Final Group Will Head Home Soon!

The group who went on to Poipet (let's call them the "Fearless Five") has been working hard, helping the Copelands clean and organize the office. They also planted some mango trees at the church and have visited the market, according to Kim. They left Poipet and arrived in Bangkok earlier today. They have a 5:40 am Tuesday (that's 5:40 pm, Monday, for us in MN) flight out of Bangkok to start the journey home. I believe their flight should land at the Rochester International Airport at 7:45 Tuesday evening, if everything stays on schedule. 


Praises:
1. The "Fearless Five" had safe travel on their 4-hour trip from Poipet to Bangkok
2. Praise God for a good and safe time in Poipet.


Prayer Requests:
1. Please pray for a timely arrival at the airport, early in the morning for the team. 
2. Please pray for safe travels and good connections on all flights.
3. Pray for this team and the others who have already returned, that they get over jet lag quickly and that they figure out what God wants them to do with all they have learned during their time in Cambodia.

Home Again for Twelve

All lined up at the airport in Siem Reap

After a night in the Bangkok airport, we all were up early (or stayed up late) to board our 5:40 am flight to Tokyo. We had to walk a long way, across the airport from where we had spent the night, and then we had to go through personal screening for every bag (open, remove items, inspect) and for every person (light pat down). We hadn’t had that kind of scrutiny at any of the airports before, and you can imagine that it slowed down a group of 12 to have that much one-on-one attention! We made it through in plenty of time, though, and sat for about five minutes before boarding our flight to Tokyo. The flight was uneventful (always a good thing), but we did need to alter our flight plan to skirt the edge of a typhoon passing through Japan. After about 6.5 hours, we landed in Tokyo.

Siem Reap airport

Dairy Queen at the Siem Reap airport

A view of Bangkok, out the window of the plane

Once safely in Tokyo, we had a bit more time (maybe an hour at most?) to get to our assigned gate for departure.  A few headed out to indulge in exorbitantly-overpriced McDonald’s food before we departed.  It smelled very good! As we were seated for our long flight, the announcement was made that the flight would be slightly delayed. We took off about 20 minutes later and were told that the time would be easily made up as we flew. This was a long flight and we were weary. We didn’t really see each other a lot on the plane. Most were trying to sleep, and some even succeeded! We also walked the aisles to keep our legs from cramping up from sitting too long. Who knew you could feel like you got hit by a truck, when all you did was sit for 11 hours?

We arrived at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport on schedule. The lines in customs were long. We stepped into two different lines to try to speed our process of getting through the lines. One line had two different customs officers at the front of it, taking people through, so that line moved quickly.  The other line had only one officer, and it went slowly. Minutes ticked by, and we wondered if we would make it to our Rochester flight on time. Liz, Laura, and Mike were in the slow line and on the early (2:20 pm) flight to Rochester. (The rest of our team had a later flight, leaving MSP at about 4:20.) After we eventually made it through our line at about 2:00, we still had to move our luggage to the next room to re-check it and then go through our pre-flight security check. As we finally made it through all the check-points, Ray was waiting on the other side to take us to where we needed to go. We RAN all the way across the airport to our flight, with Ray carrying one of my backpacks. I didn’t even have time to put on my shoes, which I had removed for security, until we got to the moving walkways. Ron was just ahead of us (made it onto the tram), so he let the crew know we were on our way. When we arrived, we saw the plane was still available for boarding. Yes!! We boarded, and the older gentleman who was our flight attendant said, “I wasn’t leaving without you. We saw you were coming all the way from Tokyo.” He then put both my backpacks up in the overhead storage for me. I informed him I’d be using the oxygen right away, after running all the way there. The flight to Rochester was barely long enough for us to catch our breath!

