Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/19/2012
It is odd to think about what is normal when you are on The World Race and how you will ever return to normal. The World Race will end for us all 3 weeks from today. We are down to 21 days left and I can't quite wrap my mind on how I will go back to "normal" life. What is normal anyway?
Today we started out heading to the middle of nowhere to do a Saturday morning kids program with some children from a church that lost its pastor. Glen and Grace the owners of Mt. Moriah (the camp we are working at this month), own land nearby and so they have made it a priority to go each Saturday.
We set out in this giant stretch jeep. We heard one time they put 99 kids in it. We only had about 20 adults. We had to stop by the hospital as a couple of people from the other team we are with and a squad leader have typhoid and so have been staying there the last few days. Yep, typhoid is normal???
From there, we drove through the amazingly gorgeous countryside, bumping along rutted dirt roads that were nearly washed out from the rain that seems to be an every afternoon occurrence. We arrived to 20 children waiting for the program. We sang and had a skit, told a Bible story and did some scripture memory before sending this children on their way until next Saturday.
We headed over to a nearby house where we had lunch and hung out for a while. As we finished, they asked if we all wanted to ride the water buffalo. Why not? I was given the rop attached to the ring in its nose and nearly fell off. It is a bit hard to ride a water buffalo with no saddle. It is super wiggly and not real secure. I managed to stay on and have now ridden an elephant and a water buffalo on The Race.
From there, we climbed back in the Jeepny and headed for home. On the way, we stopped by this giant freshwater spring. They had failed to mention a swimming opportunity, but we were hot and the water was very inviting so a few of us jumped in fully clothed. Some day I might grow up.
We then came back to town and got caught in a rain storm. I just got wet a bit earlier than everyone else:)
Now we did some grocery shopping as we will cook for ourselves tomorrow before heading to dinner to eat some Philippino street food and then home to bed.
Riding a water buffalo, swimming in a freshwater spring.... just another "normal" day:)
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/18/2012
I learned something very important in my first week in Malaybalay. When you miss a basket, the announcer yells, “Walah!” I am unsure whether this means, miss, or no good, or what exactly it means. But, I have heard it so much this week I may hear it in my dreams. Somehow a miss seems better when you yell “walah” like a magic trick just happened after.
Why am I hearing this so often you ask? No, it isn’t related to me shooting. It is because this week we helped put on the 1st ever Metro Malaybalay Sports Tournament. They had churches bring teams that were half church members and half community members. They had 9 teams play basketball, volleyball, and soccer over the course of the past 4 days to come up with champions in a men’s and women’s division in volleyball, a mixed gender soccer champion and a men’s basketball champion. They also did some testimony things and some small group times to share the gospel.
I ended up keeping the book for the basketball tournament as they were in need and I know how to do that. It was a bit frustrating at times as I wasn’t allowed to play because guys won’t play against girls in the provinces. It seems they refuse to guard girls and if the girls score they just don’t count the basket. It led to me watching a lot of basketball and spending a few hours in the evening shooting to take care of my basketball itch after hours of watching.
I should be thankful that the basketball court was somewhat covered as it rained a fair amount each days so other ended up very wet. We had about an hour and a half rain delay on the bball court as it rained so hard it blew onto the concrete and flooded ½ the court. I never realized that brooms and plywood boards could function quite so well to clean water off a floor until today.
The best part for me was tonight as the tournament was ending, a team called from one of the cities about 2 hours away. The pastor was coming to Malaybalay to speak and heard there was a tournament. He wanted his team to play a game against one of the teams. That turned into an all-star game as everyone had finished playing. I got to select and all-star team from the teams that were still hanging around and be the player/coach. It was a riot. The guys were super funny about it as I felt a bit like the celebrity coach. I put myself in for the last minute of the game to satisfy those who wanted me to play and just enjoyed watching my team win by 13. I’m now 1-0 as a player on the race and 1-0 as a coach.
I think I could only hope to have a record like that elsewhere. Next week there is supposed to be another conference so we will see what that looks like for us.
I am sorry for the lack of pictures late. I have several blogs to post, but either the world race web blog site is having problems or the Philippines internet is not conducive to pictures. Whatever the case, I have pictures I want to share, but have been unable to make it work. Hopefully next time I have internet.
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/12/2012
Happy Mother's Day Mom, Karisa, Geneva, Grandma Olson and all of the other mom's out there!!!
Karisa, happy birthday today as well and Lulu happy birthday in a couple of days.
I know isn't quite the right day for all of this, but we get on a bus at 4am tomorrow and a plane at 6am to an island where we may not have wi-fi so better early than not at all.
