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I remember when I interviewed for my job at PCL. Dr.Garmon showed me a video about Cambodia. At the time I had no idea where Cambodia was and (ashamedly) I knew nothing of their violent history or of the Khmer empire and the Angkor Watt temples. I had never really been interested in Asia but never one to say no to an opportunity to travel, after accepting the job, I anxiously awaited my first trip.

Almost 4 years later, I cannot believe how this tiny country literally on the other side of the world has become a second home to me. Now I live in this weird dichotomy, always missing wherever I'm not, always leaving a piece of me somewhere. This short trip has been especially challenging, saying hello and goodbye almost in the same breath.

I love being greeted by Rosita and Mony who work in our coffee shop with a "where you go" every time I walk in the door. I enjoy haggling with tuk tuk drivers over a $1 difference in fair, surprising women in the market with one of my 4 well-practiced Khmer phrases, promising Sine at the orphanage I'll learn more Khmer soon. I even find comfort in not always understanding what's going on around me, I've learned to enjoy the moments where I don't need to make conversation because no one would understand me anyway. I feel at home on the road where everything is new, unexpected and never as simple as it should be.

I know I'm where I'm supposed to be but sometimes I wish it were here.

Something New

I'm thinking about moving my blog here...

www.jennt.tumblr.com



Thoughts?

The boy who Harnessed the Wind

I love this book. It’s the story of William, a boy from Malawi Africa, who had a dream that was bigger than his circumstances. Armed with a borrowed book and without any formal education, William built a windmill out of trash that provided electricity for his small village. What struck me most about his story is his determination and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. William could have easily played the victim and simply took what life had handed him. However, he used what was available to him to make an amazing impact on not only his own life but on his entire village. I definitely teared up a couple of times. It also does a great job of explaining African culture inclduing their belief in magic and the fear they live in as a result. Its an incredible story.

Superbowl Sunday

If I was going to spend 2.5 million dollars on a thirty second Superbowl ad, I would use the time to remind all University of Tennessee football fans that a colts win does not in any way make the Volunteers a better college team.

But seriously, All politics aside, I agree with this guy:



www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/02/06/martin.tebow.superbowl.ad/index.html

30 and Single

I’m single and now officially “in my 30s.”

This is a fact I don’t regularly acknowledge outside of my circle of friends. Not because I’m ashamed, but because it inevitably seems to inspire pity from every hearer who does happen to be married. Would I like to be married? Absolutely, but I’m also pretty content with my current situation. I have a pretty full life with great friends and a wonderful job full of opportunities.

I know, I know. Thou doth protest too much. But seriously.

While I’m content with where I am right now, being single and 30 definitely has its share of challenges. I’ve shared this revelation a 100 times and every time I’ve been told that I need to write it so here it is:

Being single and 30 is like shopping in a GAP factory outlet.

“What!” you exclaim, Why ever would you say that?”

Ok baby bird; get ready because mama’s going to feed you.
*(Statements like that are probably why I remain single)

When I was about 22 years old, I went on a summer tour with a group called Master’s Commission. During this trip we visited various churches and camps and did skits and music and teachings blah blah blah. On the way home from one of the camps we stopped at the GAP factory store. I think it was in Virginia. Our leaders had been talking about this place for months. It seemed every time I complimented one of the older girls on her jeans or her sweater they would respond, “thank you. I bought it at the GAP outlet for $2.” Really. Every time. So on this fated summer day, our whole group of poor college students was buzzing with anticipation as we headed towards the legendary factory store.

We pulled into the gigantic parking lot were told we only had 1 hour before we had to get back on the road. Only one hour to spend what we expected to be the greatest store on earth?! We piled out of the 15 passenger van (I’ve spent more time than I care to discuss in 15 passenger vans) and sprinted to the store like we were on the game show Supermarket Sweep. Initially everything we had been told was true. They were racks of jeans for $8 and bins of items for $2 and then 50% off that! It was a dream come true….initially. The first pair of jeans I tried on had a huge hole in one of the belt loops. A sweater I pulled out of the $2 bin had a big tear in the underarm. There was a mismatched sock in the bin. I still have no idea why someone would buy a single sock. I guess a guy with just one leg might…but that’s a whole different story.