There were four of us on this first flight to Rochester: Mike, Ron, Laura, and me. As we approached the airport, I thought how good it was to be going home, but also how much had been packed into the past three weeks. It will take a while for each of us to process the lessons God has for us from this journey we have taken. Waiting at the airport were Mike’s family, Laura and Liz’s family, and Karl and Martha, who had come out to meet the incoming flights. It was wonderful to see everyone and to catch up on things from home, from them (while friends and family caught up on things Cambodian, from us)! Our suitcases failed to run across the airport as we did, so they did not make the flight. The airport said they would deliver our bags later in the evening, so most of us departed the airport and headed for home. The remainder of our crew would arrive on the later flight, just after 5:00 pm (Ray, Becky, Ben, Andrea, Steve, Logan, Marlin, and Abby). All are now safely at home, while the crew in Poipet labors on with the Copelands. Hopefully we’ll receive an update from them soon. Thank you so much for your prayers!!

Praises:

1.       Praise God for safe flights for the 12 of us returning yesterday, and that the early crew all made their connection to Rochester.

2.       Praise for the changes we all have experienced the way we perceive the world.

3.       Praise God for his general protection over all our travels.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Please pray for those who have just returned, that they may recover from jetlag and any lingering digestive problems that they might have.

2.       Pray also for all 14 who have returned (Rick and Karen plus the 12 who just got here) that they will figure out what God wants them to do with all they have learned, and that they will be obedient to his purposes.

3.       Pray for the team still in Poipet, that they finish strong and that they travel safely when they return on Monday/Tuesday.

4.       Please pray for the people of Cambodia and for the full-time missionaries there.

Journey Home, Part 1

We are now officially on our way home. One flight down, three to go! We are spending the night in Bangkok, sleeping or staying awake. Either choice is valid, as we begin to transition our internal clocks 12 hours backward. Keep praying for our journey!

Visiting Place of Rescue II

This was a day to remember. We started with a little sadness, saying goodbye to friends we have come to know and love. We departed from the hotel and left friends behind (including Bill Lobbezoo and David Ens). Some would be headed home, some back to Phnom Penh, and some off to other adventures in Cambodia and beyond.  We were headed for Place of Rescue II, an orphanage where our church has sponsored some children, to give gifts and to love on the kids there. Some of us had a special mission, as we would be meeting the children we are sponsoring. The van ride to Mongkol Borei from Siem Reap was just over an hour and a half. There were three vans headed there. One was from the Calgary group, which served with us at English Camp. They were planning to pray for the orphanage and then head on to Poipet for the next leg of their mission trip. Our CCC group required two vans, as we would be parting ways after the orphanage. Marti, Sandy, Maxine, Kim, and Abby would be headed on to Poipet to spend time with the Copelands there, while the rest of us would be going back to Siem Reap for one more night before heading back to the good old USA tomorrow.

The kids lined up to sing for us.

The children came right up to us as we got out of our vans at Place of Rescue. It was wonderful. They all wanted to be hugged and loved, and many practiced their English on us. Hey, we’re used to that, after a week of English Camp! One of the older girls walked alongside me as we headed to their “Meeting Room,” which is a nice, open-air shelter from the sun. She greeted me in English and then asked me my name. I did the same, and after I told her my name, I asked hers. She was Syna. Then she asked me the question that the Khmer kid almost always ask next: “How old are you?” I’m used that by now too, so I just answered with a smile on my face. They ask because in their culture, there is a definite system of respect and honor, and the older you are, the more honor they will give you. Our group and the group from Calgary settled into plastic chairs while the kids got in lines, boys on one side, girls on the other, shortest to tallest. It was a very well-coordinated effort!

One young pray-er.

Once we were all seated, the children began to sing us songs. The songs were beautiful and included a Khmer song we had learned at English Camp. How fun is that? The children all did actions while they sang, too. Some of the youngest ones only moved every once in a while (they just stood there looking beautiful), but the rest were active all the time.  After four or five songs, the person in charge spoke, through an interpreter. (Marie was unable to be there for our visit.) He said that they had known about our visit for a month, and the children had been praying for us for that month. They had prayed for us every day, and especially as we traveled from Siem Reap. It stopped me in my tracks to think that *they* had been praying for *us.* They paused right then to join together and pray more for us. I have loved the Khmer way of prayer that I have seen here in Cambodia. Everyone prays at once, raising their voices to God in beautiful chorus of prayer. After the children prayed for us, we were told a list of prayer requests for them, through the interpreter. Our group and the Calgary group circled the children and prayed for them, in the same way they had prayed for us. It was uplifting to be part of the family of God in this way, lifting one another before His throne in prayer! In Jesus Christ, we are one family!