I am so thankful for mother's. Glad my mom is one so I am alive, but more amazed as the years pass by the work they do and how much they do for so little appreciation. Being single, I can be pretty selfish. Being a mother kills that in so many ways. You are amazing women and I hope you get spoiled rotten today and told how much you are appreciated.
P.S. mom, 28 days and counting:)
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/8/2012
I think these words often when living overseas. I thought that when I lived in Prague on many occasions. One was the time I got all dressed up to go to the opera. I was walking down the street and thought, “Is this really my life?”
Sometimes it is the mundane things. The other night, I heard a child crying after dark and went out to investigate. One of the little guys Samnion had gotten hurt and I checked to make sure he was okay. They build kids tough around here, as if it isn’t a gaping wound the kids seem to recover in under 30 seconds. Just the other day we watched a kid face plant in a hole at full speed and get up laughing. I was in pain for several minutes just from watching him crash and burn. Samnion was no different and was up and running around within a couple of minutes.
Jam and Samnion. They are brothers and super cute.
After I finished checking on Samnion, Jam asked if I would play fotbal (soccer) with him. So, he and I kicked the ball back and forth for 45 minutes in the dark. It reminded me of growing up playing basketball in the driveway long after it was probably time for me to go to bed. It was just a cool moment to play fotbal with Jam under the Cambodian stars.
Today, it was a comedic moment. We were hoeing, not shocking. It started to rain heavily. We finished up getting rather soaked by the rain. I thought it would be nice to take a clean bucket shower tonight so I grabbed the bucket out of the bathroom to fill with rain water. I have taken two showers in the rain this month which have been glorious. See, our water here is not the cleanest. I can shower outside in the yard after dark at this water spigot filled with water from this pond.
 
I have never been skinny dipping, but I have showered naked on the lawn in Cambodia. Go figure! Good thing it is an all-girls team working at a women’s home.
Or, I can shower in our bathroom using water from this pond.
 
The funny thing is I saw a man in a speedo fishing and bathing in this pond tonight. The water from the bathroom sits in this giant tub they pump full of water every week or two. I have seen a rat swimming in the water and we have fished cockroaches out of the water regularly.
Yes, those are rat terds around the outside. You can see why I usually choose to shower in the yard. It just makes me feel better that I can’t see what is in the water. Yes, this is really my life.
But, today the moment where I had to chuckle was when I realized I could use the rainwater to wash my clothes. It rained for several hours and I collected it out of the single drain spout and used it to hand wash my clothes. My clothes have not been this clean in a long time as I wasn’t sure this month as I washed them in the brown water whether they were getting cleaner or dirtier.
Today, thanks to the rain my clothes are clean and ready for travel day, at least if they dry in time. I have our two fans running in hopes that despite the humidity they will dry overnight. We will see.
Month 10 of ministry is over in the morning and we are off the Philippines. Who knows what will happen next?
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/8/2012
It is the strange thing about spending a month in a country partnering with a ministry. Most short-term trips are about a week and you get to know the people a bit, but then you are headed for home. Being in Czech for years it was a different experience as I was trying to make it home. But, each month we have the opportunity to go a bit deeper than we would in a normal mission experience.
This month has been no different. We have lived in close proximity with the women we have worked with. We have laughed together. I have made hospital visits with someone from the women’s home as well as with someone from my own team. We eat the same food, bathe in the same water, and try to endure the same heat. In short, it is a bit like gaining an extra extended family each month.
In several countries, I have had people ask me to return to be a part of the ministry or to continue to serve in some capacity. In Serbia, they asked if I would come back and help coach basketball or do a camp or clinic. Romania we were challenged as a group to pray about returning long-term to reach the least reached county in Romania. Nepal, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Thailand tugged at my heart as I saw needs or roles I could fill. But, I haven’t felt God’s call to return to any of these places in any more than a short-term capacity. I wouldn’t mind going back, but I don’t see it is a place I could see being long-term.
This month we are in Cambodia. I am not sure I can picture myself here either. I love what I get to do in America (teaching and coaching). But, the director here is named Koy. He speaks with passion and intensity about what he is doing and his vision for Teen Challenge Cambodia that inspires.
Koy, his wife Rainey and their beautiful family
Last week we went to his house for dinner and on the ride over he told me that he is praying that I will return to Cambodia to be his right-hand person. We talked about it and it was incredibly flattering. In many ways, I could see myself really enjoying being a part of the ministry here. But, I did not at that point feel like it was a direction I would pursue.
Yesterday, we ran into Koy again as he stopped by for the Sunday afternoon kids program. As they were leaving, it wasn’t clear whether we would see them again prior to departing Tuesday morning. He reiterated his desire for me to join him here in Cambodia and how he and his wife Rainy were praying that I would decide to return. He talked for at least 5 minutes about his desire for me to come be a sister to him. I could live with their family and be like an aunt to his children and a partner in ministry. This morning, I received another email reiterating the invitation. He thinks I have the right DNA for teen challenge. I am convinced, I left plenty of my dna at Teen Challenge as I sweated all over the land during our hoeing adventures.
