another link...

Here's another link to the latest news about the Thai/Cambodia conflict, actually covered by CNN International 

http://edition.com.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/16/thailand.cambodia.fighting.ap/index.html

Thailand vs. Cambodia

I am sure that most of you have not  heard that there is fighting going on between Thailand and Cambodia at the moment!  CNN news hasn't covered the story yet, and I doubt they will until things get really really serious.

BUT, if you're interested, here's the story....

Preah Vihear Province is to the north and borders Thailand.  There is a Hindu temple/sanctuary atop a hill very close to the border.  Years ago Cambodia was awarded the temple as part of the country, but there are several hectares of land surrounding the area that continue to be in dispute.  Thailand claims the land is theirs and so does Cambodia.  Several months ago the argument over this land and even the temple was renewed causing both sides to place military personnel and equipment along the border.  There hasn't been any real fighting...until yesterday.  Here's a link to a news story you can read to fill you in on more of the situation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE49E3U720081015

Because we are so far from the border and Preah Vihear we don't feel any threat of this skirmish, but if things escalate any further we'll keep you posted on our situation.  CAMA does have one couple in the border town of Poipet who are feeling the tensions and have plans in place if they feel the need to leave the city.  Pray for them, their wisdom in how to handle the situation and for their safety.  They have told us that the past two days have been extremely tense in Poipet and the border crossing is officially closed.

Most of us are hoping that the situation will be resolved quickly and without further fighting and loss of life (2 Cambodians have died already).  Pray for the Prime Ministers on each side to have 'cool heads' and to make wise decisions.  Pray especially for Thailand whose government is in upheaval as it is already!

We'll keep you posted if anything else big happens.

The 7 day funeral bon

Today was the 7 day funeral bon.  

Two days ago our neighbor came to our home to give us our invitation to come to the event.  So the past two days I've been asking everyone I know what you do at a Buddhist funeral bon.  My teachers told me you go, give the family some money, eat rice porridge and then leave.

We knew there would be monks...a time of offering prayers for the deceased, and then possibly a teaching time, but we didn't know how it would all play out and what it was that we needed to do.  I got a few different answers on what was appropriate to wear to such an event so I was literally watching as guests arrived to see what they were wearing before I got myself and Aiden dressed!

Above all else we knew that it would make a HUGE statement in our community for us to go....#1 because we are Christian and #2 because we are foreigners.  My teacher at language school said she's never seen a foreigner go to a funeral before...sure foreigners are at weddings, but not funerals, she said.   So we prayed for God's wisdom and got ourselves dressed and went at the appropriate time this afternoon.

We're still not sure what to make of all of it as we don't know language and culture well enough to know exactly what happened, but our neighbors seemed very grateful that we were there and they made sure, several times, that we weren't going to leave too early and miss out on the rice porridge (which was darn good by the way....except for the squid tentacle that got stuck in Chris' teeth!)

Our prayers have been that through this experience that God would show himself to others through us...even if we say nothing at all, that people just KNOW that we are different.  They saw that we didn't participate in the merit making ceremony and prayers with the Monks, but they did see that we weren't afraid of it either.  Pray for this family that because we were willing to step out and go to the bon that they would be curious about us, and our God and that they would be willing to ask Mao, our nanny (who is also a follower of Jesus), or even that they would be willing to ask us about our faith (and if that happens pray that God miraculously gives us the language we need to say all that we need to say!)

Take a gander...

I've put a few new posts on our other blog that you may be interested in reading.  The blog is mainly about Aiden...here's the link:    http://ajbellar.blogspot.com

Enjoy!

Making a funeral...

     I truly don't mean this to sound tacky, but....the past two mornings I have been rather thankful that my sweet little boy gets up at the crack of dawn (anywhere between 5:30 and 6:00am).  I am thankful because if he hadn't woken me up I would have been pulled from my sleep by the not too tremendously pretty sound of the recorded funeral music that families play when someone dies.

     On saturday morning we were already awake when the music started blaring...and I do mean BLARING through our house.  We knew it meant one of three things....a wedding, a funeral or another 'bon' celebration of some kind.  We looked outside and didn't see anyone at all walking around in our neighborhood and we couldn't exactly tell where the music was coming from.  About 15 minutes later, I looked out again and finally saw it....the white flag that is flown near the house of the one who has just died.  It was flying at the house right across from ours.  The particular type of music that was playing is the same song that is played at the home of every Buddhist when they die.  We have been told that it is played as soon as possible after the person dies, so that the soul of the one who has just died (which is still roaming around somewhere) will know that they have died.  