Kim and Abby L. handed out crayons and coloring books.

Marti and the Wagemans with their sponsor child

After we shared that beautiful time of prayer, we began to hand out presents. First we handed out many gifts to the kids, things we had for everyone. Abby H. brought a whole suitcase-full, and others brought little gifts as well. The children enjoyed stuffed animals, balls, balloons, jump ropes, crayons, coloring books, and much, much more. Each one had something to enjoy. In fact, we had so many that the kids’ arms were full. We left a big pile behind for the Rescue people to distribute to the kids at appropriate times (maybe Christmas?) Then we called the names of our sponsor children who had gifts from our congregation. It was delightful to see the kids’ joy as they received the little gifts.  I can’t wait to share all the pictures for all of you who have sponsored children over there. I don’t have the internet speed here in Cambodia to post them, but rest assured, you will get pictures if we have them!

Goodbye!

As we pumped up and handed out volleyballs, kids formed a circle and started hitting the ball around. Ben joined in. All around the place, we were laughing, blowing bubbles, jumping rope, and just visiting, as best we could. The visit came to an end too quickly, as we all climbed back into the vans. We would have loved to have more time to just get to know the children, but it was time for us to move on. We had a final lunch as a group (and with the Calgary group), and then we said goodbye to five of our ladies: Marti, Kim, Abby L., Maxine, and Sandy. Their van headed to Poipet and ours back to Siem Reap. The twelve of us who went back to Siem Reap had a quiet ending to our day, joining together for pizza by the pool at supper time. Some went out to do a bit more shopping, and some will do more shopping  and exploring during the day Thursday.

Abby L., Kim, Maxine, Marti, and Sandy

 Update: The internet did not cooperate last night, so I am posting this on Thursday morning. For the twelve here now, our flight leaves Siem Reap at 8:30 this evening (Thursday). We spend the night in the Bangkok airport, then fly out at 5:40 am. Our next flight leaves Tokyo at 3:55 pm on Friday. The funny thing is that after an eleven-hour flight, we arrive at Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport at 12:55 pm on Friday. Time travel is wonderful! The short flight to Rochester should arrive at about 3:00 pm. I will update as possible, and let you know when we are all safely on the ground.

Praises:

1.       Our time with the children at Place of Rescue II was wonderful.

2.       We are thankful for the safe travel we have had around Cambodia.

3.       We praise God for all He is teaching us, and for all the ways He is teaching us.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Please pray for the children at all the Place of Rescue sites, that they grow in Christ and their physical needs are met each day.

2.       Please pray for the team in Poipet, that they stay strong and healthy to the end of their time here.

3.       Pray for smooth and timely flights for those of us leaving tonight.

4.       Pray that our team will use what we have learned here to further God’s ministries back home.

Home sweet home

The first two of our Cambodia mission team 2011 is back on Minnesota soil! After a few longer than expected layovers, Karen and Rick landed at MSP at 6am Wed.

What an adventure!

A big thank you to everyone who prayed for us. We felt so blessed to see God working in Cambodia and to meet so many people who are so very different from us, and yet so similar. We had no major health problems, connected with many of the kids, and have a new appreciation of God's love for all people.

Goodbye to Our English Camp Friends

Here it is, finally! Our group picture!! (Of course we have bare feet. We're in church.)

Kids by the roadside. That is their home in the background.

