Friday, November 26, 2010

The Kitten called Compassion



One day this week, I was walking to school when I noticed a kitten crying. I felt really sorry for it, because I had recently watched a kitten die (from a roof, where I couldn't help it). So when I stopped to watch it, I noticed a man was kicking it. I was of course, indignant at the injustice of it. I got to school and told the guard. He wasn't happy but he wasn't going to do anything about it. So I went back over to the man. I figured it would mean me taking the cat home. When I picked it up, the man motioned for me to take it away. He was obviously sick of its crying.
So I took it home and nursed it. The kids at school loved it! I only kept it for 3 days, but I grew really attached to it. I was feeding it from a bottle and it was so cute. Eventually it went to live with a family that had more time for it. But I'm just glad it lived, cause there were moments when it was touch-and-go. It was so cute. And now I miss it so much. Even if it peed on me twice.



Most of you read/heard about the tragedy in Cambodia's capital this week. 350 people were killed while over 300 are in the hospital. This may seem distant to you, but it's my home. I've been living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital, for three years. And this disaster is too close. It happened on a bridge a frequent to people I pass everyday. Please pray for Cambodia, only 1% of the population know Jesus, and they really need hope right now. Only 30 years ago 2 million people were killed in a genocide. 30 years is too soon for another tragedy. Most people are hopeless and depressed. This country really needs to learn about God's hope.
Pray for us. It's a time of great sadness here. Also pray for the injured the hospitals here are disgusting and poorly run. They don't feed or bathe patients. I doubt many of the seriously injured will live.
Most of the locals are shocked and confused. They don't understand how something so bad could happen so suddenly. One minute they were celebrating a national holiday and then because of a little hysteria hundreds are dead.
The stampede that killed these people was caused by an irrational fear that the bridge was going to collapse. So thousands ran. The result was hundreds of peoples death.

Thanks for your prayers,
Carrie
P.S. Above are pictures I took of the festival 48 hours before the tragedy.

Friday, October 15, 2010

For my dad


Happy Birthday Dad!
For your birthday, I've written you two limericks.
Just shows you how much I care!

*
I have a dear Father who cries.
He cries til he dries out his eyes,
Cause he's getting old
With wisdom untold.
Or so he was told by someone who lies.

*
My father has turned fifty three.
And arthritis is starting up in one knee.
So close to the grave
Each day he must save.
Energy and youth are no longer free.


Wish I could be there!
Love you!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

China, Malaysia, Cambodia... same same


In Cambodia we have a saying, "Same same but different." It's the Southeast Asian way of say "oh whatever, it's close enough." So a North Face jacket with Walmart tags, well - "same same"

But apparently it goes both ways. I found this teacher resource. It's supposed to be all the flags of Asia to TEACH children with. But all the flags are wrong the Cambodian flag is labeled as Malaysian. And the flag beside Cambodia is the Chinese flag... but hey! Same same.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Rat Attack




Oh what an eventful (traumatizing weekend).

On Sunday night I came home to find my roommate in tears. She was screaming and babbling about a rat. After she calmed down, she explained that a rat jumped on her when she opened our food pantry door. I jumped on her shirt and ran down her leg. Then it hid behind the fridge.
So she and I curled up into little balls, and locked ourselves in the living room away from the rat incident. We called Mark to come over and save the day.
When he got into the apartment he armed himself with a broom and a bowl (to trap it?) and went hunting. We made him move every piece of furniture in the whole house before we would stop crying.

The next day we bought sticky traps (so inhumane, but it's my sanity at stake!) and loaded them with chocolate and peanut butter. Monday morning I woke to find my roommate crying again! There was a live rat on the trap. He was still alive and struggling against the deadly goo. Again, we locked ourselves in the living room. We then called Mark, who was tired of saving the day. So we texted our Cambodian landlady and she came upstairs. She and her granny-friend ripped the rat off the trap and killed with their bare hands. It was so gruesome! UGh! I was sick to my stomach all morning after watching that! Why did I look!?! Dang, my curiosity. I've attached a picture so you can experience the horror too.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

There's No Place Like Home



It's been 25 months since I moved to Cambodia. Wow. How time flies! How I've changed! How my heart has changed! When I first moved here, I hated it. I hated the smell and the filth. At that time, I could only see the reasons to leave Cambodia. I couldn't appreciate the reasons to love Cambodia. When I heard of people staying for a decade, I thought they were crazy! Now I feel that way! I'm completely in love with this place. It totally feels like home. At long last, I've found my place here.

