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UPDATE FROM RACHEL

making a new home This concept of 'home' is strange. Where is home?  what is home?  who knows....  It makes no sense to me, but pretty soon I will return to Cambodia, settle in, and make it 'home.' How terrifying and exciting all in one bundle! In Cambodia I will be returning to Battambang to join with another woman in the YWAM ministry in Cambodia called "Vithai M’dai." This is a maternal health initiative--a ministry of midwifery in missions.  When I first arrive in Battambang I will be taking a Ministry Training Program for five months, as well as focusing on learning the local language (Khmer). This program focuses on becoming involved and integrated with the church and community, understanding ministry and evangelism in Cambodia, leadership training, discipleship, etc.  Some of this will be new to me, but much of it will be building on the experience and language I already have from my previous 1 1/2 years in Battambang. After this, I will be working alongside a midwife from New Zealand who has been living in Cambodia for six years, as well as others who work in similar ministries with YWAM. As a ministry we have long-term future goals to set up a crisis pregnancy hotline; facilitate Continuing Education Workshops for midwives; facilitate/teach Maternal Healthcare seminars; open a Women’s Holistic Center; raise abortion awareness and education. However, the initial steps will be getting out into the neighboring slums and villages to meet and build relationship with local women and their families with the aim of starting women’s discussion groups. These groups will be a place to build friendships, teach simple health care, disciple, learn from each other, ask questions, pray, etc. We will also be visiting local clinics, hospitals, and other health Initiatives to build relationships and discuss possible partnerships. On top of this, we will be available to provide antenatal care/counselling/ labour support/ postpartum care on a case-by-case basis for women we meet in the community. We want to work alongside other ministries, organizations, initiatives, and government programs that are already established in Battambang—therefore much of my time will be building relationships and connections. Through it, hopefully I will be gaining a fuller and more complete understanding of the situation in Maternal/Child healthcare in Battambang. Between now and January I will still be here in Winnipeg, shivering as it gets colder and colder.  Currently I am working part-time at a local grocery store; enjoying family time; loving being an auntie; and packing up my life. I am also sharing about missions at various churches and youth groups-- if you have an opportunity for me to share, let me know!  And I'm fundraising, because for me to move to Cambodia and serve these women, children, and families I need monthly financial support. If you would like to contribute and support me in this way, please email me. I would appreciate it if you kept me in your prayers and thoughts! Love, Rachel

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO... As many of you know, I have been away from home for a significant amount of time...well, I now have the pleasure of telling you that I am alive, and well, and back in Canada for a time. It has been a crazy 2 1/2 years of learning, living, and serving.  In December 2012, I left on a very cold, snowy Christmas day and flew across the world not really knowing what to expect--but quite certain someone would be at the airport to meet me!  I left with a few goals: I want to understand who God is; I want to understand why the Bible actually matters; and I want to know if midwifery is something I'd want to do in my life. DTS I went to Battambang, Cambodia to attend a 'Dicipleship Training School' with a missions organization called 'YWAM' (Youth With A Mission--for an explanation of this organization you can go to http://www.ywam.org/about-us/).  The core of this school is to know God and make Him known. There were three months of lecture, followed by a two month frontier mission outreach. During this outreach the group of us went to a Thai/Cambodia border city called Poipet, then in to Bangkok, and lastly to Pattaya.  During this time we were partnering with local churches and volunteering in Youth programs, preschools, conferences, English classes--as well as working with at-risk children in slums and villages, and trafficked women in brothels.  We also spent lots of time meeting people on the streets and getting to know them. We saw God heal, speak to people, answer prayer, and bring hope in the most heart breaking situations. During this time my view of God, people, and the world completely changed--and I saw the value and special uniqueness of individuals. Very quickly I learnt from, and gained a huge respect for the Cambodian people and culture--and at the same time was heart-broken at the evil and corruption that is found world-wide.

