Week 4 ... Continued - April 2009

* Back In Cambodia ...

... we met with Pheakdey to organise a quote for the T Shirt labels ...



... and the 'Sew Empowered' team got to work on the T Shirt samples to send overseas.









The girls were excited and encouraged by the positive response we received when we showed the samples at our meetings in Perth. The girls were also excited after having finished their first month working full time and having received the monthly salary.



It was lovely listening to all the extra things they are able to do for their family now that they are working full time and on a salary.

~ Ladies ...

... if you are interested in being an angel and choosing to make a difference in the lives of the team at 'Sew Empowered' by purchasing one, two or more of the fairly traded T Shirts (I say this because I think it's hard to pick only one), watch out for our new T Shirt Page soon to appear on this website.

~ Guys ...

... your range is coming soon!

~ Kids ...

... your range is also making it's way from the drawing board to the cutting room floor!

* At TLC ...

... the team were all going about their daily operations and we were greeted by Sochea and Pastor Sara ...



... before interviewing some of the children ...





... and team members for the special upcoming News Blog post. Stay tuned!





Some of the children were in class ...





... and later enjoyed a meal together. These girls had a chance to catch up over a nice quiet time together at a table for two ...



... as did these two guys as they prepared to leave for the day.



Some of the children were in the library reading books ...



.. or receiving reading books to take home as they left their session.



* Jenny from Tasmania surprised Pastor Sara and Sochea with a visit.



* Besides end of month close off for accounts at TLC ...

... there's always the 'Birthday Celebrations' ...



... and this month included our farewell to the Mission Direct's team on the ground who have been here in Cambodia since November.



People from the CRDP gathered to say thank you and goodbye and present the team with TLC T Shirts ...



... which Daniel was delighted to receive and happy to wear!



Linda presented Song with a certificate for all his assistance on the CRDP ...



... and made special mention, that regardless of the fact that the Mission Direct team do not speak Khmer and that Song does not speak English, Song also assisted them on the PFC project. Excellent! Song was grateful to have the opportunity of working on the construction.

The village people shared their heart as they thanked the team and told them that it was hard to say goodbye because they love them. Ni prayed for protection and blessing...



... and Pheakdey referred to the biblical principal of giving and receiving and prayed that as the Mission Direct team had given them so much, that they in return, would be abundantly blessed ...



... and this young Mum was reduced to tears as she told everyone of her poor background and the fact that she had never had a home and gave thanks to God for the comfortable secure home she has been given. She asked that the team remember the people from the village, as they were now considered a part of their family.



To said that she was so excited about the additions to her home and thanked the team and said that everything they did was beautiful.



To was also very grateful that everything the team did was done to perfection, always ensuring that they gave the people to very best.

Linda told those gathered that they have all had a fantastic time. She also spoke of the love of God in the people and said that it is a privilege to be welcomed into their homes and to get to know them.



Linda honoured Pastor Sara and Sochea before God and those gathered ...



... without whom there would be no building and the team would be starving and thirsty! They didn't know what to buy for Pastor Sara and Sochea as a thank you gift ...



... so took the option of presenting them with a gift for Moriah. Anna summed it up nicely when she said that their hearts had been touched and that CRDP is 'not just a project' ...



... and we replied that Mission Direct is 'not just a team'. We are privileged to have had the opportunity to get to know all the team members that Mission Direct sent out over the past few months and especially privileged to get to know the 'team on the ground' and call them friends. We also remembered Rachel, who unfortunately had to be sent to Bangkok due to a medical condition and eventually had to be flown home to the UK. Thank you Rachel and your T Shirt is on it's way!

Daniel closed the meeting in prayer.



* Mission Direct's Cambodia Farewell At Khmer Surin ...

... gathered people from the various ministries they had partnered with this year, including New Life Fellowship, ICC, Hagar, PFC, Hightower Ministries and Empowering Cambodia ...







We were all amused when Linda thanked everyone and presented the gift of a brick to each organisation represented. The bricks were the only thing left over from all the building done on this mission.











At Empowering Cambodia we were delighted because we received two bricks between us ...





... which were a quick answer to prayer when I had mentioned to Patrick earlier in the day about the new building at CRDP and he replied that although we have now received the extra money we required to purchase the land, as you would know from the notice on the Opportunities Page, we hadn't received any for buildings. Now we have two bricks, so we are on our way. Excellent!

And that is some of our 'Week 4 ... Continued - April 2009' that was!

