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Doha, Doha, Doha - aaaaaaaaagh!
well we got off our flight from Bangkok, the in flight entertainment system broke down so i sat bored doing nothing but history homework for 6 hours, so I'm shattered now but i am refusing to let myself sleep until 10 o clock so as to keep my body in with the time zone! but its not likely i even will get to sleep when i try because there is some construction work going on! We have seven hours to wait for our flight and then a five hour journey to get to Gatwick! i just want to be home now! missing everyone so much, it was great to call mum this morning but now sorely miss her after having not spoken to her in ages! well I'm away to browse through the shops and spend the last of my dollars! Much love to all Helen xx

Aloha Doha (again)

The one good thing about hanging about in Doha airport is the free internet access. That's it - the one good thing. We do get a free meal and, given that we have just come from a place of real need I should be grateful for that, but despite the fact that I have forced my watch to say 19:45, my body is still firmly convicned that it's 23:45 and shovelling strange-tasting rice and dubious-looking chicken stew into it is not a welcome thought!

We spent last night in a Novotel, relatively near the airport (though still a good twenty-five minute drive by luxury minivan!). A strange contrast - I booked it for its proximity to the airport and the only hotels I could find when I was booking werewell above our normal 1/2 star range. So, $10 a night in Poipet became $75 in Bangkok. The rooms were lovely, of course - dressing-gowns and slippers, mini-bar (which we didn't use, Tearfund, ok?!), swimming-pool and fitness room in the hotel, sumptuous, all-you-can-eat breakfast this morning. But despite enjoying our little taste of luxury after roughing it with the mosquitos, the dodgy electrics and the threadbare towels (will we get another loo roll or should we ask... and what is Khmer for loo roll, because that's one we don't want to have to mime...) we all felt flat.

Of course it's got to happen - you get all keyed up looking forward to a trip like this - imagining it, investing energy, excitement, anxiety, apprehension in it, and suddenly the precious few days we were actually there are over and we're on the homeward stretch. But hopefully we're all richer, wiser, better for the experience and we are now beginning to look ahead to seeing family and friends again and to sharing our experience with you.

And I had been beginning to enjoy a wonderful sense of completeness - a sort of 'mission accomplished' feeling. We got all the medicines, the football strips, the kids stuff for schools, the gifts and envelopes for Vuthy, Chomno, Sophar and the rest of the project safely there and handed over. I say, 'had been' because, Derrick, (and I feel I must publish my shame-faced confession on the world wide web,) the one thing I failed to do was to leave behind the gift you asked me to take out for the blind lady. I had put it safely in my portfolio and diligently carried it around with me every day to keep it safe, but it slipped through my net when I was checking all the other things I had to give... All the way to Poipet and now all the way back to Scotland from where I will wire it by Western Union at the earliest opportunity. So, I offer my sincerest apologies for failing you in the task you asked me to do in the hope that, if I tell you from Doha, Qatar, you might have forgiven me by the time I see you in Glasgow next week... If I had had time this morning when I found it, I would have taken a taxi from Bangkok back to the border but... sorry.

Well, I'd better sign off now - there is a string of fellow-travellers from around the world waiting to use this computer. Our luggage is checked through to London, so the only remaining challenge at Gatwick is to juggle the weight in our baggage to avoid Easyjet's mercenary excess baggage policy (five quid per kilo? I don't think so!!!). If need be I'll wear my kilt over three pairs of trousers and all my other clothes - they're all filthy anyway, so they're bound to give us a wide berth!

I don't imagine we'll add too many more entries to this blog - we'll probably blog in person now, but maybe one or two just to continue the process of processing, if you see what I mean. But, in case you can't be bothered reading any more, thanks so much to all of you who have been reading of our adventures in Cambodia and leaving comments - and thanks especially for praying for us. God has answered your prayers and ours and I'm sure He will continue to work this experience through in our lives and in our life as a church for some time to come.

Oh, and did I mention that we now have a wedding to host? When Chomno and Kim were married in August 1986, it was by an elder (not even a pastor) in a refugee camp on the Thai border, under less than ideal circumstances. Chomno - and Kim especially, like any woman - would like to 'do it properly' and, it seems, they have set their hearts on having a Scottish wedding. Chomno says if I send him the wedding service, he'll translate it into Khmer and teach me how to say it, so that I can do it in Khmer and English (Kim doesn't speak or understand any English).

So.... let's see what we can do, shall we?

Siem Reap

Last day, we are leaving today at half 5 its quarter past 1 just now we were at the market this morning buying lots of things for people, and were going back later on, haggling is so much fun and me and Davie consider ourselves experts at it! Siem Reap is sooooooooo different to Poipet and its hard having come from absolute poverty to fit back into the normal world! We went to see the Angkor Wat temple yesterday the detail on the stone is amazing! and the stories that it tells are fascinating! we also went and saw Angkor Tom - one of the temples there had been changed between Buddhism and Hinduism too many times to remember! rather amusing how easily the kings and leaders seemed to slip between religions! I still haven't touched my homework but i have a lot of plane journeys home and i watched almost all the good films on the way here! I'm really looking forward to seeing people and telling everyone all about our trip but if i could i wouldn't come home yet and that's not just because of the weather i don't want to slip back into the world where I'm unhappy if i get extra homework when there are people here who would dream of having the privilege of going to school! its a harsh reality to face how much we really take for granted without realising! it was very hard to say goodbye to Kim and Chomno as they had become really good friends while we have been out here! but hey-ho hopefully i will come back some day and i am really looking forward to seeing everyone again! It's been strange that the people i have missed have been my brother and sister! Whenever i have gone away to a hot country at least one of them has been there too and it felt strange them not being there! Anyway i can hear the market calling and the thought of shopping will never be a bad one, much love to all and see you on Friday Helen xx

Coming Home

Hi,

Well that's us finished with Cambodia, I don't really know what to say so many things to tell you all about the things we have seen and done. The whole experience has been so full on, things happen here on a daily basis that you could never imagine - the homeless kids, the village with the poisoned water etc. We are staying in Siem Reap at the moment the hotel has a pool, and I have tried my best to make full use of it. The town has two markets one of which stinks badly so I try to avoid that one. Stu won't go any where near it. He ate something yesterday that he said tasted of the market and was nearly sick. I tried to be comforting to him in his hour of need in between bouts of laughter. We are off down to the good market to get some stuff then off to the airport to go to Bangkok for the night and then home.

See you all soon,

Davie...

Homeward bound...

Last blog in Cambodia probably. Sorry for the break in communications - we all announce a cholera outbreak in a village we visited and then the line goes dead for a few days! As you have probably read on the other posts, it wasn't cholera, but we were able to go back to the village with a gift of bottled water, noodles and biscuits (you didn't know that the gift you sent would help a whole village survive a crisis did you, Vicki!) The School Director made a little speech on behalf of the village before we left, to thank us for our help. I haven't a clue what he said (although Chomno gave me the gist) but I could tell from the way he said it what he meant. I videoed him, so I'll show you. He's a lovely man, called Meunserret (or something like that) and not only is he in charge of the school, but he wants to train to lead a church as well. I jokingly suggested coming back out to train pastors and Chomno was very keen on the idea. So, let's see if I can turn it into a 'study leave' proposal that the C of S would wear...!

