CAMBODIA MISSION 2010 - travel & first weekend

Well we found our way from ST Andrew’s parking lot (3:30 AM) on to Dallas, then on to Los Angeles. We boarded Asiana Airlines to Seoul South Korea then on to Phnom Phen. The trip went really well. We made all our connections. We got a little sleep on the flights.
Asiana Airlines is really great. We were served steak the first meal. They took good care of us.
We arrived in Phnom Penh a little before midnight on Friday, Oct. 22.......It was hot! We recieved a great welcoming at the airport from Esther, Nicolas, Tara and Tola.





We settled in at the Golden Gate Hotel and got a few hours sleep.









Phutty with GBGM met us to take us to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek where more the 20,000 people were killed between 1975 and 1979 during the Pol Pot regime. It was a very somber place.
Then we visited Toul Seng S21 (the Genocide Museum) where thousands were tortured during this regime. Mostly intellectuals (doctors, engineers, teachers) were tortured. No one was safe. Even members of Khmer Rouge were tortured here. Before the Pol Pot regime, this place was a school. It was very difficult for all of us. It is hard to understand how this could happen? Most of us remember the late 1970’s when he was in power for four years……. when such atrocities were happening in Cambodia.

We visited the Faith Engine Ministry. They have 7 students currently. It takes $350 to sponsor one student. This includes their tools, training, & room & board for 14 weeks. Most of the trainees come from poor families. This ministry provides youth both skills and confidence to help make them more productive members of the community.

Sunday we visited the Spean Chivet Methodist Church. Larry preached to a standing room only crowd and our group sang them a song. The service lasted for about 2 ½ hours. It was great! The people were so warm and inviting. We had lunch on the grounds afterward and visited with the members of the congregation.
Later, we visited the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

The service at Spean Chivet was powerfull....eight people responded to the alter call and gave their lives to Christ!

This image is what the Spean Chivet Church looked like before the new church was built. The Pastors Parsonage does not look much better....It has been flooded many times, is in disrepair, and has termites eating away at any wood that is still there. We have been requested to pray to God to provide a replacement parsonage. Estimated cost is $6,500. Please add to your prayer list, it seems so little could answer such a great need.







Latter Sunday afternoon we went over to the GBGM office for a team meeting.

Bringing Louisiana and Cambodia together!

CAMBODIA MISSION 2010

CAMBODIA MISSION IS HERE.........
The Louisiana Volunteers in Mission (VIM) mission to Cambodia leaves from New Orleans on October 21. The five team members from St. Andrew's are Harold Choate, David & Jeanie Howell, Larry O'Dell and Ken Musick. Other team members are Chuck Reynolds, Mary Holland, and Dorrit White. The generous hearts of many have provided a major portion of the project fee that will cover the entire cost of a 5-day men's retreat plus provision of construction materials for work projects at rural churches the second week we are there. This will be the first time ever the men of the Methodist church in Cambodia have gathered. Lay and clergy from all 10 districts throughout the country will gather together to learn God's work and learn how to provide Christian leadership in the home and the church. The first week while the men are at the conference, the women will be working in the Global Ministries office. Many have contributed through your prayers and financial support. ...THANK YOU! We look forward to sharing this experience with our friends and family. Keep us in your prayers as we are traveling from October 21 and returning November 4. Save this blog address, sign up to be a blog follower and we will keep you updated as we can.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR ITINERARY
*Thursday Oct 21 - Depart New Orleans
*Friday, October 22 - Arrival in Phnom Penh
*Saturday, October 23 - Rest and tours in Phnom Penh, Killing Fields, Toul Sleng, Orphanage, Dumpsite
*Sunday, 24th - Worship at Spean Chivet Methodist Church
*Monday, 25th - leave for Sihanoukville,
Ladies remain in Phnom Penh to serve the CHAD mission as the men are at the Conference.
*Tuesday 26th – Thursday 28th Men Conference – "Strengthening the Faith and Leadership Ability of the Methodist Men."
Topics:
- How to read the Bible for Inspiration and Guidance
- Bringing up a Family that is truly committed to Christ
- Improving the Economic Situation of our Homes, Churches and Communities
* Friday, 29th - Travel back to Phnom Penh
Visit Cambodia Methodist Bible School, the Faith-Engine Mechanics class and Methodist School of Cambodia
*Saturday, 30th - Rest and Tour more of Phnom Pen
*Sunday, 31st - Worship in the Holy Mountain Church,
Travel to Kampong Thom
*Monday, Nov 1st - work in Samrath
*Tuesday, Nov 2nd - work in Samrath
*Wednesday, Nov 3rd - Visit Siem Reap Methodist School (new school opening on Oct 5th), Tour Angkor Wat
- Departure home

And So, We Say "Good-bye"

