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Pictures, like 120 of them

2012-02-12T06:02:00.000-08:00

In the previous blog I shared about things that were going on. These are the photos I promised, there are a lot of them.

4 days before teams arrived we were packing our house and moving upstairs.

After picking up the first team we went to the Toul Sleng Museum the next morning.

We got to meet 2 of the 3 men that survived the murders 36 years ago. The 3rd man died not to long ago.

It is the equivalent of meeting a survivor of Auschwitz I suppose.

His name is Chum Manh.

This man is the painter Pol Pot kept a live to paint daily events at the prison. His paintings are seen in the last building of the museum. I believe there was 45,000 people that where tortured here and eventually killed outside the city. His name is Bou Meng. It was a special honor to meet the two.

On Friday we set up for an outreach.

People setting up to sell snacks said they wished we had done the outreach for a week because they made so much money the two nights.

Pastors from surrounding churches coming together to pray and talk about the outreach that was happening.

It was great to see kids from our school turn up.

Sothy (Tee) part time stage hand.

Our girls behind ready to open with the Blessing dance.

View from our roof of a growing crowd

Kids and neighbors watching the set up.

Father in-law giving the greetings and introductions for the Commune Chief

Commune Chief loved the dance and later it was said he was very thankful for what was done.

He also commented on Saveoun's beauty, and she was incredibly pretty this night with her hair, make up and cloths she got from Christmas.

Our pastor seating.

The growing crowd

From the roof again

People loved the fire works. We would shoot a couple small ones up and a big one to let people know that they were drawing for prizes. For some it was the favorite part of the night.

The Missouri team for the past year had been working on the music and scripture dance interpretations for the outreach. I believe Caleb wrote the music for the 45 minute part, Caleb, sister Hannah and Cameron played the instruments.

Laura acted out the scriptures.

Pich read the scriptures in Khmer while Laura danced.

Most people had never seen something like this, for some it was different and hard for them to fully understand, but many people were intrigued our kids included.

Sambath

Darow, SreyRoth, Jon and Sreykyo

Tate and Tong's uncle was there

SengHo

SengHi

Chanly and SreyOwn

Vanack

Darow, Yong and Samrang

The event would not have happened if it wasn't for Ly who has been working with us for the past 6 month. Really a man of many different talents.

On and off to keep people for the whole show we drew for prizes.

Rachana's cousin won a fan

Vuthy and former child of ours won an MP3 player.

I haven't seen him in 2 years and he is all grown up now.

The first night the pastors gave invitations to become a Christian

Part of the group that responded to the invitation

The next night the pastors gave invitation for prayer and people were healed.

I really liked when I caught these pictures or out team down praying for people I thought it was quite awesome, they would go down there and be used like that.

This ladies arm that had been numb for 6 months she hadn't been able to use it, the first night she had accepted Christ and her arm was healed, this night she came up to share that what had happened.

Our kids also did their coconut dance on the second night.

The musicians for the play

The story was played about the rich man and Lazarus.

Lazarus

Rich man

Rich mans brothers

Before Lazarus died he was begging for food he was so hungry. I thought it funny a lot of people got up and actually gave him money and food.

The rich man in hell

The rich man pleading for water and to tell his brothers about hell.

After the play during the give away I guess the fog machine wasn't finished, it scared our kids sitting next to it, and was pretty funny.

Hannah and Caleb during their worship session.

Where's Rylee (inside joke). Rylee was probably the tallest white girl the village had ever seen, which often made it easy to find her in the crowd. She drew a lot of questions from a guy this night.
Rylee was a nurse and was used quite a lot during her stay.

Ticket sales with our staff. Tickets sold for $0.12 cent mainly to keep people from just taking them. We sold well over a thousand tickets which helped cover some of the prizes.

Sowly and Chenda

Vendors selling fun stuff, this was hard boiled quail eggs.

This was a large home made rice cake tortilla thing, pretty good accept the occasional hard piece of rice.