Sunday, September 5, 2010



The new school year has started. And not to surprisingly, I'm stressed. I've got a 100 students to impart wisdom to, and I've started my Master's degree.
I wish I had better coping mechanism for handling my stress. Basically I avoid things I don't like to keep my stress levels down. This means homework doesn't get finished until the last minute. Grading papers is something that rarely happens. I'm too overwhelmed from the start. I need a holiday!
Mom and Dad went with Kay and Kevin to Alaska. Sounds heavenly right now. I wish I could be with them.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Summer Lovin'

This summer I had the most extraordinary chance to travel around Australia and New Zealand on my way home to America. It was amazing. I saw some amazing things!
I rode in a helicopter over the 12 Apostles in Australia, and I went bungy jumping in New Zealand! It was a fantastic holiday!

A video of the bungy jumping
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=719768775998

Pictures from New Zealand
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2305097&id=55708580&l=da121562d8

Pictures from Australia
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2303524&id=55708580&l=6ae2d6931a

Enjoy! I sure did!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A Phnom Penh Love Story

I read this very funny story today. It's about a girl here in Cambodia, who gets all she can out of expats. She has three boyfriends who all give her loads of money, and none of them no about each other. I can't figure out if I feel sorry for the creepy old guys, or not.
Read this. Understand my world.
http://www.expat-advisory.com/forum/asia/cambodia/phnom-penh-pub-expats-expats-cambodia/bong-kol-and-three-barangs-phnom-penh-love

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

REAL COFFEE!


This month we got a Gloria Jeans! A REAL Gloria Jeans. This is the second international chain restaurant that has made it to Cambodia. The first being KFC.
Last year we got a "Starbucks" which turned out to be a fake. They had to change the name because Starbucks was trying to sue them. I was so sad when I realized it was a fake.
Gloria Jeans is heavenly though. It's a slice of home, right here in Phnom Penh.

Mammaw's Birthday


This week my Mammaw turned 80. She is the strongest woman I've ever known. I can't believe she's really 80! She is so young at heart.
I called her for her birthday. She was so surprised to here from me, since I'm in Cambodia. It was great. She cried when I told her I was staying in Cambodia another year. But she's proud of me.
I love my Mammaw.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Safari World Trip 2


I went to Bangkok this weekend to meet up with some friends from
Liberty. And we had a great time.
Remember the zoo I got the baby tiger pictures from? We went back. It was so fun!!! I got picked up by an elephant with his
trunk. And then there was a cage of white tigers, and when one
walked by, I stuck my hand in the cage and petted him! A big adult
tiger!!! All my friends were screaming. They were so scared! It
was so amazing! An adult WHITE tiger.
I also stuck my hand in the marmoset cage and pet him (a tiny monkey).
I love South East Asia. There are no rules here!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Temples Take Two






Visited the temples at Siem Reap for the 2nd time. They are always beautiful, but they were more interesting the first time around.
Megan and Mark went with me. Megan is an American Student teacher who is in Cambodia for a few months. Mark is an Australian teacher who has taken over our 4th grade.

March 2010 Update on Life in Cambodia



Dear Friends and Family,

It is hot in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I mean very hot. I would love to see the spring in America this year. Cool mornings that require a light sweater. Baseball teams are starting to practice. March in Cambodia is more like sweat pouring down everybody’s faces as they fan themselves and hide in the shade. As much as, I’m hating the weather, Cambodia is really growing on me. I’m really enjoying my time here, and I’ve started to feel a deep connection to this crazy country.

Recently I’ve really felt the burden for my students. The kids that I teach are TCKs. The term TCK refers to a child that is a “Third Culture Kid” anyone who has grown up outside of their own culture. These children neither fit into the culture of their home country or the country they reside in. It is a hard place to be: at home in a place that sees you as a foreigner.

