Seven Things

Megan, I'm finally posting my seven things for the blog award you passed on to us. I'm not really sure either what it means to get a blog award. I'm going to take a little spin on it and instead of posting 7 things about me I'm going to post 7 things we've done or just experiences we've had over the month of March. Here it goes!

1. For 3 out of the 4 weeks in March we alternated being sick and taking care of each other. We still managed to make it to school every day. Needless to say our morning work-outs have been effected by this and who knows if we will ever recover. We are enjoying not waking up as early.

2. Gideon's B-Ball team played their first game of the season. The game was a bit stacked. The other team were giants. There were only 2 guys smaller than Gideon's tallest player. His team only made one basket, but they had fun and that is what counts.

3. It is supposed to be hot and dry season here, but it has been raining in the nights and we've been having cool breezes during the day. It feels like Cambodian winter, a low of 75 degrees. We finally bought a flat sheet for our bed. We had been using a blanket that we brought over with us, but now the whether has been so nice we have been getting cold with just our sheet at night.

4. I've been spider hunting twice this month. Our apartment builds up spiderwebs on the tall ceilings quite often. So I have to get a PVC pipe and tie it to our broom. I try to kill all the spiders while I'm tearing up their webs, but I know some escape. I'm always so itchy afterwards. You never know if a spider has crawled down a web and landed in your hair. We did find a big hairy spider in our apartment in October the size of a tennis ball, but we haven't seen once since then.

5. We have discovered I have a fear of Cambodian cows. I've never been afraid of cows before, but these ones in Cambodia seem like they are out to get me. Especially the ones with the horns. We've been told if maneuvering either on foot, bicycle or moto through a heard of cows it is best to go where they have been instead of where they are going. Well where are you suppose to go if the Cambodian man is herding them straight towards you. You think they would want to avoid you, but no they just keep getting closer and closer. Some day I'll be writing a story about how I got head-butted by a Cambodian cow.

6. We have been following March Madness. Gideon always fills out a bracket, but this year was my first time ever. We are now waiting for the Final Four to play, because if Butler wins I will be the owner of the first place bracket. The whole Walker side of the family filled out a bracket, even our 3 month year old niece. If I win I don't get any money, but its still fun that I had no idea what I was doing and I could possibly win it all because of one team.

7. One of the roads on the way to our house is getting paved. The process started this month. Cambodians paving strategies are so interesting. So far it hasn't effected us getting to and from our house, but for some reason they start in the middle of the road instead of starting at one end and working their way to the other. Our landlord told us they are starting in the middle because the King's son own land in the middle and his area of the road needs to be done first. Oh and this last month they just put street lights along one the main road close to our house. It makes night driving much more pleasant. Our moto light is not that powerful.

I am passing this blog award to Cynthia and Tim @ Asian Blend

I know... I'm lame!

So, I know that Kristy is usually the one you hear from, and are probably thinking that I am totally lame for making her do all the posts, but I thought I would pipe in this time, and give you some of my thoughts. I'm not nearly as exciting as Kristy with awesome pictures and funny stories, but hopefully my thoughts will provide just one more blessing in your day!

Okay... so no that I have babbled on.. here is what I think... I know.. you are really excited... and you should be.... lol......

First, I am not lame! I am REALLY cool! Just ask my 5th graders! So, those of you who agreed with the statement earlier... I stick my tongue out at you!

Second, God is awesome! It seems like he is teaching us something new every week, while at the same time giving us opportunities to minister everywhere we turn. I am REALLY proud of Kristy, because, unlike me, she has done a lot better job of learning those lessons from God and taking full advantage of those ministry opportunities. I unfortunately seem to be fighting God every second and thinking too much about all the "chores" I have to get done! However, bare with me a little, I am working on it! God definitely knew what he was doing when he gave me Kristy! Its funny, I thought God was giving her to me, to take care of her. However, it seems more like God really gave her to me, to take care of me! BUT THERE IS NO WAY I WILL EVERY ADMIT THAT TO ANYONE!!! Oh... and don;t tell Kristy!

