There is a vast difference between what you think you will accomplish and what you actually accomplish, with free time. I am getting ahead of myself, though. It is Khmer New Year (or it was). I just finished an entire week off of school and ministry! I literally had no contact with Bykota House for an entire week, other than Facebook updates. Kels and I are still not completely moved in yet--there are still boxes unpacked and rooms unorganized. My plan was to hammer the whole house out this week. Monday, I got up normal time and began the work of deep cleaning and organizing and unpacking. I finished the bottom floor. It took the entire day--probably took longer, because I was being nit picky about arrangements of things and such, changing my mind fifty times before settling on something. At the end of the day, the bottom floor looked great. Clean, organized, spiffy. Here is where what I thought I would accomplished got derailed. I had told Abby about this week on Sunday. I said, "Hey. Do you wanna skip school next week and just stay at home and play. We could swim and play on the roof, and we could even watch movies every night if we wanted to." She was very excited about it. And you know what... that first day, we did none of those things. Abby and Lily played upstairs with their toys, while I cleaned. Abby begged to help, but after having her sweep the floor for an hour, I couldn't think of any other ways to get her involved. (Her time will come, because I grew up in a chore household, and we daily cleaned and did our part). The thing is, I for the most part ignored Abby and Lily all day. Lately, they have been at school, and then I see them for a brief period during lunch time (which I know a lot of dads do not get, so I am grateful), and then I go back to school. By the time I get home, we have started our dinner and bed time routines. I feel like I hardly spend any time with them anymore. And it hit me! I am wasting this whole week on cleaning and organizing!? I assumed that a week off school would be the perfect time to focus on our house, but I was wrong. It was the perfect time to focus on my girls. So, at the end of the week, I accomplished nothing that I set out to accomplish. You know what I did accomplish? I played dress up and dance party, had multiple fake meals prepared by none other than the great chef Abigail Roat and her assistant Lily Niet, played marbles, played cards (the girls did not like Uno), played chase me on the roof, and stayed up too late watching a movie on a few of those nights, too. We did our normal bed time routines and went out to eat at the place with "the broken toys" as Abby calls it (Fresh Pizza). You know what was great about this week? I never rushed anywhere. We had no where to be and nothing to do. When it took three hours to get our pizza, because I took the advice of a friend who said "Dude, it's two for one pizza at Fresh Pizza!" Everyone apparently knew about that... It didn't matter. The girls had fun playing with the toys, and I never looked at my watch and thought, "We have to get home for bedtime because ____." I think sometimes we get so caught up in our daily, busy routines that we forget to enjoy our kids. We take care of their needs, but we do not enjoy them. I picked Abby up from the top bunk, to get her up after nap time today, and she is sooooo stinkin big! She was Lily's size when she came, and Lily was a baby, just learned to walk, who hardly spoke at all. Now she keeps up with Abby (that is a feat). So to summarize this week: I got nothing off my list of things to do done, but I sure had a blast not doing those things! We definitely need to do this more often, and I am so grateful that my daughters still think it is cool to play make-believe with their daddy. Time to cherish that as long as it lasts! Until next time!
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
Hey! BECAUSE HE LIVES! HE IS RISEN! HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY EVERYONE!
April 20, 2014
April 12, 2014
House Tour
So Kelsi and I moved into a new apartment in mid March. Two days after, Wendell came for a visit--he wanted to see the girls, and Kelsi needed help flying to the states. He was so helpful, although he would say that he didn't do much. He spent most of the time with the girls, showing them some Papa love. He also put up multiple fans, which is good, because I am terrible with a power drill and concrete. Kelsi is in the states now, and I miss her like crazy--not to mention Melody. There is still a lot of work to do in the house. There is a room that is exactly the same as when we moved in, except the fan that Wendell mounted on the wall. I am excited, because we do not have school next week. My plan is to get the house in order, and Abby and Lily really want to help. I know that is going to be an adventure... what jobs can I give them to do... oh well, I am just glad that they want to work. We are going to clean and organize and make the house more like a home. I hope to get pictures up of our new house soon, but since I never actually did that in our last house, I will go ahead and give you a tour with my words. So here we go.