You've heard about the rest of our time at Poipet from the others. It was a genuine privilege for me to be invited to dedicate Wathana (Vuthy's baby son) during the Sunday morning service (yes, Derrick, Presbyterians do it too - anyway, it's the dry season...!). He was so grateful and so proud of his little boy.

It was hard to leave Poipet again - it's a dirty, scruffy little town which, as Davie said, you could only do something about by bulldozing it and starting again. But that's out of compassion for the people who scratch out their lives there among the dust, the piles of rotting garbage, the smells. But in amongst all of the refuse there is hope - little schools, training centres, farms, school gardens, churches - little seeds of faith and hope which are taking root because they are watered by the love and commitment of the CHO workers and the love and generosity of Tearfund UK and all of us who give. The gift we gave as a Church, together with the gift that Stuart brought from his church (and some money from Jim Dewar's church) meant that the rent has been paid for a whole year on the school for children from HIV families, on the church building and will also provide toilets and a badly-needed clean water supply for Bos Tom, the village where the villagers had been poisoned by bad water. Chomno was overjoyed when he realised how much could be done.

So, here we are in Siem Reap - Cambodia's tourist Mecca, full of Westerners who are clearly doing the South-East Asia trail and are stopping off at the Angkor Wat temple complex - officially one of the seven wonders of the world - en route. We spent the day there yesterday and had an excellent little guide called Pheng (pronounced Peng) who took us by back paths and quiet ways that other touroids didn't know about. It was great, although I can probably wait a while before seeing any more dancing apsaras (there are, after all, only so many dancing apsaras a man can look at in one day...).

Today is chill-out time - a lazy start and then shopping down at the market - we've come up with a cunning plan to make more money to send back to CHO, but we'll wait until the end of the month when you've all been paid before announcing that one! We're sure you'll like it!

This has been a superb trip - I feel as if I've gone just a little deeper this time and it has been great to witness the impact on the rest of the team of the poverty and also the hope in this part of the world. We're bound to be Cambodia bores for a while, so just tell us to shut up. But we think you might like to see our photos. No shoe boxes this time, but other stories that are just as moving.

Healthwise we are all ok - no-one's had anything too serious and I'm just left with a cough. I managed to use sun lotion twice, which is a record for me. But I'm using my scabby, sunburned, flaking head as an illustration of a Scottish snow-storm, so nothing's wasted!

It's 1.40 pm and our taxi takes us to the airport at 5.30 pm. So, off to the market for those last minute items.

"You buy, sir, you like scarf sir, how much you give me sir, you pay me five dollar sir, I give special discount, you like sir, you buy sir, I give morning discount sir, how much you buy sir..."

You get the idea!

Last day

This is our last day and to be honest I don't want to leave. The experience has been so powerful, so involving, so humbling.

Thank you to everyone at Torpoint Community Church that made this trip possible for me. I looking forward to telling you all about how God is working in a very real and wonderful way.

Stu

busy busy busy

Stuart has touched on our experiences of the last couple of days...but we have had no time to get to an internet cafe when it is open. However, contrary to popular belief, we are all well, although Davie and Stu have asked that I say they are in quarrantine in Siem Reap, the insurance is taking care of everything and see you all in two weeks!
I'll try to catch up briefly with news...Saturday we were really brought down by the news from Bos Tom, but carried on with a fun morning of School on a Mat. Balloon modelling for Noah's Ark was chaos!!!! The evening we were invited to a party on the roof top of the CHO building for Vuthy, and his wife, to celebrate the safe arrival of their baby son. BBQ goat, curry and cold drinks, in the open air as the sun set around us - wait until you see the pics, followed by learning to dance Cambodian Style while Chinese New Year fireworks erupted around us from all over Poipet. Magic.
Sunday Alastair took the service at CHO, we had to sing a song. V. bad. Least said about that the better. Chomno and Kim took us for lunch in a Thai Casino's Japanese restaurant in No Man's Land, which was excellent, and then we rode local style in the open back of the Landcruiser to collect a tonne of water and supplies and drove to Bos Tom, where the scenes were so awful I couldn't even cry. Such a moving experience, and I'll never forget it. Cambodian TV and reporters were there, so if we could work out the channel, we were on the News! Not quite CNN, in fact I think we've got the same video camera from 18 years ago upstairs, and that was the entire crew. They were the first people, other than ourselves with an ounce of spare fat on them, that we've seen. We ate again in a Thai casino, but whether it was our experiences or poor food, it was a sad meal.
Moday we started back after Devotions, saying goodbye to the CHO workers who seemed genuinely sad to see us go. We stopped in at the new CHO site out of town, where the ground was literally broken that day for the offices, school, orphanage, which have been planned and fundraised for for many years and will take 3 years to complete.
Lunch at half way was an experience. For the first time we saw cats hanging around, and two of the group swore that's what was on the plate... I've stuck to sea food and never had a dud meal.
This was made up for with our hotel, The Green Garden Home Guest House, which has a salt water swimming pool! We've blitzed the markets, twice. This place is so contrasting, we've got used to being the tallest people by a foot, and to see Westerners who are far taller is odd. Siem Reap is the tourist capital, and it feels like Blackpool. We were smug enough to disassociate ourselves from this - "we're on a little R'n'R after working with one of the NGO's in Poipet."
Yesterday we went to the temple complexes, which were stunning, but exhausting, and I really hope I've got some good photos. Sunset worth the climb (and getting ticked off by security)! The amazing thing is that this is one of the modern wonders of the world and you can climb on it anywhere you like. Steps are 4" wide and 12" high and rise at 80 degrees so it's at your own risk but it was a giant adult climbing frame. In a couple of years the Khmer will realise the damage we do and cordon it off. Saw the temple Tomb Raider was filmed in, another for Two Brothers. We also said goodbye to Chmno and Kim for the last time, which was really hard, but didn't feel final, and, having experienced a disgusting market from where we assume our food is coming, Stuart had fish tasting omlette in a restaurant and hasn't managed to eat since. He's quite well, just can't get the taste out of his mouth.
Today we finish messing about, get a flight to Bangkok, stay the night.
We're on our way home. Be ready, we're all going to be unbearable for months.

What a day!

Yesterday is probably a day that I will remember for the rest of my life, for so many reasons. I know, I don't have the strength of pen to do my feelings and emotions justice but suffice to say that I roller-coastered through the full range of human feeling.
The day started with a wonderful Church Service, with Alastair preaching. The genuine joy that we saw in everyone was really up lifting. The Service closed with Alastair blessing Vuthy's new born son. It was really touching to see the pride in both Alastair and Vuthy, it clearly meant a lot to both of them.
We were taken out to lunch by Chomno to a Japanese restaurant, a real treat for all of us. We then set off for Bos Tom the Village that we had visited earlier in the week and had apparently been effected by cholera. Further investigation had ruled out cholera and put the illness down to water poisoning (how the water was poisoned was unclear). We took with us fresh bottled water, biscuits and noodles or rather the CHO staff did. On arrival Chomno ask if we would pray for the sick that were lying on the tables in the school. This was a really scary thing for me, not because of the illness or the situation but because I was worried that I was the wrong person for this. It is amazing how God works though and after I had prayed with one of the men on the table (he had no idea what I was saying) he looked up and smiled. It meant so much to him and I am sure that Christ can use that moment to bring him to him.
I must stop now Alastair's time-table won't allow me time to finish - you will have to wait in anticipation.
Stu

Overwhelmed

I don't think I can add to anything already written here today. I'm utterly overwhelmed by everything. All I can think of is my own three children, at home, with all they need and far too much more around them. Safe, fed (I'm hoping Duncan has remembered to feed them! Joke!), healthy and loved. Many of the children we see here cannot rely on these 4 things. Some of them on none of the 4 at all.