So, what began as the greatest shopping day of my life ended up being a bit of a disappointment as I discovered that every one of the items I had excitedly grabbed was there for a reason. Sure, a couple of my friends found some great items; however, I found nothing.

And this is why I compare single and 30 to a visit to the afore mentioned factory store. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have met a guy who seemed absolutely perfect for me and thought, “why in the world is this guy still single? He is amazing!” Only to discover a few weeks later that he has a weird obsession with Nickleback, or he refuses to do his own laundry or he’s an incredible narcissist. Like the $2 sweater in the bin, there is a reason he is there and upon discovering the truth, with a bit of disappointment, I am forced to put him back into the bin.

I understand that I am also still in the bin myself but I’m working on it :)

As an afterthought, I'd also like to point out that my lack of luck at the outlet didn't mean that there weren't good things available. I just didn't find them. I'm hopeful that there are still some great items out there, I'll just have to look a little longer. Or plan to visit the store on Tuesdays, when they put out the fresh stock.

The King sits with us

Julie, our Northern Cambodian director, sent me an email yesterday about a small village she visited for the first time. She said she spoke about Emmanuel, which in Cambodian translates to "the king sits with us" and what an amazing experience it was to have the king sit with them for a while in an obscure Cambodian village. This translation really resonated with me. For some reason, it seems so much more personal and so much more special that The King himself would take the time to sit with me and have a cup of coffee with no real agenda during the hectic holiday season.

Story

Now that I'm school free I've rediscovered the joy of reading for fun. Last Saturday morning, I woke up late after not setting an alarm (something I had not been free to do for literally months) and stayed in bed for a couple of hours reading. It was a perfect morning. It's amazing how much you appreciate something so simple when you've not been able to do it for so long.

I've been reading Donald Millers new book, "A million miles in a Thousand years."
Have you ever read a book and felt as if it found its way to your hands at exactly that moment in time by some sort of divine intervention. The words are just a bit too relevant, the story just a bit too telling.

Strumming my pain with his fingers,
telling my life with his words
killing me softly with his song.

Perhaps I'm being a bit over-dramatic (As I've mentioned before, I do have a certain flair for the dramatic) but there is really so much in this book that is inspiring and challenging me. It's about story, which is always a concept I've been facinated with. Everyone is living a story with the day to day of their lives, never really knowing what part of the story they are living or what our role contributes to another's story.

I think about people I've met, like a pastor in Ethiopia, who grew up in a poor village and couldn't afford to go to school. Completley illiterate at the age of 12,his older brother became a teacher in the city and finally came to get him so he could attend school. He cried the first time he had to ride in a car because he had never seen such a scary contraption and felt trapped inside of it. While attending high school in the city, he met a missonary couple who took an interest in him and he became a Christian. As a result, he was kicked out of his home and disowned by his family. However, he endured hard times and eventually was able to go to Europe to bible school. He returned to Ethiopia, stared a large chuch, was imprisioned for his faith, was miraculously released and joined the bible institue where he oversaw the translation of the bible into several tribal languages. Today he is responsible for literally thousands of students in rural schools. He wants to give these children something he never had, a chance at a brighter future. He has committed his life to this. He is one of the most amazing and inspring men I've ever had the pleasue to meet.

I feel that telling this story in such an abbreviated fashion is almost disrepectful; However, the part of the story that continues to fascinate me is the unnamed missionary couple who first took an interest in a young Ethiopian high school boy. I wonder if he still keeps in contact with them, I wish I would have asked. It is just as likely that he didn't and that is my point. These people had no idea the role they were playing in the story of his life. They may not know today that their obedience to go to Ethiopia, their choice to care for one young boy, continues to literally change the lives of thousands of children in that country.

There are many people that have played significant roles in my life and are probably completley unaware. I wonder if I've ever given that desperately needed encouragement or inpiration. I wonder if I've had the opportunity and missed it because I was focused on something more shallow or selfish. I want to commit to writing better stories with my life.

"A character is what he does...we can't just say it...we have to show it."

Much more on stories to come...I know my blog is bland and in desperate need of pictures. I'm working on it