SBS After this 5+ month experience, I spent a summer in KL with friends and then did a School of Biblical Studies at the same place in Cambodia. This was an intense 9 month course in which we studied all 66 books of the Bible using the Inductive Study method (http://uofnbattambang.com/sbs/). Going through   the entire Bible a total of 5 times, we interpreted scripture with the mindset of the original readers of the text, taking the timeless truths found within and personally applying these. This was a very challenging and humbling time. I was questioning "What do I believe?"--and "why do I believe what I believe?”   My beliefs, life itself, and God was put into perspective.  I saw God speak into, and radically change my life and the lives of my fellow classmates. Through intense study we were challenged with questions on death, injustice, corruption, life, persecution, obedience, authority. Though this school was a very difficult time of going through the scriptures with God, it was a privilege to be able to sit down and study The Truth for such an extended period of time. God's faithfulness to His creation; His word; His promises; His people; and to me in my life became very evident to me during this time Aadab* is a young, first time mom who was diagnosed with Hepatitis B during her pregnancy. As a result of this, she found herself abandoned during labour in a small, ill-equipped room in a government hospital in southeastern India. Because of diagnoses like this, women will often be left to labour and deliver their babies on their own... then charged a bribe to receive their child back. We came across Aadab when she was still in labour--very close to delivering. We were able to support, educate, and monitor her during her labour. She delivered a beautiful little baby boy.  As she proudly held her son, it was a bitter-sweet moment when in tears she said to us, "They were just going to leave me here alone...but you came. You are my angels. Thank you". We further got to know Aadab and her family, and it was a privilege to be a part of such a sweet and beautiful time in this family's life. We truly came to an understanding of what midwifery means; to be "with women". *named changed for privacy reasons BAS After completing the School of Biblical Studies I flew over to Perth, Australia and I received midwifery training through "the Birth Attendant School" in Australia for 11months.  We went to Zambia and India for our practicums. During this time we did everything from prenatal care; postnatal care; deliveries; home visits; clinics; simple healthcare teaching in orphanages/slums/churches/schools/clinics/on the side of the road; healthcare seminars; cleaning hospital rooms; monitoring labouring mothers; emergency referrals; neonatal care; infant resuscitation; suturing; ongoing care; management of emergency situations; infant examinations. It was through life stories like the one above of Aadab that I got a clearer understanding of mother/child healthcare in developing nations. It was also through these women and families that God spoke to me about His heart for women, newborns, and families in the nations: His heart to bring hope, truth, Himself into the unjust situations. Love. Compassion. Strength. Through midwifery and our obedience to God, we saw God bring value to the forgotten; hope to the hopeless; and strength to the broken. Going against cultural norms we had many opportunities to speak of the hope of Christ by acknowledging the individual; accepting and loving every baby; giving honour and respect to all women from all backgrounds; giving courage; and speaking truth. We daily encountered death and injustice--but God was not absent. We saw God move in crazy and miraculous ways when we called out to Him in the hopelessness and pain. He was there. He was with the women. He was with the families.

