Rabbit Island

We woke up this morning to a normal alarm!!  Although I did miss our friendly rooster :)  We headed out to Rabbit Island with the Carsons.  This is one of the orphanage kids favorite places!  When they heard we were going they all told us of the fun times they had there in the spring.  Kit and Ream take them on one local-type trip each year for vacation.  This year they got to stay 4 days which is a day longer than last time.

We had our breakfast and then took the tuk tuk out to the dock to get on the boats for the Island.

These were the boats that we took and the picture does not do it justice on how rocky the waves were!  The boat was tipping side to side all the way to the top of the sides.  I did have second thoughts on getting on.  I said a quick prayer for protection and want to thank the good Lord for answering and getting us back safely!  About mid trip the captain of the ship came up to talk to Ream and no one was left driving (they only had one worker running them)!  He did this twice on the way to the island.  The spray from the waves got us soaked and we did a beach landing that finished off both my boys tennis shoes.  We told the kids this was just like the amusement park water rides, just without the safety :)  The waves I would gauge were almost 4 feet at points in the middle of the gulf.  Thankfully I had passed out the Bonine so we didn't loose our buffet breakfast in the gulf!

When we arrived it felt like Gilligan's Island!  There were thatched roofs and stick fences.  Open huts for food with tables under the trees near the edge of the beach.  The kids camped here in the spring in little huts on stilts for the flooding.  And of course there were chickens and dogs running all over.  They are on every street, playground, market, etc in Cambodia.  We walked down to a wonderful spot near a pier and got a little hut for the day so we could change into our swim suits and shower when done.  They were extremely primitive but did have the cold water for showers and squatty potties.

There were coconuts everywhere so the kids got a couple and played football in the water with them.

This is a view from the pier back to where we were sitting on the island.  Another thing that Ream brought up was that she and Kit are looking to find another couple to take over the orphanage so they can focus on the school.  They would still live at the orphanage and supervise the new couple but it would give them a break on their duties.  The orphanage is running well and as with anything, it needs tending to but it's in a good stable place.  They have great vision for the school so this would free them up for their family and the school issues.  There is a couple in Missouri that might be interested.  Please keep this in your prayers for Kit and Ream.

There were wooden platforms all over the beach where you put your things and sat.  I loved this idea because not only did it keep the chickens and dogs out of your things but the sand bugs too!  We ordered french fries at the little hut near our rented hut and they were actually very good!  They serve them plain with a dish of salt to dip them in.

Grace posing with the coconut football.  We had to tell her we couldn't bring that home.

Alfven and Joseph resting up from the journey.  It was a most beautiful and relaxing place!

Anna liked climbing the tree but I think fear got the best of her :)

Benjamin has learned the art of sleeping anywhere and everywhere!  He takes after his Opa :)  This was the hammock on our little hut porch.  Grace now wants a hammock for her next birthday!

We ate lunch right on the beach at a wonderful spot that Kit and Ream had eaten at when they brought the orphanage.  The orphanage kids ate back at the camp that night and the Carsons came up here.  It was very good food and again at an amazingly low price.  The fried shrimp platter that had a mountain of shrimp that couldn't even be finished by some of my kids was only $4.!  It came out and a lot of other people eating got all excited when they looked at it and asked for it.  There were a lot of caucasians on vacation on Rabbit Island.

 Ream and I sat and talked for a while several times while Ada played or slept.  She told me that she went to school through the 5th grade then went to work.  She got a job at one point helping children from Cambodia be adopted into international families.  She was blessed, and the family also to be able to see some of the children she helped to place in homes in Hawaii one year.  She has always had a heart for the orphans and children and she is so very good at what she does.  They really do put the kids interests first when making decisions for them.  It certainly doesn't come without it's heartache but I know she pleases her Heavenly Father!!

Ream was telling me that their official director on the NGO paperwork here is actually their pastor back at Calvary Chapel Fallbrook in CA.  They also have a board of directors that help them stay accountable and that Kit is the deputy director.  She said she has seen many people come with good intentions to help the kids and then the power corrupts.  She said we are all only human which is so true!  We love that they are smart about what they do.  Kit and Ream say that there are always and will always be monetary needs.  Which is very true.  They get some support from their church and some from others who get connected and give.  Right now they are looking to build an office for outside the church/school to make it more accessible to the people and give more class space in the main building for the new students.  She said it would be about 5K for the whole project.  And they also have the kids sponsored.  The sponsorship is $55 a month and then $10 at birthday and $10 at Christmas.  This is more than the Compassion International sponsorship.  The kids also get $1 a month for allowance which I think is a great idea!  Some of these trips we've been on like the zoo or mountain the kids have had some money in their pocket.  What is so very sweet about it is that they are always sharing or buying for others.

And you have to love God's timing!  While we are here we've been checking e-mail.  We got two messages from readable voicemail.  Apparently one of our sponsored children from  Compassion International is not with the program any more.  I am in the process of contacting Mary at Calvary Chapel Fallbrook to see which of these kids still need a sponsor.  Kit said there are still a few.  How fun to know and spend a little extra time with our sponsored child.  I pray the timing works out because of the time difference we are starting to run out of days.

Ream and I shared a laugh with each other about our lack of faith sometimes and God's faithfulness.  She was saying that she gets all worked up and nervous when they know they need something and they don't have the money at all for it and they don't k now where it will come from.  She was saying that after all the Lord has done and provided and come through at the right time she still gets nervous sometimes.  I admitted that I did that with this trip.  I knew the Lord was putting this in front of our family to do but we had no idea how we were going to pay for it.  And the time was passing and we were getting ready and I was getting nervous.  I would read and pray "Cast all your anxiety on the Lord because He cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7 but I would still keep them as my own.  Finally 10 days before we were to leave He provided!  Abundantly!  I think I traversed this better with our adoption journey for Anna (Alfven said I did).  We started that with hardly anything in the bank and the Lord provided and we didn't need to borrow for it.  I know He can do it!  I know He's done it before for us!  But for some reason this was a stumbling point for me.

After some great talking and sharing all the Uys went with Kit for a jungle hike to the tip of the island.  I can say it was a jungle hike!  Anna and I wound up behind and were by ourselves for a bit.  I just let Anna talk and ramble (which she does all the time :) so that it would scare any snakes away.

It was very pretty!  We hit a section that was the same sort of sand beach but with more shells.

Then we passed a mangrove and hit a section that was made from smooth clay and ash rocks.  We enjoyed collecting and seeing the various shapes.  Kit found a sand dollar and there were live clams and snails.

The water was a bit calmer in one section so it was a clear for washing off in.

Then we headed back down the muddy path to the original beach area.  On the way I broke my flip-flop by sliding my foot in the mud.  It wasn't the kind you could fix so I went barefoot.

Once we got back to the beach we had been at we cleaned up, changed and gathered our things for the jungle hike across the island to catch the boat.  Now I've been hiking barefoot in Cambodia!  But that wasn't really on my bucket list :)

Getting in was much easier and less exciting than at the dock although there was a lot of gasoline floating on the water.  So Kit said "No one light a match!" :)

After we got back we all took showers because we were muddy and wet from the day's adventures.  All the kids take their showers first and I was so looking forward to a warm shower.  Mine was cold but still good.  Alfven went after me and I had commented on the cold shower.  He said that my shower was cold because I hadn't turned on the hot water heater!!  I was totally bummed!  And all the kids had cold showers but we were so used to it no one said anything :)  I am now wearing the hotel's flip flops for the rest of the trip.

We headed out after dark in the tuk tuks and found a little French restaurant that served some good pizza!  We enjoyed that!