Melor and Chow's grandmother was there.

I was standing on the post of our fence for a better view of the outreach. Turned out I would also get pictures of boys talking to my girls that I would later have to ask who was that?

You can see SengHi's face as he realizes that dad is standing on the fence taking his picture.

The play also had some comedy skits.

Vechi

Our girls selling mangoes

A couple days later it was baseball.
Yong, the night before he nearly cut his toe off, but the day after Rylee sewed it up he was out playing.

Sreyroth

Chow

Darow

Veasna and Sambath

Sreyon

Courtney took Ream for a nice getaway to help her relax. Our favorite place to go is Rabbit island.

Bungaloes are $15 a night and the food is great. If you've been here and have gone to Angkor Wat, the beaches should be next on your list.

Joe enjoying himself.

SreyRoth, always the helper that greatly benefits from her service.

Joe at 5 years old aready knows how to let go.

Besides the outreach the team did a large amount of clinics, much more than I thought they would accomplish. Very impressed with the time they spent.

They also saw most of the kids at school.

With lots of tears the wonderful new friends of the Missouri team that seemed far to short was saying their good byes and off to see Angkor Wat.

At the same time I was in the city picking up the next team from Hawaii, also good friends of our.

They spent the first weekend teaching pastors and doing a VBS at the school.

This was kind of follow up and strengthening for the outreach that was done.

Pastor Bud Stonebraker teaching inductive bible study to the 30 something pastors and cell group leaders.

At the school kids got their pictures taken for one of their projects.

Borin

My Sam

SengHo

Veasna

My Joe

Friday we have 140 children at the VBS because school was in.

We did a lot of singing and face painting and teaching out of Psalms

Sunday we had 187 children at church that came to play and dye shirts.

Jon with the rubber bands for the shirts

Shirt sizes

Dying line

Final Inspection

Joe did his own shirt

Again time was far to short but we made lasting friendships and found future volunteers.

I got to go to Angkor Wat with this team driving and having fun.

Laura from the Missouri team brought me a fish eye lens which made taking photos this time a little more fun and interesting.

A couple days later it was Pastor Mike and Grieg also from Hawaii.

We were thinking about building Wut's mother a house and having Pastor Mike help. But we thought it would be to much but when Grieg turned out to be a carpenter we thought well God is saying do it.

So we did. I'll post on it next I have to get out there and take some more photos.

I was amazed how great Pastor Bud and Pastor Mike were with the kids. What good dads, how awesome are CC Pastors all seem to be it really amazes me, and the kids so easily fall in love with such people.

I would have to say this picture speaks the most about what teams do here with us.

Our mission field here is about reaching the kids, building friendships showing and sharing about why we are here. We are here because Jesus asked us to tell the nations.
Spending time with them, letting them know we care.

There is no translation, he speaks no English and Jess doesn't speak Khmer. You don't always need to, you spend some time, you smile, you play and you laugh.

He'll remember Jess for a very long time.

There were a lot of good people on the last couple teams as there seems to be on each of our teams, not all things were mentioned or every person recognized but you each made a lasting impression on the people you met. I also think the members of the team modeled Christ well.

thank you

Busy been blessed

2012-01-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

Busy, busy seems to be the only words we have been able to speak lately, and busy we have been.

In November 2011 we were given a wonderful gift by someone I don't believe we even know. They gave us funds to build our own place, actually it was to add on to the 3rd floor. It's cheaper for us to just add on rather than buy land and build fresh, it also keeps us close and able to still deal with daily activities at the orphanage.

Since we would be moving upstairs we would allow teams to stay in our old place downstairs.
Down stairs bathroom was started November 15th and completed around December 16th.

