4.6.11 (or according to the rest of the world 06/04/11)
Hello Blog Readers,
It’s been a while since I’ve written and there has been a whirlwind of
things happening since I last posted. I will try to update you without
making this blog too long.
things happening since I last posted. I will try to update you without
making this blog too long.
On March 30, we left Penang, Malaysia. We were up by 8am and carried
our backpacks downstairs. Thankfully, someone with YWAM was willing to
drive our packs the half mile or so down the street where we waited
until the bus came.
We were told the bus would take us right to the airport, but we
arrived at some bus stop and were told to get out…ok. In order to
get to the airport we needed to take a city bus (which was fun loading
all of our stuff for 18 people) to the metro, the metro to another bus
stop and the bus stop to the airport. Thankfully, we have awesome
leaders and squadmates who are willing to keep a positive attitude
despite changes and setbacks.
our backpacks downstairs. Thankfully, someone with YWAM was willing to
drive our packs the half mile or so down the street where we waited
until the bus came.
We were told the bus would take us right to the airport, but we
arrived at some bus stop and were told to get out…ok. In order to
get to the airport we needed to take a city bus (which was fun loading
all of our stuff for 18 people) to the metro, the metro to another bus
stop and the bus stop to the airport. Thankfully, we have awesome
leaders and squadmates who are willing to keep a positive attitude
despite changes and setbacks.
We arrived at the airport in Kuala Lampur around 5:30pm where we would
spend several hours waiting with our entire squad for our flight at
8am the next morning. I was one of a handful of people who was able to
sleep at the airport. I pulled out my sleeping bag and slept right on
the tile floor and surprisingly it was very comfortable and I was able
to get a good 6-7 hours of sleep.
We found out during check in that our bags had to be 20kg or less so
we had to do some juggling of our things. (Thankfully I was
underweight, but I had a squadmate that said, “Don’t you let that bag
go out underweight!” and we were able to stuff someone else’s things
in my pack.)
spend several hours waiting with our entire squad for our flight at
8am the next morning. I was one of a handful of people who was able to
sleep at the airport. I pulled out my sleeping bag and slept right on
the tile floor and surprisingly it was very comfortable and I was able
to get a good 6-7 hours of sleep.
We found out during check in that our bags had to be 20kg or less so
we had to do some juggling of our things. (Thankfully I was
underweight, but I had a squadmate that said, “Don’t you let that bag
go out underweight!” and we were able to stuff someone else’s things
in my pack.)
We flew through Singapore for the second time – the first time was
when we were travelling from the Philippines to Thailand. Apparently
it’s a lot cheaper to fly through Singapore, but that’s fine with me
it’s a nice airport. I don’t think we switched airlines but for some
reason both times we were in Singapore we had to go get our checked
backs, and then re-enter through customs – that’s fun with 60 of us (I
throw these little comments in, but it really isn’t that bad, in fact
it actually is fun with the 60 of us because you get to see your good
friends on the squad and goof around – plus it’s better than just
sitting at the gate).
when we were travelling from the Philippines to Thailand. Apparently
it’s a lot cheaper to fly through Singapore, but that’s fine with me
it’s a nice airport. I don’t think we switched airlines but for some
reason both times we were in Singapore we had to go get our checked
backs, and then re-enter through customs – that’s fun with 60 of us (I
throw these little comments in, but it really isn’t that bad, in fact
it actually is fun with the 60 of us because you get to see your good
friends on the squad and goof around – plus it’s better than just
sitting at the gate).
From Singapore we flew to Siem Riep, Cambodia. We were just passing
through and ended up getting back on the same plane but they made us
deboard and go through security again – with all of our electronics
and our paper material taken out of our bag and put on the scanner
separately, weird.
We got back on the plane for a half hour flight to Phnom Penh,
Cambodia.
through and ended up getting back on the same plane but they made us
deboard and go through security again – with all of our electronics
and our paper material taken out of our bag and put on the scanner
separately, weird.
We got back on the plane for a half hour flight to Phnom Penh,
Cambodia.
When we arrived we were set up with a little bus taking my
team and two others to a YWAM base here for the night. We arrived at
YWAM around 7pm making our travel “day” about 34 hours.
One of the YWAM guys was kind enough to take us out for street food
that night. It was one of the strangest things I had ever seen,
because when we arrived at the restaurant everyone cleared out
immediately. I even saw an old man in a wheel chair getting wheeled
off the scene so we could have the whole place to ourselves.
team and two others to a YWAM base here for the night. We arrived at
YWAM around 7pm making our travel “day” about 34 hours.
One of the YWAM guys was kind enough to take us out for street food
that night. It was one of the strangest things I had ever seen,
because when we arrived at the restaurant everyone cleared out
immediately. I even saw an old man in a wheel chair getting wheeled
off the scene so we could have the whole place to ourselves.
After dinner we arrived back and received a cultural debrief from
Chris, our contact, and heard – very briefly – about the tumultuos
past of Cambodia. We also learned some do’s and don’t’s which are
pretty similar to the other countries we have been to. Then we got to
go to sleep…in a bed!
Chris, our contact, and heard – very briefly – about the tumultuos
past of Cambodia. We also learned some do’s and don’t’s which are
pretty similar to the other countries we have been to. Then we got to
go to sleep…in a bed!
The original plan for this month was that our team would be working
alone with no other teams and we were supposed to go to the province
of Kam Pong Cham. Chris told us there were several buses going there
each day and we could just go to the bus station and buy a ticket the
next morning. We arrived at the first bus station and were told they
were sold out, second bus station same story, third bus station we
were able to get tickets for a couple hours later.
Each time we traveled to a bus station we had to load and unload our
bags from tuc tucs which are little taxi-type things with two benches
facing each other getting pulled by a motorcycle.
alone with no other teams and we were supposed to go to the province
of Kam Pong Cham. Chris told us there were several buses going there
each day and we could just go to the bus station and buy a ticket the
next morning. We arrived at the first bus station and were told they
were sold out, second bus station same story, third bus station we
were able to get tickets for a couple hours later.
Each time we traveled to a bus station we had to load and unload our
bags from tuc tucs which are little taxi-type things with two benches
facing each other getting pulled by a motorcycle.
Thankfully, at that
last bus station we called our contact in Kam Pong Cham and found out
she was going to the Philippines that day and would not be able to
house us. We were able to get a stamp refunding our tickets for some
time later that month.
We headed back to YWAM and met with Chris. He said there was a mix-up
and that our contact had called him cancelling for this month but
someone thought it was for next month. Chris asked us what we would be
interested in doing. We shared our hearts for homelessness and for
children and he suggested working with street children – perfect!
So that is what we are doing for the first week and a half this month.
I will explain more about that and what the rest of the month looks
like in my next blog.
last bus station we called our contact in Kam Pong Cham and found out
she was going to the Philippines that day and would not be able to
house us. We were able to get a stamp refunding our tickets for some
time later that month.
We headed back to YWAM and met with Chris. He said there was a mix-up
and that our contact had called him cancelling for this month but
someone thought it was for next month. Chris asked us what we would be
interested in doing. We shared our hearts for homelessness and for
children and he suggested working with street children – perfect!
So that is what we are doing for the first week and a half this month.
I will explain more about that and what the rest of the month looks
like in my next blog.
Thanks for tuning in!