My students endure things that most adults couldn’t handle. Being ripped away from grandparents and cousins or being sent to a boarding school for your education. These students have a really difficult life. Often their parents don’t stay in one country for more than five years. The friends they make at school move frequently. The teachers of their school come for a two-year contract and then leave. They say good-bye more often than they say I love you.

These students are very special people. They have seen things that most teenagers are never aware of. They have worked in the slums of the poorest countries. They have fed starving children. The have clothed people who have nothing. They have befriended people of a different race and language. They have eyes that are wide open to the need and hurt in the world. They have giving hearts that want to do good for the rest of mankind. These are not your average selfish kids.

Another reason my job is so important is the parents of my students. Before my school was founded eight years ago, missionaries were forced to home-school their children. Some missionaries would leave the country because they felt they had to take their kids home for high school. There were no affordable, reasonable schooling options. There was one international school in town. It was not Christian, and it cost over $12,000 per year. Missionary women had no choice but to stay home and teach their children. Some women felt completely incompetent to teach high school science and other subjects to their children. Because of HOPE, they now have an option that allows them to affordably educate their children in a Christian community. Most of these women have been able to work outside the home in amazing careers. One mom, that has been liberated from the chore of teaching her two kids, began Chab Dai Coalition, an amazing organization that is working to bring an end to human trafficking in Cambodia.

I am telling you what a wonderful job I have so that you understand the burden I have. I love Cambodia, but my heart does not burn with passion to work in the slums. I love the idea of bringing an end to human trafficking, but I am not called to work with prostitution or the after-care of girls retrieved from that lifestyle. I am a teacher. I am called to love and impact students for Christ. I believe that my students are of a special category. They are different than anyone else. I have a special calling that is specific to children in my classroom from Monday to Friday.

Another reason my job is so important is the parents of my students. Before my school was founded eight years ago, missionaries were forced to home-school their children. Some missionaries would leave the country because they felt they had to take their kids home for high school. There were no affordable, reasonable schooling options. There was one international school in town. It was not Christian, and it cost over $12,000 per year. Missionary women had no choice but to stay home and teach their children. Some women felt completely incompetent to teach high school science and other subjects to their children. Because of HOPE, they now have an option that allows them to affordably educate their children in a Christian community. Most of these women have been able to work outside the home in amazing careers. One mom, that has been liberated from the chore of teaching her two kids, began Chab Dai Coalition, an amazing organization that is working to bring an end to human trafficking in Cambodia.

I am telling you what a wonderful job I have so that you understand the burden I have. I love Cambodia, but my heart does not burn with passion to work in the slums. I love the idea of bringing an end to human trafficking, but I am not called to work with prostitution or the after-care of girls retrieved from that lifestyle. I am a teacher. I am called to love and impact students for Christ. I believe that my students are of a special category. They are different than anyone else. I have a special calling that is specific to children in my classroom from Monday to Friday.

I believe that God is renewing my passion for these students. He is burdening my heart with the desire to be a safe place for these special children. They need good role models. They need a “big sister” figures in their life because the normal role of aunt, grandmother, or “mom’s best friend” is very different than what most teenagers’ experience. These students need me. I have a unique opportunity here. I can be a huge influence in these teenagers’ lives because they are desperate for connection and affection.

When I came to Cambodia, I signed up for a two year term. I believed fully that after two years I would return home to my normal life. I would go back to my family, my retirement savings, my car, and my comfy American life. Now God is clearly calling me to renew for another year. If he wants me here longer than that, I don’t know it yet. It may be that I’m unwilling to hear that call. I am not eager to stay in Cambodia. I love my students, but it is a hard life here. It’s not a comfortable place to live. I truly miss America and the ease of living there. Unfortunately for my materialistic and selfish side, God is asking me to remain in Cambodia another year. I’m not sure why, but I know that this is His will and not my own.

One of the most difficult tasks of deciding to stay in Cambodia is that I need to raise more support. Asking people for money is not fun. It’s highly uncomfortable. To put your financial security in the hands of others is humbling and nerve-wracking. I would prefer to make excess money and be able to help others. However because my role in Cambodia is a ministry, I need my friends and family to help me financially. Talking about money makes people uncomfortable, and I am no exception. I naturally shy away from asking for monetary help. Except in this situation I have no choice. Maybe God is trying to humble me. Maybe He’s yelling down at me, “Carrie, just trust in me.” And maybe I’m just too weak of a person to easily give control of my finance over to God. No matter why it makes me uncomfortable to ask my friend and family for money, I must do it. I must trust that God knows why this difficult task is necessary for me.

