Trip Potluck

Sarabeth and I had the opportunity to share our experience with some folks from Central Vineyard. Along with the Deleskys, we had an after church pot luck at the church offices. We brought in some of the souvenirs we bought, clothes, kramas, and gifts we received from the PE2 family. We showed pictures of Phnom Penh, the national museum, Angkor Wat, Tuol Slang prison, and various places we ventured. And we shared lots of pictures of the beautiful kids of PE2.

In describing my experience, there is one thing that always stands out. The kids. I expected to reach out to them, to show how much they are loved, how important they are. And that happened. But what I didn't expect was to receive so much. The first time we visited the Asia's Hope school was remarkable. All these wonderful children greeting us with such love and acceptance. I will always remember that.

Getting to the know children of PE2 was so rewarding. They are all such unique, talented and loving kids. And while I hope I get to return, I also hope that more people from our church go to visit. This is an experience I want to share. This is an experience I will always remember.

Returning Home

It has been a challenge returning to real life. The time difference has been a big adjustment for me. I slept a lot over the weekend, trying to catch up on sleep. Returning to my day job was a bit of a letdown. To return to being a cog in a bureaucratic wheel from our time in Cambodia is simply disappointing. I'm no extravert, but as I sit behind my desk and read reports, I miss engaging people and spending time with the kids of PE2.

On Sunday, we went out for lunch in search of some familiar food with our friends Teddy and Jamie. We found a Vietnamese spot in the North Market that serves pho noodles and a really good combination platter. We brought our kids who shared what we've been eating. Jamie even had a favored Vietnamese style iced coffee.

There is a lot to get back to here in Ohio. My dad has returned home from a long stay in a nursing home. Sarabeth is planning for her teaching position next school year. We're trying to get caught up on house work after 18 days away - cleaning, groceries, yard work. It's great to be home with Hazel, even though she is as challenging as ever. (I know how my mom must have felt.)

And we are still coping with the loss of Henry. Sarabeth and I are at very different places in this. I don't think there is any right or wrong - good or bad - emotion/belief at this point. It's just simply moving forward one day at a time. I don't think I will ever have a satisfactory explanation as to why God allowed this to happen. No doubt there is extreme suffering in this world. I never doubted that God was good before it landed in my life. So what does that mean?

Saying Goodbye

It was good to be with the kids of PE2 again after being away to visit Angkor Wat. The bus ride back was rough. The driver turned the air conditioning off halfway through. He opened the doors to provide some air flow and then took a dirt road the last 2 hours because he didn't want to pay the toll for the new national road. (And we paid extra for this so called "express" bus.)

We had a practice run at saying goodbye to the kids Monday evening. The house parents gave us gifts for each of us and our children. They have been so kind. We still had lots of fun playing games, frisbee and soccer. We took more pictures with the kids and staff. All in all, a good day despite the bus ride.

Tuesday was our last day in Phnom Penh. We went out for breakfast with John McCollum and his family. We went to get massages at Hands, the place that employes blind Cambodians as messieurs. I thought it was just okay, but my wife seemed to really enjoy the experience. We made a final trip to the local markets to pick up some last minute gifts to take home.

Then it was off to PE2. I think saying goodbye was harder for the kids and the other staff than me. I was not sad to go. I will miss the children of PE2 as they are beautiful, creative, wonderful kids. But I know what sadness is for me. Sadness is watching my son die.

I came to Cambodia with limited expectations. I came for three reasons, for Henry, for healing, and for hope. I wanted to honor my son's memory and do something to make a difference in the lives of other children. PE2 had not had a team from Central Vineyard visit since 2008. They saw all the other orphan homes receive visitors each year and prayed that their church would come to visit them.

It was great to love on these kids. I felt good to embrace them and let them know how important they are. It felt right to fall in love with another child. And the kids were receptive to the attention and affection of our team. They soaked it up, and we were all glad to embrace them.

I also came to Cambodia with an empty place in my heart. And these children helped to fill it. It was a healing time to experience the love and affection of these children. As much as we loved on them, they loved us back twice as much. To receive the hugs and gifts and unqualified gladness from them helped to heal my heart. I said thank you a hundred times as I said goodbye - for I am thankful to have this opportunity.

I also came to Cambodia for hope. To share the hope of a future for these kids and to be able to trust God - to hope again. I made some strides. I asked the older kids to pray for my family, that we could have more sons and daughters like them. I trust that God will bless them with a future full of promise. I trust that God does care and is blessing this opportunity.