Outreach

Another interesting and rewarding day.

We were up at 0630 this morning and followed the usual routine, though I am not sure if there a usual routine living with Davie as we spend most morning and evening falling about laughing at the Hotel; a comedy series in the making. This morning after risking our lives adding water to live electric cables in the bathroom (this is quite normal in Cambodia, your not awake if your not risking your life) and after putting on the sun lotion we were away. Example of the wonders of Cambodian Hotel - when Cherry popped back get something from her room and she found the staff on her bed, watching TV and eating fruit, lucky she was quiet so they didnt miss any of their show.

The journey to the Outreach event was short though it did involved walking through a village that was rotting before our eyes. The smell and signs of disease were everywhere.

There were 60 children waiting for us. The games, bible stories, balloon shaping and paper cutting that followed clearly struck a chord and you could see the pleasure and joy in their eyes.
There were a few things that stood out. We started to play a game that involved the children running around then climbing through the legs of the other kids. When we started this game very few got involved. Alastair was told that they didn't like crawling on the floor so the game was changed and they flooded off the mat to play. Perhaps the syringe I found on the floor just after that had a bearing on their thoughts.

I am sure that the other blogs are full of stories of Cholera and I will not add anything further other than to say that life here is so close to the abyss that episodes like this seem to be part of life and yet they shouldn't be. A safe assured water supply - no Cholera, simple. Again I stood back and thought how can we allow this to happen and I mean us in the West. Of course 10 minutes back at Gatwick and I will have forgotten all thoughts of how I could change the world. I will be too busy gulping down beer and complaining about the trains and the weather and the price of petrol and working hours and funding shortages in the Navy etc etc etc etc etc.

A little girl cut her leg acting out the story of the lost sheep. I got the medical kit out to put a plaster on the cut but it was only when I looked at it that i realised that the wound was old and had a lump of glass and pus surrounding that. I did my best to clean it up (don't worry Nicole I put gloves on) and get antiseptic on it, but how I wish I was trained and knew what do.

Oh well this blog is acting again, for my own self-serving need to get my frustrations out. Be assured I am having a fantastic time and can't believe it is nearly over.

Stu

Saturday

As it says above today is Saturday! The staff at CHO don't work on Saturdays or Sundays so there was no devotions today! but we still got up at the same time to have breakfast so that we could get away to start the day earlier than normal!
Today we were at a kids outreach programme at a small village which i don't know the name of! some of the kids were from a proper school and the others from a school on the mat! the heat was unbearable and i felt bad taking out my big 1.5litre water when they all sat with nothing! we started with explaining where we come from as we always do then moved onto the three parable piece (we sound so organised we really aren't) so it was the lost sheep (which the kids get involved in) then the lost coin and then the prodigal son! we played tunnel tig with them but they weren't so keen to be crawling on the ground which i don't blame them for at all i wouldn't either and i was quite thankful that all the leaders were it, so we changed it to toilet tig and had a great time playing that, we then went on to do balloon modeling which turned into a bit of a disaster as we had 60 kid and one balloon pump but hey-ho we managed as we always do in these situations! then using the animal we portrayed Noahs ark in another of our dramatic performances (the fancy way of us saying we got up and made fools of ourselves) last of all we did the paper crosses which are great and so simple!
News on other things that have happened throughout the week:
-1 The boy and girl rescued from Thailand still haven't been found a place and there is a chance that if they don't find one they will have to go back to Thailand
-2 The village that we went to visit called Bos Tom (Big Abcess) has had an outbreak of cholera, our translator today Kosal was taken away to help but there was another translator there so we could continue, this village has roughly 230 kids, all there water is bought from another village as they have no supply themselves!
Please remember these children in your prayers and also the adults at Bos Tom obviously it wont just be the kids that are affected!
The weather is hotter than it has been all week and my neck is paying for it!
Much love Helen xxx

Happy New Year!

I've never really felt the need to mark the Chinese New Year before, but the signs are all around us - from garish Chinese decorations stuck on the doors of our hotel, to the little Buddhist shrine in reception which currently has offerings of a roast pig, a couple of chickens, fruit, vegetables, money and, of course, lots of incense sticks. Add to that the regular outbreaks of firecrackers - which sound as though someone has tossed a lit match into a whole box of fireworks and finish up with an explosion which sounds like the side of the house is coming down - we are enjoying the celebrations!

Today is really a half day for us, workwise. We did a two-hour children's outreach this morning (for the 2005 team reading this, it was in the village where the children seemed really unhealthy, where we met the lady with AIDS whose husband had just died). When we arrived, around sixty children were waiting patiently on two mats. So, after the introductions and the quick lesson on Scotland, we told acted the stories of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son. During the story of the lost son Kosal, who was interpreting for us today, got a call on his mobile and had to leave - apparently there has been an outbreak of cholera in the village where we were two days ago (and ate lunch!), so he had to go and help deal with that. We're not worried for ourselves - we actually have the right medication with us for anything like that and, as long as you have access to clean water and oral rehydration solution it's hot hard to manage. The problem in this village is that they have no water of their own. CHO has already been trying to drill down to give them a pump (it costs $1500 to drill 50 meters), but still no water. It costs $2500 to drill 100m. So, until they can have their own clean water in the village, they buy it from the next village, which is probably how they got infected with cholera. I haven't given our church gift to Chomno yet - it may be that our money will go to provide clean water for a village and to prevent future outbreaks of disease. Meanwhile, please pray for the village, which is called Bos Tom (pronounced 'bottom'). The meaning of the name doesn't get much better - the village changed to that name recently, which means 'large abscess'...

Back to the kids outreach - we spent half an hour bowing up balloons and making odd looking dachshunds with them, before launching into Noah's ark, and then finishing the day with making simple paper crosses. Oh, and we played a game of tunnel tig which we changed to toilet tig, because they didn't want to go through each other's legs (or possibly crawl around in the dust). So, after the customary sweetie dispensary, we headed back - hopefully they children enjoyed it, but more importantly, hopefully something of the message of God's passionate love for them filtered through our ham-fisted Western attempts at communication...!

We're supposed to be having a debrief this afternoon with Chomno, but he is probably busy with the situation at Bos Tom, so we'll just wait for our next instructions. I need to prepare for tomorrow so I will hopefully get some time for that... There is to be a celebration this evening in honour of Vuthy and his wife and baby son, so that's our evening planned. After church tomorrow, we are to be Chomno's guests at his home (above the office). And then t will be into our battle bus for the long bumpy ride back to Siem Reap. The time is has passing quickly, and we've barely begun to process all that we have seen and done, but I think we are really beginning to get some measure of the real issues n this town. It's not a nice place in terms of hygiene or order, and the signs of poverty, disease, malnutrition, homelessness and desperate, desperate need are right in front of our faces. But God is here, in the warm hearts, the smiling faces, the passionate devotion of the CHO workers and in the ways in which increasing numbers of people are putting their faith in Jesus Christ.

I don't know what this Chinese New Year will bring to this community and the villages around - sure, there will be more disease, more poverty, constant need - but I know that through the work that Chomno and the CHO team are doing there will also be hope, education, clean water, training, employment opportunities, better food, and the Gospel. And I hope that we, as their brothers and sisters, will continue to get behind them and support them in whatever ways we can.