Well, today is our last day! Its been an exiting, busy week, full of all kinds of service, and, of course, fishing. As Savannah said, "This is the most fun I've ever had!"( I quite agree.)
Overall, it was a safe trip, save for one minor injury. (A sawhorse broke, and fell, scraping Kasey's leg.)
At Ms.Pierre's house, we made another discovery. There was a cabinet that had been nailed shut, and we managed to get it opened. The things in the cabinet weren't as old as the things in the attic (the things in the cabinet dated back to 1989, while the attic went to the 1960s.) Still, it was an exiting find, and Ms.Pierre was kind enough to let Jordan have one of the toys.
We re-painted the ceiling, painted the walls, and cleaned her kitchen. The boys put up a Wayne's Coat, and put trim on the top.
It was the return of the caulk. Kara and I caulked over the nails, and then we all re-painted the trim. [Ms.Pierre also made us a cake, which we brought back to the community center. It was VERY good. :) ]
After dinner, (Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, and banana pudding that didn't make it to the end of the line.) we did what we always do. We went fishing.
We ended up splitting into two groups. One group was over by the bridge, the other group was on a pier that you had to walk through bamboo-like plants to get to.
I believe the first group caught a fish, (I'm not sure though.) but I think they threw it back.
The second group (the group I was in) almost caught a gator. And by "almost", I mean "he was two feet away from the pier." (He was going after the bobber on Kara's pole.) We ran. Quickly.
This morning, some of us returned to the dock, but the alligator was nowhere to be seen. (Thankfully.)
Our job today was to finish up the work at our respective job sites. Most people went to work on painting the gym, as the community center will have fifty children next week for Vacation Bible School. The rest of us cleaned up the dorm rooms, the bathrooms, and the commons area. After that was taken care of, it was time to go to our job sites.
We returned to Ms.Pierre's house, to clean up the house, pick up our tools, and leave her some information so she can finish her house. It was very sad, leaving her house. We unfortunatly didn't get to see her today to say good-bye, but we left her a note on her counter.
Now, everything is all packed up, and ready to go. The suitcases are waiting to be put in the vans, the sheets are off the beds, leaving them looking quite empty. Everyone is finishing up their jobs, and it is quite reluctantly that we say good-bye to Dulac (For now.)




[We expect to arrive at the church sometime between 3:00 and 4:00.]

Well, we made it to Dulac safely, (Hooray!), about two-thirty in the afternoon. After unpacking the vans and claiming our beds, we headed off to "A Cajun Man's Swamp Tour", where we saw some beautiful scenery, and heard some pretty cool Cajun music. We even saw a few Alligators. :)














After the swamp tour, we went to Bayou Delight for dinner, and had some VERY good food. Sometimes, they have Cajun dancing, but not that night. After a SUPERB dinner, we headed home to the Dulac Community Center, were we had a short devotion, and went to bed.

On Monday, we went to our job sites. Before that, however, John came to talk to us for a bit, about Dulac, the history of Dulac, and the community center. (While he was talking, the power went out!) Eventually the power came back on, and the rain stopped, so we divided into different groups and left for our job sites.





The group I was in went to a house belonging to Ms.Pierre. We divided into two groups, one outside, pulling down siding (there were lots of ants), one inside, pulling up floors.
Ms.Pierre's house has flooded multiple times, so parts of her house are sagging, and her floors are ruined.














Another group painted the back side of Ms.Dora's house white. They had a very fun time figuring out how the heck to put together scaffolding, and choosing who got to go on the ladder. (Ryan Zumo and Miller Hane got that job.) It was completed thanks to lots of teamwork and ingenuity.











A third group stayed at the community center, where they mopped the
floors, shelved library books.( which we later had to relocate, due to the rising water from Hurricane Alex.) They also cleaned out a lot of rooms, so the Vacation Bible School kids would have clean rooms next week.












The fourth group also stayed at the community center, where they repaired sheet rock, and mudded the walls of the gym. After completing that job, they joined the group at Ms.Pierre's house, and helped us.




















After finishing up at the job sites for the day, we returned home to the community center to wash up (there was a mad rush for the showers), and eat some dinner. (We had spaghetti.) After dinner, we went fishing near the community center. We didn't catch much- just a few crabs- but Al the alligator returned, and got closer than ever.
After fishing, we came back to the community center, had our devotion, and went to bed.
We returned today, to our respective job sites. (For the most part. A few groups moved to different sites.)

My group went back to Ms.Pierre's house, where the water had risen a great deal, and covered most of her front yard. We divided into two groups: one pulling up floors and glue, the other taking down the ceiling in one of the rooms.

The second group proved to be the most interesting. By accident, one of the youth found a box of medicine bottles, which led to the exploration of her ceiling.
In the exploration, the group found lots of old artifacts, including an old dress, several old dolls, a fan (that still works!), an old radio (which unfortunately didn't work), and a dead rat.
They also found a Times Picayune from December 18, 1964. It's still in relatively good condition.

After that: Lunch.

After lunch, we all returned to our job sites. By this time, the water at Ms.Pierre's house had risen significantly, so that there was only a little strip of land that we were able to walk on.


Cue the downpour.

The water quickly rose, until there was NO strip of land to walk on. Nevertheless, we pushed on, and continued to wage our war on the old flooring.










