Life Abundant

Why Are We Going To South East Asia?

In just about three weeks, Chris and I will be boarding a plane headed to Battambang Cambodia, our home for the next few months.  The only time we’ve been to Southeast Asia was for our honeymoon in 2012 when we traveled to beautiful Phuket, Thailand.  You can see a few shots from our time there above.  During that trip, we had no idea that four years later we would be headed back to this region of the world for work, and we are so excited!

Chris and I choose to live a life that some people might look at as non-traditional.  In our four years of marriage, we’ve lived in three different places and have traveled to 12 different countries; we don’t own a home, we choose to spend our time and resources investing in experiences and relationships rather than material things that lose value and will someday be destroyed.

Also instead of pursuing a career where success equals an increased amount of zero’s on our paycheck, we’ve dedicated our lives to loving and serving others through our vocation which doesn’t always bring in the big bucks but pays in so many other ways.

We want to live an abundant life.  One that is full of deep relationships, and not one that promotes our own self-interest but rather one that champions others. We want those that we do life with to feel loved and to know the one who loves them more than they could ever know.  We want to discover more of the world and our Creator by learning from others, to broaden our worldview through travel and diversified experience.  We want to redefine success.

The Project

It’s this lifestyle choice that brings us to Cambodia this fall.  We moved out to Montana this past April to work and serve with 100 Fold Studio, a non-profit architecture firm that serves both missions and nonprofit organizations both locally and internationally.  Their largest current international project is a 13 acre, 30 building University of the Nations Campus for Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Battambang, Cambodia. This new campus will allow YWAM to serve thousands of people in the city of Battambang, and will also have a huge regional impact by training missionaries from all over Southeast Asia!

Chris has recently assumed the project manager role for the design of this campus, which is what brings us to work on-site there this fall.  Phase one of this campus is well under construction, and we can’t wait to get on the ground and see firsthand the incredible impact that this new campus is already having in the community there!

We are looking forward to sharing a little of our life in Cambodia with you in just a few weeks time!