Lily Building a Puzzle

Party Outside

Here is a video of an occurrence from the other night...

Days of the Week and Months

Kelsi taught the boys about days of the week and months today, and let them do the teaching. They spent some time teaching her the Khmer for Sunday - Saturday and January, February, and March. They were very excited to be the teacher.
Here are some pictures!

Potty Training - Cambodian Style

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to take a moment and mention one of the things that you would notice, if you were to come to Cambodia. Kelsi and I refer to it as NBS... or Naked Baby Syndrome. As you drive around in the tuk tuk, you will pass countless babies to young toddlers all with no pants on--and some just completely naked. At first glance you think, "these poor people don't have enough money to buy their children clothes!" But then you realize that they are simply genius parents taking advantage of Cambodian carpentry and architecture. The floors are all tile... everywhere you look, tile floor. So from the moment the baby reaches one and half to two years old, the mom simply carries him or her around stark naked, and when the baby starts to pee, you rush them over to the spot you want them to go, and they learn where they are supposed to go to the bathroom. Abby is was three when she arrived, and she was completely and totally potty trained. We are now attempting to potty train Lily, and it is a challenge. Just today, I put her on the potty, she did nothing, and the minute I put her big girl pants on again, she peed : / we're learning. I find that the Cambodian people have a much simpler potty training method, but I understand Kelsi's concern with having our daughter walking around without pants on... Anyways, I thought this fun fact about Cambodian Potty training might interest you guys. That's all for now :)
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Hey everyone, it is Chinese New Year, and in Cambodia, that is a big deal. In Phnom Penh, Chinese New Year represents a time to appease those that have passed and enhance your own Karma. The people have fires all over the place, and they burn money and toy cars, and even small doll houses, in order to pass them on to their relatives... While Kelsi and I were out today, we started seeing the fires all over the place, so we decided to video for five minute and see how many we could spot. Of course, as soon as we started the camera, they all disappeared--except for the twelve that we spotted. I through in a Khmer song entitled "Chinese New Year: Khmer Version." I say it in the video, but enjoy a tuk tuk ride with the Bergens, and enjoy the sweet sounds of Cambodia (and be grateful for not having the smells or heat ;) I apologize for the shakiness of the video... I filmed it in the back of a tuk tuk, and those babies don't have shocks! Enjoy! :)

BecuaseHeLives,

Micah and Kelsi :)

Cooking Friday

Hey everyone, something interesting that happens every Friday during School of the Nations classes is a cooking class with Kelsi. I decided to take some pictures for you of today's lesson. I did not get the in progress, so you will have to imagine the piles of onions, peppers, and pork loin. The kids made omelets in plastic bags. They put all the ingredients into the bag and then put the bags into a pot of boiling water: end result, bag of omelet. Super easy and super fun!

Yummy!

How Much Money is This!?

Kelsi was working on the budget tonight, and I thought of a great blog video idea. Yet again, Kelsi's lovely face is missing from the video... Hope you guys enjoy, and remember to email me with your answer for a chance to win a prize from Cambodia!

Updated February 8, 2013:

I am adding a picture of the pile of money, with a hint.

This is a stack of 100 and 500 Riels. Cambodian currency is LESS valuable than United States currency.

But how much less, is the question.... :) Happy guessing. I will not wait much longer before revealing the prize. Take a guess... You could win a prize! 

Pictures from the Zoo and Baby Gates

So I said that I would post these pictures of the zoo and of Wendell working on the baby gates with the older boys... here they are:

After this, Kelsi made some cloth covers to pull over the top, and they work like a charm. Keep Lily from climbing the stairs, while I am teaching, and keep the dogs from free roaming up the stairs as they please.

In Cambodia, you can never find exactly what you need. We had to improvise with this bottom piece. Drills were involved, and we weren't hurt!

The boys with Wendell, and the final product.

Proud of their accomplishment. Also, we worked out the math. It cost us around nine dollars to make these--plus a few hours of labor. We could easily sell these for thirty bucks. All of the foreigner families in Cambodia would jump at a baby  gate, because of all the stairs! Thinking of a small business idea for the boys to manage. 

Now for pictures of the zoo!

All of these pictures were taken, before we realized that you actually walked with the deer through the zoo...

And this little guy snuck up on me... I about punched him in the face. Good thing I was holding Abby... not sure I would have won that battle, even with his lack of antlers.

Lily looking at the birds... really big birds.

Do you see the crocodile? It is the green thing next to the water!--I said this to Abby like ten times, and she just kept saying, "no. I don't see it. Maybe later." I couldn't believe how hard it was for her to see it, until Kels mentioned that she didn't really know what she was looking for...

And it is a white squirrel... Cambodians are amazed by squirrels, because they aren't everywhere, like in Missouri. 

This is Lily looking at some crocodiles... or a turtle. I don'r remember exactly... 

Rhonda does not like the fact that the deer invade your personal space.

"Hey Abby! Look over here for a picture with the squirrel thing!" Abby's face is so unenthusiastic. 

Docile deer... they walk up to you!!

Grandpa time, the night the Teagardens left Cambodia.

The boys built the last baby gate by themselves... and they did an amazing job! (sorry this picture is at the bottom. Sometimes, the trouble of making it perfect is not worth it)

Electrician Day

Mark had noticed that we had some electrical things needing done around the house, so he called our handy man. But he also thought that this was the perfect opportunity for the boys to learn some useful skills. So they have been helping him with the projects since two o'clock. They are fixing three lamps that needed re-wiring, fixing a light in the office that was broken (I don't know why), and installing an electrical outlet box on the roof, so Kels and I can have a fan next to our table up there. It is really nice to sit and relax on the roof, while the girls play, and having air movement is even better! Here are some pictures of the project.