Another mini-group painted the ceiling in Ms.Pierre's kitchen.













After a few hours of painting and scraping (we didn't venture into the attic again.), it was time for one group to leave. By this time, the water had risen significantly, and was now almost up to our knees.











On our way back, Breanna took a little (unplanned) swim. (She got dibs on showers first)







The other group (previously at Ms.Dora's house), went to a trailer that had been flooded. The walls and the flooring had to be removed, so we sent the demolition team to do the job. (Kasey's team.) Fully equipped with sledgehammers, crowbars, pickaxes, and a wild assortment of weapons, they eagerly tackled destroyed the trailer.







To quote Ryan Zumo: "So wait, do I say this looks good? Or do I say this looks bad?"










After only two one-leg casualties, a crowbar to the hip, and a hammer to the face, all in about five minuets, the group returned safely to the community center.

After the adventurous day, everyone came back to the community center and recouped.

Dinner: Jambalya, Beans, Veggies, and Chocolate Pudding.

Tonight we go fishing again. :)




Medical Update: Everyone in Kasey's group was told they had two bandaids and an Advil. Kara and Miller are down one band-aid each, and Ryan Zumo is out. (He has his Advil left, but that's it.)

DULAC MISSION JUNE 2010

Well we are off again to Dulac, LA on Sunday June 27th for our annual LA mission. Here is a little of the very interesting history of the area.....


Dulac, Louisiana
Set in the bayous of the southern reaches of Terrebonne Parish, this is a place where water and swamp outnumber dry land in square miles. It is the home of interesting mix of hearty people, about 51% Houma Indian and 49% Cajun. The Houma Indians originally had settled in the Red Stick (Baton Rouge) area of LA, then moving south to Houma and finally down to Dulac (meaning "the land beyond the lake"). For some 300 years the Houma have lived in the vicinity of the Grand Caillou and LaFourche Bayous as fishermen, trappers and farmers. Their southern LA villages remained very isolated for many years. Until the 1940’s there were no roads to Houma community’s beyond the city of Houma and the only way the people had to travel was by boat.

The devastating hurricanes of the past few years have taken toll on this community, with much wind and water surge damage to homes with little protection down in the marsh. Our team spend five days working on homes doing minor construction and repair.

We are asking for prayers for safety and protection and that God will do His work through us. Keep your eye on this blog and follow us along the way!

From David Howell:

On Saturday April 10 En Fuego Mission (On Fire For God and Neighbors) sent teams out for service projects.  One team of thirteen went to Helen Raub’s to provide yard maintenance and clean up.  We had an awesome team of adults and youth that turned her yard from an “over grown jungle” to a very nice trimmed yard.  Ms Helen and her daughter Margaret were touched by our efforts & kept saying how appreciative they were.  We all not only worked hard but also had a great time at it!  Most of our team did not know each other very well before hand but were a solid bonded team by the end of our workday.  As always, we found it rewarding serving others in need and we all came away a changed!  We heard comments from the youth about doing this “every week” for the rest of the summer.....yes from the youth!   God as always was at work, changing us…..as we serve others.  


Photos!

Sager-Brown Depot

On Saturday, March 27, seven St. Andrew's UMC folks met in Baldwin, La. with some of our brothers and sisters from Faithful UMC in Ascension Parish to work at Sager-Brown Depot. Sager-Brown is a distribution center for UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief. United Methodists from all over the world collect supplies for disaster relief, including Bedding Kits, School Kits, Cleaning Buckets, and several other relief kits.

Today we were packing Health Kits, with soap, washcloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a few other health and hygiene items. The Depot has collected nearly a half-million kits since the Haiti earthquake and all of them go through one of two depots: one in Salt Lake City, UT and one at Sager Brown!

We assembled REALLY large double-corrugated packing boxes (you can see one in the first picture, almost as high as Carol's waist). We packed them all with kits that had been shipped from all over the country,  used hand-carts to move the big boxes so that they'd be ready for Monday's volunteers to start inspecting the kits, and we flattened and stacked up the odd-shaped boxes that the kits were shipped in originally. Some people had really had fun with their boxes! You can see one of them in the second photo.

One of our favorite times was about a half hour before we were to leave when Carol found a stack of handmade cards from some children here in the US to the children of Haiti. It broke our hearts that the cards can't be sent to Haiti (has to do with customs and our ability to guarantee exactly what's in the boxes) but we all wanted to find the kids and give them hugs. My favorite said something like, "Dear Haiti, I've never had an earthquake. I hope your state gets well soon." We have no idea where the cards came from, but I was really proud that our church encourages children to think about missions that early!

The adults from our church were Carol Miller, Mark Musick, and Marty Ducote. We were all soooooo impressed with our teenagers: Andrew, Blake, Katherine, and Elizabeth. They didn't slow down all day long! So if any of their mamas are reading, put them to work. They're pretty good at it.

More photos:

Elizabeth and Katherine loading up the boxes

Mark and Andrew do the heavy box-making.

Blake, Andrew, Elizabeth, and Katherine. What a great bunch of kids!