The day we were dreading, the last day at the orphanage. We stayed up late last night after the movie, talking and preparing ourselves for the inevitable. How can with language barriers, cultural differences, age differences, and in such a short time frame go from strangers to family. The closeness we found with these kids can only be described as God's love. There is no other way to explain it. We each have our special friend(s), who we have a special bond with, but all 10 of us leave with 39 new little brothers and sisters in Christ.
We left the hotel and got to the orphanage to find, as usual, all the kids lined up waiting for us, ready to cheer our arrival (what did we do to deserve this). In all of the trees are intricately folded construction paper, oragomied (word?) into animals and flowers with notes in English for us. They had stayed up into the wee hours of the night doing that for us. They read "I Love You", "I Will Miss You", "God Bless You", and "Come Back Soon". We walked through this paradise and into the classroom building. When we got there, we had a surprise for them. We had practiced, kind of, a couple songs for them, since they had blessed us so much with their worship. The first song was a joyful noise, and man was it noisy. We hesitated for a millisecond, then went on to sing "Mighty to Save" for them, and the presence of the Lord was there. The song may not have sounded good, but the kids liked it, and got into it, and finished to great applause. They then, of course, began to sing for us. There is something about the loud and beautiful voices of these children that puts us in a place where our hearts fill with love for these kids and God. They sing as loud as they possibly can with no hesitation of the sound of their voice, who is watching, who is listening, they just lift of their voices to the Risen Lord. Amazing. They finish with a song called "Goodbye My Friends". Needless to say, this took all of our emotions to a new high. After cleaning the tears away, we had a great chance to thank and pray for the Ophanage and New Life Orphanage as a ministry.
If things had ended there today at the orphanage, I don't think any of us would have been recovered yet. Luckily, we had time to play more. We did another rousing game of steal the bacon, which we will post video of upon our arrival home, and then just played with the Weeble Wobbles and balls, made more oragomy, and just loved on the kids. They are such a giving and wonderful group of kids, they just kept filling our bags with more and more and more of what they made for us. The evidence of our impact was cemented by the stack of letters they gave me to take back to team members from past teams.
Then I had my low for the trip. I had to start the process of saying final good byes. Through many tears, hugs, words or love, tears, high fives, fist bumps, final oragomy hand offs, and tears, we were in the van, not ready to leave, but having to leave. As we drove off, the kids stood at the fence and waved, just the final icing on the cake of a beautiful week. We spent the ride home consoling each other, praying for the kids, the leadership of the orphanage and church, and Cambodia, and talking ourselves out of going back right then. The impact these children made in our lives will be permanent.
After a not so quick lunch, we packed up and headed for Siem Reap. The details of that seem insignificant in comparison, so I will just say we had a safe trip, checking into our hotel, which is very nice, and went to a nice dinner at the Blue Pumpkin.
Our debrief tonight was very touching. I will go back to how I started this blog. How can 10 people who have only met 6 or 7 times come to a country on the other side of the world, coming from different backgrounds and leave as family, willing to do anything for each other? Again, only by the divine intervention of God. We talked everything out and just talked about how much moments other people had with the kids affected us. We too have a bond that will be permanent. I am so proud of the job each of them have done, and know God was working through me when I got all the trip applications to put this group together.
Tomorrow will be a day of fun and excitement as we see the sites of Siem Reap and take a little down time. Please pray for health, rest, and rejuvination of our spirits, as we miss the children already. Thanks for following, we love and miss you all.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
And the winner is......
Today was the culmination of our lessons, crafts and sports, and it proved to be an amazing day. We taught about trusting God by telling the stories of Esther and David and Goliath. The kids participated in a trust exercise, falling backwards off a picnic table into the waiting arms of missionaries and friends (embarassing side note - one child was dropped, but thank God neither her body nor faith were damaged!). The kids also learned that real faith may wobble but doesn't fall down: to drive the point home, each child was given a large Weeble-Wobble-esque "stress relief doll." The kids got to draw faces, clothing, and anything else they wanted on them, and they had a blast knocking them around.
The final sports and rec event was tug-o-war, where we intended to teach the kids about strength by showing them how just a few men could overpower greater numbers than their own. All five of our team's men lined up on one side (author included), and many (15? 20? Some say 30?) of the boys lined up on the other. After the first round, five dusty missionaries were demanding a rematch. One was granted, and although we fared much better the second time around, the kids taught us a well-deserved lesson about trusting in our own strength! We should have prayed for reinforcements!
