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.

Days Three and Four of Siem Reap English Camp

I didn’t have the time or the energy to post yesterday, so I will combine two posts into one today, starting with yesterday, Saturday, July 30. First things first: we as a team had been following prayer requests from another CCC team on a mission trip in Sisseton, South Dakota. Several members of their team had contracted what appears to be a nasty, fast moving virus. One was even hospitalized. We knew that we needed to take some time as a team to pray for them, so that is how we began our day at the church.

Laura and her translator

Steve, Ben,  and Logan during Steve's devotion

Yesterday morning, the CCC team was in the spotlight. Laura gave her testimony in front of the big group, and Steve led a devotional. Both were excellent (in my humble opinion). Steve’s devotional  involved some audience participation. He talked about Noah and the flood, using Ben and Logan as props (and giving them polka dot raincoats to wear). Then he had the rest of us make rain sounds by patting the floor faster and faster. He added the thunder. Rain is a good topic in Cambodia, as it is very familiar to everyone. The rest of the events, including freshie shows and games, helped us all get excited about the day to come.

The morning was spent teaching our students.  We at CCC can be proud of our young people. They have stepped right up and taken on leadership roles from the beginning. The students love them, and I can see the growth in our youth as well. It is an amazing sight.  Not that our adults are slackers! We all have felt blessed by God in many ways during this camp, from His healing touch when we are not feeling the best, to smiles we get from the campers, to the amazing enthusiasm of Phearum when he leads worship choruses, to the relationships we are developing with the other teachers on in English Camp.

Beautiful music

Just before lunch, we had the privilege of listening to Phearum and a camper play some traditional Khmer music for all to hear. I loved the stringed instrument Phearum was playing, but I don't know yet what it is called. After lunch was our field trip to the market. Just like in Phnom Pehn, we had to stick with our team of students to race around the market, looking for deals on the list of items we were given. We were given $20 to purchase a mosquito net, a school uniform, 5 kilos of rice, a backpack, a hammock, a string of 10, single-use shampoo packets, and a durian. The team which accomplished the feat in the least time and with the most money left over would be the winner. All the teams are very competitive, and when you put five teams of about 24 people each in a Cambodian market, we tend to upset the flow of traffic. It was entertaining when two teams would meet in the narrow aisles. Whatever time we had left after we finished doing our required shopping could be spent doing recreational shopping, which is always fun. We headed back to the church at about 3:45 in the afternoon. One more competition awaited  us.

I do not believe Abby cared for the durian.

After reporting the winners of the shopping competition, Bill Lobbezoo invited three members of each team to the front of the sanctuary, two teachers and one student. CCC was well-represented, with Abby L., Abby H., Marlin, and Ben all competing for their teams. The contest was to see which team could polish off their durian most quickly. Students who liked durian went up, as did teachers who thought they were up to the task. I still haven’t had any, so I can’t speak from personal experience as to the taste, but it does look and smell disgusting. Our team members had varying opinions on the taste, but let’s just say none of them will be ordering it in the restaurant.

After supper, we had one more excursion. Ron had rejoined us by this time. A bus came to pick up all the teachers, and Bill treated us to a single scoop of ice cream at The Blue Pumpkin. It was so good. I miss dairy products. Afterward, we had some time at the night market to do a bit of shopping. Many great deals were bartered in the span of about an hour and a half. It was a pleasant ending to another enjoyable day.