Pray for me. Deciding to stay here is not an easy choice for me. I would like to go home. I would like to be near my family. But God is calling me to stay another year. Since making the decision to stay, God has given me an unexpected peace and a pleasant joy about spending another year here. Please pray that the finance will come easily, and I will not worry about it. Please pray for my family as I am far away from them for another year. Please pray for me as I need to find a new roommate in Cambodia. Pray for my students; they are so incredible.

Thanks for all your support. Your prayers are so important to me. Your emails are always a treat for me. I look forward to hearing from you all.

God bless you,
Carrie Cordell

Thursday, February 11, 2010

On Being a Missionary


I expected to change. I thought that moving to a third-world country to work in mission’s school would instantly change me into a compassionate, adventurous person. You believe that when you make these life changing moves your life will change. Sure several things change. You address changes. Your speech changes to adapt to those around you. Your daily rituals change. Sometimes the looks of a “toilet” changes. But me. I don’t change. Myself has followed me to the other side of the globe.
Who I am. The deep essence of me has not changed. I still have the same personality I did when I lived in America. I still make similar life choices now as I did three years ago. I still enjoy ice cream and hate tomatoes. My hair has changed minutely. It’s longer now than it was three years ago.
One thing I really expected to change was my spiritual life. I really expect a bolt of lightning from God. I thought that becoming a missionary meant that God would talk audibly to me every morning and evening. I thought once I moved to a dirty third world- country I would instant be the perfect Christian. Who would have thought that moving to the other side of the world doesn’t instantly make you closer to God. My relationship with God is not magically stronger because I made a huge sacrifice for him. Nope. I still have to pray to see God’s will. Missionaries have no easy button for God.
I also assumed I’d be a more compassionate person because I was living in the second poorest in Asia. Ha. No. I may have become more selfish by moving here. I feel that I have to look out for myself since my life is much harder now. I need to have more “me” time so that I can make sure I’m comfortable in my uncomfortable new home.
Strange. I didn’t instantly change into a wonderful person by moving.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010






The Last weekend of January we took the high school youth group to the beach for a "camp". It was great fun. We hung out on the beach, had worship around a camp fire, and ate smores (some for the first time). The kids were awesome. It's always good to relax with them outside of the classroom. We had an superb time.

Eating Tarantulas





The Cambodians eat spiders as a tasting snack. A few of my Cambodian friends have told me that when they were kids they'd go out into the rice fields and find tarantula holes. They'd pour water down the holes until the spider was forced out for air. Then they'd catch it and eat it. Sometimes they'd fry it over the fire. Sometimes they'd eat it uncooked.
So one of my goals before I leave Cambodia was to eat a spider. Last night we went out to a restaurant that serves Tarantulas (to tourist). They were well cooked in yummy sauce. It tasted a lot like pork rinds. It wasn't bad. I can totally understand why they would eat them. I wouldn't shutter to do it again.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Spirit Week











Spirit Week is a ridiculously fun time for students to have a little fun at school. We started the week with a Team Color day. Then we had Crazy Hair day, Twin day, International day, and finally Sports Day.
It's always fun to dress up and act like a kid again. This year I had my face painted almost every single day. Rachel, our make-up artist, loves face painting. So we had a good time with it.
We played games every morning with our teams. My team, the green team, got 3rd place. Not so great when there are 3 times! lol. Oh well. We tried!
Sports day was killer, with 90+ degree weather on January 28th. I was so dehydrated by the end of the day. AH. hot hot hot.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Top Ten Books of 2009 According to Me


The books I liked the best out of the 30+ I read this year.

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (fiction)
2. Escape by Carolyn Jessops (memoir)
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (memoir)
4. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen (fiction)
5. Jemima J by Jane Green (fiction)
6. Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (Christian help)
7. For Matrimonial Purposes by Kavita Daswani (fiction)
8. Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes (fiction)
9. The Host by Stephenie Meyer (sci-fi)
10. Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella (fiction)

The runner up in the number 11 spot is Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (Christian Fiction)