While the downstairs was being completed we started construction on the upstairs.
Shopping for both jobs at one time saved us a lot of time. Plus we were in shopping mod for Christmas.
It felt like we were in town every other day buying something or comparing goods. Which tub to buy and which stove to buy. We originally planned to buy appliances last with what ever funds were left, but we quickly found out the appliances would help us shape the sizes of the rooms. Like the size of the bath tubs and widths of the kitchen cabinets.

We celebrated our Christmas on Saturday the 24th because the children had a lot to do at church on Sunday. We really had a good Christmas, the kids were very happy with their gifts and it was simple but pleasant.

The same day we celebrated Christmas we had the contractor for the electric/plumbing show up.
Also the Education department decided they wanted to do their final license inspection of the school.
To top of the hectic morning Ream spent most the day in the clinic with one of staff who had miscarried her first child.

On December 28th moved upstairs to live with the boys for a couple months while our house is being finished. December 29th we picked up a team from Missouri that would be with us for 3 weeks.
With this team we had clinics set up almost every day. They helped us with bible and English classes at the school. They also preformed at the concert outreach on January 6 and 7th.
From this outreach we believe around 200 people had come forward to accept Jesus. The second night people were saved, and healed, a number of people gave a testimony to their salvation the first night.

One lady that gave her tesimony had been saved the night before and told every one that her arm was also healed that night.

We saw at least 10 new children added to the childrens church and new people to the adult service.
Also we accepted a number of new students at the school.

This team built wonderfully close relationships with the kids as did teams before and after.

Our next team from Hawaii was an equal blessing. The very first day arriving in the village we stopped to assist in a clinic with the Missouri team. The clinic was evidently a very long and drawn out were most people seemed to be sick with little things like colds. The Missouri team was tired and ready to be finished. When we arrived I was told later that the next team added a bit of energy enough to finish up, they where glad to have the little help we provided.

What I was most excited about was that one group came in and worked fairly well with the existing team. Teams from different places in life don't often fit so easily together. You could see the body of Christ that after noon.
Also that first stop we found out Melanie could sign. I had asked the many members of the team before probably out of Melanie's earshot that if anyone could speak sign language and everyone had said no or they didn't know if there was a signer. I was asking the team because a young lady on the trip was hard of hearing and thought she would be able.
Anyways I turned around to see Melanie communicating with the girl Somlay I had hoped someone would be able to speak to. Somlay had been sponsored to attend a school for the deaf a couple years ago. This was for me the best part about the trip to see the 2 girls chatting away like girls with the biggest smile you could imagine. Not only that but Courtney that was on the Missouri team had the same experience with Somlay 2 years ago had also joined in on the conversation. It was quite extraordinary moment that Somlay would have two people from two places be able to speak and share precious time with her.
Not only that I realized that Somlay's father might be able to bus kids to the school adding more students.
Not only that but I am certain God has laid it on my heart to hire a deaf teacher. Have been completely unaware of how it would happen or who we would serve with this help. Soy the young deaf man was the only person I could think I would be helping. Well Somly might be the answer she could teach cheaply and we could provide more funds to that family. Also we found out that there are a number of deaf kids around us at least 5 of them. So this time opened up a lot of doors for myself.
Plus I have been asking for help on an engineering problem with the construction of the building upstairs. Jon on the Hawaii team is a structural engineer. I found this out at the clinic.
There was like 4 doors opened for us in like an hours time. Totally crazy.

Shortly after that clinic the Missouri team was saying their good bye's to the children and we were headed to town to discuss their trip and how they had already missed the kids.
While I sent Missouri off to Angkor Wat Ream was helping Hawaii settle in.

3 days later Hawaii started their 3 day VBS with the school. Each day came new teachings and new crafts, videos, pictures, songs and fun. It was a little challenging as it was our first VBS for the school children. Saturdays attendance was less because it was a holiday was not required but we stressed the invitation for the children to come on Sunday because we would also be making Tie Dye T-shirts.
We had about 180 children show up on Sunday. It was pretty much an incredible thing to see children streaming into the gates of the orphanage. Normally I expect to see 40 kids come home from church and a little more because of the VBS, but not 180!, WOW..
It was funny because the T-Shirt shop pulled the common Cambodian mistake of not doing a job right the first time so we had to print T-shirts twice. The first time they gave us adult shirts which we were very specific about children sizes. But God knew we need more than what we ordered, we came very close to running out. It was a beautiful sight to see all the colors of the tie dyed shirts outback on the laundry line.

