The passage of time is funny – sometimes it moves so slowly you can almost feel the thud of each clock tick and other times it flits by imperceptibly and months have passed in a mere instant. One morning you wake up and realize you’re in Thailand and that it’s almost Christmas (even though it’s 85 degrees). Here is a capsule of the past few months:
Zambia
Zambia was a smorgasbord of ministry. We taught computer classes, did medical missions to rural Zambia, did widows Bible study, led a discussion on relationships at an orphanage, designed a play park for the community, and shared stories and songs with the children at Awana (it’s sort of like Vacation Bible School).
We had our second debrief before leaving Zambia where the teams on our squad gathered to reflect on the past few months and to switch up teams. My new team is River Wild and it has been a blast serving with them.
Cambodia
Lusaka, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Siem Reap – we arrived on our third continent right before Halloween. River Wild’s first month was spent working in an orphanage in the capital, Phnom Penh. We taught at English school, worked with the special needs kids, did household chores, redesigned several rooms, prepared for Christmas, and gave the regular caretakers much needed respite. I taught geography lessons, read books with the children, did flashcards, designed science experiments, carried couches down streets and through windows, cleaned, washed dogs in the rain, built things with Legos, played soccer, baby-sat, gave hugs and hi-fives, made ice-cream-in-a-bag, and ate cookie dough. I quickly came to love the kids – it seems like each month the goodbyes get harder, not easier. But looking back I know we made an impact, both tangibly through the chores and tasks we completed and intangibly through the relief we provided to the staff and every moment we shared with the children.
Thailand
A 12 hour bus ride through the night, 6 hours in line at the Thai border, and a dozen donuts on the other side: we made it to Bangkok for Leadership Development Weekend and were able to celebrate Thanksgiving as a squad. We said good-bye to our alumni squad leaders and prepared for…Manistry!
This month in Thailand all of the men in our squad are serving together on a team. We are working with Remember Nhu, an organization that saves children from sex trafficking. During the day we do manual labor around such as pouring concrete and working in the massive gardens that produce food for the children’s meals. In the evenings we eat dinner with the children and build relationships with them by playing games and giving them the individualized attention that every child deserves but is hard to receive outside of a family environment. I love it – working outdoors with my hands and playing with the children to relax in the evenings – a perfect combination!
I am also working hard to fundraise the last few thousand dollars to meet my final deadline January 1. Spread the word – it’s been incredible!
My new team + squad leaders
Some of the children we worked with in Zambia
Giving vaccines in rural Zambia
Cooking nshima – a staple food in Zambia – for Alice
Crammed into the truck for the ride out to the bush
Teaching the children in Cambodia how to make tortillas for geography lesson
Washing dogs in a downpour in Cambodia
The men of our squad in Thailand for Manistry month!
