Getting Ready to Return!

In 10 days, I will return to Thailand for some work of staff encouragement and building up.  I will not be accompanied by Bobbi on this trip.  I tried, but it simply was not the right time for many reasons.  So, I ask you to bear her up in prayer while I am gone.  I will leave Charlotte the 29th of June and return the 12th of July.

Thanks for joining me! More later ... 

We are Heading Home!

We are heading home!

This pictures shows us at the Phnom Penh airport with friends who have joined us to send us on our way. In the picture from left to right: Ravi, Sovang (each an Orphan Home director), Seda and her nephew (our friend who is married to Graham Geisler who took the picture), Bobbi and John, Sony and Savorn (National Director for Asia's Hope), Sopheap (driver for Asia's Hope) and Sopang (Orphan Home director).

So many stories. So much laughter. So many prayer requests.

Our brains and hearts are full after four weeks in Asia.

This weekend we are having a marvelous visit with Kim in Seoul, then flying out on Sunday for the return to Charlotte.

Thanks for praying us "all the way home". John and Bobbi

Helping One Another Like the First Century Church

We would like to introduce you to the Chey Narin family.  Our friend Narin, with his wife Quenie, and children Daniel, Donna and David, serve in Cambodia as missionaries to the Khmer.  Narin is Khmer, formerly with Campus Crusade for Christ.  Quenie is from the Phillipines, who came to Cambodia for an administrative position at Norton University and then married Narin.

We worshiped at their church this morning, Gospel Commission Fellowship.  Narin's message was on stewardship and giving- a tough sell to the American crowd, and it could be an even tougher sell to those who have so little. But Narin's message dealt with the reality that the church in Cambodia, including their church, belongs to God, and God would have us each help one another- not just in service, but in sharing what we have and meeting needs that we see.

In the GCF, that includes using their church building also as a student dormitory for young men who are studying at the universities.  These men in return give to the church through service, helping to set up for Sunday morning, providing guard service and transportation assistance.  So the need of the church and the need of these men are helped by each other.

Quenie has developed a similar vision of economic and service helping among for the church.  She rents space in the church building during the week to run a pre-school/primary class.  She employs teachers, helpers, a cook, a guard, and cleaners, many of whom are church members or relatives of church members.

The second picture below (yes....we are experiencing internet uploading difficulties on this blog) is one of her helpers, who is able to live independently also at the church, and save money for her vision for the future.  This young girl's vision?  She wants to return to her local province, and begin an orphanage to help keep her villagers close to their extended families, supported totally by the Khmer, not by Westerners.  Pray for her that she will experience God's peace for her vision.  That is her request.

The next three pictures are additional economic and  service helps planned by Pastor Narin for his church.  Being a small, new congregation, his family must find rent for the home at a price that is below market standards. But last month, God gave Quenie and he an idea- a vision one might say.  They were graced in locating four bungalows around a courtyard, which the landlord offered to them at a very fair rental price.  The Chey's are now living in one two-bedroom unit, while they make plans for the other units to be used by teams that come to minister in Cambodia, providing bedroom, living room and kitchen facilities, as well as courtyard meeting space. This is an example of God's economy around the world meeting the needs of one another.

If you are in a position to know of a team, or be involved in planning a team, you are welcome to contact Pastor Narin directly for rental or love gift information at chey_narin@yahoo.com.

Not only has this idea provided their housing, and offered service to teams, it will also provided additional jobs for church members to clean, cook and transport those coming to serve.

Another ministry Narin conducts within his church is a rice sale/distribution which allows for employment of those for accounting and for distributing, discipling them in Christian business principles which include honesty.  These young men and women not only gain a slight profit for the church budget, but gain employment skills to be used in their next upward job movement.

(The rest of this post is below the pictures.  Sorry for the inconvenience)

This final picture is of a student reunion that we held last night!!  Yes, we have known these students for five years, beginning when they were young provincials first coming to Phnom Penh for study, but too poor to find housing.  An early ministry of Asia's Hope was to partner for a Student Center for them to live in for free. 

Well, these young people are now graduated, and, are thankful that in God's economy and plan, they have each found jobs in which they can continue to help one another.  Some of them room together, some offer helping hands to younger brothers and sisters, some send money home to their village to help, some work in the local prisons as volunteers to provide hope to the prisoners (through Prison Fellowship).