We surprised the kids by presenting three of them with awards for their performance during the games - one each for Strongest Competitor, Strongest Encourager, and Strongest Sportsmanship. The kids sat in hushed anticipation as Jon pulled out a ribbon with a shiny gold medallion and explained the categories. One of the younger girls, Soben, was struck with awe as soon as Jon revealed the medal, and beamed like the sun when she was annouced as the first winner! The second award went to one of the older boys, Mansoros, who is an exemplary servant-leader.
Lastly, the award for Strongest Sportsmanship went to a young boy named Kea. Kea's story can only be described as bittersweet - he suffers moderate mental and physical disabillities due to harsh physical abuse by his father. But he carries these burdens with a constant, bright smile and tireless enthusiasm. And to be present as his name was called and he walked forward to receive his medal was to see Christ's love on earth in the flesh - living in the 30+ orphans who cheered more loudly in that moment than for any other thing all week, as Kea humbly took his medal and immediately turned to walk back to his seat, wearing a face-stretching smile. I have truly never seen a happier person on Earth than that little boy as he was loved so openly and mightily by his new family of Christ's children.
As if all that weren't enough for one day, we went back tonight to hang out with the kids and cut loose a little. All the kids ran excitedly from one team member to the next, taking pictures in huge groups or pairs and every possible combination in between. We performed a dance for the kids, paying tribute to one they did for us on Sunday at church which you will all see video of soon (of the kids, NOT us! Ok..... probably us too.). Mike W. worked double-super-overtime (including at dinner tonight) to put together a slideshow of our pictures and video from the week, which everyone loved. Then, we popped popcorn, drank Cokes and watched the movie "Bolt," which the kids couldn't understand but greatly enjoyed anyway. They piled on top of us and just hung out until it was time for bed.
Tomorrow, we will go back for our last few hours with the kids. I don't need to explain how emotionally rocky tomorrow will be, so please be in prayer for us and the kids. Although it is tough to say goodbye, we hope to glorify God and leave them with His love, which is far greater than our own love that we are pouring out on them. We all miss our friends and families too, and everyone is grateful for the support and encouragement!
The final sports and rec event was tug-o-war, where we intended to teach the kids about strength by showing them how just a few men could overpower greater numbers than their own. All five of our team's men lined up on one side (author included), and many (15? 20? Some say 30?) of the boys lined up on the other. After the first round, five dusty missionaries were demanding a rematch. One was granted, and although we fared much better the second time around, the kids taught us a well-deserved lesson about trusting in our own strength! We should have prayed for reinforcements!
We surprised the kids by presenting three of them with awards for their performance during the games - one each for Strongest Competitor, Strongest Encourager, and Strongest Sportsmanship. The kids sat in hushed anticipation as Jon pulled out a ribbon with a shiny gold medallion and explained the categories. One of the younger girls, Soben, was struck with awe as soon as Jon revealed the medal, and beamed like the sun when she was annouced as the first winner! The second award went to one of the older boys, Mansoros, who is an exemplary servant-leader.
Lastly, the award for Strongest Sportsmanship went to a young boy named Kea. Kea's story can only be described as bittersweet - he suffers moderate mental and physical disabillities due to harsh physical abuse by his father. But he carries these burdens with a constant, bright smile and tireless enthusiasm. And to be present as his name was called and he walked forward to receive his medal was to see Christ's love on earth in the flesh - living in the 30+ orphans who cheered more loudly in that moment than for any other thing all week, as Kea humbly took his medal and immediately turned to walk back to his seat, wearing a face-stretching smile. I have truly never seen a happier person on Earth than that little boy as he was loved so openly and mightily by his new family of Christ's children.
As if all that weren't enough for one day, we went back tonight to hang out with the kids and cut loose a little. All the kids ran excitedly from one team member to the next, taking pictures in huge groups or pairs and every possible combination in between. We performed a dance for the kids, paying tribute to one they did for us on Sunday at church which you will all see video of soon (of the kids, NOT us! Ok..... probably us too.). Mike W. worked double-super-overtime (including at dinner tonight) to put together a slideshow of our pictures and video from the week, which everyone loved. Then, we popped popcorn, drank Cokes and watched the movie "Bolt," which the kids couldn't understand but greatly enjoyed anyway. They piled on top of us and just hung out until it was time for bed.