Currently, Kristy feels like God is teaching her about how our life now affects our eternal lives in heaven. She is really focusing on how important it is to "set you mind on treasure in heaven, not on treasures of this world". Moreover, how important it is to REALLY live for God every single second of every day!

As for me... God is really asking me to focus on one verse: 2 Cor.10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. I have read this many many time before, and really skipped over it. However, for the past two weeks God has brought me back to this verse. I keep asking myself, "What would it look like if I made every one of my thoughts captive to Christ?". What if? Humm...

Well.. more on that later.... I don't yet know what God is telling me, but hopefully, I will figure it out soon!

Third, Cambodia life is.... humm... the best way to put it is different. I know that sounds completely stupid and is common sense, but really. Life here is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. However, God is really teaching Kristy and I something amazing through this idea of life being different. When we first got here we REALLY felt like we had to trust God more, because everything was different and new. However, now after 8 or so months, things have changed. Now don't get me wrong, we don't live in the comforts we used to, but we do have our routines, favorite restaurants, friends and work. And just last night we were talking about how we don't feel like we are having to trust God as much anymore. The more we talked about it, the more we felt God trying to tell us that trusting Him SHOULD not be based on experiences. Trusting Him should be based on our love for Him wherever we are at! Moreover, it is a daily decision we have to make in both the comfortable times and the times of struggles.

Talk about kick in the rear! We are still sore... he he! But really! Doesn't it seem rudimentary to be learning about trusting God!

It is getting hotter and hotter everyday here! April is the supposed to be the hottest month, and we are definitely a little nervous about it. Please pray that we can survive 24/7 sweating!

Forth, we would like to thank you for all your prayers for our landlords! This past week we have been having more opportunities to hang out with them than in the past. Last we Kristy invited them over for an "American Breakfast". I fried up some bacon, and then played computer games with one of the boys, while Kristy and Sotheary cooked french toast, eggs, and juices.It was really amazing watching Kirsty just talk with Sotheary! It was my first glimpse of relationship ministry! Praise God! Then, during the actual eating part, were able to just fellowship with them , and it was amazing! No agendas, no bias, no religious bickering, just wholesome fellowship! It was incredible. Today, we went over to give their sons a birthday gift (we have to buy both boys a gift or one will get sad) and the invited us to lunch next weekend and to a formal gathering at their work... Talk about God opening doors! Please continue to pray for them, that we can minister to them in a way that they cannot deny the love of Christ!


This is the whole meal! Obviously, it was difficult to keep the young one away from snacking! Even computers games didn't do it!


Kristy and Sotheary Cooking! Thank goodness I wasn't in the way! I was a little nervous, because they were chatting so much and not paying attention to the HOT!!!! food right next to them! I guess thats just the way of the WOMAN!


Kristy and Sopagna... They are sooo... scary!


Me and Sokvathana.... I know... I look scary!


The whole crew eating! It was such a blessing to us!

Finally, School is GREAT!

My fifth graders are doing amazing, and it feels like the year if flying by! I cannot believe it is already March! We have less than 3 months left! Its crazy! We have our "Formal Testing" coming up in a couple of weeks, so they are getting a little bit nervous! But I am certain they will do great! For all of you who were curious about my guitar playing, I have been playing every once in awhile for our morning devotions and my kids LOVE it! It is awesome for me because I get to practice and not feel ashamed of how poor I am!

Kristy is enjoying her 3 almost 4 year-olds. She always has stories for me everyday. They are always funny! She does have her rough spots, but MAN she is a good teacher! She will never say it herself, but she is doing great! You would all be proud of her! I am a little worried though, that she may steal her two Chinese twin girls! They are precious, and she LOVES them ALOT! I will keep an eye on that! And Robin... don't get excited about grandkids just yet!

Kristy and I are both REALLY enjoying our coaching! She is MUCH TOUGHER now, and I think she likes it better! I'm no longer the mean one! We are the MEAN TEAM!!! LOL! Just kidding! Kristy is being more stern, and I think the team is better for it! They have a game this week, so we will see how it goes!