Traditional Khmer instruments

Children's choir

Youth Teachers' Choir

Married Teachers' Choir

Sunday morning dawned, and as it did we had an earlier schedule than we originally thought. Church really began at 9:00, not 11:00. We all met at the Freedom Restaurant at 7:30 to visit a bit and connect as a team. Steve was headed out for the day with Logan and Ron to do some filming with a church that CCC may be helping purchase land for a new building. The rest of us caught a shuttle to the church to get there about half an hour before the service. Church was amazing. It was different from the Phnom Penh church Marti and I had attended for the past two Sundays, and yet there were some similarities. The service began with a couple of congregational hymns in Khmer. The third hymn was “How Great Thou Art.” It was so beautiful to hear a chorus of voices singing this old, familiar hymn in an unfamiliar language.  After the hymn was finished, introductions were made of all the visitors to the church (English Camp kids and teachers). Psalm 85 was read, and then another Khmer song was sung. After a prayer, two youth came up and led us all in three of the songs we have been singing every day at camp. The church was wild with excitement. Then it was time for us all to greet each other (jum-reap soo-a). Then the little kids came up to sing (and be adorable). Next, we had an interpretive dance from three young people. Then came the offering, with “I Surrender All” playing in the background. After that, an older lady came up to give her testimony, and then the message was delivered by one of the teachers from camp. After the message, the youth choir and the adult choir came up to sing songs for us. The morning wasn’t quite done yet, as our Khmer camp leader, Phearum, suggested that all the foreigners should come up and sing! We ended up singing in two groups, Khmer-style, with the unmarried folks going first and the married ones going second. Our young crew sang “Amazing Grace” while the older (more mature) ones sang “Shout to the Lord.” We had only a verbal and musical benediction before the service was done. I took advantage of this opportunity to catch some pictures of much of the crew, all dressed up, after church.

 

Kim and Abby L.

Ray, Ben, Andrea and Becky

Liz and Laura (Liz in her skirt and top from the market)

Marlin and Abby H.

Three active grandmas: Maxine,Marti, and Sandy

Work time at English Camp

I have been asked to try to describe what English Camp actually is. I think it is a little different for every group and every teacher. We had wise counsel early on that it might be called “relationship camp” rather than “English camp.” The idea is that people who speak English as their native language come and teach children and young adults a few things about English vocabulary, structure, and usage. We do have a workbook to use as a starting point. But how camp unfolds each day is in the hands of God.  Asking questions and having conversations in English is really the best way for the young people to learn. And it also helps them to form bonds with their teachers. Every day we play games together in our small groups, go over our workbooks, and ask questions. Today, I asked my group if they could each tell me their story. I wanted to know if they believed in Jesus, if so for how long, and if any of their family members also believed in Jesus. They explained their stories in English. Several were the only believers in their families. Several were not yet believers, but were having fun at camp. A couple said their whole family was believers. As I also told them my story, we bonded in a little different way. And they heard more spoken English (which was also interpreted for them by a class member who actually teaches English in Cambodia). English camp seems to refuse to be defined in exact terms, but it is a place where God is very active.

Our last day of class began after lunch. We had a couple of challenges this morning. One was for the teachers to learn a song in Khmer and English from our campers. The other was to create/choreograph a short program for a “Freshie Show Down, Throw Down” competition. Each team spent a significant portion of the morning learning their routines, and it showed. When we got back together at the end of the day, the teams all had great performances. Marti got up there and did a very fun dance with her group. Ben and Ray each participated with their groups, as did Abby H.  Abby L., Laura, and Andrea all performed in their group’s number as well (and were the winners). All who participated got a serious work out. Wow, those were some wild dances! We ate supper together and were then invited to stay for a showing of a movie about Jesus, in Khmer. Many kids and teachers stayed and watched the film together.

Tomorrow we will be headed to Angkor Wat for an all day field trip. Let’s see what God has in store for us!

Praises:

1.       Most are feeling mostly well right now.

2.       Worship this morning was wonderful and refueled us beautifully.

3.       We are thankful for all the relationships we are building.

Prayer Requests:

1.       We pray for all the campers who have touched our hearts and our lives. We pray for the harvest yet to come among the unbelievers.

2.       We ask for prayers for continued health for our group.

3.       We ask for God’s blessings on all the time we have left here, that we may savor each moment and keep our eyes open for all that God has to show us.

Karen, farms and Hong Kong

Here I am with some kids that we saw from our tuk tuk on the way to the Tonle Sap lake from Seim Reap. We stopped to get some pictures of the rice and lotus fields, and saw one little girl smiling from this 10 foot square hut by the side of the road. When I smiled at her, she giggled and waved. So I asked the mom if I could take a picture with her. Within seconds all 7 of these kids were there wanting to be in the picture. They were all so happy and adorable, and the mom was so pleasant.