Tomorrow, we will go back for our last few hours with the kids. I don't need to explain how emotionally rocky tomorrow will be, so please be in prayer for us and the kids. Although it is tough to say goodbye, we hope to glorify God and leave them with His love, which is far greater than our own love that we are pouring out on them. We all miss our friends and families too, and everyone is grateful for the support and encouragement!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Bus, Beach balls, & Baptisms!
Waking up on Tuesday morning was a little tough. The bus was leaving at 5am sharp, so we had to be in the lobby at 4:45am. We knew the kids were anxiously waiting, and they were definitely NOT going to be late. We later found out that they had stayed up all night from the excitement.
We all loaded up and headed to orphanage to pick up the children. When we arrived they were waving like crazy; you could sense the excitement. They all piled in for the 8-hour bus ride that was ahead. I guess time really flies when you’re having fun, because the ride was over in a flash. Singing, sleeping, playing clapping games (which mixed in a little rock, paper, scissors), and listening to music did the trick. We were ready to hit the beach!
The kids stripped down to their undies or just kept on what they were wearing and rushed the water. I joined them as if it were like I’d seen the ocean for the first time. We all swam and played with the kids and then something awesome happened - we broke out the beach balls! The kids went CRAZY! After we recouped from our light-headedness (from blowing up all the balls), it was back to the water for more fun in the sun. Some of the kids used the balls for soccer, others for volleying, and the most popular (at least for the littler ones) was to hold on to the ball, put their feet out behind them, and let us push them through the water as fast as we could. (Kind of like a wheelbarrow race, but in the water holding on to a beach ball.) What a blast!
The food at the beach was - you guessed it - seafood! There was crab, squid, giant shrimp, and the usual; rice. It was some of the freshest seafood imaginable. You could honestly watch fishing boats come to shore with their catch and give it to the cooks to prepare. Oh, and Ants were also on the menu. We all took turns passing around the tray of ants spritzed with lemon. They were actually pretty good.
The hotel was pretty accommodating, although Mistye and Candace might tell you differently – haha. From the outside looking in, you would think our team has known each other for years. As we sat in Mike & Jon’s hotel room (long after our devotional for the evening was over) we joked and laughed together. It’s so amazing how God works – even when picking out our mission team.
Today we woke up early again so the kids would have a few hours at the beach again before we head back to Battambang. But, before we left, pastor Vek (the creator of New Life Church and the reason why our mission team is in Cambodia) showed up with one of the teams serving at the orphanage in Phnom Penh. Everyone was excited to see him and his wife, but little did we know, the excitement was yet to come.
One of the team members from the Phnom Penh group (Alex) wanted to be baptized and pastor Vek was going to be the one doing it. One of our members expressed interest in being baptized as well, and sure enough it happened. As Candace stepped out in to the water, wear pastor Vek was waiting, we were all standing on the shore holding back tears. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and I can’t think of a better time than right now,” Candace had said earlier. All the kids surrounded us in song while she was washed by the water. God’s presence couldn’t have felt any stronger. It was a perfect day.
We said our goodbyes to pastor Vek and the others and got on the bus (which is where I’m writing this blog) for the 8-hour journey back to Battembang.
We all loaded up and headed to orphanage to pick up the children. When we arrived they were waving like crazy; you could sense the excitement. They all piled in for the 8-hour bus ride that was ahead. I guess time really flies when you’re having fun, because the ride was over in a flash. Singing, sleeping, playing clapping games (which mixed in a little rock, paper, scissors), and listening to music did the trick. We were ready to hit the beach!
The kids stripped down to their undies or just kept on what they were wearing and rushed the water. I joined them as if it were like I’d seen the ocean for the first time. We all swam and played with the kids and then something awesome happened - we broke out the beach balls! The kids went CRAZY! After we recouped from our light-headedness (from blowing up all the balls), it was back to the water for more fun in the sun. Some of the kids used the balls for soccer, others for volleying, and the most popular (at least for the littler ones) was to hold on to the ball, put their feet out behind them, and let us push them through the water as fast as we could. (Kind of like a wheelbarrow race, but in the water holding on to a beach ball.) What a blast!
The food at the beach was - you guessed it - seafood! There was crab, squid, giant shrimp, and the usual; rice. It was some of the freshest seafood imaginable. You could honestly watch fishing boats come to shore with their catch and give it to the cooks to prepare. Oh, and Ants were also on the menu. We all took turns passing around the tray of ants spritzed with lemon. They were actually pretty good.