WE TOTALLY MISS ALL OF YOU AND CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN JUNE! HOWEVER, WE KNOW IT WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT!

Thank you so much for your support both financially and through prayers! We REALLY could not be here if it weren't for you guys! You have been a blessing to us beyond anything we can imagine! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Please continue to team with us! We need you more than we even know.

WE LOVE YOU AND THINK OF YOU DAILY!

Spring Fling

This last week was "Spring Fling" at Logos. It is kind of like a spirit week. Each day was designated as a certain dress up day. For the high schoolers they had special events every day at lunch that the different classes would compete in. Every body won prizes for the best dressed each day. Monday was mixed matched day, Tuesday was dress up like a character anywhere from cartoon to real life, Wednesday was crazy hair day, Thursday was dress like a family day, and Friday each grade picked a different theme. Above are some pictures of crazy hair day. We had a crazy hair parade in the morning for every class to show off their hair. Below are pictures of Pre-K3's pyjama day on Friday. Gideon protested crazy hair day because he said it was prejudice against those with out enough hair to make it crazy. It was sure nice to have a week of fun and excitement during our last week of our long 8 week stretch before our break this next week!

Our Lives As Elementary Coaches

Pictures of Gideon's Basketball Team in Practice. Look at all the running Mr. Walker makes them do!

This semester Gideon and I have both been coaching a sport. I have continued to coach 3rd-5th grade soccer and Gideon is coaching 3rd-5th grade basketball. We only practice or a have a game once a week. Basically the same kids are playing both soccer on Wednesdays and basketball on Thursdays with a few that only play one or the other.
For me this is my first year as a coach and it has been somewhat stressful at times. Sometimes the stress comes from the lack of communication between me and the upper grade coaches about who gets to use the field when, but mostly it comes from trying to engage and motivate these students into working hard with out them complaining. This is how a practice has usually gone .
We run three laps which takes a whole three minutes in which maybe 5 players run the whole time, even with me constantly encouraging them. After we run they are in dire need of a water break. I tell them they will get one after we stretch. Once it is time for a water break instead of filling up their water bottles and drinking they decide to play on the playground. Once I call them back on the field for the next drill they complain about not drinking their water yet. We all get gathered up so I can explain the next drill. We do the next drill which requires barely any running at all, but just because they have been standing out in the sun for 10 minutes of course they need a water break! At the beginning of last semester all they asked at practice was when are we going to scrimmage. At least now that question has subsided. At practice once we start scrimmaging they forget about the water they need and we scrimmage until the end of practice. Games are not much better. They all want to win. When we don't win they complain about the positions we placed them in, they are mean and discouraging to their teams mates, and by half time most of them are so exhausted they are walking to the ball instead of running. They want the reward of the win without putting in the hard work.
Last week, I went to watch one of Gideon's practices and the kids were engaged, listening, working hard, focused, and not complaining. Well, Gideon is a much tougher coach than I, and his kids that had been doing all the complaining had consequences of running more and doing more push ups than the others.
Gideon and I have a much different view of how elementary sports should look. I think elementary sports should be used as a time of exploration and encouragement. They should try all the sports and see which one they like or even if they like sports at all. At the same time they need to be encouraged to continue because playing a sport and getting exercise is healthy. I try to give all of my soccer players equal playing time. Gideon, he might put this a little different but, he sees this as a time to teach them what competitive sports really look like. It is about working hard, and if you are not willing to put in the effort then it means the coach will see that and will not play you as much. It is about learning to listen to the coach and know he/she has more experience. Its a time when they need to individually decide if they are willing to go through the hard work of getting in shape to continuing to push themselves to be a better athlete.
I don't think one of us is right and one of us is wrong.I think there needs to be a little give and take of both opinions. I have realized, after being stressed out at soccer games because I can't think with every student asking me to switch him/her to different position and refusing to take no for an answer; after being stressed out because after practicing proper throw ins the last 3 practices one of the students in the game says "Oh, I didn't know you have to keep both feet on the ground," that just encouraging them is not going to get their attention. So Gideon has started coaching me how to be a tough coach. It is hard for me. It doesn't come natural. This last practice I laid down some laws and now I just have to stick with them once game time comes around. If any of them ask me to switch them to a different position they are sitting out the rest of the game. At practice if any one decides to walk when we are doing our laps they have earned another lap around the field for the whole team!
Even though practice and games are pretty much chaos it has been a lot of fun. I enjoy getting to know and hang out with some of Gideon's 5th grade students. I did referee a game once and I vow never to do that again. I'm a horrible referee. We will see if I can succeed as a tough coach!