Each of them offered spontaneous conversation of what they are experiencing as young adults- of how thankful they are that they can now earn money to feed themselves and help others.  John and I praise God for being able to see them and hear how well they are "growing up".

John and I also freely ask for any of you who are able to do your own "helping"of one another.  We have tried to write in this blog not only the helping of service, but how in Cambodia there is direct helping economically needed still as the safety net is thin. 

Again, we would direct any who are interested to www.asiashope.org where on line giving is an option.  We would especially encourage giving to The Hope Fund (the equivalent of a general fund) to provide for medical needs, vehicle repairs, new staff assistants, etc).

We return to the States in one week.  We are looking forward to seeing many of  you then.

Happy Thanks-Giving

This is a thanks-full entry in honor of American Thanksgiving Day

(We are not having turkey today, but we are ordering in pizza. For those who have been to Cambodia before, we are amazed to tell you that there is now pizza delivery service in Phnom Penh!!).

Today we are thankful for the real stories that we can share of changed lives through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is Ou Savorn and his wife Sony, with their sons Malvin and Billy.

Savorn is the Asia’s Hope National Director in Cambodia. His story begins during the years following the Killing Fields. He was a youth in the 80’s, walking 8 kilometers to school in the fields and jungle near the Thai border. His family was very poor. He ate crusted left over rice for breakfast, and found a piece of fruit in the jungle for lunch.

Those who know Savorn know that he has a love of learning. After finishing his limited educational opportunity near his home village, he was required to join the army during the Khmer occupation following the murder of 1/3 of his countrymen.

What he really wanted to do, however, was find a way to continue his studies. He heard that there was free education in the refugee camps. One day, he took a great risk; he laid down his gun and ran 12 hours through the jungle to get to the border in order to be in one of the camps.

Indeed, he found education there, completing his high school coursework. Along the way, he also heard multiple times about the love of God and about Jesus, but had no interest. Two years later, though, after he began to sense the hopelessness of his life, he was interested in listening to a God who wanted to make a difference in him.

The rest…..as they say….is history. After Savorn became a Christian, he first went to Bible Institute to learn more about his God. He then earned a Bachelors and a Masters in Business Administration, a Masters of Divinity, and has just begun his study for a Doctorate of Divinity.

Three years ago Savorn accepted the lead position for Asia’s Hope in Cambodia, using all of his knowledge and his network of fellow believers to develop a good staff for the orphan homes.

We in Asia’s Hope are thankful for the provision of Savorn to love and minister to the staff and children.

This next picture is Sopang, his wife, and these boys who have been in the Orphan Home he leads for five years. Sopang has a love of music. Like any father, he passes on his love to these “sons” who form the music worship team for church on Sunday morning.

Bobbi brought shoes to this Orphan Home (now called Prek Eng 1) five years ago on her first trip to Cambodia. She still remembers carting a suitcase of gently used shoes all the way around the world, and, in God’s provision, having exactly the right number of shoes in EXACTLY the right sizes for the children living there.

We are thankful that these boys have been loved and provided for during these five years, and have a “father” in Sopang who is interested in their future.

Three years ago, Bobbi and John, with their daughter Kim, were present when Prek Eng 2 was opened in Phnom Penh. Some of the children in this picture arrived scared to an empty home still being fitted with bedding, rice cookers, and clothing for them. Two of the kids in this picture are actually the children of the Orphan Home directors Narun and Sophal. Can you tell who they are? We are thankful that you can’t because it is comforting to know that ALL of the children are receiving love to grow and blossom.

So….Happy Thanksgiving day from the other side of the world. Thank you for sharing with us in praying for these kids, the staff, and for sharing God’s money placed with your family to help with their needs.

Some Battambang Pictures

Look at this handsome threesome. I did a photo op where each kid was invited to bring into a picture who they wanted. I then got prints and handed them out to each child in each picture. Remember, this is their home, and they need pictures of this family they are living in.

