Asia's Hope Christian School-Goodbye Cambodia

We were excited to visit the Christian School that WCS and MCS help to support. When we arrived the seating was all prepared for a presenttion. The area is outside with partial walls, rather a carport feel to it. The young children were sitting in front and the older kids all came and sat with the team. These kids work hard with their music and their choreography. Most places that we have visited have some musical numbers and dances prepared to share with us. We were not disappointed. We saw some folkdances and then they did some singing for us. One of the girls that joined our team is from the Wooster GBC. Kailee is here for two months and she took quick ownership of leading the music. She has quite a bag of camp songs, many that our kids knew when she began them. She and the team entertained the student body for a while. Some of us went to the principal's office to unload the suitcases of supplies and curriculum that we had brought with us. They were grateful for our contributions. We spread out to the classes and I enjoyed interacting with the third grade class of 10 children. The schools seem to appreciate any English-speaking guests that can carry on a conversation with the students. When our time was finished, the students all gave me pictures and notes that they had written, keepers for sure!
We visited a western coffee shop to give the children time to get home from school, have dinner and get prepared for our last visit with them. All of the kids go to this school as well as some other children from the community. The children from the three orphan homes in the area met together at the Vista sponsored home for another program. This was very elaborate with beautiful costumes. The neighbor children stood at the gate knowing something was going on and they came inside the yard to watch the program. The next door neighbors stood on something so they could see over the wall - the whole family watched the presentation. Each of the three homes provided one beautiful dance. The directors and their wives make it a point to preserve their Cambodian and Thai cultures. This was our last chance to mingle, play and hug with these kids. The Cambodian kids have a gentleness about them and most of them are smiling all of the time. Someone brought out some glowsticks when it got dark, and those made a very big hit. The girls from Vista stayed a little longer than the rest of us and gave gifts to the children from the Vista congregation.
We concluded our Cambodian time by inviting the college students, 15 of them, to dinner at the guest house. Mex/American dinner of chicken tacos, rice and beans, chips and salsa, fruit and a taste of ice cream. The Cambodians kindly tried most everything but they weren't very keen on the shredded cheese. We enjoyed their visit, but there was a lot of repacking to do at a late hour. We had to be ready to leave on Friday morning at 6 am for the airport. We've enjoyed this large team so much and Friday this all changes. Part of the team leaves to return to the states. So now we have 9 of our original 17 plus the two summer interns. Please pray for three members of the team from Mansfield. Lindsay, David and Ryan who will be regrouping for one week and then leaving for a mission trip to Peru with their youth group from First Alliance. This whole team bonded so well. What a blessing! The staff has complimented the team on how well they have worked together, no overbearing personalities, everyone cooperative and uncomplaining.
Friday's flight was absolutely flawless - there must have been a lot of prayer for us this day. We flew to Bangkok again and then back to Chiangmai where the Thai staff was waiting to bring us back "home". The contrasts between these two countries is huge. Our assumptions rather lump many of the Asian cultures together. But the people and many of their customs are very distinctive. The Cambodian people especially have been devasted again and again and yet they remain a quiet, gentle people. They really have no hope except in Jesus. The Thai people are more outgoing, still very kind, happy people. The Christians here are SO giving, and they have so little in the way of stuff, but very big hearts.
Friday morning we went to the big orphanage to play with the kids and then teach English in age-specific groups. So the whole group of us worked with 1st and 2nd graders, then 3rd and 4th graders and then the older kids. We returned to the guest house for lunch and rest. That is now! The Goshen, Indiana team just arrived and they are having orientation to the house. It is fun to be the "experts" and help them begin this journey in Thailand. They will only be in the two countries for one week. I can't imagine cramming all of this into one week. Dinner together with the teams, possible swimming with the orphans again tonight.