First imagine that it is very hot, and dusty, and you are riding in the back of a tuk tuk (google it, if you can't picture what a tuk tuk is) You pull up on a rocky road, and on your right is a three story bright green house, on the corner of a side street off the main street. It is not an attractive bright green, but rather an obnoxious t-shirt bright green. You walk in the double doors, which are glass. The front room has really tall ceilings (maybe twenty feet), and there is a window on what seems to be a middle level between the fist floor and the second floor. This first room is empty of everything but some tools and bicycles--you do not know it, but this is usually the parking area, even though it has tile floors. You walk through a door at the end of the room on the left, and you find yourself in a short hallway. On the right, almost immediately is a door. You open it and find a very small room, that has one window that allows you to see into the room from whence you came (the room with the bicycles). There is a bathroom on the left--across from the window. This room has been recently equipped with an air-conditioning (Thanks Wendell!), and I explain that it is our guest room, and possible intern room. At the moment, however, it has a table and chairs in it, because it also doubles as our dinning room, when we have no guests (which is quite frequently... come and visit us!!). We want to make use of that air-con, after all. As you continue down the hallway, you find yourself in the kitchen. It is a modest kitchen. One wall is counter top space in the shape of an L, and there is an electric oven, one two-burner, gas stove top, and a sink at the bottom of the L. There are cabinets along the counter, and a brand new light on the bottom of them to illuminate the stove top (Again, thanks Wendell!) Across from the stove top is the refrigerator and a cabinet of food. Oh, and there is another bathroom in the kitchen--but I have no idea why... Behind the refrigerator is the stairwell, and you can't help but go up the stairs. You find yourself not on the second floor, but on some middle floor. There is a bedroom on the right and on the left--the only thing that separates them is the short turn around to go up the next flight of stairs. The bedroom on the right, is much larger and is our master bedroom. It has a gigantic window that over looks the bicycle room--this is the window you saw when you entered the house the first time. I will not describe to you the lay out of the room's furniture, because it will most likely change. There is also an air-con in this room, and a bathroom. All the bathrooms in the house are equipped with a shower, and a sink--although the sink is not hooked into any pipes for the water to leave in, so the water just pours out all over the floor, but I tell you I still like spitting into a sink after I brush my teeth! Also, the bathroom is not how you would have picture it. The shower and the toilet are not separated by anything. The bathroom is all one room and when you have finished your shower or washed your hands, the floor is soaked. You will most likely get your briefs wet, if you sit down to use the toilet, and you have to remove your shoes every time you enter, so as to not track mud all through the house and get the bathroom floor dirty--I explain that this is all part of living in Cambodia. All of the baby things are in this master bedroom room--the crib, changing table, ect... Across the "hall" is the room on the left, and it is really small, with no bathroom. I tell you that it is meant to be the sewing/craft room, because my wife is crafty (I wink and nudge you) (However, at the moment, it is the room that I previously mentioned that has not changed since we moved... full of boxes and a lonely sewing machine in the corner). You notice that this room has two windows that create a great breeze through the room. You go up the stairs to the second floor. On the right you see a room that is oddly shaped and has a random square support pole in the middle of it, which is really inconveniently placed, and is also attached to an L shaped rise in the floor... like six inches tall! I tell you that this is the girls room. (Side note: it has mosquito netted slides over the windows on the inside, on both the windows, because there were only two tracks in the window. Wendell paid to have them put in, thanks Wendell! I realize that was not a very vivid description, but they are awesome and worth mentioning, as they keep my beloved daughters from getting dengue fever). You notice the girls' bunk bed, and that it barely fits in their narrow room. They also have a reading nook on the L shaped lifted floor area. I tell you that it was all Kelsi's idea. You also notice that the girls have no toys in this room. Across the way from this bedroom, you see another bathroom. This one does not have a normal toilet in it--it has a squaty potty (google it). Because of this fact, you find a clothes washing machine sitting where you would do your "business" (but not a dryer, because they do not sell them nor need them in Cambodia). The exiting water tube is sticking into the squaty potty hole--I say, "because we are resourceful like that (and wink at you