More than enough.

One might argue that home is an important place to have.

I would tend to agree.

This weekend we went to Siem Reap, a province in northern Cambodia. The home of Angkor Wat. Which was AMAZING. Well worth the $20.

We stayed at the orphanage, Wat Prey Esu which means The temple of Jesus. It was an inspiring time. The missionaries are dedicated and it was amazing to watch. They live without electricity, running water, and even real toilets. I loved the way their school life and home life mixed by living right there. We slept on the porch of our house, and took showers outside by pumping our own water. I could go on and on about how the orphanage was amazing, and the people running it were people of God. Serving with such faith I was blown away.

But all weekend I was a little homesick. Not homesick for Walla Walla, or Oregon. Homesick for Phnom Penh. A break from the city was good, and I'm all for adventure, but when the bus crossed the bridge back into Phnom Penh I felt relief. We stepped off the bus into hot, stinky, wonderful Phnom Penh. We got a tuk tuk to bring us to the mission. I directed him in using Khmer words and when we reached home asked if I spoke Khmer? I told him in Khmer, a little. It was an exciting moment.

We walked upstairs and we're greeted by Alia and Akrom, our Pakistani neighbors, with hugs and water and lots of "we missed yous!" Alia told us it has taken a while, Olga and I were a little quiet in the beginning, but we've become their family, and they ours. A little while after we got home Alia came up with chai and food. Feels good.

I went to the market to buy fruit. The bread man, who in my head I call Frank, waved at me, and I waved back. I stopped at the corn lady, in my head she is Marggie, and she greeted me like I was her long lost child. After asking how I was she began to speak very quickly in Khmer. I told her I don't speak very much! She shook her head fervently and said in Khmer, no no! Your Khmer is good! She continued talking and laughing and I laughed when she laughed and nodded emphatically when it seemed appropriate. I got on my bike and said in Khmer, see you later! And she smiled and waved.

After dropping things off at the apartment, and the guard laughing at me for semi-running in the wall on my way in. I ran to school to get work and say hi to my kids. My ESL kids saw me and ran over and providing me with hugs and Kynom nok nea! [I missed you!]. Nothing feels quite so good.

This is home. I feel such deep contentedness I can't even put it into words. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my kids and my job. I love the people that live on the mission.

And I love Olga. We're sitting on the couch listening to hymns and laughing about how we've been listening to the same five or six songs all night.

I feared complete surrender to God when I began my time here. I was afraid of what it would take. But I gave in, and nothing has ever tasted so sweet. God has provided me with not a house but a home. He has provided me not with friends, but with family.

Life is excellent. The feeling of home is wonderful.

God is amazing.

"Oh God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more."