One Week Left

With one week left we are nearing our goal of raising $1,500. So far we have received $930.97, or 62% of our goal. Thank you to everyone who has contributed towards this trip. We are really looking forward to this opportunity. The more I read about Cambodia's history, the clearer it is that it will take generations for its people to recover. I've been reading When Broken Glass Floats, a memoir of survival. In heart wrenching detail, the author describes her first person account of the killing fields. Those atrocities did no disappear when a new government was formed. Continuing accounts of despair and depravity can be traced back to this time in Cambodia's history.

Cambodia remains a nation of loss. The children served by Asia's Hope bear witness to the loss of this nation. The countless children who are trafficked into slavery and exploitation can be found in Cambodia, neighboring countries and even in the United States. The only immediate answer is to keep them off the streets and out of the hands of those who would exploit their youth and innocence. Please keep these children in mind and consider Psalm 82:3-4 "Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and need; deliver them out of the hands of the wicked."

Central Vineyard Orphanage

Central Vineyard supports an orphanage through Asia's Hope called Prek Eng 2. We will be visiting this orphanage, representing Central Vineyard, and bearing gifts. This girl wants to become a doctor, and Asia's Hope is helping to make that possible. Before, she struggled to find enough food to eat and did not attend school. Now, she receives nutritious meals and is doing very well in school. Many of these children would be living on the streets or worse. Asia's Hope orphans have lost their parents due to sickness, disease and abandonment. Giving them hope is one big step towards making things right. And many of these children want to give back and help others like themselves.

Two Weeks Left

We are finalizing our arrangements for our trip to Cambodia and preparing for our departure. With two weeks left until we leave, we are nearing our goal of raising $1,500. So far we have received $640 or 43% of our total. Thanks again to everyone who is contributing towards this mission trip. We have really big hopes about this.

Our church officially introduced the team that is going to Cambodia this Sunday. Our church has sent teams to Cambodia before, but is still working to make this an integral part of its relationship with Asia's Hope. I hope that we are part of a larger shift to send families regularly to bear witness to the good that God is doing there.

In preparation for this trip, I continue to read and explore Cambodia culture, cuisine, history and its people. It's amazing how young the population is, and how the Khmer Rouge so dramatically impacted an entire nation. Even some of the food that is now common ethnic cuisine evolved due to the Khmer Rouge. I am looking forward to experiencing it all first hand and learning more about how this history impacts the lives of Cambodia's orphans.

Asia's Hope Update

This is Wachira. Our family sponsors Wachira through Asia's Hope. He is seven years old and likes to play soccer. His favorite subject is art, and he wants to be a teacher when he grows up. Thanks to donations from a partnering church, Chets Creek, Wachira will have a new family style orphanage home soon. See the Asia's Hope page for more details.
http://www.asiashope.org/doi-saket-1/

Practice Run for Hazel

Our four-year-old daughter Hazel is spending the night at her grandparents today. It's a practice run at staying away from home without mom and dad. She has spent the night with friends and stayed in hotels, but hasn't spent the night at her grandparents. We'll also practice skyping with her. That's probably more for our peace of mind than anything.

Our trip to Cambodia will be the first time we've spent significant time apart from Hazel. We've planned a summer camp and vacation bible school to keep her busy while we're away. We have passes to the pool, to COSI, and to Franklin Park Conservatory. Hopefully, she'll have so much fun she won't mind staying with family.

Going to Cambodia

We are going to Cambodia June 5-22, and we want you to be part of the experience. Please help us as we join with Asia's Hope to serve orphaned children in need. We cannot do this without your support. We are trying to raise $1,500 of the $6,500 cost of this trip. We also need your prayers for peace and comfort. We expect this will be a life changing experience. We expect this will be a time of healing. We expect to bring hope to those in need. We expect to honor our son's memory. You can contribute towards our trip by using the donate button on our blog or by sending a check. Electronic donations are made through Paypal's secure server. You can also send a check to our address, 477 S. Selby Blvd., Worthington, Ohio 43085. Please write Cambodia trip in the memo line.

Asia's Hope operates 11 orphanages in Cambodia - housing, educating and nurturing more than 250 children. Our church, Central Vineyard, sponsors an orphanage in Cambodia for 25 children, and as a family we support a young boy named Wachira. We want to see what Asia's Hope does in the lives of these children and to join Asia's Hope to serve and love them. These are beautiful children who are at risk for exploitation and would otherwise be homeless.

We have been looking for an opportunity to serve overseas since college. We applied to the Peace Corps in 2005, but life brought us back to Columbus, Ohio instead. We have served in our church and through local non-profits, but Asia's Hope is a special calling. Ben has been praying over Psalm 82:3-4 for many years: "Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hands of the wicked."

Through the generous donations of friends and family, nearly $1,000 was contributed to Asia's Hope in our son Henry's name. We want to continue to honor Henry's memory by serving the orphaned children of Cambodia. We hope that this will be a healing experience for us. We have been following Asia's Hope and considering a trip for a while. With Henry's passing, it feels like the right time to follow God and pursue this opportunity. Thank you for your prayers and support.