Talk to you again soon, I hope. I'm off to film some firecrackers!

still hot

Hi

Today we went out to a small village to a school on a mat, to do an outreach program for the kids, which was just like Scope except it was in the sun, we are supposed to be having be having a de-brief with the CHO staff but they have been called away to deal with a cholera outbreak which happened in the village we visited 2 days ago, we ate our lunch there that they prepared and cooked for us for us, we all are vaccinated but none of the villagers are. Still no news on the two kids rescued the other day they are still trying to get them both in to an orphanage together so keep praying for them. We done a bit of balloon modeling to do at the out reach program we practiced last night in our hotel room but cheap balloons and strong hot sunshine are not good together we got loads made but we also popped a lot of balloons in the process.The weather here is unbelievably hot it never cools down and being 100% Scottish (this I know because of the nice bright red colour my skin has gone) I sometimes complain about it being to hot so if you see me complaining about the cold when I get back somebody please slap me. I will leave all the detailed stuff to the others to post as I'm really slow at this typing thing.

Talk again soon.

Davie...

Down time....!!!!!

First early night so far! We spent this afternoon visiting not one but four 'schools on the mat'- simple rural schools where they put a tarpaulin on the ground, set up a whiteboard on an easel, and a teacher teaches the village children. They way, unschooled children get to learn their ABCs and get a basic education. What a privilege to see them in action. We did a brief presentation - weather in Scotland, pictures of Garelochhead Primary School children, then we acted out a Bible story from the Gospels, then Davie on bagpipes, then the children sang us a song, then we handed over a few sweets, back in the bus and off we go again! Probably the most humbling thing all day was seeing the 18 year-old boy (who we thought must be a teacher at first) sitting amongst children aged between about five and twelve because he had not had an education all his life and wanted to take the chance now while he could get it. And the 75 year old man, who sat on the edge of the mat, keeping the children in order, obviously because he had never had the chance of an education and was going to make sure the children got the most out of something he never had.

Tomorrow's challenge is a two-hour children's outreach - so more visual aids and more dramas and more bagpipes! (if I never hear Highland Cathedral again it'll be too soon..... only kidding Davie!) Then on Sunday, I have to preach and the others share some testimonies. Please pray that I pitch it right and that the staff here are encouraged, fed, built up. They work so hard and with such enthusiasm. They are genuinely lovely people, so warm, so friendly, so committed to the Lord and to the work they are doing.

Poipet is the same and yet different - same smells, same dust, same heat, same chaos. But the work at CHO has expanded significantly - 32 workers, instead of 16 before, with new projects, new needs, new developments going on all the time. Chomno is an amazing man - very gentle, yet visionary and energetic - he doesn't let the grass grow and he certainly gets results. All that holds him back is funding - as with all of us. But it is a privilege to be here and be part of this amazing team even for these few days.

We're all tired, and we've all got or had our aches and pains, or sunburn or sleepless nights. But we're all having a thoroughly exciting time and loving being here. Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read our updates and to comment. It's so good to hear from you.

Be back in touch as soon as we get the next chance. We don't get too much detail about the programme, so don't know when that might be, but hopefully sooner rather than later.

Bye for now.

End of a long a rewarding day

Today has been extremely rewarding. We had the privilege to visit and teach at 4 separate Schools on the Mat this afternoon, giving us all a wonderful insight into the work that CHO is doing in this part of Cambodia.
For me there were three things that stood out. The first was the real thirst for education. At the back of one class was a neatly dressed 18 year old boy, sitting amongst the younger chilren who I thought was one of the CHO staff. It turned out that he had never had the opportunity to learn and wanted to learn to read and write. Furthermore, as we began to teach in each village the adults gathered around the mat, often sitting down. Some of the younger men were a little bullish but the women and the older generation were clearly intrigued and interested in the message we had and believed in the education that their children were getting.
The second is the clear thread of God's message in the teaching that was being delivered by the CHO staff. The children all knew Christian songs and were open to the message that we were seeing and hearing through small plays and stories from the Bible.
And thirdly in the last village we visited one of the young guys made an effort to hide in his house until his mates went away and then poked his head out of the material on the side to listen to the Bible story and sang the (Christian) songs with gusto; Jesus I am sure smiled on hm. That small mustard seed of faith can make such a difference with a little care and attention.
God is blessing this project - you only have to be here for a minute to see that. I remember sitting and listening to Alastair speak so passionately 2 years ago about CHO and thinking how wonderful it sounded. Well I am afraid none of us have the words to describe the feeling of being here amidst such poverty, deprivation and horror and yet seeing Jesus at work. The Gospel means something here and we should celebrate that!

Friday's child

What a day! I've met so many children at 5 different schools, all in some kind of basic need, be it being homeless, orphaned, malnourished or just too poor to go to school because family couldn't afford the simple needs of dark skirt/trousers and white shirt, and the daily bribe to get a place.

Four schools are conducted on a tarpaulin, where the children sit and work on the dust of a back yard. One was next to the pig pen. One was a typical Cambodian school building and the Christian songs the children sing do Battle Of The Bands with the wailing and chanting of the next door Buddist temple. This place they have started a school garden to grow the most fragrant herbs and salad leaves to suppliment the rice a charity provides for their meal of the day. We watched as the 5, 6 and 7 year olds nimbly picked through the beds looking to remove weeds, and we were too afraid to help for fear of damaging the tender plants.

I've had so much to think about that I've not had enough to drink today. We've jumped from the bus the second it's stopped lurching down the country tracks striaght into teaching geography and acting out parables under the blazing sun, then back into the bus for the next school. Drinking while on the move on the bus seriously risks the dental work. I don't fancy visiting the dentists here, with rubbish heaped high on the pavement and the stench of rotting meat and vegetables in the air. Much of Poipet is a dodgy pit. I'm getting over a wobbly head.

Like Stuart I'm feeling incredibly helpless and struggling to relate what goes on here with all I know at home. There really is so little common ground. It will take me a while to get to grips with it all.

This week has gone by the fastest of my life and everything in it has been new. A fast learning curve. Even the toilet facilities - wait until you see the photos.

Its hot really hot

Hi, I'm back tried to blog this afternoon but i could not get a machine the rest of the team got in first with some really rubbish excuses like let me go first its really important, any way we spent all day going round schools and schools on a mat which really is just a blackboard one teacher and a mat for all the kids to sit on just laid out on the jungle floor I am very, very impressed.We played games and done some short Bible dramas for them. Then we saw an agriculture project in the jungle it was excellent. We met a boy (14) and a girl (his sister,1) who had just been arrested and deported from Thailand for begging in the street His mother had sold him to some child traffickers 5 years ago and they used him to beg for them then his mother showed and told him to look after his baby sister and she would come back in ten days she never did and it also appears that his father died from Aids.
The people from CHO are trying to get them a place together in a mission orphanage. I was devastated. Anyway one of the project workers Srei Pau liked my bagpipes and tried to get a sound out of them, she couldn't do it, and on the way back in the battle bus she said "he is like superman" something that I am not going to let the rest of the team forget.

Talk again soon

Davie...