Today was our last day of English Camp in Siem Reap. We started the morning in the café across from the hotel. There were so many English Camp teachers eating there, that we had to have two tables. After breakfast, a couple of us took tuk-tuk rides and some walked over to the church this morning. The way to and from our hotel has become so familiar in such a short time, because we generally walk it at least twice a day. There are many children along the way, and it seems they all yell out “Hello! Hello, Ma’dam!” We return their hellos to hear squeals and laughter. Some of the children have clothes on and some don’t. We have noticed that they really perk up at seeing our white faces. I’m calling it the “Marti Effect” as Marti always has suckers for those kids along the way. They love to see her (and by association, us) coming! Today on the way back home, I took the picture of one group of children. One little guy ran away when he saw my camera, but the others stood and posed for me.  I showed them the picture I took, and they all burst out laughing. It was one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. One of the things I will miss when I leave here is how easy it is to find joy.

Sandy with a precious, little friend

But I digress! Let me tell you about our last day of English Camp.  We didn’t break into teaching groups today, so we had more time for freshie shows and singing, testimonies and devotions. Our group was well-represented on all fronts. Ben gave a testimony today, and Marlin did a devotion. They both did an outstanding job. Many of us did freshie shows as well. Oh, and I almost forgot about the final round of games! We have been having a competition all week among the different groups, to see who would be crowned the winning team. We had two games today, a pass the balloon under your chin sort of game, followed by musical chairs. You might remember that we had similar games at the first English camp. However, each group of kids is different, so it’s all new again. The games were hilarious and the teams highly competitive. A tie finish was settled by a rock-paper-scissors match, best three out of five. Pink was declared the winner, but everyone had a fun time together. In addition to all the other activities, today we had a skit as well. Andrea and Abby H. did a great job in their parts, and it was very funny.

Laura and Maxine with two of their students

As the morning wound down, it was finally time of the students to receive their certificates. They were very proud, and many photographs were taken. After everyone had a certificate, we closed with a word of prayer and the song “Goodbye my Friend.” Many tears were shed during and after the song, as we did say goodbye to one another. One of our goals is to connect these kids to each other so they want to come back together again. As short-termers over here in Cambodia, we will most likely not connect with these kids again. We may find a few on Facebook or the like, but many do not have access to that type of technology. So it was sad on many levels, to fall in love for a week and then say goodbye. God, and our full time missionaries, will take care of the work we began here. We have to leave it in their capable hands.

Khmer message, ready to go up on the board.

After a final lunch with our student friends, we had a de-brief meeting with Bill Lobbezoo and David Ens. (Abby H. and Marlin were not there, as Abby was not feeling well today and went back to the hotel after the morning’s events were done.) It was much the same as the debrief after English Camp I, but with many different teachers, the responses to Bill’s questions were different. We all thought back over our time in Cambodia and forward to how we will process this experience and what we will do with all God has taught us. After this session was over, we walked back to the hotel one last time. Our team was to meet for about an hour to do some wrapping up of our own. We met poolside, which was just perfect! We took time praise each member of the team, recounting what we had seen over the past week. It was a delightful experience for one and all, I think, and a few more tears were shed. The rest of the afternoon, we had the option of attending an engagement party back at the church or resting at the hotel.

This evening, Bill treated all the teachers to a buffet dinner. It was great! So many choices, so little time. There were Western dishes (or at least the Cambodian interpretation of Western dishes) alongside traditional Khmer dishes. Many delicious choices were made! Our team decided to go shopping afterward, so tuk-tuk rides were arranged to the night market. More deals were bartered and treasures found. The tuk-tuk ride back to the hotel, along the river with the city lights shining, was simply delightful. What a pleasant way to end the day!

Tomorrow is our day to visit Place of Rescue Orphanage II,  where many of you who read this blog have sponsored children. We are so excited to go there. We will take two vans, and then Marti, Maxine, Sandy, Kim, and Abby L. will head on to Poipet from there, while the rest of us go back to Siem Reap for one more day. It is hard to believe that the time here is going by so quickly!

