Fido.

Yesterday, what began as a normal office day in Phnom Penh, turned into an all day road trip for Josh and I. We had the chance to go to the province of Pursat with the two doctors who work here to do a scouting trip for the upcoming Everett medical clinic. Not only am I excited to finally use my vast medical knowledge (on a tray full of tools, I could identify a stethoscope), I am also quite thrilled at the idea of seeing familiar faces step off of an airplane in Phnom Penh! It will be a fun glimpse of home while being so far away.

On the way to Pursat I had the chance to use what is most assuredly my favorite toilet I've encountered so far in Cambodia. It is practical, nearly private in its roadside setting, and I only nearly slipped in between the wooden beams potentially harming myself once during the whole process.

The Pursat home is amazing. It is pretty exciting to envision the set up that will soon happen there. Josh and I will welcome a team next week from AZ who will come in to create cement walkways, paint the inside of the home, and do general set up tasks in order to get things ready. When all is said and done, in a little over 4 weeks there will be tents set up, showers, a stage for evangelism, a pharmacy, doctors, support staff, and scores of people who will come to receive free medical care, perhaps for the first time in their life, and be able to walk away with not only physical hope but hope that will far outlast their earthly bodies. Pray for the upcoming team and the Everett team as they prepare to come serve!

On a less spiritual note (perhaps), Josh and I explored back behind the house yesterday which reveals an expansive wooded area that we were pretty delighted to explore. We have dreams of trekking through the jungles of Malaysia one of these days. We know how to get fresh rain water from a leaf so I like to think we're prepared.

Before we left the home to make our 4 hour trip back to Phnom Penh we had dinner with the people at the home. This involved the more typical foods like rice and chicken, but it also entailed (much to the delight of one of our doctors) the Cambodian delicacy of "dog." Now, I knew this was fairly common before coming to Cambodia, and I liked to think I would be fearless in the face of trying new foods. I did actually attempt it, eating a small piece, only to discover afterwards that the "batter" of this delicacy was red ant.

I prayed a little during it all, knowing it was more psychological than actual taste that might deter me from what I was eating. My gag reflex remained intact. And I was even validated in my incredible bravery when the doctors told the other staff here today about the ant battered dog and they were quite vocal in their disbelief that this is what we actually ate.

It was.

I should be on the Discovery channel.