The hotel was pretty accommodating, although Mistye and Candace might tell you differently – haha. From the outside looking in, you would think our team has known each other for years. As we sat in Mike & Jon’s hotel room (long after our devotional for the evening was over) we joked and laughed together. It’s so amazing how God works – even when picking out our mission team.
Today we woke up early again so the kids would have a few hours at the beach again before we head back to Battambang. But, before we left, pastor Vek (the creator of New Life Church and the reason why our mission team is in Cambodia) showed up with one of the teams serving at the orphanage in Phnom Penh. Everyone was excited to see him and his wife, but little did we know, the excitement was yet to come.
One of the team members from the Phnom Penh group (Alex) wanted to be baptized and pastor Vek was going to be the one doing it. One of our members expressed interest in being baptized as well, and sure enough it happened. As Candace stepped out in to the water, wear pastor Vek was waiting, we were all standing on the shore holding back tears. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and I can’t think of a better time than right now,” Candace had said earlier. All the kids surrounded us in song while she was washed by the water. God’s presence couldn’t have felt any stronger. It was a perfect day.
We said our goodbyes to pastor Vek and the others and got on the bus (which is where I’m writing this blog) for the 8-hour journey back to Battembang.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Faith of a Child
We talked for a while tonight about how amazing our time with the kids was today.
We began the day by reading a story with the kids and getting them to act out the roles (which was hilarious...they are quite the little actors). Afterwards we gathered them together with us to decorate some little tote bags and hats that we bought for them. They could have colored on those things for hours. We were so blown away at how much they love each other, and how well they look out for their other brothers and sisters. They shared markers, older kids drew outlines for the smaller kids, and others helped with spelling and writing words in English. What's so amazing about these kids is that they have such a genuine faith, and it even shows up in their creativity. They were able to draw or write anything they wanted on their hats and totes, and so many wrote things like "I love Jesus" and they seemed to beam with joy over those words. They not only openly talk about their love for Christ, but they so visibly show that love to the neighborhood children. They let the kids from the surrounding area participate in their games, share in their gifts, and accept them as if they were family. It was an outward expression of what they know in their hearts about Jesus' words to his disciples in Matt 18. "...Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me."
Mark, who was here last year on a construction trip, was telling us about how much of an impact teams such as ours have had on these kids. As he stood there with the children looking at photos on their wall, they could name specifically past team members' names as they pointed to them. It made us all feel very special to know that the small part we are playing in their life stories will hopefully have a positive impact for years to come. One of our goals on this trip is to make memories. We want to create "wow" moments so that even if they can't remember who we are, they will hopefully remember an experience, trip, embrace, or conversation that will bring a smile to their face and become a lasting memory. I know each of us has a unique “wow” moment already.
I can honestly say that we are blessed to be a part of this experience, and I know that our lives will never be the same.
Our hearts swell with joy when we look into their little faces, and we just want to thank all again for providing the prayer and financial support that has allowed us to be a part of this amazing experience.
We began the day by reading a story with the kids and getting them to act out the roles (which was hilarious...they are quite the little actors). Afterwards we gathered them together with us to decorate some little tote bags and hats that we bought for them. They could have colored on those things for hours. We were so blown away at how much they love each other, and how well they look out for their other brothers and sisters. They shared markers, older kids drew outlines for the smaller kids, and others helped with spelling and writing words in English. What's so amazing about these kids is that they have such a genuine faith, and it even shows up in their creativity. They were able to draw or write anything they wanted on their hats and totes, and so many wrote things like "I love Jesus" and they seemed to beam with joy over those words. They not only openly talk about their love for Christ, but they so visibly show that love to the neighborhood children. They let the kids from the surrounding area participate in their games, share in their gifts, and accept them as if they were family. It was an outward expression of what they know in their hearts about Jesus' words to his disciples in Matt 18. "...Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me."
Mark, who was here last year on a construction trip, was telling us about how much of an impact teams such as ours have had on these kids. As he stood there with the children looking at photos on their wall, they could name specifically past team members' names as they pointed to them. It made us all feel very special to know that the small part we are playing in their life stories will hopefully have a positive impact for years to come. One of our goals on this trip is to make memories. We want to create "wow" moments so that even if they can't remember who we are, they will hopefully remember an experience, trip, embrace, or conversation that will bring a smile to their face and become a lasting memory. I know each of us has a unique “wow” moment already.