Dr. John never leaves an Orphan Home without lots of clinging to his legs. He serves a special role here. They call him Dr. John in honor of his medical background, but are so proud and pleased that he continues to return to honor them with his presence.
Bobbi, on the other hand, is just a sucker for attention. How can you not smile when you try to take a small picture, and all at once 20 are in the frame.
These young women, and their house mother, are among the most "senior" of the Asia Hope students. These are the future doctors and business people of Cambodia.

We returned to Phnom Penh yesterday and went out to dinner with friends, Graham and Seda Geisler. Graham and Bobbi were on their first trip to Cambodia together in 2004, while John had met Seda in 2003 on his first trip. Needless to say, we have watched with love and prayer their proceeding towards love and a trans-cultural marriage.

Yesterday, Seda asked me what changes I had seen in her country in the last five years. It was an excellent question, so here are some answers for you all to share in. First, there are signs of progress economonically.

There are still many, many, many who have nothing (tuk-tuk drivers sleep in their tuk-tuks 24-7 because they are too poor to afford rent anywhere). Garbage is still spread in a pile on the street, but there are now trucks that go around and collect the garbage nightly. I even saw a whole business given over to recycling.

In addition, my overwhelming response to Seda was that Phnom Penh is a lot more crowded than five years ago. Poor provincials are coming to the city to try to make money. Think New York City in the late 1800s and I suspect you will have a fair reality glimpse.

There are many more families that have a vehicle in what is the "middle class" section of the city. There are MANY more restaurants serving in a western style and more sanitized kitchens making meal accessibility far easier than five years ago.

One fo the most significant observations is that there are many more Westerners who now see Cambodia as being a regular tourist destination, not an "adventure" tourist destination. We saw tour buses made up totally of foreigners, unheard of a few years ago.

Last evening we had delicious fried tacos, followed by a trip to Swenson's for ice cream. Yes, some franchises are actually braving the economic graft here and beginning to set up shop.

There is also progress in some good government at the agency level. There is a Department of Social Affairs that oversees the orphan homes, and I was frankly impressed at the excellent questions they asked for the protection of the Khmer children.

Thanks for listening to the brief insights on this blog.

We are taking time this weekend to visit old friends When we first came to Cambodia there were 20-30 college students rooming in a house provided through Asia's Hope. We will be seeing many of those students this week for "old times sake".

Family Budget

Good Morning. We are leaving Battamabang this morning. Ready for the six hour bus ride?!

You will have to imagine until another blog posting the pictures that were meant for this post. The internet connection is too slow to handle the picture uploads.

We have just spent three days visiting at five Orphan Homes (Battambang 1,2,3,4 and 5). Each home has 25-40 kids ranging in age from pre-schoolers through Grade 12. The three newly built homes have a central open air room, with two boy dorm rooms opening from it. The two girls rooms are down a side corridor.

The kitchen is an attached room off of the back, with tile floor and open air lattice near the roofline. There is space to set up the tables for the meals there, which will help in the rainy season.

The other two homes are renting local properties.

Each home is filled with kids with love and laughter and dreams. I met two who wanted to be doctors, one who likes to draw (graphic design) and more than one who probably have information technology in their future.

Asia's Hope operates these homes based on child sponsorship. Each child has sponsors who send money each month which goes towards food, clothing, and school fees.

Now here is where this blog is now going to veer from centering on the child, to centering on the family that these kids live with. You see, Asia's Hope is their family. That is the protective shield placed over their young lives to raise them, teach them the love of God, and guide them "in the way that they should go, so that when they are old, they will not depart" from God's ways.

The sponsorships cover individual child costs, but do not cover "family" costs. What do you do when your family's vehicle breaks down? You repair it and repair it, and finally may decide that it is time to look for a different vehicle.

Or, how much family budget money does it take to get 187 kids to the dentist to make sure that they have teeth that will make it to their adulthood?

One of John's assignments on this trip has been to explore how to have the medical and dental needs of the children provided locally. Bringing health professionals on an Asia's Hope trip has been a regular event in the past, but with hundreds of kids in our care now, the team coming over once a year does not begin to stay on top of the medical or dental needs.

So, picture this. Our friends in Battambang, Jill and Kevin Kane from Wooster, Ohio, are missionaries with GBIM. They mentioned that they had found a dentist who practiced with skilled and adequate hygiene protection (not to be assumed in Cambodia).