again... really need to stop winking at people)." This bathroom also has all of our cleaning supplies on a shelf in it. To the left of the bathroom and also across from the girls' room you find a really cool room. It has fairly tall ceilings and a ceiling fan, a wall mounted fan, and a stand fan--you notice lots of air movement. There are also some glass double doors leading out to an amazing balcony. In this room, you will find our TV mounted on the wall--I explain to you that missionaries watch TV, too. You are amazed, because your assumption was that missionaries just sit around reading their Bible and praying, unless they are sharing the Gospel, of course. You also find all the girls' toys organized and on shelves, and all my recording and music equipment. I explain to It is my favorite room of the house, and not because it has the TV in it (and I wink again...sigh) (It is my favorite room, because I can work on music, and the girls can play, and we can just be together. It is our family room--we didn't have one in our other house). Out onto the balcony you walk, and you find small table with three chairs around it. I explain that there used to be four chairs, but during the move one mysteriously disappeared... I also say that this is where I have my morning coffee and devotional time, but this is a lie, because although I have planned for it to be used for that purpose, I have yet to sit out there in the morning. You find another stairwell. This one goes up to a covered roof. It is as long as the house, which is very long, because that is the Cambodian way--they build tall and long houses. This is where the girls run and ride bikes. There is a wonderful view of the surrounding area, a metal railing around the whole roof. There is also counter space and Cambodian style ceramic coal powered stove tops. I explain that in Cambodia, most people put their kitchen on the roof, and you are stunned and think what a great idea that is because the heat of baking and cooking would just drift with the wind. Kelsi explains that it is not a good idea, because the dust is terrible, and you would have to walk up and down the stairs while you were cooking. You reconsider your previous thought of it being great. And our tour is at an end. You are out of breath, from climbing all the stairs, and you are thankful that our guest bedroom and the kitchen are on the bottom floor, so you don't have to climb stairs to get to your room or eat.
If you can not picture our house, I apologize that you have no imagination... just kidding. I will try to get some pictures up as soon as I get this house in order next week! Praise God for this house, and thank you to everyone who prays for us and supports us financially. You are such a blessing to our lives.
BecauseHeLives,
The Bergens.
First imagine that it is very hot, and dusty, and you are riding in the back of a tuk tuk (google it, if you can't picture what a tuk tuk is) You pull up on a rocky road, and on your right is a three story bright green house, on the corner of a side street off the main street. It is not an attractive bright green, but rather an obnoxious t-shirt bright green. You walk in the double doors, which are glass. The front room has really tall ceilings (maybe twenty feet), and there is a window on what seems to be a middle level between the fist floor and the second floor. This first room is empty of everything but some tools and bicycles--you do not know it, but this is usually the parking area, even though it has tile floors. You walk through a door at the end of the room on the left, and you find yourself in a short hallway. On the right, almost immediately is a door. You open it and find a very small room, that has one window that allows you to see into the room from whence you came (the room with the bicycles). There is a bathroom on the left--across from the window. This room has been recently equipped with an air-conditioning (Thanks Wendell!), and I explain that it is our guest room, and possible intern room. At the moment, however, it has a table and chairs in it, because it also doubles as our dinning room, when we have no guests (which is quite frequently... come and visit us!!). We want to make use of that air-con, after all. As you continue down the hallway, you find yourself in the kitchen. It is a modest kitchen. One wall is counter top space in the shape of an L, and there is an electric oven, one two-burner, gas stove top, and a sink at the bottom of the L. There are cabinets along the counter, and a brand new light on the bottom of them to illuminate the stove top (Again, thanks Wendell!) Across from the stove top is the refrigerator and a cabinet of food. Oh, and there is another bathroom in the kitchen--but I have no idea why... Behind the refrigerator is the stairwell, and you can't help but go up the stairs. You find yourself not on the second floor, but on some middle floor. There is a bedroom on the right and on the left--the only thing that separates them is the short turn around to go up the next flight of stairs. The bedroom on the right, is much larger and is our master bedroom. It has a gigantic window that over looks the bicycle room--this is the window you saw when you entered the house the