The photo at the right was across the road from the kids. There are rice fields and lotus fields here. I wrote about them in a previous blog. I wanted to be sure to include a picture of the cricket catchers (below). These contraptions were all along the road in this one section.

 

So Rick and Karen left Cambodia via Poipet and Bangkok on Thursday evening.

We arrived at almost midnight in Hong Kong, found a hotel and prepared for two days of playing tourist. Hong Kong is a very interesting place. I did not realize how many people live in this very small country. Being it was a British colony for a hundred years or so, there were many times in that hundred years when neighboring countries had wars, and many refugees fled to Hong Kong. The number of very tall apartment buildings is overwhelming. I don't know what they would do if they had no electricity. It looked like most of the apartment buildings are over 30 stories tall, and they are everywhere. Two days was plenty of time for me here. I felt so claustrophobic with so many people everywhere all the time. We did enjoy a harbor tour and a ride up to a high peak with a gorgeous view. The world is so full of interesting things and God's amazing creation. How blessed we are to be able to see a bit of it.

Flynn adventures

This photo was taken in Bangkok back on July 16. Rick forgot his hat, so he had to buy this lovely cowboy hat from a street vendor. I think he makes a great cowboy! I bought the umbrella from a street vendor also, for a couple bucks. I have been carrying that umbrella all over Asia in the last two weeks, because it doesn't fit in my luggage. I have this fear that I will leave it in the airport in Detroit or something dumb.

Speaking of Bangkok, on our way back to this lovely city by van a few days ago, Rick recognized one of the other passengers. It was Holly, a missionary with the CMA in Battambang, Cambodia. He had met her at the Copelands last November when he was in Poipet. She is an agricultural missionary. She teaches the Cambodian farmers how to use chemicals correctly (because the Thai company that sells them the chemicals doesn't bother to tell them about safety precautions and how much chemical to use for their own safety and the good of the land.) Holly is also working on a project with the Moringa plant, which grows in areas like Cambodia. The leaves can be eaten like spinach or dried into a powder that retains it's nutritional value for months. It is high in protein, vitamin A, iron and other good stuff. The Cambodian farmers don't understand the nutritional value, and she helps educate them. She is also working with the Cambodian government to promote the plant. And she is helping to start a factory that dries and preserves the leaves, so that they can be eaten during the dry season.  Our missionaries care about the whole person; physical, spiritual, and even career concerns... that's the love of Christ in Cambodia.

Day Two of Siem Reap English Camp

Last night before he left us, David Manfred had offered that if we were at the restaurant across the street from the hotel at 6:30 this morning, he would feed us a traditional Cambodian breakfast. Several of the group took advantage of this offer. They had noodle soup and other delicacies I am sure they would love to tell you about. David left Cambodia today with many gifts from our church, to take to missionaries here. He also left with Ron Ray, who was headed back to Phnom Penh for a couple days to do some filming and interviewing for a project he is doing.

Mud trekkers

Abby's muddy toes

At about 7:45, we started our walk to the church. Today we had to walk around and sometimes through mud puddles, so it was an adventure! As we walked, David Ens and Bill Lobbezoo went past us in a tuk-tuk. The road was very rutted and muddy, and we could hear them going, “Ouch, ouch!” as they rode by. Maybe walking wasn’t such a bad option, especially in the morning when it’s light out and NOT raining. No one ended up falling into any puddles, so we called the walk a success. And we even managed to retrieve Abby H’s flip flops each time they got stuck in the mud. We were delighted that Andrea was feeling good enough to head back to camp this morning.

Bill and David's tuk-tuk in a rut-rut

Our great dancers

Our opening time together as a large group was delightful once again. The praise music warmed our hearts and souls, the games and freshie shows made us laugh, and devotions and testimonies gave us something to think about. We had a special treat this morning when some of the students came in dressed in traditional Khmer garb and did a wonderful traditional dance for us. We had a singer as well, who added to the wonderful authenticity of this time we shared together. Before we got too far into the morning, Bill stopped us and asked us to pray together. The group from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada had one-third of its members back at the hotel, sick. One was even hospitalized a couple days ago.  As Bill told us, we are doing bold things for Christ here, and Satan is going to attack. We prayed in the powerful name of Jesus that Satan would be bound and our friends healed. The prayer itself was beautiful. We gathered around the remainder of the Edmonton group as well as any others who had been feeling sick. We all put hands on them and prayed, in English and Khmer, all at once and together. Many voices raised to God in prayer make a beautiful sound.