Feeling helpless

This is such an amazing experience and yet so painful. I swing between feeling of being completely helpless to that of guilt. I am sure that the guilt I am feeling is purely based on a selfless need to justify what I have at home and the money that I waste in my everyday life. We visited a School this morning where 3/4 of the 345 children in the school lived on the streets, many on their own; their parents either abandoning them or have gone over the border to Thailand for work. One of the children reminded me of Brandon (my eldest) so full of life and fun -but this kid had no home.

Off we go again I will write more when I have time.

Anoter quickie...

Thanks for all your comments - it's great to hear from you all! Sorry e haven't been better correspondents - we went out last night again looking for an internet cafe but they were all shut. Another hot day today! Sunburn kicking in a little, must remember to put some lotion on. Spent the morning at a school visiting a nursery garden and then playing games etc. with the kids. Tunnel tig worked well, and they enjoyed the bagpipes. Then a Bible story in the classroom before jumping back onto the 'battle bus' and bumping out to the country to visit a home farm - probably the best one I've seen - so green, tidy, abundant and idyllic. The farmer's wife picked us a bag of green beans and offered them with the customary Khmer bowing. It's very humbling.

This afternoon we're off to visit another school on the mat. Bus has just come - need to go. Bye.

HHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAATTTT

Hello again so its Friday and about 1 35 pm! this morning we did the usual up at 6 showered and then to devotions for an hour back to the restaurant for breakfast then we were met by the agriculturalist workers who took us to a school garden! we spent most of the morning there playing with the children who are absolutely gorgeous! we played tunnel tig, streets and alleys and chain tig! they liked chain tig the best because they got to hold hands with us *obviously that was my favourite too) then we did a bible story for them it was jairus daughter and i was his daughter, i had to lie down which wasn't a problem as i was suffering serious dehydration at that point!! that leads me on to the heat, if you are at this moment feeling envious of this hot weather then you are raving mad actually we are but that is because of the heat!!!! now we are off to a school on the mat, which is basically a school without a proper building!
Last night a boy of 8 years old and his less than one year old sister were rescued from Thailand where they had been abandoned by their mother, 5 years ago the boy was sold to traffickers then just 11 days ago his father died and his mother and new baby sister came to find him, when they did the mother left him with the baby said she would be back in 10 mins and never came back, so could you please remember them in your prayers as cho is finding it difficult to place them and the orphanage they have found will only take the boy not the girl!!!
Chrisitine and Davie say hi! there aren't enough computers and time for them to get on too and we all nabbed them first (Can you tell they are making me write this)
Much love to all and thanks for the comments they are so lovely to read! Helen xx

Meltdown

Well, Alastair has covered most of what I would have told you, except for the HEAT!! I am slowly disappearing into a grease spot, but hey, we can guarantee the weather will be fine. The food is fantastic and the company isn,t bad either! Sorry, run out of time. Must go till next time. Christine

so much for not drinking the water!

We were warned not to drink any water, eat salads etc as the water could be infected unless it came from sealed containers. Ha! We've been to the most fantastice (and embarrassing) wedding, and eaten the 8 course banquet, which was cooked out in the street, had my glass continually topped up with ice from who knows where, and eaten a traditional meal of snake fish, salad, rice and beef off a bedstead/table in a typical villager's house out in the country, about 2 hours down bone crunching dirt tracks in the back of a truck. I still don't have a dicky tummy, but it'll happen soon!

I'm struggling to put this experience into words someone who isn't here will understand. Road means a strung together collection of 1ft deep potholes where which side you drive on doesn't matter, the use of mirrors is expressly forbidden, horn compulsory. Sometimes the road works or verge is a smoother ride, so the driver takes it! Mopeds are the transport ofchoice. A whole family of five can ride at once, or three live pigs tied on on their backs, or about 80 slaughtered chickens tied to poles. The dust is horrendous. Noone has a Chelsea Tractor here!

I've have been completely knocked down by the people we have met, cheerful and smiling, eager to help and treating us as if we are honoured guests. I'm not sure where my head is atwith this yet. Wait and see the pictures!

Poipet

sorry to keep you all waiting for these blogs and now there will be one great rush as we are all in an internet cafe writing!!! we have tried to get on the internet but we were either too late or it wasnt working!
so far everything has been amazing! we arrived on tueday afternoon after a very long uncomfortable journey however we did get to know one of the cho workers, Kosal, who told us about his childhood, that man is a miracle of God! I'll explain another time.
when we got to poipet we went straight to the restaurant where we met Chomno and his wife Kim along wth the other resteraunt girls all of whom are fantastic, lovely people!
then yesterday we visited 8 diferent projects that cho has they are all equally wonderful and again i will go into detail another time!
then in the afternooon yesterday we were invited to Kim's neices wedding in the nearby cit of Batambang! It was a 2 and a half hour jouney on a VERY bumpy road i can't even begin to describe how bad the road are here but it makes it interesting! Dada and Dave had their kilts hoever us three wen were absoluitly ortified at the wedding as all the women looked perfect where as we looked like tramps but were also honoured guests and the only people to get up and dance with the bride and groom!! (It was an honour and a pleasure but also soooooooooooooo humiliating)
Then today we went to a tiny village to the school with tons of absolutly gorgeous kids where we spent the day acting out bible stories and making paper crosses with them and giving them sweet whch they couldnt have been more appreciative of!
Anyway we better go as we are now going to another school, mch love thanx for the comments xxx

Hi from poipet

Hi, Got here at last we have all been trying to get on to the Internet for the past two days Tuesday night it was not working??and on Wednesday we did not get back until very late I will tell more in a minute.It has been a very busy couple of days Poipet is a strange place there are up market casinos and less than 200 yards away people living poverty . Chom-no and Co-sal and all the people from CHO are really inspirational the work they are doing is great but I think the need is greater and I hope they can get all the resorces to to what they need and want to do.So far we have visted several of the projects on Tues we went to the border to se all the workers coming back from thiland Chom-no said they only earn about $1.25 per day for 12 hours work,On wednesday we went to a school in poipet, and school on a mat out in the sticks and a couple of farms and a water well and we went to a wedding in batta bon really intersting I will tell more later Cheers Davie...

Ta Da! We're here...!

Sorry for the break in communications! It's now Thursday afternoon (15:10 to be precise) and this is the first opportunity we have had since arriving here to catch up on our blog! We arrived in Cambodia on Monday evening and spent our first night in a very comfortable hotel in Siem Reap. Breakfast consisted of sweet bananas, rolls, omelette, tea and coffee etc., with a rabbit, three dogs, three turkeys a cat, a cockerel, chickens and a few geckos roaming around us! Then we piled into our bus, which arrived and was being carefully swept clean by Kyanta (duff spelling) our driver. Then off to Poipet. I did warn them about the road, but I don't think the rest of the group had taken me seriously...! At first it was a bit bumpy, then a bit lurchy, and then all out, shock-absorber-wrecking, drive-wherever-you-can-find-space anarchy. Kosal, the CHO worker who had come to Poipet to meet us said it would probably take about three hours to get there. It took five. Five hours of sheer unadulterated motoring pleasure. Not.

We arrived in Poipet and after lunch at the (newly relcoated) restaurant, it was lovely to meet some familiar faces. Three of the girls in the restaurant, Chomno, Kim and then, the next day, also Vuthy and Sophar, all of whom were clearly very pleased to see me and meet the rest of the team.

Haven't got time or space here to describe everything we have done so far, cos Christine is waiting to get onto this machine and Chomno will be coming back for us soon, but here is a brief summary:

visited a new school for children from HIV families, motorbike workshop, sewing school, animal husbandry projects (goats, pigs, chickens), new water well provided by CHO, 'school on the mat''. That was yesterday. Phew!