Weeks 3 & 4 - April 2009

* Meetings, Meals & Magnificent Weather ...

... filled our schedule in Perth, after flying out of Pochentong Airport, where we met Sovichet, who manages a Siem Reap hotel.



* Lissa joined us for the ‘promised roast’ at Jen’s ...



... and it was great to hear that Jen plans to return to serve with us and that Janelle would like to bring her science expertise to share with the kids at TLC.

* We were delighted to surprise Amy with an angel T Shirt.



Amy originally responded to our request to draw an angel for the T Shirt labels, but when we received the beautiful angel drawing, we couldn’t resist adding it to our T Shirt range.

* We joined Craig and Charlene and the Connect Group for a session.



It’s always great to keep up to date with what is going on with everyone.





* We met with Paul, Kristy, Tyler and Zack in beautiful Hyde Park ...



... and handed over the TLC children’s health files to Kristy ...



... who has kindly volunteered to manage the files and monitor the health status of the children.

* We met with Bridget ...



... and discussed anything and everything from the Riverview Children’s Foundation to team trips, T Shirts and Perspectives on World Missions.

* Word Bookstore’s team was very hospitable when we met to discuss marketing of the T Shirts.



Donna, Rachael and Jason, conspicuous by the absence of a photo of him, liked the T Shirt designs and Rachael tried on the T Shirt we gave her ...



... and shared about her upcoming trip to Cambodia with her Church. We also met Rachael’s father Mike ...



... who is also traveling to Cambodia on the same trip in a couple of months time.

We were encouraged when Rachael later emailed us to tell us that the girls in her youth group loved the T Shirts and wanted to know where they could order them from ... Fantastic!

* We were encouraged by the interest shown by Pastors, friends and family who are keen to be a part of the silk screen T Shirt project.

* Marketing of the T Shirts was on the agenda when we joined Helen and Mark for a lovely evening in their home ...



... and it was great to hear that Helen still plans to include another trip to Cambodia in her busy schedule, sometime in the future.

* Our specialist web designer, aka Andrew, together with Rachel ...



... joined us to discuss the necessary updates to include the T Shirt sales on the web. We are delighted to have these guys partnering with us but we, together with Rachel, believe it would be a great idea if Andrew did not have his Blackberry on him 24/7.

* Calypso Costume's Fiona and Zeta collected the latest order of children’s pirate and Arabian princess costumes.



We look forward to Fiona finalising her arrangements for a return trip to Cambodia to work on new costume designs with the ladies in the sewing project.

* Speaking of the sewing project, Sam collected the items made by the ladies in the village.



In addition to Sam organising the sale of the items, we are thankful that Sam’s mum, Tricia, volunteers so much of her time to selling the items at various events, including stalls in shopping centres.

* Patrick and Sam also met to discuss finances and donations.



* Clive Gooding is interested in making a difference in Cambodia, so we met with Clive and Bob to discuss his plans to introduce a number of projects in the province, north of the Tonle Sap Lake and west of Siem Reap.



And that’s it from us, signing off from our conveniently located Beaufort Street office, aka, Exomod Coffee Shop.

And that’s some of our ‘couple of weeks’ that were!

Everyone is so excited about Khmer New Year and the opportunity to go to their home province to celebrate with family and friends.

Week 2 - April 2009

* The Silk Screen T Shirt Project Manager ...

... is passionate about her new role. We were surprised by a phone call on Sunday afternoon from Srey Poe who wanted to know if she could come over and try out the silk screens because she was so excited that she couldn't wait until Monday morning. After trying out a couple of silk screens ...



... and bringing the prints to the office to show us ...



... she was happy and left!

Throughout the course of the week and in between birthday celebrations ...



... and modeling designs ...



... the girls made a number of T Shirts in a number of designs ...



... and completed their first full week of the project roster. The girls have a great view of the city from their silk screen office ... aka our roof!



How sweet it is to see them have the opportunity of working more hours on this project!



Chanthy enjoyed her first lesson on the new sewing machine and is happy to be learning a new skill.



These women are just like women in the Western world and have the same desires and dreams that we have. All they need is someone to come alongside them, take them by the hand and walk with them on their journey. It's as simple as that. What a privilege it is to equip, empower and enrich their lives!

At the end of the week the girls modeled a T Shirt of their choice ...



... and they were delighted when we gave it to them.

Selena likes the T Shirts and came down to make her selection.