Groups this morning felt more comfortable for everyone. We thought we were better prepared and the students more willing to share with us. It was a blessing to begin to know some of their stories. The morning went by quickly. At lunch, we had curry soup with bread. It was delicious! We also had a special treat for dessert. They gave us more bread and put a little bow of dipping sauce in the middle. We asked the kids and found out it was sweetened, condensed milk. Wow, that tasted good! You should try it sometime!

Maxine and Abby, our oldest and youngest team members

Ray, Becky, Steve and Maxine

Logan didn’t feel the best by this time, so he headed back to the hotel instead of staying for the field trip. Hopefully he will be back to full strength by tomorrow. The afternoon field trip today was to a “swimming hole” (Baray). It is a man-made lake, but David Ens said it’s one of the oldest. (Read about it). Many of the kids were excited to go swimming, but some preferred just to watch. Several of us adults adopted that same mentality, but not Maxine (our most senior member of the group). She was out there, having a great time!  It was fun to visit and play with the campers. The younger kids in our group were very popular among the campers. The time flew by, and soon it was time to head back to the church.

Marlin impressed the kids by spinning the beach ball on his finger.

Just a reminder that this is not a public beach in the USA.

As we were getting dropped off by the dirt road to the church, we took a look at the sky and thought rain was probably on its way. We decided as a group that we would rather walk back to the hotel in the rain in the daylight than repeat our trip in the dark, as much “fun” as that was last night. Most of us headed right back to the church and had supper on our own. We all (except Marti) met at 7:30 at the little restaurant by the hotel for fruit smoothies. Thanks, Steve! Still no group picture. It’s harder to get everybody together than I thought it would be. However, I think Sunday morning should work well for that. We will have a later start, with our day beginning with an 11:00 am church service. Sooner or later, I will get people cornered for that picture.

Praises:

1.       Andrea is feeling better and made it the whole day.

2.       Bonding with the campers is beginning!

3.       We are thankful for our great prayers back home.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Please pray for those on our team (especially Marti, Andrea, and Logan) who haven’t been feeling their best, and for the Edmonton team as well.

2.       Pray for our relationships to continue to develop with the campers.

3.        Pray for Ron as he is in Phnom Penh again for a couple days to do some interviews for a video project he is working on, that he might keep his focus on what the Lord desires and that he has safe travel when he rejoins our group.

Day One of Siem Reap English Camp

This was one long and exciting day! Those who had just come in yesterday all hoped for a good night’s sleep to help them be ready for the day today.  I (Liz) heard many good reports on that, which is a blessing. We all made the walk to the church this morning, after some stopped in the restaurant by the hotel to get an American breakfast. Let’s just say that the rice porridge that we are served every day takes some getting used to! The walk was pleasant in the early morning. Everyone was in pretty good spirits when we arrived at camp.

Today was the day we formed our groups and began camp! Every day camp starts with worship time. It was a beautiful time to sing songs together.  The worship was genuine and a lot of fun. At one point, we were taught a new song (to those of us who have not done English camps before). It was called “Cambodia is for Christ.” The Cambodian leader who sang the song for us did it with such great enthusiasm (and repeated it six or seven times) that we couldn’t help catching his joy. Several people from our group mentioned worship time as a highlight of their day. Mixed in with worship were game time and freshie shows. The teams were very competitive – and be sure you ask our team about freshie shows when they get back from Cambodia. Freshie shows are hard to explain in words. Maybe if you ask nicely, one of the team will give you a demonstration. (I’d highly recommend asking Steve.)