SBS--School of Biblical Studies

I realize that I have not kept up with this blog very well for the past year, but in my opinion I have a good reason. And this is the reason : I have been studying a school called the 'School of Biblical Studies'(SBS). This may not sound like a legit reason to disappear off the face of 'blogging planet' world, but trust me, I was busy.
   SBS is  a 9month school of intensely studying the bible using an inductive method. So basically, we have class 3 times a week then go through the Bible in a very self led bible study way. By the end we read the bible 5 times.  It was super super cool, but require perseverance through 50-60hrs of study a week.  (More info on what a SBS school is  http://uofnbattambang.com/sbs/ )
     If I were to discribe my SBS experience: both the practical circumstances and what God was doing in my heart I would use the words "challange" and "humbling".
      SBS was a huge challange for me to do--but more importantly than that God was majorly challenging my heart. It was a time of really searching and questioning--who is God?--what do I believe?--why do I believe what I believe?  God was challanging me on who I am and what my life is for.....and that is also why I would say that this past 9 months was 'humbling'.
      Coming into this school I had never read the entire bible, and quite frankly I didn't enjoy reading the parts that I had read. I found it frustrating, random, uninteresting, and super difficult to understand. But my whole perspective has completely changed after studying through it! (....as it probably should), and  very surprisingly the Old Testament has been my favorite to study.  The question everyone has is what was my favorite book to study---but that is so hard to answer. However, some books which I never expected to enjoy so much includes: Job, Ezekiel, 2Corinthians, Leviticus, John, Jonah, Revelations, Luke.  It was exciting and mind blowing to see that right from the beginning, and all the way through, everything was/is for God's glory. His creation, faithfulness, people, promises,judgment, mercy,sacrifice, victory, his Presence on earth--it is all for God's glory. And this challanged me so much daily if the choices I was making, and the things I was saying, was glorifying to God or not.  God's deep love and faithfulness to his people~and how through them He has chosen to be glorified is incomprehensible.
     God through this time has given me a huge heart for the lost~~but also for His church. The picture painted of the church being built up as the temple of God, and also the imagery of the church being like the body of Christ, is so incredibly beautiful and reflects so much the 'role' of God's people in His Plan, and their responsibility. It also really helps clarify so much of the Old Testament and how God's plan and desire for his people never really changed. His desire is to be with them, dwell with them, and to be glorified in the them and through them. As someone who grew up thinking 'church' was more the actual building, or a group of leaders (even though I was always taught otherwise), this was a simple yet important revelation to me. It helped me see that as a church-as God's people-we need to be unified and so grounded on God and His Word as we obey Him. He is most glorified through the church when our hearts are most surrendered to Him. And I see something throughout history, and even so prevalent today, and that is that God's church can become so focused and divided over issues that have become more important than God and living for His name's sake. Through this, God has challenged me to intercede for the divided church  body--and to be praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ that I don't even know!
Through out this time I have also been challanged to live a life that honors and genuinely loves people. Something that is not easy for me,and quite frankly does not come naturally--but is something God is continually teaching me more about and guiding me in. This includes viewing people as the special and unique individuals whom God has created, and to whom HE has uniquely spoken to and revealed himself to. I've realized that through other people  and the unique relationship they have with Christ, God can teach me so much.
   My priorities, and the 'lenses' of my life God has also been challanging and fixing. Through His Word, God has been showing me and challanging me on my priorities: if He is the top of my priorities and my worship to Him. obedience to Him--even when it means sacrifice, or humility and selflessness, or risk, or 'uncertainty'-- needs to take priority over my own emotions and will.
The 'lenses' on how I view God,myslef,people, and situations, God's Word, injustice, life, hardship, etc.. has also been seriously challenged and altered. God has been teaching me about having an 'eternal perspective' of looking at life on the foundation of who God is , and his promises, and the reality of what is really important in life. God has also been speaking to me about viewing and looking at people the way he sees them. Doing this, in turn, has challanged me to be submissive to God's leading Holy Spirit in me, in order to have so much more love, patience, honor, interest, and grace for people.
   By studying through the Old Teatament and through the Prophets, I have been blown away by the greace and generosity of Christ's scarifice on the cross and the Holy Spirit he has given to live in us. This just left me humbled and in awe.
   Another thing which God has been working in my heart on is my extremely stubborn, strong willed spirit. He has been challanging and guiding me to use this for His glory in carrying out his plan --and not just for myself being stubborn to get what I want.
     SBS has been a very difficult, hard time for me--but also a very sweet, beautiful time of going throgh the Scriptures with God. I realize that it isn't common or very doable for many people to beable to have the full time reponsibility to be studying the Bible for 9 months, so I value and am so greatful for this experience I had. However, at the time, it was extremely difficult to keep this mindset. Some people for some reason say I am 'smart' for the work I did, or 'academic'. But that is not true at all. I can honestly say this without doubt that all I learnt and wrote down was not from me or my own 'smartness' or understanding(I came from the point of not having the faintest clue of what scripture is about, and finding the Bible weird and boring)--but that left me in the state of trusting God and leaning on his strength and not my own. The Holy Spirit was the One giving me understanding and revelation~ yet I know that there is still so much for me to know. It was only by God's grace and through His strength and teachings that I survived such an academic school.
  Before SBS had started I was super anxious and freaking out, and I remember praying and God  clearly saying  "not you......us together"-- and He has been so faithful to that! He has been so faithful in guiding me and leading me and enabling me to do this. He is faithful--and through this time it has really be en highlighted to me how faithful he has been to me throughout my life.
  It has been a privilage to sit down and study the Truth, and to have him lead me through it.

