Same old same old.

While I tend to equate the word routine with something that people fall into, grow tired of, or attempt to avoid, I have found it to be quite comforting during our time in Phnom Penh as we are now post-teams and pre-Christmas vacation. We wake up at the same time each morning, which for me has been 6:15, though we don’t have to be in the office until 8. I don’t know what Cambodia has done to me.

We have lunch at (nearly) the same time every day. I have an hour to read in the afternoons out on our balcony with the sweet sounds of birds chirping and plastic bottles crunching at the recycling factory that resides next door. I have an afternoon snack of either fruit with peanut butter (it balances out…or cancels each other out..either way..) or leftover Fullkorn crackers from the Norway team (cardboard has never tasted so good). We exercise before dinner as Emily swims laps, Josh runs to nearby cultural museums, and I fulfill my dreams of becoming a backup dancer/martial arts expert courtesy of an infomercial DVD purchase 3 Christmases ago (I’m a sucker for a good infomercial). It’s called Turbo Jam. And it is even better than the video with the guy who teaches you N*Sync choreography (so I hear...)

After our swimming, running, and jamming, we eat amazing food prepared by Ma Soki who we secretly (or not so secretly now) plan to take with us back to America one day so we can open a restaurant. We are entrepreneurs.

After dinner, Josh and I have made a little tradition of walking around our complex, hoping that the frogs jumping out of our path (or into our path) aren’t the ones that spit poison in your eyes, and enjoying the Cambodian “winter” weather consisting of cool evenings and stunning lightning displays. We dream about going to REI, Target, and Red Robin, as well as contemplate what the next year might look like for us.

We finish off our evenings by watching an episode of The Office (we finished season 3 last night), enjoying our recent purchase of a $6.80 dart board from the office supply store, doing our respective victory dances depending on who won and what music is playing, having some Bible reading time, and going to bed at the late hour of 10pm to enjoy another day of routine.

Love it.

The reason that this is so glorious to me is that life with teams is routine to a degree, but it is also a constant flow of new faces, new projects, new provinces, new wake up times, and new opportunities for growth and flexibility :) I am praying to be content throughout and within all of these seasons and not simply strain toward the next one.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” - 2 Tim 5:6.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9.

And some specific verses encouraging to me in this season in Cambodia.

”Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” – Psalm 82:3

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” – Ps 68:5

“Seek justice. Encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” –Isaiah 1:17