It is humbling to have someone desire that I join their family and partner in their dreams for Teen Challenge. All I could say was that I would pray and ask God to show me what He wants. That is always a bit scary as I am really excited to be back in the United States and to be back teaching and coaching.
We have spent a lot of time over the last few months talking about praying scary prayers. It started with being challenged in Crazy Love to not pray for safety, but to pray that God would do whatever he needed to do to bring me/ us closer to Him. That was followed a few days later by Becca getting malaria. Coincidence, I think not. It is always scary to pray these types of prayers because I firmly believe God’s plan is best, but it often does not fit with my plans or have much to do with my comfort.
Do I want to live in a 3rd world country in the future? Not really. Do I want to live 12 time zones away from my family? Absolutely not! But I will choose today to pray a scary prayer, "God if this is your will, show me and You better change my heart while you are at it if Your will includes living in Cambodia?"
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/5/2012
I keep getting asked often when I will be back in the United States. Yesterday (Saturday) marked 5 weeks left on the World Race. Today (Sunday) marks 5 weeks until I land in South Dakota. We all fly into LAX and shockingly, I couldn't get a flight that night back to SD. It it crazy that 11 months is now down to 5 weeks.
This week will be a whirlwind. Tomorrow (Monday) is our last day of ministry at Teen Challenge. I am going to be very sad to leave one of my favorite ministry sights on the race.
Tuesday we will transition into Phnom Penh as we have to be at the airport Wednesday at 5am. We love the early morning flights on the World Race. We will arrive in the Philippines later that day. We will have a couple of days of briefing prior to flying to Mindaneo, another island south of Manilla. It is a big island as it is actually geographically bigger than the Czech Republic. We should arrive there sometime on Saturday and be there for the upcoming month.
It is wild to think about all that God has done in my first 10 months on the World Race. I have seen many lives changed and my own has been changed as well.
I had to laugh as sometimes it is simple things that make the most difference. Last night I slept in a bed for the 2nd night in a row for the first time since we left Africa in February. I've spend 3 total nights in a bed and it feels like a treat to have a bed and not a "norm".
God continues to challenge my heart as to what I "need" versus what I "want". I see poverty and brokennes and wrestle with what it looks like to continue to live out the love of Jesus when I am back in the United States living a more comfortable life. What does it mean to "love my neighbor" when I have seen how different the way my neighbor lives from the way I can live.
Last night I was watching CNN in the hotel we are staying at. We took our day off to see Angkor Wat yesterday and so stayed in a guest house where a room with a bed cost me $3 a night. How cool is that? But, I digress. On CNN it talked about how over 40% of people in the Philippines live on less than $2 a day. In India, the statistic was that more than 40% lives on less than $1.50 a day. I would guess that Cambodia has a similar statistic. I am one person, but I want to see the world changed and ponder this morning what impact God wants me to have in 5 weeks when I am back in the comfort of U.S. living.
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 5/2/2012
I mentioned last week in my blog that Val was in the hospital with pneumonia. Thankfully, she is now out of the hospital and on the road to recovery. Part of that road included her flying back to the United States last evening. She felt like her recovery from pneumonia would be aided by sanitary living condition, a normal diet, and climate control. Go figure:)
With that being the case, we are now a team of 4. We will be in Cambodia for another week before flying to Manila, Philippines for a cultural briefing and then onto Malaybalay City in the Philippines for month 11. It is crazy how the time is flying and how much change has been a part of the World Race experience.
Bye Val, You Will be missed!
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 4/28/2012
The 1st half of our time in Cambodia has flown by. It might be because we are staying very busy in our time at Team Challenge. This past week, we flipped into 2-a-days. Nope, no basketball practice for us. We are becoming hoeing masters. On our 1st day at Teen Challenge, Koy, the director, mentioned he would like us to cut the grass. Perfect! I figured we would get a scythe or a machete and we’d hack away at the tall stuff. Not quite.
 
Instead, we got hoes and our job for the past 10 days has been to hoe up all the grass on the property. Our guess is that the newly cleared ground will turn into gardens that will be planted with flowers and food to feed the women. We are hoping or it is going to be a muddy mess once rainy season rolls around.
The fun has been that the temperature has been in the upper 90’s and we usually hoe from 8:30 – 10 or 10:30 and then 2:30 – 4 or 5. It is HOT as the humidity makes the heat index well above 110 degrees. I don’t know that I have ever sweated as much as I have this past week.
