The day started off a little early, I was only able to sleep about 2 hours and then was up at 4AM. We were not meeting until 830 so DJ and I hung out since he couldn't sleep either and eventually he went sight seeing and I went across the street to hunt down some coffee. This hotel has a sister hotel kitty corner across from us where the breakfast and coffee are and by about 6 I was dying for a cup. They were tiny cups so I think I took in about 3-4 cups! :) That got me through to breakfast.
The hotel across the way
No surprise... Julius let us all know that everything was changing. We were going to PP1 (Phnom Penh 1 orphanage to work on a template of picnic tables for the children for next year. If the design works out well we will see if Fairview would support another build event like we did last year for the bunk beds. The design is pretty cool with the table coming apart into two pieces that can convert to benches. It would provide maximum flexibility for the children. The biggest issue was they brought enough hardware for only one table and we needed to build three. The lumber is rough cut (to be kind) and is all weird sizes and thicknesses. As it is rough, and we dont have the hardware, it means an adventure to the Russian Market. This place is a indoor and outdoor shop venue with everything from belt sanders (we needed 2) to silk, knock off luggage, souveniers, hot foods and a full food market. I was put in charge of the adventure and with awesome help from the team (Especially Rachel who thought to take a picture of a belt sander to show the vendors.) Yeah we forgot one important thing. A translator.
How about putting your fridge on your motorcycle?
The Russian Market
Fresh cooked food.... Not for me thank you!
Fresh from the butcher... in the open air ....
How about some dried fish?
Mission accomplished with hundreds of screws, hinges and two belt sanders in tow we returned to the orphanage to continue working on the picnic tables. Check out DJ as he gets into the sanding!!
The boards are so rough the children would get splinters etc from them so all surfaces they touch need to be sanded!
Lunch today was great for some and not that great for me. I tried to get some Pad Thai but it wasn't all that! One of the Cambodians with us got some snake head fish stew with rice. YUM! (I did like the fried frogs)
The group split in two with a few folks headed up by Julius continued work on the picnic tables and my group went to the slums. We had a two fold mission. 1. I was to deliver the message at the service tonight - through a translator. and 2. To deliver candy and continue my good fried Andy Christopher's flip flop ministry. I have decided since it is late that I will do a separate post for the message as it is pretty involved. But for all of my family and friends that encouraged me in this I wanted to let you know that I did it and through the grace of God, I did well and it was very very well received.
The slums. A place of intense poverty, a place filled with people no different than you and I but for circumstance.
The children of the slums.
The word is out we are here!
Amazingly precious human beings. Being able to bring them a few moments of happiness is such a blessing. Here they are hamming it up after we gave them candies. They love you to take a picture and then show it to them on the camera. I don't think they see what they look like much except in a dirty window or a puddle of waste in the sewers.
We also took the opportunity to continue an amazing ministry started by our good friend Andy who just couldn't break away this year. If you recall from last year, Andy lost a large bunch or flip flops his family had bought specially for the orphans and throughout the trip we couldn't find them. On the second to last day in Cambodia, in the middle of the slums, Andy shot straight upright during the candy and toothbrush giveaway certain of where they were. He was off and ran to the vans which was quite a ways and then back again. He ripped open the bags and we all circled around with a couple dozen or more children from barely walking to teenage. We distributed the flip flops and in what I would consider a miracle, when we gave away the very last pair, each was the size of these multiple children, every child had shoes. Some were buck naked and sporting some brand new flip flops and huge smiles. WOW.
So this year Wendy found a great deal on flip flops and picked up a couple dozen. Today we did much the same in the slums and I was just sorry I didnt have enough for all. I am content to know that there are a couple dozen children now with some new flip flops in those really rough streets.
Here I am trying to give out the flip flops without getting tackled!
Tomorrow it looks now like myself and a small team are off to Kompat. My family donated funds to buy the children a reverse osmosis water filtration system and I want to see if we can get it all plumbed in so the children will have fresh and clean water! More to come on that!
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