Some things that I love about Cambodia :)

The following are some pictures that I have taken this week of things that I found to be interesting in Cambodia.

This is on a package of cookies brought from America. I find the first instructions to be very difficult in Cambodia: "Keep cool and dry place" :) yeah right! When I find that place, I will ask to be placed there, and there will be no room for cookies :)

At restaurants, they serve with your tea a cup of liquid sugar. It stirs into your drink much easier than dry, and you don't have to tear open all those stupid little packages. Kudos to Cambodia for using a more superior sugar system than America!

I just recently bought a guitar (with my Christmas money :) It was a Yamaha Acoustic electric, with built in tuner, and a plug for XLR and quarter inch plug. Great sound! I bought two replacement tuning keys (just in case) and a strap with real leather ends, and a back up set of strings... total cost: $160. This beautiful Gibson Les Paul was hanging in the window, and I just was curious, so I asked... total cost: $240. Crazy thing is, the little plastic plugs that you need for holding the strings in place at the bottom of the guitar (you know, the ones that most guitar stores give you for free) cost me fifty cents each! What I have found is that the guitar itself is super cheap, but the parts are incredibly expensive.

Well, that is all I wanted to post. Just thought you might find these things interesting. I will try to keep taking pictures, as I find interesting things. I will post more next week, or sooner! Until next time!
Micah and Kelsi.

Rest

Hey Everyone,

There was a guest speaker at our church yesterday, and he was preaching from Hebrews chapter three and four--focusing on the idea of the Sabbath rest. He made some really good points, and I wanted to share it with you. It is pertinent to our work in Cambodia, and I will explain after I give you the highlights of what he said. There are three things that help us to understand biblical rest: God's example in Genesis, a proper self image, and keeping it holy.  Firstly, when someone says that they have taken a Sabbath or a rest day, what they usually mean is that they took off work. God's example in Genesis agrees with this thought, because on the seventh day, He stopped working. However, the answer to the question of why you took of work is what normally differs. "I was so stressed from work." "I couldn't work any longer, because I was so worn out." "I needed a break." When we say these things, we are implying that a Sabbath day is necessary, because we will burn out if we don't stop for a breath. But this is not what God did on the very first Sabbath... He did not come to day seven and say, ""Man! I am so tired from all the work I have just done... I'm gonna have to stop for a minute, or I am just going to collapse." God took a Sabbath because His work was complete, and He was SATISFIED. So some might say, "well, my work is never complete! I can never get something the way I want it."or "I can't stop working, because, if I don't do it, no one will." We have a hard time being satisfied with the work we have accomplished in a week. This is where a proper self image is necessary. Just as God disciplined Elijah when he said the words "I'm the only one left" so He longs to tell us, "You are not the only one! If you would only trust Me, there is someone else willing to step into that role." Although I believe that many people do not use their gifts for the edification of other believers enough, it does not give me the right to say that I am the only one working, because God is on His throne and will work in the hearts of those He pleases. The director of the BSU that I was involved in (when I was in college) gave me some great words. When I explained that I could no longer lead the worship on Tuesday nights, he said, "Life goes on, the world will keep spinning, and we will continue to worship God, even if Micah Bergen is not on stage on Tuesday nights." And after I left, just that happened. There was someone to lead the worship, and everything is still happening on Tuesday nights. God calls us to obedience. If God has given you a task, and you have accomplished it, be satisfied and rest--don't continue to work on something else, just because someone lays guilt on you, or because your pride tells you that you haven't done enough. Some may say that you are not a "go getter" but we are not men pleasers. We do not do what we do for the glory of men, but for the glory of God. And if God has given you a task, and you are obedient, REST in satisfaction. Lastly, I should like to explain something that is the most important aspect of rest. God says to keep the Sabbath holy. Holy can mean set apart, and it can also be used to describe an attribute of focusing on God. Some try to say that their Sabbath was spent doing this or that, and in no way did they draw nearer to God. Is this truly rest? Is this really a Sabbath? Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Rest cannot be found outside of Christ. Sure, you may not work, but you cannot rest your soul without Christ--just as you can have lack of war but no peace, without Christ. God says to take a day and not work, and simply focus on Him. When we do this, we find true rest. Now to apply this to our work here in Cambodia. I have found that a lot of missionaries will ignore God's command to rest, and say that they are an exception, because God has so much work for them to do. I have gotten caught up in this mind set, and have found myself exhausted. We are all commanded to take one day a week and rest, not out of physical exhaustion, but out of satisfaction that we have been obedient to everything that God has called us to do that week. We can sit in His presence and feel His rest come upon us. We can pray that He will give us guidance on what to do in the week to follow. And at the end of that week, we can look back and see all that God has done, and be satisfied once again. We can even have rest nightly. In Hebrew culture, the day begins at midnight. We go through our nights sleep and God is preparing us the whole time for the morning's work. This changes the way in which we see our day to day: God is our strength, and has already begun to work in us before we have even opened our eyes. Under His strength and rest, we begin again. I am now going to start my day (going to sleep), and I know that God will begin to strengthen me for the work He has for me to do. In the morning, I will be obedient to His leading, and at the end of my day, I will spend time in His presence in satisfaction that my work for that day is completed, and I have been obedient to a wonderful Lord of my soul. Leaving phrase: "Our rest comes from connecting with God and being obedient to His calling." Good night, everyone.

BecauseHeLives,

Micah.