Thoughts

So, I keep thinking how much easier it will be to blog when I'm actually in Cambodia, because I'll have a ready supply of cultural pictures and anecdotes to share. Right now I could tell you how I spent my day doing laundry, e-mailing people, and so on, but that's not quite an interesting as if I were telling you how I did laundry by hand in a Cambodian stream and hung it out to dry under my house on stilts to keep it out of the monsoon rains...you get the picture, things will be a little more interesting once I am overseas. So I apologize for the length of time that tends to pass between blogs for now--it's not because I don't want to be communicating, it's just that I have to rack my brain for an exciting topic to write about :)

I will say, though, that as you are probably aware, my life for now mostly consists of support raising. Like most people, I had a vague idea of what this entailed before I started doing it, but also like most people, I did not really have a clue what all it involved (and I am still learning about it, to some extent). The biggest surprise (and biggest challenge) of support raising so far is the sheer amount of communication it requires. Based on the personal experience of other support raisers, the most effective way to encourage people to be financially involved is through speaking with them face to face. Doesn't sound bad--but to make that happen requires a number of steps: meet and interact with an individual on some level so that there is at least a minor relationship already in place (whether this is an established friendship or a brief conversation at church or the post office), call the individual to ask them to meet with you, call a second time because they weren't home for the first call, meet with the individual and ask them to consider being a supporter, call and/or write to follow up for the meeting, call or write to remind individual to follow through with their new commitment by actually signing up as a supporter, write a thank you note after you receive their first gift, keep up the relationship through various means of contact....

...and now multiply the above by a hundred or so potential supporters. Also add in several speaking engagements, newsletters and blogs to write, and time to pray about all of it--lots of communication! So, lately I am busy communicating, or taking a break from communicating and psyching myself up for another round :) Just a little insight into the world of support raising...

Money, Money, Money

I'm usually not consumed by thoughts of money, but support raising has a way of constantly putting the issue in front of your face :) Add to that that it's tax season, and that Food for the Hungry works to alleviate poverty--and you end up with lots of topics involving resources and how to obtain them and what to do if they are lacking.

For me personally, this whole process has involved quite a bit of learning. Learning about trusting God as provider when my income will be coming through different means than it has in the past. Learning what my role and actions should be in the support raising process, and how what I do can be an exercise in trust--or an attempt to control (or avoid!) things myself. And learning about how take a somewhat sensitive topic, like money, and broach it with people in order to discuss, educate, and ask.

Anyways, sometimes a little perspective check on the topic is healthy. Check out the following two links to take a look at your current wealth (or lack of...), and to learn about world poverty:

http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php --where do you land on the list of the world's wealthiest people?

http://www.fh.org/hd_introduction --take this interactive journey through the life of an individual living in a developing country, and see how your choices affect you and your family.

Way down South...

One of the big upsides of raising support is that it means spending lots of time with people--old friends, new contacts, and everyone in between. Lately this meeting time took the form of a classic roadtrip through my old college stomping grounds in Toccoa, Georgia, as well as Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. Not a bad way to spend a week! One of my old roommates, Bethany, shared her car and her time and made the rounds with me (see us hookin' up with some new buds at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, above). We got to visit most of our other college roomies, as well as a couple friends of mine who are living in the South after stints at Open Door Ministries and Bear Trap Ranch (two of my old employers in Colorado). It was a whirlwind of a trip, but a good one all around! It was wonderful to catch up and hang out with everyone, and also to share about my Cambodia plans.

A few numbers:

*8--how many cities/towns we spent time in

*$3.22--highest gas price we saw (thank you, Charlotte, NC!)

*72%--sanitation score of the Chili's we ate at in Atlanta (according to Christine)

*5,012--approximate number of songs we listened to as we drove along

*1--number of giant chocolate chip cookies I purchased at gas stations along the way (suprisingly, only 1)

New Arrival

I have a new nephew! Ethan Douglas McMurdo popped into the world in the early morning hours of Jan. 18th, weighing in at around eight pounds. I had the chance to go visit him and his family (my brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces) at the hospital, and he and his momma were both doing well. I've got to soak up all the niece and nephew time I can while I'm still in the country! Now to go shopping for baby clothes...

The times, they are a changing...

It is official--I am no longer an employee of Open Door Ministries. A huge responsibility off my shoulders, but I will miss aspects of it all the same. I was well sent-off, with a goodbye party with the kids, another with staff, flowers, cake--the whole shebang! The pic here is some friends (I'm taking the photo) at the staff goodbye party after-party (or something like that :) ).

So now--on to support raising as intensely as I can! As any of you who have ever raised financial support can attest, it is quite a bit of work, most of it involving communication with potential and actual supporters. I am learning as I go how to best approach people, how and when to follow up, and most of all--how to simply ask!

Hopefully in the coming months I'll also have a chance to begin studying Khmer, the language spoken in Cambodia. This will be easier said than done, seeing as I know no Khmer speakers at this point, and so am trying to orient myself a little bit using books and cd's...we'll see. Check out the Khmer script here:

http://www.cambodia.cc/learnkhmer/khmer-alphabets.asp

the countdown begins...

Oops, I just realized I haven't posted for a month...sorry to anyone who has checked in the meantime. Time seems to just fly by. Speaking of...it is currently Sunday evening, and I am down to my final five days as an employee of Open Door Ministries. I am eager to be done, although of course I will miss the kids and my coworkers. I've spent the last month or so training up my replacement director--she'll be taking over once the kids are back in school after Christmas.

Last Friday, Dec. 14, was our annual Childcare Christmas Party. Always a good time! The big event of the year for the kids and their families. A corporate donor provided the funds for this year's bash, allowing us to purchase a gift for each child. All the shopping and wrapping and party prep is a big (but fun!) job. It's a nice way to bless these kids, and each year it seems that plenty of other opportunities pop up where those who have more honor the season's celebration of Christ by providing for our kids and families who have little. A picture is attached from the party.

And so, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!!! I'm looking forward to celebrating with family next week, and then starting to wrap things up here in Denver and go hardcore on the support raising.

One item of good news--a church missions board has decided to become a major monthly supporter!

made it out alive....

Just wanted to let everyone know that I had a near brush with death last weekend ( see photo for proof). I went hiking with my roommate and "fell" off the mountainside...luckily no lasting harm was done :)

We hiked to the top of a peak called Mt. Vigil, which is located on a trail starting at Bear Trap Ranch in Colorado Springs. I worked at Bear Trap, a camp and conference center run by InterVarsity Fellowship (a college campus ministry), for the fall and winter of 2004-2005. So--now I have one more thing (visit Bear Trap) crossed off on my "do before moving to Southeast Asia" list!