So, just after I wrote the last post, I went over to a travel agency to get my visa extended for another month. The lady told me that I can’t extend it anymore–I have to go out of the country and back in again to be able to stay longer. Buffalo! So, I rode home and discussed my situation with Wendy. Since my visa expired on a Sabbath, she suggested that I just go to the Thai border on Sunday and just pay the $5 for being one day late. That sounded good to me. So, early Sunday morning, one of the Khmer teachers drove me and Niet (a girl in 9th grade) on his motorbike to the taxi place in town. I brought Niet along with me to help me with all the translating, plus she has family that lives right near the border.
When we arrived in Poi Pet (the city on the border), we went to Niet’s sister’s house first. Her brother-in-law took me to all the places I needed to go before entering Thailand. When I crossed the border, I immediately turned around and got back in line to return to Cambodia. As I waited, I talked with the lady in front of me. She turned out to be an Adventist who has been working in Thailand for about 4 years. She knows some of the same people I know who are volunteering there as well. I’m sure God set that up for us to encourage each other even just for a few minutes.
When I crossed back over into Cambodia, I bought my visa from a little stand that apparently was a mini police station. It’s a good thing that I had this guy helping me out or else I never would’ve been able to find the right place to go. With the visa stuff all taken care of, Niet and I took a taxi back to Siem Reap. Poor Niet! She gets car sick really easily, so she threw up on the way to Poi Pet and on the way back.
Since then, I’ve just been doing the usual–teaching. There have been a couple times when I’ve gone over to play volleyball with the students. Just the 9th and 10th grade guys play, so they’re way better than me, but it’s fun, and I’m sure they have a good laugh watching me try to play.
I’ve only got about 4 weeks of actual teaching left; then comes Revision week (which is reviewing in all the subjects for exams), and then Exams. It’s such a short time, but at the moment it seems to be crawling by. I hear that a few volunteers from Thailand are coming to visit in a week or so just to see the orphanage. There are visitors coming and going all the time at this place. Anyways, that’s all for now folks! GB!
Hi Girlie. Sounds like you have been having a real good time getting to know the ropes in international relations. Getting visas renewed and so on can be fun. I learned that in Korea. On a rather regular basis we had someone who would get messed up somehow and then an almost internatioonal event.
We are looking forward to you getting home asoon. Mitchell has been home all week and it has been good to have him here.
We are constantly remembereing you and the others there with you in our prayers. You are doing a good work there but we want you home.
Love you a lot
Grandpa