     It took both Chris and I by surprise as we had just been talking with the wife of that family the evening before and she had said nothing of anyone being sick or near death.  Soon there was quite a bustle going on as people were coming and going in preparation for the funeral bon that was to happen that day.  The music got louder and louder...so much so that even though Chris and I were in the same room with one another we had to shout at eachother to be able to hear what the other was saying.  Then the monks came to offer prayers and to chant with the family...at points they were louder than the music!  

     Throughout the day tents went up, tables and chairs were put up and prepared for the funeral meal.  We soon realized that if we were going to go anywhere during the day that we needed to get our car out before they finished putting the tent up.  We literally had tables sitting just outside our gate and the funeral tent, once it was completely set up consumed our entire road.  The event went through the evening until 10:30pm when the lights in their house went out.  (We did have to park our car at a friends house though as we couldn't pull it down our road and into our garage).  

     As I got up and ate my cereal at the table this morning, I might as well have been eating out with the guests as we were pretty much staring at each other through the plants in front of our house....strange!  Finally 36 hours later this first of the three necessary funeral bons ended.  The second will come on the 7 day anniversary of the death and then the final one on the 100th day anniversary.  This is all part of the Buddhist/Khmer culture here.  I also noticed today that the youngest daughter in the home (a beautiful little girl, maybe 4 years old) has already had her head shaved bald.  This is a way to honor the one who has died.  So sad to see her beautiful long shiny black hear totally gone.

     What has struck me about this event is the lack of community involvement in the process.  We have said before that due to what happened during Pol Pot's time that people really don't trust one another too much and relationships are often lacking, but this just made it seem even more real.  Yes, the funeral caused all of of who live on this little street a bit of inconvenience (4 families had to walk through the funeral in order to go anywhere!) but through all of it I didn't see any of our neighbors go to see the family or be involved.  

     Another example of this that happened recently is when the house right next door to us had a baby.  We knew that she was pregnant and getting really close to delivering, but we had heard nothing from anyone.  Then as Chris was out with Aiden the other evening the dad came out and casually mentioned that TWO weeks ago their new baby boy was born!  No one else in our neighborhood knew either!  So I went to school the next day and asked my teacher what neighbors normally do for one another when a new baby is born.  She gave me a strange look and said that we don't do anything, that it was the families responsibility and they shouldn't burden the neighbors for help.  She did follow that by saying that since I was a foreigner that I could probably take them some food if I wanted to, and they would probably think it strange, but just chalk it up to the fact that I am a foreigner.

     I find it hard to be in a community where major life events are announced by sudden loud blaring music, or not announced at all.  Our hope is that when we learn this language and begin working in a community that our presence and therefore Jesus' presence will bring back some care and concern for the ones living next door.

There are just those times...

...when you are in language study, desperately attempting to learn a new language (so that you can actually talk to the people around you) that you for one reason or another just can't say anything at all!  Your tongue is tied or you just can't remember how to form the sentence correctly so you stutter along trying to get your point across until you just want to quit and go find someone you can talk to in English!

Needless to say, we've had a few of those days lately.  They tend to come out of nowhere and smack you right in the face with a load of discouragement and frustration.

What's been even more frustrating lately is that we are beginning to learn how to talk about God.  Yes, I did say we have to LEARN how to talk about God.  In Khmer there are different forms of speaking.  You use different words depending on who you are talking to or about.  

The words we use to talk about God actually come from Sanskrit and tend to be long and confusing.  Jesus' hand is not just a 'hand' its something totally other.  And if you want to pray, well you better study what words you can and can't use to make  your requests known to God (if you are praying out loud, that is).

So today I was proud of myself for being able to have a phone conversation completely in Khmer, but then when I walked down the street with Aiden and attempted a chat with the guys at the wood shop and couldn't understand much of what they said, I was again frustrated and wondering....will I EVER learn this crazy language!

On a more positive note, Aiden has learned that he loves french fries and climbing up the stairs to our bedroom!  Oh to have the heart and mind of a child....able to absorb everything around!

Election Update

For those of you interested in the election events here in Cambodia (or any other news for that matter) you can go to the Phnom Penh Post's website at:   http://www.phnompenhpost.com

As of the moment, the CPP (Cambodia People's Party) is claiming victory, which means that Hun Sen, the current Prime Minister will remain in office.  However, there seem to be some shady dealings with the elections (not unusual) and people are estimating that 100,000 people here in Phnom Penh were not allowed to vote because their names were "somehow erased" from the voter registration papers!   Outside of this, the election went by rather quietly...no problems as in the past.

The Opposition parties are asking for a re-vote in Phnom Penh....but we'll see if that actually happens!  We have been warned to stay out of public places and crowds this weekend in case anything happens in the form of a riot of protest.   

Another interesting article on current land grabbing issues here in Cambodia can be found at:  

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/26/asia/27cambodia.php