Our item card says ... Be an angel ... and choose to make a difference! Thanks for being our very first angel, Selena!

* Sokea ...

... introduced herself to us at New Life Fellowship some time ago and showed an interest in our projects. Sokea is currently studying Law and we discovered this week that we are neighbours ...



... so Sokea came in to finalise arrangements for a visit out to TLC.

* Sam's Sewing Order ...



... required Ni to take a trip over the river to complete the items.

* Ken Rooke...

... visited the project at Koh Krobey some time ago and has been liaising with us since returning to Canada.



On Ken's return trip to Cambodia we met to discuss the projects and opportunities.

* Cath ...

... did her last interview with us before returning to Australia.



We thank Cath for coming to Cambodia and the invitation to include CRDP & TLC in her latest film project. We look forward to viewing the finished product.

* Rachel Came Into This World ...



... 25 minutes after Mum (Phannarath) and father (Sopheak) arrived at the hospital.

From all reports, it was 'quite a ride' on the motorbike. I'm sure all you Mum's (and Mom's) out there can only begin to imagine what a trip like that would have been like for Phannarath in the wee small hours of the morning, so close to delivery!

* Narith Is Excited ...



... about his next overseas trip and we got great pleasure out of advising him in relation to his visa and embassy queries.

* Narith's Visa Application ...



... required another meeting later in the week when we assisted him with completing the forms. Piseth also came along with Narith.

* Government Meetings ...



... were also on the schedule this week with an appointment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of International Co-operation now have all the documentation, as required by the new application criteria, to process Citipointe's application and we now await the scheduling of the signing of the agreement between both parties.

* TLC Offers A Holistic Program ...

... which keeps us flexible as we vary the project to ensure that we meet the needs of the individuals. By putting simple measures in place, this young man can continue studying at TLC.



It's always great when we can respond to issues that cause concern, or in some cases, issues that would prevent a child continuing in the project. Excellent!

* Sochea ...



... does a great job of managing TLC. What a blessing she is to everyone who knows her!

* The TLC Kids ...

... have been busy with makeovers, as the girls from White Lotus cut their hair ...



... and the team from Cambodian World Family ...



... provided them with dental care.





Some of the kids were happy to receive a little tender loving care after the visit.



CWF provide free dental care to approximately 10,000 kids per year. Excellent!

* Meal Time ...





... is always a great time for the kids to get together and socialise.

* Mission Direct's Richard ...

... blessed the kids with these crosses ...



... which they were delighted with!

* Selena, Mindy and Sokea ...



... joined us on a trip out to TLC and enjoyed watching the kids in the last session before lunch ...





... and met some of the kids and team ...





... before joining me for a stroll through the village followed by lunch with the team. Not all of us escaped the centre without being included in the traditional Khmer New Year powder ~ water combo.



Mindy is going to Battambang with Sokea for Khmer New Year, so we think she could be in for more of the powder ~ water combo before the holiday is over!

Sokea now has some free time and as a result of visiting TLC and seeing the operation in action, she is now interested in volunteering with TC at Seda's centre.

* Jars of Clay ...

... is conveniently located and a great place to organise to meet. The team do a great job and everything tastes great!



Sompoah is always there to greet everyone and make them feel welcome ...



... and Jenda is surely the best cook in Cambodia!

* Soksabbaai's Lisanne & Eric ...



... brought us up to date on Seam's progress. Seam is the first one from the sewing project to be employed outside of the project.

* Mission Direct's Country Manager ...



... Linda, met with us for a debrief on the CRDP construction project. All in all, both parties agree that the project is a success. Daniel joined us later and we were soon discussing possible options for the future.



We have had a great time with these guys ...



... and we will miss them when they leave Cambodia after the completion of Mission Direct's 2009 mission.

And that is some of our week that was!

... to you all or ya'll ...



... from the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Week 1 - April 2009

* Relevant Expedition's ...



... Jim Harris is back in town and preached at our Sunday service while Pastor Jesse and the team were on New Life Fellowship's Encounter weekend. Jim preached a great message and Soar did a great job of interpreting the message.



* The World Race 09's ...

... team is in town and it was a pleasure to meet team racers, Tonya and Ashley. The racers are doing 11 countries in 11 months! Wow!



The world race is all about adventure, ministry, community, self discovery and growth and you can check out all about this wonderful challenge by visiting the World Race site at www.theworldrace.org and follow the race on the girl's sites at www.tonyanorman.theworldrace.org and www.ashley.theworldrace.org ~ Awesome!

