Riah … Back in Cambodia for a little over a month now”.

Riah - I have been back in Cambodia for a little over a month now. The transition back into this completely different world happened so fast and was super difficult for me the second time around. It definitely has been draining mentally and physically. With this said, I couldn’t be more overjoyed to be back! After some time, I’m finally finding structure to my days again and jumping back into my mission. I have continued to go out to my village, Taom, and am starting a more structured English program out there. In Taom, I have also started to play the piano again for Mass, which is a big deal to the people because they have no music otherwise. They always express how grateful they are for it as an opportunity to enter deeper into the Mass. I am also spending time at a student center with high schoolers and university students from around all different areas of Cambodia who have come to live in the center because they can’t afford to go to school otherwise. I spend a lot of time with these students and I have grown immensely in my relationships with them. They have taught me so much of what I know here. At this center, I am also studying the Khmer language from one of the students who has given her time each day to teach me. In addition to that, my heart is continuing to grow for the kids at the pastoral homethat come from bad home environments, drug and alcohol use, and abandonment from their parents. This is the same place that the entire Davidson family and FreelyGivenInc team has poured their hearts into. Furthermore, since being back, I already got to spend an entire week in the capital city, Phnom Penh on an all-Khmer retreat with priests, sisters and youth from all districts in Cambodia. This was a huge immersion back into the culture as well. In conclusion,missionary life is a lot of work and it can be extremely draining in the same, but also completely different way than life back home in the states. I ask for prayers of perseverance, health and spiritual endurance. And finally, I want to thank everyone who is supporting this mission in any and every way because there is endless need here and as a witness, every little bit of it is being used in beautiful ways. I appreciate all the prayers and I continue to keep you all in mine:)