Yesterday, we walked unannounced into his office and asked if he would consider looking at the teeth of 187 orphans and caring for their needs. Now, this dentist is going after the "carriage trade" of Battambang, if you know that term. He at first stared increduously at Dr. John for asking, but then he actually started to consider it. Praise God.

He may or may not be the one who ends up accepting the care of our orphans, but he was an important contact to make.

But how will we pay him? That is what The Hope Fund is for- larger, previously unbudgeted items for the care of the children in our "family". The Hope Fund will cover dental and medical emergencies requiring hospitalization. The Hope Fund will cover the land purchase to move one of the rental homes away from the mosquito breeding water. The Hope Fund will cover new vehicles, unexpected home repairs.

Will you help the family budget? For those of you who would like to gift to Asia's Hope at this Christmas time of year, there is information on the www.asiashope.org website about how to do that.

These are not individual sponsorships. This fund is for those who recognize that a family budget needs to be prepared to cover the unexpected. Will you help with The Hope Fund?

For those specifically praying for the Campbell's on this trip, you may consider designating this donation towards the medical/dental emergency fund as this was one of the specific tasks assigned to Dr. John on this trip.

Do you know what we did yesterday? We sat and watched the Battambang 3 and 4 kids sign Christmas carols! They are practicing already.

If God is placing music in your heart from His gift to us, it would be great to be sharing back with these kids the gift of a strong Hope Fund at Christmas.

www.asiashope.org

View from the Street

Since few of you have ever been to Cambodia, and most of you are new to our blog, I am going to give you a small travelogue of visual, social, and economic realities to add to your understanding of what you can be praying.

Cambodia is a Buddhist county and it is a communist country. Here is a picture of a monk seeking his morning donation, and a woman offering prayers after she has given him money. The monks go on morning rounds seeking their food and money for their needs. They do not go person to person, but rather select someone who must offer something. Meanwhile, this woman's friends continued to eat nearby, unconcerned that they were not selected or that they could offer when not asked.

All of these pictures were taken from one street corner in Phnom Penh while we were waiting for the bus to take us to Battambang. You'll notice that the streets are dense with traffic, most of which are motos, not cars. Cambodia is a very poor country and many can not yet afford vehicles.

There is a pecking order to economic progress, just as in any other developing area. You walk until you can own a bicycle. Then you ride the bike until you can save for a used moto. After that you try for a 15 year old used car. Finally, you may be able to buy a car that is only 5 years old

I am not including pictures here, but in the midst of these bikes and old cars, are brand new Lexus and Hummers. Again, like many developing countries, there are some who "have" at the expense of the "have-nots).
There are streets in Phnom Penh lined with independent dress shops, restaurants, electronic shops, etc. However, for most of the population, economic living is still practiced daily through street side vendors. This picture is looking through a "corner" convenience cart, towards a woman selling morning bread from her head basket. In the following picture, you will note what passes for a "telephone" company. Cell phones are rented through carts and provide the electronic contact even among the poor.

That was the few from the street corner, standing in the same spot, while I waited for the bus.

Now.....as Paul Harvey would say....."for the rest of the story". I thought that you would enjoy hearing about the road practice in Cambodia called "ROAD TRUMP". Traffic and driving rules have been emerging in the last several years. There is an amazing skill of anticipating and blending of needs at intersections where traffic enters from all four directions at one time and works their way through to where they need to go. It is far too complicated to capture on a still photograph.
On the longer highways, though, the rules of Road Trump became clear. I even saw two different dogs start to cross the road, glance towards our bus, and literally step BACKWARDS. The need of Road Trump is that there are only two lane roads, no passing lanes, and such a range of vehicles that an even speed is not possible.

The bus easily had precedence over the chickens and dogs, over the bicyclist, and the ox carts. Bus vs. cars were a draw, as were bus vs. trucks. However, if the truck coming towards you in your lane was a diesel tank truck, or a concrete truck, those trucks TRUMPED the bus, and the bus slowed down, as in the picture above.

But in Cambodia, one animal trumps all: you don't mess with a water buffalo wandering across the road.

In the next blog we will share pictures of the Battambang orphan homes and the reality of praying in their lives.

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