Today - remote village in the forest where we helped put up a new school building (I say helped, perhaps hindered would be more accurate...!), had lunch in the headmaster's home (bit of a culture shock, but the same wonderful Cambodian generosity), then an hour doing Bible stories and other stuff with the school children. It was great - and the four hours in the van bumping through the forest tracks to get there was good fun in itself.

This afternoon we're off to give out football strips to another project some 50km away, so we need to leave soon.

Oh, and then there was the Cambodian wedding - Kim's neice was getting married and we were invited to go along. So, on with the kilts, out with the bagpipes and Davie graced the proceedings with an unforgettable rendition of Highland Cathedral! We've got it all on video, so you'll see it soon enough.

OK, need to go. Please keep praying - especially for health and safety and that our input will be an encouragement.

My cold virus is still a nuisance, so please pray that it will go completely SOON!

Postcard from Bangkok

Just a few lines 'cos this is costing! (the one in Doha was free!) Well, we're here, as is all of our luggage PTL!) and now settling down for another day at the airport. Air very humid - smells beginning to be familiar - back in the Far East! Airport very large and modern, but we're all a bit travel weary, so sitting around looking white and British seems to be the order of the day! We've eaten well, courtesy of Qatar Airways, so won't need fed for a while.

Will blog again soon, but I'll sign off now sincethe meter is running!

Hope you're all well.

airport

so we are in Doha as Davie has just typed right next to me
that aeroplane is amazing!! (can you tell i have only ever flown within the UK that i can remember) there was TV!! (by the way mum yes i did watch friends and no i didn't do homework)
so we r in the airport I'm standing with tatty ballet shoes on as i was doing exercises earlier to try to start the blood flow again! apart from that all is well, God has really been with us and we have only been gone a day
1st lady at Glasgow doesn't notice we're over weight
2nd neither does lady at Gatwick!
3rd fantastic aeroplane
4th still lots to come!!!
I'm on msn how cool is that I'm talking to my friends from thousands of miles away!!
Anyway better get back to do.................nothing but sit for hours upon end (its 20 past 9 just now and our next flight is at quarter to 1) pretend to try to get some sleep but not really get any and then be restless on a plane till we get to Bangkok
Much love to everyone xxxx Helen

We're in DOHA

Hi, It now seems as if we are getting somewhere, the flights were fine so far and all is well although big Al has a cold ( poor wee soul) I hope the rest of the journey is as smooth nothing much else to say as traveling in a plane is not too exciting I will blog again soon Davie.....

Half way there...

Greetings from Doha! Capital of Qatar but just looks like any other brand spanking new international airport. An alcohol free country, apparently, but the Johnnie Walker's is flying off the shelves downstairs in duty-free like sonw off a dyke...!

Anyway, we arrived on time and we now have five hours to fill before our next flight out at 00:45. Local time is now 9.30 pm, so that's 6.30 pm UK time. So far, so good. The woman in Glasgow airport got so confused over boarding passes that she forgot to charge us the baggage excess - ooops! The woman in Gatwick was so busy checking in six heavy bags that she didn't notice us 'repacking' our hand baggage so that we got through with bags that were just a tad heavier than they should have been... So, thank you Lord for getting us and our baggage this far.

I've developed a stinking cold - please pray that it shifts before we get to Cambodia and start infecting people there... But otherwise, we're all well, well fed, well 'in-flight entertained' (I can recommend Qatar Airways) and well ... off to sleep, if we can get our heads down (although the lights in this gleaming, white, tiled airport concourse are a little cruel for that. However, I did notice a 'Sleep Room' on my way to the toilet so we might take turns checking that out! But I'm not sure I should adopt a reclining position - I opted to wear my kilt rather than carry it, so that's generating the inevitable stares and odd looks!

Next stop Bangkok - talk to you from there, maybe!

Here we go, here we go, here we go...

Desk clear (well, as good as it ever gets...)

Luggage packed (a little overweight, but then so am I ... yes, I am!)

Got tickets, got passport, got clean underwear (in case I get knocked down)

Well, if we haven't got it with us now, we haven't got it. I lay in bed last night, unable to get to sleep with everything running through my mind - in the end I had to make a list, 'cos I was worried I wouldn't still remember in the morning!

This is the point where we have to let it all go and hand the whole thing over. Beyond the front doors of this house, we're in the Lord's hands.

And what good hands they are too.

"The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

Talk to you from London maybe, or Qatar, or Bangkok, or Cambodia.

Please pray!

we're off

Hi, Last blog before we go I'm packed and not brave enough to weigh my bag I'm past caring,I think we're all hoping that Stuarts bag is empty so we can off load stuff on to him.Elainea wants to go to ASDA (oh what joy) but it just goes to show that no matter how excited I am life goes on. The next time you hear from me I will be in a hot place wishing I was stuck here in the wind, rain and snow(NOT) Talk soon Davie...

Last writes!!

This really IS the last blog before I go. I'm PACKED, I'm OVERWEIGHT (me and the case, but hopefully we'll both be lighter coming home) but AM I BOVVERED?? Noooooooo!! Past Caring! Just beam me up Scottie and get me there. Can't wait! Christine

Sleep? Whats that then?

I went to bed at 1AM, because I knew I wouldn't sleep. I clock watched until 3, dozed until 5ish, waited until 6.30, and decided I've had enough. At least I'll sleep on the plane. Off for my last run for a while, and will try to resist getting the bow out. Its a bit tricky finding arrows in the dark...Sssssssoooooooooo excited.

Where will this one go?

Well, if you're reading this, I have done it right this time. If not, I got it wrong again!! Having been taken through step by step with Alastair, I somehow managed to create a new blog and post it somewhere else completely! Alastair had to cut and paste it or something!
Anyway, I thought that would get me out of doing another, but I have been assured that even if Alastair has to come and sit over me I WILL do another one. So here it is. I'm not packed and not sure I've got everything.
I have a bug which I will probably share with everyone else and I will keep Cherry awake with my coughing. How popular will that make me?? My glasses broke and I have to wait until tomorrow to find out if the new ones are ready. No panic there!! I am really looking forward to being in Cambodia, because, as the senior (years only) member of the team, they will have to show me respect. That will be a novel experience, and I'm sure short-lived! We'll be back all too soon. However, if I dont stop wittering on and get on with the business in hand, I won't be going at all. Thanks for all your good wishes and assurances of prayer . Next news from Cambodia. God willing. Christine

Time to go

I am ready, so long as Alastair doesn't give me any more stuff (ha ha) and I get confirmation of insurance. Roll on. :-)

Everyone's talking luggage...!

