We had a few interesting things happen this week.

On Wednesday we went to visit the school where Lynna, one of our students, works as an assistant teacher.  They were having a fundraiser where children made art, which was for sale for 10,000 riels ($2.50).  We looked at some, but parents were buying their children's art.  So we "commissioned" a piece by the teachers, which Lynna delivered.  It was fun, and the teachers enjoyed having us.  Lots of kids came up to look at us.  I think we came too late, and it was closing up.  It is hard to get clear detailed info here sometimes.  But it worked out.  Our main goal was to show interest in Lynna, and I think she was happy that we came.

The picture is possibly upside down ...

On Friday we participated in an event at the New Family special education school nearby.  Fundraising was done by Setan's TransformedLife TV/radio program.  Food and money was provided for students and teachers.  I (Andy) was asked to speak, since Setan is in the US.  There were many people there, and before I got very far, one of the leaders who was near to where I was speaking told my translator to tell me to summarize and shorten.  Again, I think it is hard to pin down specific details.  It isn't clear to me whose event it was.  I'm told this is typical in Cambodia.  I didn't mind being told that I was done, but I'd rather have planned for the amount of time I was given.  I did tell them the story of the man who invited people to a feast, and when they didn't come, he brought in the poor, the crippled, the blind.  I told them that was a picture of God and his love.  The students at the school are who he wanted to gather to his feast.  But I also had to skip a lot.  The kids had been sitting a long time by the time I even started, and the adults didn't seem to be listening, so it was probably OK.  But someone else spoke for a long time after me.

Today is Easter, or Resurrection Day.  We got to talk about that in church this morning, and then we had a fun celebration lunch, which was sandwiches, fruit, and some snacks.  The sandwiches were a bit like a Vietnamese banh mi.  They called it bread (nom-pang) pâté.  Everyone seemed to have fun.

I (Andy) had learned a fun Khmer song about the resurrection of Jesus when I was in the US, and had performed it at a church talent show.  (At the time I told the church it wasn't "talent" as much as "sheer determination".)  Now it turns out that was the dry run, and I was able to do it (with my English transliteration on my phone) with only a few stutters.  They enjoyed that, too, and laughed with me when I got tripped up.  But what better to celebrate than that Jesus has freed us, and that his victory is shown by his resurrection?

The Street Kids also got sandwiches.

The pastor who visits to speak wants to hear me (Andy) teach, so I need to prepare for next week.  I'll do a second section of 1 John.  I think there will not be many students, as they have break and we are coming up on Khmer New Year.  We are talking about having meals with staff and the remaining students at that time, and they have expressed interest in tasting Pha's cooking.

Pray for language learning, and putting up with heat.  It is early April, we're hitting 102 F regularly, and it will be a good bit hotter.   Amazing how temperatures in the 90s feel great in the evenings.