We laugh as our bathing water is a bit on the brown side and so we aren’t really sure how clean we are getting. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry last week when I rolled over after a nap to find a rat a few feet away. He scampered away and I chased him with a broom. He jumped into our tub of bath water in the house. ARGH!! I have been showering outside on the lawn using a different tank of water as I just can’t bring myself to bathe in water a rat swam in. Yep, this is life on the farm this month.
Yesterday, we helped paint a shack smurf blue. I’m a bit blue yet today, but it was a nice break for the blisters on my hands to paint instead of hoe.
 
You can be praying for Val on our team. She somehow in the tropical heat managed to pick up pneumonia. She has been in the hospital for the last few days getting iv antibiotics. I am not sure she minds as it means she has a bed, shower, air conditioning and has evidently been watching American Idol. But, you can be praying for a quick recovery and that it will be a smooth transition for her back to the farm.
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 4/21/2012
One of the things I was most excited about when I saw the route for the World Race was that I was going to be able to go to countries where some of the most infamous genocides of the 21st century took place. It began in Serbia where we were able to learn and experience some of the results of the Balkan conflict that took place in the early 90’s.
We had a few months break before we hit Kenya where a genocide did not occur, but political conflict during the last election led to widespread violence along ethnic grounds. Many of the people in the area outside Nakuru where we worked were internally displaced people. These are people who were forced to leave their homes in other parts of Kenya in order to ensure their safety or ability to make a living.
We then hit Rwanda. The genocide there in the 90’s was atrocious. The genocide museum we visited brought to life the horror of neighbor turning on neighbor over ethnic differences. People who had been friends or even family one day resorted to using axes and machetes the next. Over a million people were killed in under 90 days.
We then visited Uganda. I posted about Joseph Kony while I was in Thailand. The violence of the Lord's Resistance Army, in many cases targeting specific ethnic groups in the past 20 years is mind-boggling.
Now I am in Cambodia. From 1975 - 1979, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge took control of the country. They drove the people from the cities at gunpoint wanting to create a radical form of communism that was based in peasant agriculture. The educated, former government officials and perceived threats were executed in mass. In total, over 2,000,000 people starved or were executed. That was over 25% of the population of the entire country. Today we had the opportunity to visit the genocide museum and see first-hand the total lack of appreciation for human life.
Cambodia is still recovering from the effects. Poverty is rampant and drug abuse as a way to escape the hopelessness of life is common. Cambodia is a place where people are incredibly vulnerable to human trafficking because they lack opportunities at home and are easy targets for those preying on the weak or uneducated.
It is mind-boggling that all of the violence and genocide that I have seen first-hand evidence of or seen the results of have taken place, at least partially, within my lifetime. I know there is violence still taking place in countries like Sudan and Somalia. I ponder what it is that I need to do as a person and as an educator to help stop this cycle of poverty and genocide that has taken place on at least 3 continents in the last 35 years.
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Posted in General Posts by Erin Olson on 4/15/2012
We are not on a farm, but we are definitely not in the city. Yesterday we took a tuk tuk (a small vehicle that holds 4 people that is pulled by a motorcycle) form our hotel to the women’s home. We drove, and drove, and drove. As we went, it started to get more and more rural. Eventually we turned down a dirt road and I grinned from ear to ear. We passed by cows and fields and Cambodia is flat. Praise the Lord it isn’t a month of malls and skyscrapers. We are actually living in a compound with 10 women and 3 children, plus some staff. They have a sewing school and a make-up/hairstyling school for the women to learn skills to be successful after they leave teen challenge. Most of the women have been sexually or physically abused and many had drug addiction problems when they arrived.
We have three meals a day. Bible study morning and evening and prayer prior to going to sleep. It is a peaceful place and we can see the stars and hear the crickets at night. If I don’t look too closely at the crops, rice instead of wheat or corn, I could be in SD. Well, maybe not, but it is the closest I have felt to being in SD in 9 months.
It might be a bit hotter than SD as highs are in the 90’s and the humidity sits around 90%. The mosquitoes are ridiculous so we are sleeping under mosquito nets on the floor again this month and I am thankful for my malaria meds. This will make 1 night in a bed and 3 nights on the floor. I won’t know what to do with myself with a bed when I get back to the U.S. I guess we all gave up beds for lent and we didn’t even know it. We will be here for the next 4 weeks teaching English, leading Bible studies, a little manual labor, and generally just encouraging the women.
It’s going to be a fun month. Oh yeah, it is Cambodian New Year on Friday so that means we arrived with basically 4 days to rest. God definitely knew our needs as we came in from Malaysia exhausted and will have some time to rest and recuperate before getting to work on Monday. God definitely knew our needs far more than we did.
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