...And I'm afraid that's what I'm going to talk about too! sorry if you are not a team member and this is beginning to bore you but the rest of the team will totally sympathise with me!!
On Tuesday i weighed my case with all the Cambodia stuff in and nothing more and it was 14 kg which was fantastic then tonight i put in my clothes and a few other things and it was 17.6 kg which i was also thrilled about, so I'm not really worried although i was, my only concern now is that my dancing teachers mother is giving me stuff tomorrow and i don't know how much so hopefully that will all fit too!! but i also still have my hand luggage so I'm all good and set to go!
I am very nervous about everything but that is only because i keep thinking i will leave something so i cant wait till Saturday a) so that i will finally not be able to worry about that and b) i will be starting one of the most amazing experiences of my life!! I've been thinking about it the past week and realised just how privileged i am, a 15 year old girl from Scotland who is getting to go to Cambodia, now i know that any 15 year old Cambodian girl might think i am insane (or any other 15 year old girl for that matter) but i do feel really privileged, this is going to be a once in a lifetime experience (although i hope i will get to do something like this again).
So aside from all the stress and worries and things to do before i go, I'm calm and collected and ready to go!
I can't believe that the next time i will be seeing the rest of the team (obviously apart from dad) will be at my house just before we leave to go to the airport its all happened so quickly!
Anyway away to sleep the one thing I'm lacking in atm!
Helen x

The Packing Saga

Hi, Well I've now packed all my gear after much packing and unpacking and my bag still being to heavy I hatched a cunning plan and got a bigger hand luggage bag which now weighs about the same as my main bag, I hope they don't weigh hand luggage.Well It's all packed now and I'm not going to through it again in case it puts on weight, if I have forgotten anything I will go without.
I'm getting a bit more nervous now it is getting so close, lots of people have been telling me they have and will be thinking and praying for us that is very comforting so if you are reading this and are one of them a big thanks to you and if you are not then you can feel free to start as I think we will probably need all the help we can get.Last day of work tomorrow so I will go in and get a rest before the real work starts.Talk again soon although probably not tomorrow as I will be to nervous to type Cheers Davie......

La-la-la-la-la...I can't hear you

I am not doing a trial pack.

It will fit.

I will make it fit.

I am in denial.

Time flies when you are having fun

This week is just flying in. Its been so beautiful with the frosts and sunshine, all I want to do is get out soak it all up. To appreciate the varied surroundings we have here, and the contrast with the Cambodian heat. 36 degrees! One feature of this high pressure weather system has been the lack of aeroplane vapour trails. I've noticed this for the first time this week; I've been looking up to think of the travellers doing just what I'm about to do in a few days, as there are always white fluffy lines in the sky. The total absence of anything up there really emphasises the leap into the unkown most of us are going to make.
I've also been really touched by the kindness of friends, who could have taken the (mistaken) attitude that we're off on a two week holiday. They haven't, and I'm grateful for their support. I've bored them all to death with rabbitting on about it. I am taking a camera with me, and I think its going to be nearly as much fun showing hundreds of photos to them.
Apart from that, I'm not taking any technology with me at all. When I was a small child, we always went away and did without the modcons for a week. But then we didn't have a phone in the house, a black and white tv, and Dad's film camera would use most of the 36 shots on the holiday. Now we'll be able to keep up this journal in an internet cafe. I'll not miss my phone, be too busy for tv or PC, but can I cope without my ipod?
Nowhere near prepared, but who cares! Roll on Saturday.

Stressed...

Hi, I’m back and getting stressed out trying to pack I done a practice pack with every thing I thought I would need it came in at 25kg however if I don’t take most of my clothes and my kilt or wear it to travel in (really comfortable) I can get it to about 20ish kg. I don’t really fancy wearing it I get enough funny looks here, and you are guaranteed to get pulled over at customs I also wouldn't know how to start explaining 6 tracksuits, 6 waterproofs, 5 footballs and more gummy bears (sweets) than you could shake a stick at. Well I'm off now to repack again to see if it makes it any lighter and if that doesn't work I will just sit and glare at it for a while.
Talk again soon Davie.....

Still catching up and catching on!

As usual, I'm the last to get round to this. Just been talked through it step by step with Alastair, having spent half an hour of my precious time before going to work, trying to do it myself!I can't wait for Saturday, because then it will be too late to panic. At present I get butterflies every time I think about it, because I'm sure I won't be organised in time. I'm on my second case, now that we have divvied up the goods. With the first case, I was going to have to wear all my clothes, as there was no room. With mark 2, I will be able to bring everyone's luggage back and leave them hands free. Don't know who is going to volunteer to carry aforementioned case, but don't think it will be me! More later, if I can remember what to do. If you don't get another blog from me, put it down to my age and dimness and feel very sorry for the rest of the team!!

Friends...

This is a quickie 'cos it's late and I need my bed. I met up with a few of the guys I went to Cambodia with in 2005 today for a coffee (great to see you Vicki, Margery, Derrick, Anne, Brenda - and Robert, albeit briefly) and it was so good to chew over memories of our trip last time and have a laugh together. We went out as strangers and yet, thrown together for those two weeks, there's kind of a special bond between us which comes from sharing special experiences. I'm looking forward to seeing how the 'team' experience affects us this time.
And still more generosity too as I left with more gifts to take. Beginning to feel a bit Santa Clausish and wondering if we couldn't get there sooner with reindeer and a sled!
Came home to find twenty tubs of multi-vitamins sitting on the hall carpet - dropped in by a member of my congregation who works for a Leading High Street Pharmacy and who clubbed together with some of her workmates to donate them - I just hope they got the staff discount!
Ok. I'm off to raid the fridge.
Then bed.
(Only one more anti-malarial free day before the pill-popping begins.)

4 days to go

Hi, Well here goes, logged on to this blogging thing last night after we had sorted out all the stuff we are planning to take with us and did not really have a clue what I was doing or what a blog is I have now had a quick read of what every one else has entered and in my usual lightning quick manner now have a very rough idea what it is all about.Well only 4 days to go now, I sorted out some clothes and other bits and bobs last night and quickly realised I am no where near as organised as I thought and it is all getting a bit real and scary. I am supposed to be taking my anti-malaria tablets I keep forgetting( thats not good). Still trying to find room for my kilt, braces and my "see you Jimmy hat" imagine that lot combined with bagpipes. Those poor kids!!!But if it brings a smile who cares. Talk soon Davie..

Land of the exploding suitcases (in a good way)

How can those flimsy strips footballers wear weigh so much and take up so much space? I've collected my 7kg of strip, 2+kg of toys, pencils, sweeties, meds etc and hit the problem. My case, which had so much space in it I was worried it would be better just going with hand luggage, now doesn't shut. I got out the other, big case, but it is huge. Last time I used it all five of this family were travelling together for a week's holiday with just this one. And I took five pairs of shoes. I've finally settled on carrying everything I personally need, except for sunscreens, shampoo and sandals, in my hand luggage, and everything that is to be given away will end up in the medium case I originally pulled out. Needless to say the huge case, two rucksacks and a whole bunch of other rejects are still cluttering up my front room.
Had a bit of a brainwave, thanks to some idle chat with Alastair. I hate having my photo taken - you've seen my pic here, I'm sure I don't actually look like that - and much prefer to be the other side of the camera. For that reason I'm taking a stunt double in the shape of Queaky Teddy, who will be appearing wherever we go. Queaky is the prototype of a fleecy ted I made about 7 years ago, that my youngest daughter adopted as soon as I had finished with it. She couldn't pronounce her 's'es and the chap has a squeaker, so Queaky Teddy he is. He is very battered and worn out, and Libby was in tears when she realised I wanted to take him, but now I have permission, and complete with new bow tie, Queaky is in my rucksack waiting for adventure.
If I lose him, I'd probably better not bother coming home!
Its finally hit me how close this all is, but as the party spend more time together organising, I feel more and nore part of the team. Although I had a bit of a wobbly panic yesterday, I'm back to looking forward to this, and focusing on the work, the people, and just taking it all in. Roll on Saturday.