I can honestly say that we are blessed to be a part of this experience, and I know that our lives will never be the same.
Our hearts swell with joy when we look into their little faces, and we just want to thank all again for providing the prayer and financial support that has allowed us to be a part of this amazing experience.
A Little Piece of Heaven
We met the kids TODAY! What an amazing event. My words will not do it justice....just try to imagine over 30 smiling faces greating you as you pile off of a bus. I watched as some of our team got off the bus and walked right into the arms of the most precious little children ever. I stood there on the bus, watching as they hugged last years vets. They all remembered Jon, Mark and Mike WELL and it showed. The children just clung to them and called out their names. As I stepped off the bus, I could only hope to learn a name or maybe get a small hug from a child or two but that was not in the plans for these children...they greated me with open arms as well. We hugged like we'd known each other all of our lives. As we stood there hugging I thought, ïf Heaven is anything like this when I enter the gates, then I have a LOT to look forward to". It was a little piece of heaven that God gave me here on earth. I held back tears long enough to enter the church where we would have our service. And then the tears came. I was so overwhelmed with what God had already done for us in just the first meeting....AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN!
The children sang songs before and during the service that was such beautiful music. We couldn't understand much but we knew that God was there with us. The sermon was given today from John 12. As the pastor spoke (in Khmer) I decided to read on my own from John 12. This scripture tells about the last 6 days of Jesus' life. The scripture that stood out to me was John 12:26 "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." It has been an honor just to be here and serve. It is quite an honor to be the hands and feet of such an amazing God.
We taught the children the Easter story, they made journals in art that they LOVED (glitter and Cambodians....crazy combination) and we played games to teach them that leaning on one another is very important.
It was a great day. We're tired. My bed is calling my name.
The children sang songs before and during the service that was such beautiful music. We couldn't understand much but we knew that God was there with us. The sermon was given today from John 12. As the pastor spoke (in Khmer) I decided to read on my own from John 12. This scripture tells about the last 6 days of Jesus' life. The scripture that stood out to me was John 12:26 "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." It has been an honor just to be here and serve. It is quite an honor to be the hands and feet of such an amazing God.
We taught the children the Easter story, they made journals in art that they LOVED (glitter and Cambodians....crazy combination) and we played games to teach them that leaning on one another is very important.
It was a great day. We're tired. My bed is calling my name.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Battambang!
~Finally, we have arrived in Battambang! Let me recap the path that lead us here....
From Seoul, we took another 6 hour flight to Phnom Penh. Although we all slept a bit on the long flight, we've been relying pretty heavily on adrenaline to keep us moving forward. Pastor Vek and his wife met us at the airport and escorted us to the Goldiana hotel, where we stayed the night. They are very gracious hosts, and they welcomed three teams and 28 missionaries with open arms. We were all exhausted from the travel but pumped up with adrenaline, so those of us who could sleep did so, and those who could not.... will be sleeping soundly tonight!
This morning, Pastor Vek gave us a tour of the new church building in Phnom Penh - it is incredible! They have a large sanctuary with a balcony and giant stage. They are still raising funds to finish the interior, so there are several floors that are under construction. Once completed they will have classrooms and dorm rooms for visiting groups. From the roof you can see all across Phnom Penh, including construction on what will be a 42-story building just a few blocks away. We were all blown away by how much God has blessed them, especially with such rapid church growth causing the need for the wonderful new building!
We also visited the Genocide Museum, also known as the Killing Fields. This is where prisoners from concentration camps like Tuol Sleung (S.R. 21) were brought to be killed. Huge holes in the ground are all that are left where mass graves holding up to several hundred corpses were. A large monument contains hundreds of recovered skulls of the Khmer Rouge victims, making the reality of what happened there hit hard. Young children and even babies were not spared in the holocaust, and many were brutally murdered there because they feared future uprisings or revenge. The Khmer Rouge's paraphrased belief was that they needed to "kill the grass" permanantly by removing even the roots.
Of note was an exhibit about one of the four main leaders of the movement who is currently facing trial for his crimes (the trial began in March 2009). He has admitted all his wrongdoing and apologized for the atrocities he ordered, even going so far as to say that his underlings should not be held responsible for doing what he directed them to do. From his statements, it seems that once he faced the horrible crimes committed against the children he was no longer able to justify what he had done.