Think that was a lot going on, well there is more.
Pastor Bud also taught pastors and our teachers how to study the bible for two days about 50 of them showed up.

The next day team walked the dirt roads speaking to the neighbors asking them if the knew Jesus and asking if they wanted prayer. They got to meet the lady that was saved and healed at the concert.

The team finished off their trip with Smores that at the end turned into a sticky marshmallow fight.

As this is all finishing we are still working on the building. Right now they are working on the outside paint.

There is no real way to communicate the impact that both teams had on our village. They teams complimented each other very well. One got things started and another closed things up. It is very difficult to even share the experience they had. You would pretty much have to watch a behind the scene documentary to begin to understand all the fun and joyful tears that was shared.

We made new friends and rekindled old friendships, really a time, teams and trips only God could have designed to work out so well.

Melor was accepted to attend the vocational college in March. It came very close, about 200 people applied to the school and only 70 were accepted. Melor said to Ream the other day he doesn't understand why he and his uncle got in. Ream told him God provided us with friends and family in the right places that helped to accept him.

Our chicken farm is producing nicely, pushing us closer to covering the expenses of the coup and making a profit.

We have churches and volunteers stacked up through June. We are praying a certain young lady will be in Gods will as she contemplates moving here to help us long term.

The childens dentist appointment is Tuesday, oh fun.

This month we have accepted 14 new children at the school to bring our total up to 144.

At our teacher meeting this morning our 1st grade teacher shared with us that several teachers from the public school had visited him this week saying they can see our school is going to accomplish great things. To my amazement the teachers want to volunteer 6 to 8 hours a week with us, helping.
They said they care about the kids as well and want to be involved in what we are doing that they like our work.

This blew my mind this morning and was pretty much the greatest compliment that we have yet to receive about the work that is being accomplished.

We are working in Gods will with the help and support of Christians that we call friends and family are involved in something mighty.
It honestly feels like my heart and soul could explode from blessings, like my cup is so over flowing that it makes me dizzy trying to share it all.

I pray one day you all get to experience such blessings, to be used the way the teams have been used here, whether it is with us or with someone else, I really hope all of us can experience such things.

Thank you to all who participate with our ministry.

Thank you God for using a vessel like myself.

Prayer request.
Energy to keep going. We are still working on our house and are preparing for new teams.

We are going to start making a large effort to make the school campus happen. Land purchase is the first step.

Continued prayer for all our children to grow Godly and make it easy on us being parents to so many.

Providing future help to cover our growth.

Continued impact in the community and how best to deal with the growth. Where to put people will always be a positive problem to have.
Continue to be a good steward with the

Ream and I are planning on getting pregnant for the last time once our house is complete. Prayer for a healthy child and easy birth. We'd love a girl but would love a boy just as much, a girl would prevent any temptation for child number 4 though.

Thank you to those who have given the funds that continue to make things happen.

I'll post this blog now and will post pictures in a couple days that will share a visual of what I have been speaking about. I have a lot to get in order and re-size them.

Copy and paste

2012-01-08T21:41:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to a blog currently being written here at the orphanage.

We are so very buys with everything going on right now so I'll let others share their experiences with you. After you read the story below you can can use the link below to read more.

http://courtneyincambodia.blogspot.com/2012/01/time-for-everything-ecclesiastes-3.html

Copy and pasted from Coutrney's blog.

I believe the blog is being posted by Laura.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

A Time for Everything (Ecclesiastes 3)

Time to dance...

Hannah and Cameron singing some worship songs.