Praises:

1.       Praise God for all the friends we have made in the past week.

2.       Praise God that Mike and Laura are feeling better.

3.       Praise God that the English camp was a success.

4.       Praise God for the beauty of this country and its people.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Please pray that Abby H. feels better. She really wants to go to Place of Rescue tomorrow.

2.       Pray that all trips will be safe, as our teams travel tomorrow.

3.       Pray that we communicate well with the children at the orphanage tomorrow.

4.       Pray for each of the English camp students, that they will grow in their relationship with the Lord from what they have experienced this past week, or that they will understand a little more about who Jesus is, if they are not Christians.

Thanks for your continued prayers for all of us. We couldn’t be doing this without you!

Day Five of Siem Reap English Camp

Today was an all day field trip, but that didn’t mean that we skipped out on worship choruses and freshie shows. It is delightful to be here and soak up all the joy of the campers and the other teachers. After a shortened worship time, we headed to the buses. Unfortunately, our group was missing Mike this morning, as he wasn’t feeling the best. This morning started out very rainy. It dripped on us as we walked to the church, but once we got there it started coming down harder. Hats and raincoats (polka dot ones, included) were pulled out, as it was definitely wet.  Maxine lamented that she had left her nice raincoat and umbrellas at home. Oh well, we are all used to getting wet and muddy here in Cambodia!

Abby and Marlin, with Angkor Wat in the background

We took the short ride to Angkor Wat. For those of you who don’t know about it, it is an amazing ancient temple, built in the early 12^th century. We stepped off the bus to vendors selling raincoats. They know their market! As we proceeded into the temple, we had a long view of what was to come. It was impressive. Most of the students had been to Angkor Wat before. All Cambodians get in free, but foreigners have to pay. As Bill said, they made it, so they get to make the rules.

Laura and Ray with some of the kids

One of these things is not like the others....

Since the students were our local experts, we had fun listening to what they had to say about the temple. It was another day of relationship building with the kids. Many of them would just come up and say something like, “You having fun?” and then, “I will miss you.” Sometimes it was even students we didn’t know very well doing that, but each of us has a few to whom we have become pretty attached. It will be hard on us and hard on them to say goodbye tomorrow. For today, though, we enjoyed each other’s company. We traveled in small groups around Angkor all morning long, hearing stories and practicing English, loving and being loved. And along the way, we saw some amazing sights! Angkor Wat has complex architecture that has withstood the test of time. Repairs are being made and some areas are worn down, but when you think that it has been here 800 years, that’s pretty impressive. We headed back to the church for lunch, but not until we took a BIG group picture (all the teachers and all the campers). I hope to get a copy of that from someone (I think Kim had one, hint, hint). On our way back to the buses I saw a sight that didn’t surprise me very much, but I did find worthy of comment. We looked across a field to see our buses, and there was a cow grazing in the field. Cows are everywhere here in Cambodia. They are in the ditches, in the middle of town, at the war museum and at Angkor Wat. That’s just the way it is.

As we walked back to the buses, Maxine's friend held her hand.

After eating our lunch together, we all got back on the buses to head to another ancient temple. This one was called Ta Prohm. It is famous for the trees that have grown through and around it, and that was a sight to see! The students could tell us about this temple as well. We traveled around for the afternoon, fully aware of the force that the natural world can inflict on man-made things.

Marti and Sandy with some of their friends

Tonight we were done for the day after supper. Tomorrow will be an emotional day, so we better turn in early. God is helping us each to learn different things in accordance with his plans for us.

It's all about sharing the love of Christ!

Praises:

1.       God gave us a great worship time this morning.

2.       We are thankful for the cooks who make meals for us and all the students every day.

3.       We praise God for the lessons He has for each of us here in Cambodia.
4.     Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm were amazing. We are thankful for the opportunity to tour them.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Please pray for Mike to feel better. Also pray that Laura would feel relief from pain.

2.       Please pray for the parting words that will be said tomorrow, for hearts to be changed in the name of Jesus.

3.       Please pray that we will be diligent in processing all the lessons God is teaching us while we are in Cambodia.