Wow.....that was long. I didn't realize I had so much to say about SBS! Besides studying, I also would hang out with students at the Youth Center which teaches english/guitar/conversation/bible classes, etc. I also had the privilage of teching a small Bible group there! My days also consisted of chores, eating(if I had time, lol), bike rides, swimming, frisbee, hanging out, more bike rides, movies, moto rides, more bike rides, picnics in random fields and bridges..... oh! And becoming an auntie  :)

Yep! That pretty much summarizes the past 9 months.....

Well, peace out!

India, July 2013

Ok, so I wrote all this....but somehow I deleted everything. Because I am skilled like that. So now I am re-writing everything. Just thought you all should know.

During this summer I had the PRIVILAGE of going to India. This has been a dream of mine since I was a tiny child, so it was really exciting for me. so, on the 24th of July to the 30th I was in the wonderful, beautiful,crowded,smelly,dirty,colorful country of India. It was a cool trip, because I got to see and experience the not-so-touristy side of India (I definitely felt wierd being white, lol)  
I flew down with Joseph, my little brother, and met up wiht my dad (who was there for work/not work). We arrived on Kolkatta, then early the next morning went took the train ( got to see the country side!!) up north to Dhanbad. My Dad ws checking out a University there, so me and my brother tagged along. it was cool, because it was in a more rural area. We got to stay in a nice guest house, then spent a couple days getting tours of hte university. I actually found it really interesting seeing how it was different compared to Canada and Malaysia!
We did alot of driving, and I learnt one very important thing: Cows are the King of the Road. They are everywhere!--and they stand EXACTLY in the middle of the road just because they know they can. I swear they hold up traffic, just becasue they know they can! And eat notices off important boards, just because they can.
The weather was really nice, it was rainy season so it was cool--not too hot!  This was a nice break :) While we were in Dhanbad we also got the oppertunity to go 990ft into the earth! IT WAS CRAZY COOL!! We went into a coal mine. I felt like hte Gopher from Winnie-the-Pooh; we got cool helmets with lamps on them. So ya! We walked around and got a tour of the coal mine, and also got to see hte open-pit mining. You know you are with engineers when they look at a mine, and discribe it as a "beautiful scene".  :)
We took the train back down to Kolkatta to visit a local missionary/pastor and his family that we know. They are such a cool, inspiring, wonderful, beautiful family. I love them! They were so welcoming, even though it was my first time meeting them.  We got to see their various ministries, and participate. Everywhere we went the people we met were warm and friendly. We went to a couple house churches, a children's center (where they teach the children english, provide a meal, teach them Bible stories, and sing with them), and a church in a slum.

Even though it was a pretty short trip,over all the trip was really good. Very eye-opening and challanging. It is kinda hard to find a response to all the poverty I saw in India.  But I am going to go back. I don't know when, or how, but I want to go back!
The food in India was sooooo sooooo sooo good! So much flavour! And color! And the people are a very hospitable, lovely, generous, friendly, welcoming, warm, devoted people. (lots of adjectives there!).

On the plane home we had to make an emergency landing, so we landed in Yangon, Burma. So, even though we didn't get off the plane, I can say I was in Burma!!! (woot woot!!) It doesn't really 'count', but it kinda does  =P

So yep! India was great.