I am glad to be heading home, to hold Hazel again. It's time to look forward and figure out what lies ahead. This was an important experience for me and has begun to shape my worldview. Who knows, maybe it wasn't a one time opportunity.

Angkor Wat

Today we visited Ankgor Wat, a 12th century temple located in the Northeast of Cambodia near Siem Reap. It is am amazing complex of temples, surrounded by a moat and a wall over 2 miles long. There are a series of related temples, monuments and structures covering an area of 70 square kilometers. We spent the whole day touring the temple sites and climbing vertical stair cases of several hundred feet. It was a hot humid day punctuated by a typical wet season downpour. Try climbing three stories in the pouring rain.

This is an important historic, religious and cultural site for Cambodians. Most of the kids at PE2 know about Angkor Wat and many of the older kids will be traveling nearby for a youth conference this week. It was important for us to learn about the history of Cambodia and the many accomplishments and historic sites built by its people. Below are a collection of snap shots from our day out. I'll categorize our pictures later and put them in order with the temple sites. Suffice it to say that it was an incredible day of exploring temple ruins and learning about the history that has shaped Cambodia.

Party at PE2

We made gift bags for all the PE2 kids, with items provided by Central Vineyard. We also gave gifts to the house mom and dad and the house staff. The kids were so glad to receive these gifts and had lots of fun exploring all the fun stuff inside. The PE2 staff really enjoyed receiving the gifts as well, and thought it was special that they were included in the gift giving.













The kids liked exploring the fun stuff inside their bags. They also created their own sticker art to decorate the bags with. Some of the kids are really creative. Sothuon is one of the oldest boys but has a real creative side.










The PE2 staff prepared a feast for all of us to share. There were classic dishes such as steamed rice, stir fried beef and tomatoes, papaya and Khmer cole slaw. They also made fried chicken wings and spaghetti as Western treats. This was the second meal we shared at PE2 and the food is always good.













After dinner, the kids had fun enjoying popcorn in a variety of ways. Not only is it a tasty treat, it's lots of fun to play with. The kids received glow sticks for the after dark dancing that was enjoyed by all. I grabbed this picture of Dane having lots of fun. We danced to some Khmer pop and rap and even some American pop songs that are popular with the kids.

On Friday morning, we visited the national museum and some of the plazas nearby. The royal palace is a close walk, but we did not venture there yet. It's a beautiful palace and the grounds cover a large area near the river front. There were supposed to be celebrations Saturday night on behalf of the queen mother's birthday...but we are missing it because we are out of town visiting Siem Reap.








This is the golden phoenix outside the Royal Palace and the architecture of the national museum. The national museum is heavy on the Hindu and Buddhist heritage of Cambodia. Even the architecture reflects the snake heads that protect the Buddha.

Making Jewelry

Today we brought beads to make jewelry with the kids of PE2. They had lots of fun making necklaces, bracelets and rings. And as sweet as they are, they wanted to give nearly everything they made to us.








Some of the homes have a program for jewelry making as a trade craft. Okoa and Trade Justice Mission provide materials and retail outlets for older girls and young women to learn the craft and earn income on the jewelry they make. www.okoajewelry.org

Phnom Penh at night and dinner out. Pictured is the national monument. There is a fairly strong sense of nationalism in Cambodia. This month marks the queen mother's birthday and national tributes are highlighted throughout the city. Additional banners adorn all the government buildings and the streets are lined with flags.

Anniversary

So we celebrated out 9th anniversary by spending the night at a bed and breakfast. The kissing swan bath towels were a treat, but I had to get rid of the jasmine flowers. We went out for dinner at a local restaurant that served rib-eye steak. Served with peppercorn sauce and steamed veggies, it was a nice western treat.

Our team took turns leading the different classes in a lesson. The older kids receive English instruction, so they were able to follow the lessons fairly well. Some teachers did interpret for our team members. The kids are not necessarily assigned to grades by age. So there are some younger and some older kids in each class.








The students were very attentive and appeared to enjoy having special guests in their classes. Many children in Cambodia do not receive formal education. They may be unable to attend consistently or may not attend a school at all. There are many private schools such as parochial, international and Montessori schools. Providing the kids of Asia's Hope with formal education is a big part of the overall picture. There is a lot going on to improve their futures.








We also spent some down time with the kids of Prek Eng 2 just having fun. We brought these silly air guitars that were a big hit. We also did puzzles with them and played more soccer. Turns out that both puzzles and soccer are global activities.