After we arrived in Battambang (a little 6-hour jaunt from Phnom Penh), we checked into our hotel and headed out to dinner. We ate with several members of the church who accompanied us on our bus ride, and were also joined by the local pastor. Over dinner, one of the church members stunned several of us by revealing that many of the Khmer youth deny that the genocide occurred in the way it is recorded. They apparently have a difficult time believing that anyone could do something so violent on so large a scale without any reason behind it. I imagine it's hard for anyone to believe that such terrible evil exists in the world, but the country is only beginning to recover from the damage done by the Khmer Rouge and the legacy of those who survived is already at risk.
Tomorrow, we'll go to the church service where we will (finally!) get to see the kids! All the effort getting here will be rewarded handsomely then. Thank you all for your prayers, and please pray that God will be glorified this week as we serve Him and enjoy the blessings He has given us through the orphanage!
-Mark
From Seoul, we took another 6 hour flight to Phnom Penh. Although we all slept a bit on the long flight, we've been relying pretty heavily on adrenaline to keep us moving forward. Pastor Vek and his wife met us at the airport and escorted us to the Goldiana hotel, where we stayed the night. They are very gracious hosts, and they welcomed three teams and 28 missionaries with open arms. We were all exhausted from the travel but pumped up with adrenaline, so those of us who could sleep did so, and those who could not.... will be sleeping soundly tonight!
This morning, Pastor Vek gave us a tour of the new church building in Phnom Penh - it is incredible! They have a large sanctuary with a balcony and giant stage. They are still raising funds to finish the interior, so there are several floors that are under construction. Once completed they will have classrooms and dorm rooms for visiting groups. From the roof you can see all across Phnom Penh, including construction on what will be a 42-story building just a few blocks away. We were all blown away by how much God has blessed them, especially with such rapid church growth causing the need for the wonderful new building!
We also visited the Genocide Museum, also known as the Killing Fields. This is where prisoners from concentration camps like Tuol Sleung (S.R. 21) were brought to be killed. Huge holes in the ground are all that are left where mass graves holding up to several hundred corpses were. A large monument contains hundreds of recovered skulls of the Khmer Rouge victims, making the reality of what happened there hit hard. Young children and even babies were not spared in the holocaust, and many were brutally murdered there because they feared future uprisings or revenge. The Khmer Rouge's paraphrased belief was that they needed to "kill the grass" permanantly by removing even the roots.
Of note was an exhibit about one of the four main leaders of the movement who is currently facing trial for his crimes (the trial began in March 2009). He has admitted all his wrongdoing and apologized for the atrocities he ordered, even going so far as to say that his underlings should not be held responsible for doing what he directed them to do. From his statements, it seems that once he faced the horrible crimes committed against the children he was no longer able to justify what he had done.
After we arrived in Battambang (a little 6-hour jaunt from Phnom Penh), we checked into our hotel and headed out to dinner. We ate with several members of the church who accompanied us on our bus ride, and were also joined by the local pastor. Over dinner, one of the church members stunned several of us by revealing that many of the Khmer youth deny that the genocide occurred in the way it is recorded. They apparently have a difficult time believing that anyone could do something so violent on so large a scale without any reason behind it. I imagine it's hard for anyone to believe that such terrible evil exists in the world, but the country is only beginning to recover from the damage done by the Khmer Rouge and the legacy of those who survived is already at risk.
Tomorrow, we'll go to the church service where we will (finally!) get to see the kids! All the effort getting here will be rewarded handsomely then. Thank you all for your prayers, and please pray that God will be glorified this week as we serve Him and enjoy the blessings He has given us through the orphanage!
-Mark
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sitting in Seoul
So here we are, sitting in the South Korea airport, enjoying all the local fare, a nice Subway Sandwich for everyone.
The flight from Atlanta was uneventful, which is a good thing. Lots of movies watched, books read, and a little sleep.
So, we haven't posted our itinerary yet, so to all our faithful followers, where is our schedule:
Thursday, July 23rd
10:00 am EST – Meet at Korean Airline Desk at Hartsfield Jackson Airport for Departure
1:00 pm EST – Flight Departs Atlanta on Korean Airlines Flight 36
Friday, July 24th
4:30 pm Local Time – Land in Seoul, South Korea (Flight Duration 14 hr 30 min)
6:30 pm Local Time – Flight Departs Seoul on Korean Airlines Flight 689
10:00 pm Local Time – Land in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Flight Duration 5 hr 30 min)
From there, we will go check into our hotel and get some sleep
Saturday, July 25th
Visit Khmer Rouge SR 21 – high school turned into concentration camp
Lunch in the city, see Pastor Vek’s church
Drive to Battambang – Check into hotel (Hotel Teo)
Dinner and get materials ready for Sunday
Sunday, July 26th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: ERIN AND MIKE W.)