The first night of the concert is over. The sound system had only minor problems, everyone involved had a good time and most importantly, more than 100 people finally found a lasting hope in Jesus. A number of the Takeo pastors got together in the afternoon before the concert and prayed for those coming. The best estimate we came up with was 2,000 in attendance!

We even had fireworks (they are super cheap here). (My own note), this was fantastically big, home made and some what dangerous as are most things in Cambodia. It only made it about 100 feet or so in the air before exploding and raining down in the surrounding fields. 40 fire works cost me $206.00 dollars. For a guy born on the fourth of July this was just a great thing. I loved it and the crowd loved it.

Takeo pastors gathering to pray in the hours before the concert. (My own note), Something I have been wanting for a long time, for our pastors to join in with pastors from a different denomination in a village about 15 minutes from here. I feel if we really want to make an impact we need to work together. And we did, the MESSAGE was shared, people got SAVED, people came to CHURCH the next day and we gained NEW STUDENTS at the school on Monday.

You could definitely tell there was a baby duck inside. But apparently just add some spice and lime and it's good to go!

The local vendors selling food came around to 4 p.m. to set up selling soda, rice cakes, kabobs, icecream, and fetal duck eggs (our brave soul Hannah ate one with one of the kids and liked it). AGH kids had a raffle for bikes, fans and MP3 players, which turned out to be a great hit.

Five of the older girls at the orphanage performed the blessing dance. This is a Cambodian Christian dance introduced in the early 90s when Christianity was blossoming in Cambodia. Ream said she travelled to this older Cambodian woman's house everyday after work for months until she could dance it just right. The movements have strong meanings about Jesus and the gospel, so it was very touching to see the girls perform it with such conviction.

Some of the older girls at the orphanage performed the Blessing Dance, a Cambodian dance introduced in the early 90s when Christianity was blossoming in the country. Powerful message through their movements.
(My own note),The girls were great people were so impressed with them. You could hear such a buzz in the crowd after this dance asking were did they learn that. The Commune Chief said how beautiful the girls danced and was extremely impressed by all our kids that preformed.

Then worship teams including one from a neighboring church and one with our own Cameron, Hannah and Caleb sang songs in Khmer and English respectively. As far as Caleb's composition went, we did the first two movements ending in Jesus' death. Since Ly (the all-powerful keeper of the concert schedule) predicts that it will be mostly the same people coming both nights, it was OK to split up.

Two kids from a neighboring church worship team during the concert.

In between each of the parts, the local pastors came and preached. Some were old, some were younger, but all had passion in their voices.

The local play group performed the parable Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:14-31). The comic relief characters came out with Laura's dress (on the right) that she had backstage for her dance!

The last part of the concert on Friday was a local theater group performing the parable of Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16:14-31. I (Laura) only figured that out an hour into the play since it was all in Khmer. The kids thought they were hilarious and I guess they were. The funniest part though was when one of the characters came out from back stage with my dress on! I had left it back there after our part of the concert, thinking I could just pick it up after everything was over. I suppose he forgot his costume at home.

Tonight for the second half, we will perform the last two movements of Caleb's composition and some of the older kids at AGH will perform the traditional coconut dance.

Time to mourn...

Laura went to the public high school to get some video of some of the kids she is documenting their story.

On Wednesday night, our team had a time of reckoning with the kids' stories. After Laura talked to one of the girls who said she was willing to tell her story on video, she had a PTSD-type reaction. Each of them have a hard life story to tell. That's why they were brought to the orphanage in the first place. Most of their parents are still alive, but either unwilling or unable to take care of them. Story after story about abuse, neglect, poverty and traumatic things that kids should never have to experience. And it became so real to us because we've seen them in their most joyous moments. We've held their faces in our hands and playfully swung them around. We've been the recipients of their, "Can I help you?" questions and gotten to the point where we can recognize Jon's laughter from Tate's.

Chantrea, right, and a friend from school.