:)

Summer in Malaysia

**note: I was too lazy to edit this. So i apologise if it doesnt make sense in places **

Hi Ya'll! IT's been a while :)
So i spent this past summer in malaysia staing with some close family friends. I am soooo greatful that they let me live with them, seeing as i was going to be a homeless hobo in Asia for 3 months.   I had a wonderful time there--very restful, which was nice after an insane 6 months. And I am sure the break will be nice for the intense 9 months coming up!
During my time in Malaysia I spent most of my time helping out/doing an Internship at USCI Child Development Center. Pretty much it is a Nursrey/daycare/kindergarten. I was an assistant teacher, so helped the kids wihth their work, took them to the washroom, cleaned up after them(yes, that includes poop,pee, and vomit), kept them quiet, helped teachers prepare for classes, making display board, etc... During that time i became pretty pro at making giant cardboard trains, making pom-poms, coloring, painting chinese characters, and using a paper cutter.  I really really enjoyed hte work, and the kids--although it was really tiring. I was working full days, but then because of transportationa nd what not, I would be out 12hrs everyday....

Besides work, it was really fun catching-up with old friends and hanging out.
Highlights from Malaysia (and meorable moments):
Titi ORganic Farm - If you are ever in KL visit this place!!! It is a bit of a bus ride, however it is totally worht it. The farm (also a resort place) is int he highlands, and the view is beautiful. We got a tour of hte farm (all organic!!....obviously) and got to have a delicious lunch. It was all organic, and healthy, and fresh, and just made me so happy. I loved getting out of hte city!! They also had really cute cats and puppies  :)

My Fair Lady -- we all watched this movie together. And it was definitly a highlight!! It was just fun to be all together, enjoying hte same movie. Lots of laughs (and confusion because of the accents!!).  "I'm a gud gurrl I am!"  ;)

Lingi during Hari Raya-  Farm, family, laughter, talking, durian.

Walks --I was living in a pretty safe neighbourhood, so I got to go on lots of walks and runs! It felt amazing to be running again!  I loved waking up early, grabbing some tea and my Bible, going for a walk, then stopping at a playground to have a quiet time. Because it was early, it would be nice and cool and the birds would be singing, and only nice old people would be out walking too. :)  It was a nice time to be alone with tea, my Bible, and God.

Morning Devotions -- twice a week a bunch of people from UCSI University get together int he morning for devotions. I enjoyed these :) Lunches-- me and a co-worker would go out exploring during our lunches. We found cheap fruit (!!!), a place that sold cheap clothes (got me some pants!), and i also tried some delicious malaysian cuisine (malaysia has the best food!.....EVER!!). Favourite dieshes : Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak, Pan Mee, Fish Head Noodles, and some yummy wine soup that i don't know the name of.

Adventures: When i first arrived, i decided to go on an adventure! So i got a ride to USCI, took the bus to Taman Tasik Slatan station, then took trains to KLCC (the Twin Towers). I then just walked around, walked in the massiv park, read, etc...  it was fun! Me and Natasha also went on an adventure to Central Market together. That was lots of fun!! Althigh, i don't think i actually boust anything besides food. Lol

Dancing: my room was big enough to dance in. Score!

My brother-- i got to spend lots of time with my brother, becuse he was also there for the summer (1.5months). He is wonderful, and i enjoyed hangout with them. When we would have meals, it was hilarious because he eats like an old man (super slow), and i eat really fast. So it was alwys kinda awkward, but funny, because i would just sit there and watch him--teasing him the whole time.  haha. Sorry Jo.  =P

INDIA:  Oh my goodness! I finally went to India!!!! Success! I will write a seperate blog for that later. :)

FAmily Dinners: Anytime everyone was together was a highlight. Dinners were definitly entertaining!
--> I got bitten by a Stiped-Evil-little-furry-creatute-of-a-dog. It happened so fast, but pretty much i was running and a little thing ran out of the bushes, circled around me, and bit me.
--> I also tried to watch a scary movie (i don't know why....sometimes i don't understand myself..) but it failed. I spent the whole time with my head in the pillow...so i had no clue what was happening. So we turned it off. Lol. The music was scary enough for me!

Crafts: I did lots of craft-type things, and got to press lots of flowers and leaves. It made me happy :)

So ya!
I think that pretty much sums up Malaysia. We ate lots of food, visited lots of people, got stuck in lots of traffic jams, and walked alot!