first time. I will not describe to you the lay out of the room's furniture, because it will most likely change. There is also an air-con in this room, and a bathroom. All the bathrooms in the house are equipped with a shower, and a sink--although the sink is not hooked into any pipes for the water to leave in, so the water just pours out all over the floor, but I tell you I still like spitting into a sink after I brush my teeth! Also, the bathroom is not how you would have picture it. The shower and the toilet are not separated by anything. The bathroom is all one room and when you have finished your shower or washed your hands, the floor is soaked. You will most likely get your briefs wet, if you sit down to use the toilet, and you have to remove your shoes every time you enter, so as to not track mud all through the house and get the bathroom floor dirty--I explain that this is all part of living in Cambodia. All of the baby things are in this master bedroom room--the crib, changing table, ect... Across the "hall" is the room on the left, and it is really small, with no bathroom. I tell you that it is meant to be the sewing/craft room, because my wife is crafty (I wink and nudge you) (However, at the moment, it is the room that I previously mentioned that has not changed since we moved... full of boxes and a lonely sewing machine in the corner). You notice that this room has two windows that create a great breeze through the room. You go up the stairs to the second floor. On the right you see a room that is oddly shaped and has a random square support pole in the middle of it, which is really inconveniently placed, and is also attached to an L shaped rise in the floor... like six inches tall! I tell you that this is the girls room. (Side note: it has mosquito netted slides over the windows on the inside, on both the windows, because there were only two tracks in the window. Wendell paid to have them put in, thanks Wendell! I realize that was not a very vivid description, but they are awesome and worth mentioning, as they keep my beloved daughters from getting dengue fever). You notice the girls' bunk bed, and that it barely fits in their narrow room. They also have a reading nook on the L shaped lifted floor area. I tell you that it was all Kelsi's idea. You also notice that the girls have no toys in this room. Across the way from this bedroom, you see another bathroom. This one does not have a normal toilet in it--it has a squaty potty (google it). Because of this fact, you find a clothes washing machine sitting where you would do your "business" (but not a dryer, because they do not sell them nor need them in Cambodia). The exiting water tube is sticking into the squaty potty hole--I say, "because we are resourceful like that (and wink at you again... really need to stop winking at people)." This bathroom also has all of our cleaning supplies on a shelf in it. To the left of the bathroom and also across from the girls' room you find a really cool room. It has fairly tall ceilings and a ceiling fan, a wall mounted fan, and a stand fan--you notice lots of air movement. There are also some glass double doors leading out to an amazing balcony. In this room, you will find our TV mounted on the wall--I explain to you that missionaries watch TV, too. You are amazed, because your assumption was that missionaries just sit around reading their Bible and praying, unless they are sharing the Gospel, of course. You also find all the girls' toys organized and on shelves, and all my recording and music equipment. I explain to It is my favorite room of the house, and not because it has the TV in it (and I wink again...sigh) (It is my favorite room, because I can work on music, and the girls can play, and we can just be together. It is our family room--we didn't have one in our other house). Out onto the balcony you walk, and you find small table with three chairs around it. I explain that there used to be four chairs, but during the move one mysteriously disappeared... I also say that this is where I have my morning coffee and devotional time, but this is a lie, because although I have planned for it to be used for that purpose, I have yet to sit out there in the morning. You find another stairwell. This one goes up to a covered roof. It is as long as the house, which is very long, because that is the Cambodian way--they build tall and long houses. This is where the girls run and ride bikes. There is a wonderful view of the surrounding area, a metal railing around the whole roof. There is also counter space and Cambodian style ceramic coal powered stove tops. I explain that in Cambodia, most people put their kitchen on the roof, and you are stunned and think what a great idea that is because the heat of baking and cooking would just drift with the wind. Kelsi explains that it is not a good idea, because the dust is terrible, and you would have to walk up and down the stairs while you were cooking. You reconsider your previous thought of it being great. And our tour is at an end. You are out of breath, from climbing all the stairs, and you are thankful that our guest bedroom and the kitchen are on the bottom floor, so you don't have to climb stairs to get to your room or eat.