* Mark Lethbridge Is In Town ...



... and it's great to have him here! Throughout the week Mark visited TLC to meet the team and kids ...



... and took a tour of the CRDP construction ...



... and joined us on our rounds to the various ministries we are including in the schedule for Teen Mania's summer trip, as well as others we visited on that particular day.









* At Prison Fellowship ...

... Mark met Adam and Colleen ...





... and some of the team ...



... before we headed out to lunch with Linda ...



... followed by a quick visit to Centre of Peace Orphanage ...



... where Patrick gave this little one a lift!



I took the opportunity of showing Mark design details of our latest sewing project - silk screen T Shirts.



Mark (& Helen) are a real blessing and we had a great time with Mark and look forward to the next time we meet!

* Cath Trimboli Has Joined Phil In Phnom Penh ...



... and we caught up with them soon after Cath's arrival.



The following day we met with Cath for a brief on the CRDP & TLC projects ...



... before Cath got down to the business of filming on site ...







... and visiting the slum to check out some of the remaining buildings and tenants ...





... and the new development.



On another occasion Cath met with the girls from 'Sew Empowered' to do some filming.







* Citipointe Church Brisbane's Hilary Ramsey Is In Town ...



... so we joined Hilary for a meal to catch up. Our discussion included an elusive document that we require from one government ministry for submission to another government ministry to complete a process that has been going on for some time.

We are delighted to report that later in the week we have seen a miracle in the production of the letter and we believe we are not far from an occasion to celebrate! Proof that all good things come to those who wait and wait and wait ...

* Sew Empowered's New Silk Screen T Shirt Venture ...



... has the girls excited as they make their selection of days to work on the project ...



... and then work in small teams and enjoy their meals together.



Pastor Jesse, Soar and Jessica joined us for lunch and met some of the team ...



... and Srey Poe joined us to discuss the style of the T shirt ...



... before Soar modeled it.



Srey Poe has done an excellent job arranging the orders and purchases of all the required equipment, tools and fabrics for the project, together with Chanthy and Nimul. It was great to see the completed silk screen designs and we now look forward to the first printed T shirt next week.



* Mission Direct Team # 4 ...



... invited us to join them on their last evening in Cambodia.





There was no need to farewell Leap, who lives here and Anna, who has made a decision to extend her stay in Cambodia.



The team kept us entertained with a 'Variety Show' which included crooner Ian's song and dance rendition of Morcombe and Wise's 'Bring Me Sunshine' ...



... and jokes & quotes from Richard and Jo, who couldn't resist having chips.



Richard made it quite clear throughout the evening that he wasn't going to miss the daily servings of rice!

Daniel presented a musical photo compilation of the teams activities through their trip and Linda presented everyone with a certificate ...





... together with the team's photos from a recent photo shoot. I actually had to have a good look to see who was who!



We then finished off the night with a western photo shoot.



Mission Direct have been a huge blessing to us and are truly an answer to prayer. Not only have the team members of the three teams working on the CRDP construction all given of themselves financially and physically, they have touched the lives of everyone they have met during their time at the village. So, as we bid farewell to Richard, Jo, Heather, Ian, Janet and Myra, we pray a huge blessing upon all the team members who have contributed to the project.

"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

We look forward to being blessed by Mission Direct's presence and partnership in the future.

* EFC's Children's Commission Advisory Council ...



... met this week to discuss a number of points including Child Protection in various districts and the 'Celebrating Children' course in the province of Battambang, as well as the Pastor's Family Fun Day.



Deth and X Quib are professionals ...



... who present well as they respond to questions from the advisory council members from AOG, Hagar, AOC and Kone Kmeng. While the meeting is on, the other members of the EFC CC's team are at work and all do a great job!





* Centre of Peace Orphanage's Relocation ...

... was on the agenda with Greg, Jane and Koji.



We all agree that the best option, in light of the lease not being renewed at the end of the year, is to move the orphanage prior to the commencement of the new school year in October. Let the process begin!

* Family of Hope's Meal Fellowship ...



... gave us the opportunity to meet Jen, who is volunteering at the project, and her son, Joseph and husband Gordon.



We were delighted that Inpa and Vana were there, as it gave us a chance to catch up with dear friends.



The kids are going great at school ...



... and entertained us with songs and skits ...



... which included audience participation. We had a great time as usual!



And that is some of our week that was!