Church with children
Lunch at hotel
1st Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Monday, July 27th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: MISTYE AND ANDY)
2nd Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Lunch back at the hotel
3rd Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Dinner
Tuesday, July 28th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: CANDACE AND MIKE G.)
Wake up EARLY, go to the beach with the kids
Spend all day with the kids at the beach, lunch and dinner there
Spend the night at the beach
Wednesday, July 29th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: LAURA AND MARK)
Spend more time at the beach with the kids
Drive back to Battambang
Thursday, July 30th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: ELIZABETH AND JON)
4nd Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Lunch back at the hotel
5th Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Movie Night with Kids
Friday, July 31st
Half day with the kids – Say our goodbyes
Drive to Siem Reap
Check into hotel
Dinner
Saturday, August 1st
Wake up early and go to Ankor Wat for sunrise
Spend afternoon at market, massages, relax
Dinner at the Blue Pumpkin
Sunday, August 2nd
Sleep in
Have Church together
Go back to market for final nick nack purchasing
Lunch and Dinner in town
Go to Airport
11:30 pm Local Time – Flight Departs Siem Reap on Korean Airlines Flight 688
Monday, August 3rd
6:40 am Local Time – Land in Seoul, South Korea (Flight Duration 5 hr 10 min)
10:20 am Local Time – Flight Departs Seoul, South Korea on Korean Airlines Flight 35
11:00 am EST – Land in Atlanta, GA (Flight Duration 13 hr 40 min)
More to be posted later.
The flight from Atlanta was uneventful, which is a good thing. Lots of movies watched, books read, and a little sleep.
So, we haven't posted our itinerary yet, so to all our faithful followers, where is our schedule:
Thursday, July 23rd
10:00 am EST – Meet at Korean Airline Desk at Hartsfield Jackson Airport for Departure
1:00 pm EST – Flight Departs Atlanta on Korean Airlines Flight 36
Friday, July 24th
4:30 pm Local Time – Land in Seoul, South Korea (Flight Duration 14 hr 30 min)
6:30 pm Local Time – Flight Departs Seoul on Korean Airlines Flight 689
10:00 pm Local Time – Land in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Flight Duration 5 hr 30 min)
From there, we will go check into our hotel and get some sleep
Saturday, July 25th
Visit Khmer Rouge SR 21 – high school turned into concentration camp
Lunch in the city, see Pastor Vek’s church
Drive to Battambang – Check into hotel (Hotel Teo)
Dinner and get materials ready for Sunday
Sunday, July 26th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: ERIN AND MIKE W.)
Church with children
Lunch at hotel
1st Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Monday, July 27th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: MISTYE AND ANDY)
2nd Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Lunch back at the hotel
3rd Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Dinner
Tuesday, July 28th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: CANDACE AND MIKE G.)
Wake up EARLY, go to the beach with the kids
Spend all day with the kids at the beach, lunch and dinner there
Spend the night at the beach
Wednesday, July 29th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: LAURA AND MARK)
Spend more time at the beach with the kids
Drive back to Battambang
Thursday, July 30th (LEADERS OF THE DAY: ELIZABETH AND JON)
4nd Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Lunch back at the hotel
5th Session with the kids (Curriculum, Arts and Crafts, and Games)
Movie Night with Kids
Friday, July 31st
Half day with the kids – Say our goodbyes
Drive to Siem Reap
Check into hotel
Dinner
Saturday, August 1st
Wake up early and go to Ankor Wat for sunrise
Spend afternoon at market, massages, relax
Dinner at the Blue Pumpkin
Sunday, August 2nd
Sleep in
Have Church together
Go back to market for final nick nack purchasing
Lunch and Dinner in town
Go to Airport
11:30 pm Local Time – Flight Departs Siem Reap on Korean Airlines Flight 688
Monday, August 3rd
6:40 am Local Time – Land in Seoul, South Korea (Flight Duration 5 hr 10 min)
10:20 am Local Time – Flight Departs Seoul, South Korea on Korean Airlines Flight 35
11:00 am EST – Land in Atlanta, GA (Flight Duration 13 hr 40 min)
More to be posted later.
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