After a 50-minute plane ride to Phnom Penh and an hour-and-a-half van ride to our ministry site in a village, we were able to celebrate the Cambodian New Year with the locals!
Lasting three days long, from April 13th-April 15th, this festival marks the end of the harvesting season and the beginning of the rainy season.
It's customary to throw water or powder on each other during New Year's – so don't be offended if a total stranger douses your face!
Our squad leader Michelle gets completely powdered on a temple excursion with our ministry folks.
This month, we are working with a ministry called Teen Challenge Cambodia.
Here is a brief description of the ministry found on the Riverview Children's Foundation website:
"Teen Challenge of Cambodia provides a residential rehabilitation program for children and young adult males to learn how to live a drug free life.
Teen Challenge offers a holistic program that cares for and reintegrates these males back into mainstream community. This program includes counselling, character development, English and Khmer classes, vocational training and social and recreational activities. The children at Teen Challenge receive nutritious meals and support from their teachers and trainers.
The Foundation is helping to fund the residential care rehabilitation program for children and young males with life controlling addictions.
Sustainable income generating activities are conducted on the property at Teen Challenge. Raising pigs and chickens, growing vegetables and making handicrafts are all part of the vocational training the children and young adults receive, in order to prepare them for reintegration into society.
Teen Challenge has recently started a women's program which the Foundation has supported through the building of a training room, which will be used for women to learn sewing and other vocational skills."
Our team is at TCC's boy's centre, and we will be starting to teach Bible, English, Sports/Agriculture, and Music classes starting tomorrow.
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As a side note, my teammate Hannah made this video about our month in Malaysia, you're welcome to check it out!