Day off...

I try to take Mondays off, normally, but given that I am going away for the best part of two weeks, today was a good chance to do Cambodia prep without it getting in the way of the day job! So, managed to establish that our insurance is all in place, that it might not be the wisest idea to take all the money that has been given so far in cash (over £670 from yesterday's offering - thank you Garelochhead Church) just in case we get mugged along the way (so we'll transfer some via the bank), that my good friend Derrick who was on the trip with me last time is happy to lend me his amazing suitcase and so on. Collected a donation from Marco on behalf of the fire station guys (bringing the total from the Anchor charity pub quiz night last Thursday to over £300 - amazing!) and went to the surgery for my last rabies jag, where I collected a large bag of drugs (the legal sort) to take out to the project - everything they had said would be helpful - along with a covering letter to get us through security.
I'm just amazed at the generosity of so many people - why is that never reported in the papers or on the news...?
We got together tonight for a weigh-in. Not us (that's privileged information which won't be appearing on this blog!), but our luggage and we pooled all of the pens and pencils, toy cars, hair scrunchies, stickers, sweets etc. that we have collected and been given. Then we weighed the football strips that Davie has managed to collect through his contacts- enough for four teams and one set isn't even out of the packet! Last time we weighed it it came to around 47kg so I was relieved to discover that my dodgy IKEA scales are on the blink and that it was only 28kg. We divvied everything up, so, as long as we take only one set of clothes each, we should get everything out there!
Best bit of all was finding Poipet on Google Earth. it's been 'mapped' since the last time I looked. So, if you want to see where we'll be and you have access to Google Earth, put in 'Paoy Pet, Cambodia'. It doesn't look much from the air (actually it doesn't look much from the ground either), but God is doing amazing things there, in amongst the dust, the human pain and the poverty.
Had another brain-wave - with the extra luggage space we'll have for coming back, I might buy a stall's worth of Cambodian stuff (they make beautiful clothes, silk tablecloths etc.) and sell it to any of you guys that might be interested on our return. Whatever profit we make we can send back...
In between times, I washed the windows, 'cos life goes on here too. So, if you're walking past the Manse, do me a favour and admire them. It only happens once a year.

Hi

Hi I'm now logged on to this blogging thing be prepared

5 days (not including Monday)

Well it's 5 days till we go, I can't really focus on it yet as there is so much more going on around me and there are a thousand things I need to do before I go! For example my English teacher decided to tell me last week that i would need to have completed my standard grade folio before I go which has meant for the past week I have been up until 2 every night for various things but mostly doing English essay and then also i have a french essay with various bits and pieces from other subjects! so all in all it has been a rather hectic week at school and i have no doubt the next will be just as busy.

We sorted out all the kit today and i would just like to say to any one who is not on the team and gave us stuff or money thank you so much, its unbelievable the generosity of people!!!

Had my last injection today - so glad that's over and now to start the tablets what a thrill!

Any way must go get the suitcase down from the shlef and sort some stuff out. Will blog soon. Helen

stillness

The last few days have been very strange. Everyone around me seems to think I'm not coming back so are insisting I get together with them for one last evening, home is even more chaotic than usual, and I'm trying to cram enough things for two people into one life. Inside, however, I'm as still and calm as if I haven't a care in the world, which is very unusual for me, as any one who knows me will tell you, I do stress in a big, big way.
I'm not sure if its just a natural reaction to avoid being overwhelmed, or just just hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm grateful for it, because in my usual state of panic and lack of confidence I'm sure I would be looking for ways to get my flights cancelled! Perhaps it's just that I worry about the littlest things, and this visit is an enormous leap into the unknown.
I've just discovered that my middle daughter, who has Aspergers, will be going away for the weekend to Ayr for a dancing course with friends. She's never been away from us before, and can be very shy, so we're wondering how she'll cope. But, that also means she will be leaving on Saturday before me, and I'm worrying more that she won't be at the airport to see me off.
I see tears ahead, they'll all be mine, but I'll try to keep them for the departure gate, after which it really will be too late to worry that factor 30 isn't enough.

Hellooo.....!

Dad says I've got to do this blogging thing - personally i much prefer e-mailing but I suppose I'm the youngest so I'd better blaze the new technology trail for the adults! (can you tell dad is writing this).
Okay 'tis me now! well we leave in 6 days and already people are coming up to me and saying "have a good time, see you when you get back" and I'm thinking ahhhhhhhhhhhhh its all happening so quickly!! I've not even taken the suitcase down from the top shelf of my wardrobe yet! Seriously worried! but never the less still excited, my friends in school made a list of things they want me to bring back, it's surprising how much of them i can actually get because everything is either oh so cheap or they want things like rock from the ground or twigs although the friend who asked to have her own little Cambodian person may have to be disappointed!
We had a special offering in church this morning! Me and Gethin were asked to count all the loose change into the counting machine and as we did so we broke it but hey when you raise over £1000 for the Cambodians that's just a detail! Anyway see all you "teamcambodiers" on Saturday and everyone else either throughout the week or when we get back (i will be all tanned woohoo)!
Much love xx

Week to View...

This looks like being quite a busy week... It would have been great to have a few days just to be still, to declutter, to take time to listen to God and get ready in His strength. (Would be good to get the mountain of admin off my office floor too!) But God has His own ways of speaking to us, and I'm trusting that He'll get us each ready for what we will see and do when we get there in ways we haven't thought of.
Anyway, it's enough of a luxury that we get to go to Poipet at all - the CHO workers in Poipet haven't even been been out of Cambodia before (except Chomno). So maybe it's good that we have to prepare and seek God in amongst the busyness of an ordinary week with all the last-minute stuff flying around. Because that's the reality of the people's lives we're going to visit - relentless hard work, serving the Lord faithfully and the poorest people of their community diligently.
Lord, make us useful, let us make a tiny difference, even for a few days. But please open us up too - eyes, ears, hearts, understanding - so that we can be changed and challenged, so that we can grow, so that we can make a difference when we return.
And please help me to get through the admin...!

My first Blog

This is a first; I'm a blogger! One week to go - have I got everything? Do I need an extra torch? How many pens and books can I carry? 2 shirts or three? How do I download from my video camera? At this rate I will have well and truly forgotten the reason for going.

Here's this week's Stuie moment- I went to the dentist Wed and being a little nervous I decided to break the ice with the dentist by pointing out that the safety glasses she was wearing were a fashion disaster. Unfortunately she pointed out to me that they weren't her safety glasses and promptly removed them. It's a gift that I was born with.

I am praying that the preparation, planning and prayer cover that we all have allow us to work for God in a wonderful way.

Stu

Yeehah! It works!

At last! But having sussed out how to do it, I've now run out of time (what's new) so my thoughts and reflections will just have to wait for later. Suffice to say that when someone asked me today when we go and I had to say, "A week today" a few stomach butterflies emerged from their chrysales...
But it's all good - a good experience, a good challenge, a good opportunity. Trying to make sure that all the details are planned, contingencies thought about and the rest left with God. I didn't have to plan it or book it last time, so this is 'interesting'. It's a funny feeling - on the one hand it feels familiar because I've been once before. But on the other hand it's a new trip, a new team, a new purpose in going. And things in Poipet seem to have moved on a lot so I'm expecting to be stretched. I hope we are all stretched - physically, emotionally, mentally and above all spiritually.
Told you it would be a short post.