Week 6 and Still Going Strong!

It is probably not smart of us to keep track of how many weeks we have left of school until a break, but it is so hard not to. Especially when the fall semester had so many holidays and teacher work days! I keep telling Gideon don't count just take one day at a time. We are headed into week 6 of 8 until we get a 3 day holiday for Women's Day! Here is some of what we have been up to the last couple of weeks!

Last Saturday was the Logos 5th Annual Carnival. Each class had to come up with a game. The teachers and, if they were old enough, kids helped run the game. The kids and families that came bought red tickets to play the games and buy food for lunch. If the kids won at the games they got blue tickets to exchange them for prizes at the prize table. Our carnival committee did a great job of planning and we all had a blast! There was great food provided by several business that bought a table to participate in our carnival, the Korean Mom's in Touch Group who make the best kim bap, and of course our elementary principal, Mr. Weiss, who grilled bratwursts all day long!


The Carnival Committee


My sign for my game in my classroom. I can't decide if it was a good or bad choice to be inside. I didn't have very much traffic. Not many kids knew I was in there.


Mr. Weiss grilling those delicious bratwursts



Our good friend Mr. Deremer showing off how to play his game the tricycle race!

A few stories from Pre-K3
Every other week elementary has Chapel in the morning. I had been taking my Pre-K3 kids just for the songs and then stepping out before the talk. These last couple of times we have stayed for the whole time, and my kids love it. I have two kids that every day last week the moment they stepped inside the classroom asked if we were going upstairs, which meant "Are we going to Chapel." They love singing along; they love being upstairs with the big kids, and they sit still without interrupting. I am so impressed with them. They now know the word Chapel.

This last Friday I decided I would tell them a little bit about Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is not celebrated here so we are not having a party, but I thought they should at least know that some people celebrate it around the world. I read them a book on Friday entitled "How Much I Love You." We discussed that this coming Monday is Valentine's Day and it is a time to celebrate love. I told them we can celebrate God's love for us and our love for Him. We can celebrate our love for our families and friends. I told them that I get to celebrate my love for them, by giving them a little valentine. Miss Sorphorn and I made them a paper heart bookmark we will give to them on Monday. I had one little boy at this point raise his hand and say, " I love Jesus, and I love you Mrs. Walker." It was so cute!

Last month in Pre-K3 our theme was "Growing in the Garden." We learned about fruits, vegetables, plants, trees, and flowers. We planted orange seeds and learned that plants needs water, sunshine, and lots of patience to grow. It has been three weeks since we planted them and on Thursday we had our first little sprout. I think I am more excited about them actually sprouting than the kids are. I am horrible at keeping plants alive, and I was so nervous about these orange seeds actually growing. I thought I might have to take a piece of grass and just bury it in our pots and fake it to the kids that our orange seeds grew. I came in on Sunday and there were two more little sprouts and the other sprout tripled in size. I can't wait to show the kids tomorrow!!!!

