Placement

Greetings, all!

The most exciting news to date arrived in my inbox: my placement!

My vision is less nebulous, and I can finally share more information about what life might look like in Cambodia. It's like a life-size jigsaw puzzle, in a way, without having the image on the box as a guide. I started working on the outside edges, piecing together the border and the framework. Sure, I knew the general idea what the picture looked like, but image was blurry, unclear. I even attempted using pieces from other experiences to fill in the gaps, but as one could imagine, the pieces didn't quite fit. It was an approximation, a substitute, not legitimate. You following?

But now, the image has sharpened.

I'll be living in the town of Kampot, which is about 149 km southwest of the capital Phnom Penh. Also, it is about 5 km from the Gulf of Thailand. In Kampot, I will serve with the Reproductive and Child Health Alliance (RACHA), a Cambodia-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). RACHA has a focus on community health programming.  Their mission is:

To improve the lives of individuals and communities in Cambodia by making essential health services including reproductive health, newborn and child health, nutrition, clean water, sanitation, hygiene, infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS and other related services safe, available, accessible, and sustainable.

I'm not yet sure what my role will be with RACHA, but word is I "will be serving alongside them in that mission, both at their office and in various surrounding communities". I am incredibly overwhelmed by this placement- and I mean that in a positive sense. When I received the email, I teared up. It sounds perfect. It sounds like an amazing fit, and I cannot wait to learn and discover by working with this organization. I have a feeling that I will learn more than I will teach, but I am continuously grateful for this opportunity.

Over the next few weeks leading up to orientation I will be receiving more information about my year in Cambodia, but it is a journey in progress. My puzzle won't be complete until I return home to the United States next year... In fact, it probably won't be complete for years, as I will carry these memories, experiences, and lessons with me into the future. I feel like I have travelled so far, AND I HAVE NOT EVEN GOTTEN THERE YET!

Continue to pray for me. Continue to ask questions about my journey. Thank you once more for your support.

Cheers!
-KMJ