If you can not picture our house, I apologize that you have no imagination... just kidding. I will try to get some pictures up as soon as I get this house in order next week! Praise God for this house, and thank you to everyone who prays for us and supports us financially. You are such a blessing to our lives.
BecauseHeLives,
The Bergens.
April 1, 2014
Always be Joyful? Moto Accident
After Kelsi had Meldoy, our daily routine changed a bit. As most of you know, I ride a bike to school, with two child seats on it for Abby and Lily. Before, I would ride my bike in the morning, and then we would all have lunch at school. We would return home at the end of the day (4:00 PM)--Two trips a day. A friend mentioned that she felt she was playing the numbers, and expected to eventually get hit while riding her bike. I completely agree with that. Recently, I doubled my chances of getting hit, because I now ride to school in the morning, come home for lunch, then go back to school at one, and then return at four-and our new house is a little bit further away. I am enjoying the exercise and the time on the bike.
The other day, I wrote a new memory verse song for the kids at School of the Nations (we will have a a memory verse song album out eventually). I introduced it, and it was catchy. It is based on Philippians 4:4 "Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful." I made a point to the kids that even when bad things happen to us, we can still be joyful, because joy and hope are based not on our emotions or things that happen around us, but on the truth of God's word and His promises. So it is the afternoon, I have already brought the girls home from pre-school and lunch--they are safe at home taking a nap. I get on my bike and start singing, "Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord! I will say it again, I will say it again! Be JOYFUL! Be Joyful, my friend! And when you're sad, you should pray, and when you're glad, sing songs of praise. And know that, one day He will come back, and all wrongs will be right again!" BAM! At this point, as I am thinking and meditating on how God works in all situations and that I don't have to worry or lose hope, because He can use any situation for my benefit, I get hit by a moto flying down the road, while the rest of traffic was completely stopped. I being on a bike am able to weave in and out of the stopped cars, and so is this moto. As I am crossing the street, he side swiped my back tire, after passing a stopped car. I saw him coming in my peripheral, and braced myself. Because I did not have the girls with me, I ditched my bike and let it slide out from under me, and then I slid for a couple feet. As I am standing up and dragging my bike out of traffic (the back tire was completely bent), I just began praising God and saying, "Thank you God that the girls were not with me." I ended up with a few scrapes and a sore ankle, but I am already fully recovered. And I now am even more careful on my bike than before. I am also reminded that we have a choice in bad times to either praise God for being good, or to lay our burdens on Him in prayer. Did God hit me with that moto? No, of course not. He allowed it, to grow my faith and maybe, just maybe, it was my fault that I got hit. In the manual for riding a bike in Phnom Penh, it says to get off your bike to cross busy streets, and I ignored that commandment, so of course, I faced the consequence. Is it God's fault when we are hurt after we disobey Him? In either case, we all have a choice, when bad thigns happen to either pray or praise God for the good in the situation. In my case, I chose to sing songs of praise, but if you are in a place in which that is difficult, the Bible is clear on what to do: "Is anyone sad among you, let him pray" - James 5:13. Lay it on God and take up the joy that His promises never fail, and one day, all things will be made right again.
And that is the story of how I got hit by a moto for the first time... I am sure that it will probably happen again, so please continue to pray for the protection of my girls and our family, as we navigate the craziness that is the Cambodian roadway :)
BecauseHeLives,
Micah.
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