana and Kai enjoy playing with these two and some other young friends at the church.

Before preaching a sermon one Sunday morning, Bethany helped me perform a skit called "A Servant." (Kai wanted to be with Mommy and Daddy, so he was "helping" too!)

At the present, we do not have a pastor at the church, so the elders and I are taking turns preaching or inviting an outside speaker to preach. Last month I preached my first sermon in Khmer. I was grateful to hear from a few of the folks that they understood about 90% of what I said.

We're grateful to be growing in our relationships with friends at PPMC. It's not just our job or role as missionaries, more and more we're able to really worship and find friendship in this context. We praise God for the ways we are able to give and receive from brothers and sisters here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

-Ryan

Summer Snapshots - August

Though several months ago, here's a couple pictures of events that took place in August...

This photo marks the last Sunday before we said, "Good-bye" to our friend Kosal, who is now in New Holland, PA serving with MCC's International Visitor Exchange Program. We will miss Kosal, but we look forward to the possibility of him meeting some family members in PA.

With Kai and Juliana at our kitchen table, sit Mary, Sreymom, and Chhayrorn. These three students from the women's dorm volunteered to help with some of the dorm director tasks during the interim month between the former director and the new one. We hosted them and thanked them with a pizza supper.

Moniroth (R) joins Sokheang (L) and I in providing leadership for the Dormitory ministry. We are excited about the passion she has for healthy community life.

Homeschool Begins! Sitting at our kitchen table, Bethany reads to Juliana. We're using Sonlight Curriculum, and are excited about reading so many books to/with Juliana.

Friday night is regularly "Family Night" at our household. The idea/concept was shared with us by another missionary family. We take turns choosing the fun activity each week and then enjoy it together. Here Kai is helping Bethany make the pizza (and taking a few nibbles of the yummy mozzarella.)

-Ryan