November News

Autumn Greetings from Cambodia, the land of no seasons (except for rainy and dry):

We have now been in Cambodia for two months!  It’s hard to believe how quickly time here has gone!   We are so much in love with the people and the life here.   I wish you all could experience a day in Cambodia! Recently, we answered a batch of letters from 5th and 6th graders at First Baptist Merritt Island, who wanted to know what life here is like.  They asked questions like: where do you shop? What kind of food do you eat? Have you eaten anything gross? Have you helped anyone? What do you need prayer about? In answering these letters, we figured some of you may have the same questions, so we would like to share a bit of what living in Cambodia is like.

SHOPPING IN CAMBODIA

We do a lot of our shopping at a local market like the one in the picture, especially for fresh vegetables, fruits and meats.  The local vendors know us now and are very kind. They remember what we like and always have it ready for us when they see us. We have even bought small grilled whole fish there for breakfast!  We also have small grocery stores here where we can usually find some of our “western” food like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Pringles and pasta.  

 WHAT FOOD DO YOU EAT?

We cook a lot at home, so we eat the foods we like most of the time.  We have tacos and spaghetti once a week . We also enjoy eating Cambodia dishes and trying new things.  Cambodians eat rice for every meal, so we usually have rice at least once a day. There are also restaurants we have discovered where you can get good pizza and hamburgers.  Sadly, we have not found any substitute for Chick Fil-A but we do have Domino’s pizza, Burger King and Starbucks, but they are some of the most expensive places to eat, so we don’t choose them often.  A typical meal out here is usually around $3.00.  

One of our favorite restaurants is called “Tevy’s Place.”  The owner is a sweet Cambodia woman who cooks amazing food!   Shannon is a big fan of her charred curry and she even remembers to leave the eggplant out for him—he is not a fan of eggplant.  I want to share her story with you in her own words:

“I grew up in Phnom Penh but was evacuated to Pursat Province during the tragic genocidal year in my beloved country, in the 1970’s. Sadly, my dad and three sisters perished, along with countless others. This was devastating for my mother. I take care of her now.

Despite this shadow from history, I don’t seek pity or charity. Instead, I look forward to each day as an independent lady who sees dignity in hard work, and serving others.

My greatest happiness comes from YOU, my valued guest, when you enjoy my food. It is simple but tasty, caringly prepared – with quality as a priority, yet inexpensive.

Thank you for enriching my life with your presence. You work and travel with my Blessings.

Tevy.”

Tevy works very hard and is in the restaurant every day of the week from early morning to late evening.   She is quite an inspiration to all her customers.  

HAVE YOU EATEN ANYTHING GROSS

Fried tarantulas, snakes on a stick, grubs, crickets and boiled frogs provide many opportunities to experiment with some of the Cambodians unique foods.  However, we usually avoid these choices, however, Madison and Zoe did love the grubs they ate when we were here before. They said they tasted like boiled peanuts.  The most unpleasant thing I have eaten is a vegetable that we call a “bitter gourd” Ii was in a soup and was stuffed with pork and rice. It lived up to its name and was the most bitter thing I have ever tasted.  I will avoid it at all costs from now on. 🙂

One of our new favorites, however, is a fried banana.  It is a banana, battered and deep fried into sweet and delicious goodness.   We can buy them for 23 cents each from a street vendor right near our home, although we do our best to limit our visits to just once a week.  🙂

TRANSPORTATION

The preferred mode of transportation in Cambodia is the tuk-tuk.  We use them often. A typical trip to the store or to class usually costs about $1.50 each way.  Also, we have “motos” that we drive. Mine is a scooter and Shannon’s is an XR 250 dirt bike. We use these to go to language class most days and to do errands. I am not too comfortable driving my scooter after dark or when traffic is heavy.  Driving in traffic is Cambodia is always an adventure and I try to pray the whole time. Thankfully, drivers are gracious and yielding to this old woman. Last week, we took a ride out to the countryside on our motos so that I could practice riding and to spot some water buffalo, one of our favorite sights.  I even practiced riding Zoe with me so now we can ride together on errands and to class. What a sense of freedom comes with that!

CHILDREN IN CAMBODIA

Cambodian children are adorable!  They estimate that nearly 50% of the population of this country is under the age of 30 so you can imagine that there are a lot of young children.  Shannon always carries lollipops in his backpack and loves to bring smiles to the kid’s faces by giving them a sweet treat.  

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE

We are into our second month of language classes. Classes are 5 days a week for an hour a day (I can say that sentence in Khmer, by the way LOL)  “Yearng rean bpeasaa khmer moy ah dtud pram t’ngai nung moy t’ngai knong moy.” Shannon has flash cards for over 150 vocabulary words that we have learned. Our teacher, Sophat, is very good! He is a believer, too, and we are attending his church this Sunday to worship with him!  Shannon, Zoe and I study together each evening as we do our homework. While we are able to speak simple conversations, our ears seem to be so slow in grasping what is being said. We try to practice as often as we can when we are out and about.  A few of the tuk-tuk drivers have been committed to helping us practice, too! Cambodians are so helpful and kind and are very gracious to overlook our mistakes.

WHO HAVE YOU HELPED?
Zoe was able to deliver the proceeds of her fish fry fundraiser to the director at Safe Haven Medical Outreach here in Siem Reap. The director was blown away when she was presented with the $1500 that was raised to purchase food for the families and children who are under their care. We were speechless to hear that their food budget for the month was already gone and they had a family that day that had absolutely no food. God is always on time. Every time. I am so thankful and humbled that He lets us be part of His blessings and His provision. It was amazing to see and hear how Safe Haven helps the disadvantaged children in the area. What an incredible staff that serve there!

I would like to introduce you to our new team member!  Yes, we are a TEAM now here in Cambodia.  Nathan Borntrager arrived in the middle of September.   He is an alumni of The World Race and is a former music teacher from Colorado.  We are enjoying getting to know each other and working together.  We meet once a week for prayer and fellowship.  Tuesday evenings have become Team Taco Tuesday at our house!  

So, I hope we were able to answer some of your questions about what life is like for us in Cambodia.  Please feel free to contact us if you want to know even more!

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!  NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU!   TOGETHER, WE MAKE A GREAT TEAM!

Love,
The Bobb Family in Cambodia
Shannon, Vikki and Zoe

 

PRAYER REQUESTS
1.  Please pray for us to remain healthy and accident free
2.  Please pray for Zoe’s homeschooling and for her battle with loneliness.  She is still looking to connect with girls her age. 
3.  Please pray for us to know God’s direction in ministry.
4.  Please pray for our family at home in the US while we are apart
5.  Please pray for the Gospel to spread in Cambodia and for the church to continue to grow. 

 

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