Update #3 Southeast Asia

Hi family and friends!! This is Hannah and Jenna 🙂

The past few days have been deeply moving and powerful. We spent Monday visiting the sites of a devastating genocide that occurred here just a few decades ago- it is plain to see how much the people here have suffered so much loss and are still in the early stages of recovery as a nation. We will not soon forget the suffering that these families have undergone and the story that they have to tell. The hopefulness and perseverance that the people around us carry with them is beyond inspiring and we are humbled and grateful to be here with them. God is ever present in their trouble and is doing beautiful things in this city and in this country. 

As we were ending our day, we were reminded of God’s grace and provision for His people as it began to heavily rain! It rained so incredibly hard it felt as though heaven was crying alongside us through all that this beautiful place has gone through. Due to all of the heavy rain, we had to wait until it lightened to be able to leave. The streets began to be flooded and it took us quite a long time to get home! Praise the Lord, our amazing bus driver got us home safe and sound! (Jenna) 

On a bit of a lighter note, we are BIG fans of our bus driver! Monday morning he took us to a local fish market where we toured the street lined with fish- both dried and fresh, where we also got to try durian for the first time! Contrary to what we expected, it was fresh and sweet and so so delicious! 

He also was so kind to welcome us into his home in the countryside, where his wife had prepared all kinds of amazing and colorful tropical fruits. We filled up on rambutan, watermelon, oranges, dragonfruit and mangosteen which were all incredible! We laughed and laughed with our driver and his beautiful family, and then he walked us across the street to a lotus farm full of the most beautiful and delicious smelling lotus flowers. He picked flowers for his wife and taught us how to fold the petals and how to eat the fruit of the lotus, and how to pop the unripe fruits on each others foreheads (it was a shocking experience for some- haha) It was the most special afternoon! 

The past two days have been spent painting a mural alongside our wonderful friends in their work here to bless the city. The mural we have been graciously given the opportunity to work on is outside of the school that our partners run for the most underprivileged children of the area. It has been such a blessing to see how much we can get done in our project with 8 sets of hands, as well as the unexpected help of some of the school staff members here. They are truly wonderful people with servant hearts and we have learned so much for them already! (Not to mention their painting skills 😉 – Hannah

While the rest of us were painting, a few of the teammates have been able to ride along with the workers here to bring kids to kids camp each day! They have had the most amazing time, and the kids instantly bond with them! When we are walking in the street, kids get super excited to see us in love to practice in English whenever they can! Even through the language barrier, we have made meaningful connections with many kids! They really enjoy sitting and watching us paint the mural while also trying their best to have conversations with us! It is so precious seeing the joy on these kids faces! 

We’ve been able to make great progress on the mural that we are working on! Hannah came up with the design, and it is absolutely beautiful! Everyone at the school absolutely loves it! It was really beautiful to see the mural starting to come together and such an honor to see and work alongside Hannah and her beautiful artwork! -Jenna 

We are so excited and blessed to be here and will check back in soon!