A Few Stories from 5th Grade
This last week all the high schoolers were away for Bible Camp and Service Projects. This meant some of the Specials Teacher's were gone as they chaperoned the high schoolers on the trip. This made a very busy week for Gideon as he stepped in to substitute for the P.E. teacher, swimming teacher, and art teacher for his 5th grade classes and didn't get any planning periods. On Friday I knew he was teaching P.E. while my kids were at lunch so I got to watch him play Dodge Ball with his kids. It was boys against girls and of course he played on the girls team. He didn't take it easy on his boys either always aiming at their legs and throwing it pretty fast. The boys though are almost as bad as the girls in making everything so dramatic. As soon as they got hit they would kick their legs out from underneath them making themselves land on the ground screaming as if the ball just thrown by Mr. Walker could have left a huge welt on their ankle. Gideon was still in his dress work clothes and by the end of their PE period he was soaked with sweat.


This last Tuesday we organized a staff Superbowl Party. We hosted it at school, our IT guy downloaded it, and we projected it on a big screen. We ate 7-layer dip, fried chicken, mangoes, and other not healthy for us snacks. For 3 hours we felt like we were in the US. We didn't get to see the commercials or the half time show, but we did see Christina mess up the National Anthem.



We thank each and everyone of you for reading our blog, keeping up with us, praying for us, and supporting us. Please pray for us that we take one day at a time, not being overwhelmed by planning for our school days, grading papers, for Gideon getting is online class work done, but that we cherish each day we have with our students and the opportunity to be Christ to them. Please pray that we would continue to build our relationship with our landlords, and we would have more time to spend with them. We haven't really been able to spend time with them lately. We would love to pray for you! Please let us know how we can be praying for you!!!!

Flag Football

Gideon had the opportunity to play some flag football last Saturday with some missionary guys. Most of the guys on his team are affiliated in someway with Logos. They played a team of guys from another international school and of course Gideon's team dominated with out even a little bit of practice. Any chance Gideon gets to play some football, especially here in Cambodia where American football is not a big deal, he will take it even if it means hurting himself and being sore for the next week. I went to watch so here are some pictures of the team in action.


Team Huddle



Gideon was the guy who snapped the ball every time.


Check out those lightening fast reflexes that make him a great football player!


I don't think Gideon will allow me to go watch him play again. I worry to much that he pushes himself too hard and of course can not sit out when he gets hurt because that is not manly! One guy on the team dislocated two joints in one finger, taped them together and went back in to play the next 45 minutes. At the end of the game he couldn't move that finger at all. Why? Why do men feel they can't sit out and take a break. Anyway this last picture was the best part of the evening. The beautiful sunset!

Back From our Holiday in Xiamen

We had a great time in Xiamen with our family, Gideon's sister- Anne, her husband- Keegan, our nephew- Asher who we hadn't seen since he was 3 months old now he is 18 months, and our new niece- Hannah who was born a week before we arrived. Some of our highlights included: Playing cars with Asher, holding Hannah during nap time, teaching Asher our names (He never quite learned Kristy, but he always gave me a hug before he gave Uncle Gideon a hug so I was ok with not having a name.), eating dumplings, exploring Xiamen and all it has offer: McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen and Wal-Mart :) We also got to see the Non-American sides of Xiamen. We took the ferry over to a smaller island called Gulang Yu. We walked around the european style village, walked up a huge rock to see a great view of the island, ate some good sweet and sour pork, and visited the Xiamen Acquarium. Our Christmas was opposite from traditional, but it was good to be with family. Gideon and I also got a chance to pamper ourselves and spend the night at a fancy hotsprings hotel for a night. We spent 2 hours relaxing in the several different pools the hotsprings had to offer. Gideon enjoyed the ESPN on our hotel t.v. We both enjoyed the all you can eat breakfast buffet in the morning.

We are back in Cambodia and we start back up at school tomorrow. We loved spending time with our family and loved the developed and modern feel of Xiamen but it good to be back to things we are more familiar with. Enjoy some pictures from our highlights of our trip!



Gideon held Hannah for 2 hours almost every day during afternoon nap time!



Dolphin tank at the Aquarium. Asher kept doing this old man walk and this photo makes us laugh because he looks like a little old person next to us!




View from the top of Sun Light Rock on Gulang Yu Island




Relaxing at the hotsprings hotel!