Microscope Monday

We had a fun-filled weekend! We loaded up in a couple of flat bed trucks with rails to hold onto and all 40ish of us went to the local zoo on Saturday. Which was pretty different than any zoo I have been to in the states. Monkeys run wild through the whole place, they are free-range and temperamental so that kept things interesting. The only thing between visitors and the crocodiles, leopards and giant pythons is a dinky chain-link fence and maybe some barb wire. We got to see several different kinds of bears native to Asia, some of them I have never heard of before. We had a good time roaming around with the kids, buying ice-cold drinks made from local cane sugar and fresh-squeezed citrus, trying to stay cool in the 98+ degree weather.

Later that evening, as the sun was setting we cranked up some Cambodian hip-hop on a speaker in the front yard and had the time of our lives learning new dance moves from the kids.

Best. Dance. Parties. Ever. 

It's becoming a nightly thing. And we're all OK with it.

We laughed so much our bellies hurt. The orphans here are some of the happiest kids I have ever been around. They know how to work hard, but man they really know how to play hard. Anything can be turned into a game and it's just so fun you don't want the night to come to an end!

On Sunday morning the older kids led the Sunday school youth group which meets here in the main building at AGHO but is open to youth from all over the village. Kit and Ream have completely handed this over to the older kids, and they run the whole thing! They lead worship, teach, and facilitate the game time. Because the bible college team is here right now they helped out with it but on a normal week, these high-schoolers are doing it without any adults directing them. Pretty amazing what kids are capable of when they are given the opportunity to step up.

After church we went on a hike up to one of the oldest temple ruins in the country; it's about a thousand years older than the famous ones at Angkor Wat. At the top of Chiso Mountain, we had an amazing view of the surrounding countryside. As we walked, we came across several temples, murals and monuments dedicated to Buddha. The smell of incense filled the atmosphere as the local people made their way to the pagodas to pay their respects to their ancestors. It was really interesting to see this historic landmark and I am sure it won't be the last time we visit while I'm here.

And before we knew it, Monday morning had arrived. The team split up into different groups, some going to visit families in the village, others teaching English and PE at the school, some assisted the teachers in the math and science classes as well, while others helped with construction. A Heart For Wisdom school (the school run by the Carsons) has added 2 classes and additional rooms every year since it opened 7 years ago. They are constantly building and improving it to better serve and educate the children who attend.

This morning I stayed busy in the school office attending to kids who came in not feeling well. One little boy had a pretty high fever and after some tylenol, water and a cold compress, ended up going home for the day. But other than that, I didn't treat anything that couldn't be cured with a cough drop and some TLC <3

Before I came out here, I had asked the Carsons if there was anything I could bring that they can't get here or maybe just haven't gotten around to purchasing. And the only thing they requested was...a microscope. The water people drink in this area is pretty contaminated, and you may think {{as I did}} that they build up an immunity to it, but that is not the case. The dirty water is a constant source of sickness and causes kids to miss school and people to miss work, but they keep drinking it because they can't see these contaminants.

The idea behind the microscope was that if we could show people what is in the unfiltered water, it would cause them to believe that it is actually dirty and unsafe to drink. The need for basic hygiene and education is so great here. The possibility of getting to teach people something so simple but something that could improve their quality of life so much, really excited me.

So I had my mission and I started looking into how one goes about purchasing a microscope. One day I was talking about it at work, and my very generous bosses decided they wanted to get involved too. Before I knew it, Michael had bought an amazing microscope and I carried it with me through all the 23 hours of traveling. {{I was so excited to be bringing it I didn't even mind too much when TSA insisted I open up the box because they couldn't get a good visual on the x-ray. Let me tell ya, those guys are dedicated to our safety, God love 'em}}.

Big thanks again to Michael & Vanessa! You guys rock!

All that to say that TODAY was the day the microscope made its debut! Mike, the pastor from the bible college is a pretty tech-savy guy and he helped me work out the kinks of getting the scope set up and the computer program installed. This particular microscope is extra nifty because it came with a small camera lens which shows the image of whatever slide is on the mechanical stage, making it possible for a larger audience to see the image by connecting the camera to a computer screen.

Mike and I spent some time with the two biology teachers this morning showing them how to use the microscope and the software. Watching their faces light up with wonder was just amazing! These teachers have very limited resources and even though it is a christian school, Cambodia is still a communist country, so the school is required to use the government-regulated curriculum which sounds very dull and difficult to teach. 

It is my genuine desire and prayer that this microscope will be a tool that will engage and inspire the students to really dive into learning. That it will pique their curiosity about the amazing world around them and that they will dream big dreams and have the courage to pursue them. 

[below] Ratan & I hanging at the zoo, he has one of the best laughs!

[below] tried to keep my distance from these guys. monkeys are not my fav animals thats for sure.

[above] the amazing view from the mountain top!

[below] some of the temple ruins we got to explore on Sunday

[above] I was reading about Buddhism today and I learned the reason behind building temples on top of mountains. "Temples are not there primarily for worship, but for housing the Buddhist idols. It was a place where merit could be made. The very building of it preferably in a high and difficulty location, would afford the builder much merit." (Killing Fields | Living Fields by Don Cormack) Seeing the exhausting toil and labor these sincere and devoted people put into their religion makes the grace of God that much more refreshing and real to me.

[above] another glorious sunset! doesn't really do it justice though.

[below] Buneng and Kunthy, the middle school biology teachers getting the hang of the microscope. they were so pumped!

[above] learning how to get the lens focused on the mouth of a bee! you can see the zoomed in image on the laptop. how neat is that? ;)

[below] Buneng, Kunthy, myself and Mike. it was really fun getting to show them the basics and i'm looking forward to the next few months and seeing what the students will begin to explore for themselves!