At about 10:00, we split into groups for English learning time. We had representatives from our team in each of the groups. The morning went by quickly with games and getting to know the young people. I have yet to talk about the bathrooms at the church where we have camp. Maybe I should just leave it to your imagination. At any rate, most of us would probably do our best NOT to have to use them, but it’s a long day and desperate times require desperate measures.  Enough said. Anyway, Andrea was not feeling well, so she and her mom went back to the hotel to get her some rest for the afternoon. We all hope and pray she will be feeling much better by morning.

Workers, spinning silk

After lunch with our camper friends, we headed off on our first field trip of the week. We went to a silk farm and the war museum. The silk farm was very interesting. We learned about all the steps in making silk, from moth to egg to worm to cocoon to spun silk. Then we saw some beautiful products in their store. After the silk farm, we headed to the war museum. It was an outside display of weapons, machinery, and aircraft of war. The items were mostly from the Vietnam War. There was no guide, and the kids climbed all over everything. In and amongst the war machinery, chickens roamed freely (the definition of free range chickens, I suppose) and three cows were tied to graze. I love Cambodia! People are practical and use their green space wisely. At the end, we posed for a group picture by the helicopter. As you can see, there are a lot of us.

The group at the war museum

Most enthusiastic participants in the group, at the war museum

Pink polka dots rule!!

As we returned to the church for supper, we found David Manfred (Field Director for CMA Cambodia) waiting for us. He wanted to spend some time with our CCC team and get the packages and suitcases we had brought for the different missionaries. It was great to see him there! He had supper with us at the church and then….the skies opened up, as they do in Cambodia. We wondered if it would be a long rain or a short rain, and decided to try to wait it out under our eating tent.  Maybe it would be one of those cloudbursts where it only rained a short time and then the skies cleared again. Unfortunately, this was not really the case. It rained hard (while kids still played volleyball). It thundered LOUDLY (while kids still played volleyball). The world filled with mud and water. Maxine, Sandy, Marti, Steve, Laura, Ray, Dave, and I (and Jessica, a friend from camp) all decided to brave the walk back to the motel. Remember, it is a 20-minute walk on a normal day. This was a mostly dark and pouring rain evening, with a good part of the way on a rutted, dirt (now mud) road. Time for an adventure! Steve and Dave found rain coats for sale at the little stand by the church, and invested in some pink (for Dave) and yellow (for Steve) polka dot numbers that will definitely stick in our memories. We walked cautiously to try to keep Jessica’s flip flops on her feet. We skirted mud puddles as it was possible. We enjoyed the laughter of people who watched us from their dry spots. We made it over half way back when we came to what looked like many other little streams we had crossed. Dave Manfred was in the lead and was just saying to be careful, because it was deeper than it looked. I was slightly too close behind him to fully heed those words before I stepped out. It wasn’t exactly deeper than I expected, but it WAS slipperier. Down I went, face first into the squishy, muddy, yucky (let’s not think about what the yuck is) water. I did most things right, except for the part where I was lying down in the street. I kept my mouth shut. I kept my backpack and camera out of the standing water. My Timex took a licking and kept on ticking. Dave helped me up. We didn’t have too long to keep walking to get to the hotel. All is well, and it is certainly a memory to take back home!

We had our first group meeting together tonight after everyone dried off (and some took showers to wash disgusting stuff off themselves).  We all gathered to talk about English Camp in general and our own days specifically. It was great to get together as a group and talk about our highs and lows, supporting one another and praying together. After the meeting, we got all the supplies that were for the Cambodian missionaries to Dave Manfred. Tomorrow, a new day will come, with more adventures in it! (Group picture tomorrow - hopefully - when Andrea feels better.)

Praises:

1.       Day 1 of English Camp had some amazing highlights: the worship time, the campers, and the field trips, to name a few.

2.       We had a wonderful time with Dave Manfred.

3.       Marti is feeling better.

Prayer Requests:

1.       Please pray for Andrea to feel better by tomorrow so she can participate in camp.

2.       Pray for the rest of the team to stay well.

3.       Pray for the relationships between campers and teachers to develop according to God’s plan for the week.

4.       Pray for lives to be changed, by the power of God.