Srey Pow

So we took an hour to pray against and cry over the disastrous effects of sin and the evil influences that have tried to take over these kids' lives. We thanked God that these 41 made it to a home that provides basic physical and emotional needs, a place where they can belong to a family and go to school and dream big thoughts. But we also mourned for the thousands of other children in Cambodia who have yet to know that kind of love and for the parents who have yet to be helped who love their children but cannot provide for them.

Time to laugh...

Nothing like a late-night game of Buccaneer.

There has been good times of play after the kids get home from school. We are going to be leaving for Siem Reap on Wednesday, leaving these precious 41, so we've been taking advantage of every moment we get. We've been dragging each other across the yard (where Caleb discovered a small snake climbing up his leg), slingshotting water balloons, corn cobs and cow poop at each other across the rice field and playing baseball.

Cameron's name often gets confused with Khmarak, the famous Cambodian singer: http://bit.ly/zy9jLD

A few of the kids are really flexible and can in and out and all around that stick.

Courtney's return

2011-12-26T05:12:00.000-08:00

Quick note: I moved a blog from our past guest blogs to our current guest.

Courtney was our second guest to stay with for more than a week. She came to us about two years ago, stayed for three months and helped us grow and shape the children in wonderful ways.

Big leaps in our children's lives come from guests making such a visit.

Courtney returns with a team this year for three weeks, to do outreaches, medical clinics and help us with pictures and promotion. Might be able to get some good videos online soon.

We put into motion today to put on a production that is going to attack thousands of people to the outreach.
I'll give you more details soon.
kit

What happened this year?

2011-12-17T06:59:00.000-08:00

A lot happened this year, it seems since June we keep moving from one task to another. Very, Very busy, but in a good way.

The last couple months we have been renewing our NGO status and renewing license for the orphanage from the Social Affair and changing names on the bank accounts which is quite the process here. We also had to get permission from the Ministry of Training because we train our kids, kind of silly but it's finished. The cool thing was we did this before the school so it saved us a lot of money. If we would done it after we had the school it would have been in the hundreds.

In October we received permission to open the school. Which has been a large success according to our communities responses.
We received a number of donations from friends that helped us afford the staff, furniture and supplies and most recently possibly start to buy land.

We also received a van from a pastor in Anaheim Ca. which was a lot of work for everyone but what a blessing it was. We received the NGO plates and didn't need to pay taxes, which was more than the value of the car so another blessing.
How ever the van was regular gas and it triple our expenses for gas which was way over our budget.
But we found a place to put in a propane tank in it and now is costing less than the diesel was costing in the old van. An added blessing to a great gift.

We had a friends from home with our new pastor to help support and lift us up. They listened to our needs and desires. They got a feel of what our future holds here and what projects we are praying about. It was amazing as we expressed our wishes to them and they returned to the States to share about the work that is being done.
Since then we have received an abundance of gifts and donations from people.

Pastor Barry also saw the need for our own space to give us a place to rest. Our current house is amongst the madness of 40 children running by banging and staring in the windows.
I am told a man out of New York blessed us with the funds to build a place for us.
Such a gift will renew our ability to care for the kids and relieving us of some stress.
The reduced stress will benefit our marriage and family as well. I know I am getting snappy with Sam a lot lately and it is because there is a long line of children making mistakes all day. Then Sam and Joe seem to get the worst of my time.
I think it will give our kids some peace as well. Joe has been taking a lot of abuse from the other kids lately. They like to poke him and pinch his cheeks the same as I do. Man, I love Joe's soft fat cheeks. But by the time that by 40 people pinch and poke to hear his reaction, it is a lot of unwanted attention. Then Ream and I get upset with Joe because it seems he is yelling all day at the kids. There will be a number of benefits coming from this donation.

I can't wait to sit out on the balcony and read the Word.

The kids will get there own room and bathroom to the left. The guy in blue is standing behind the kitchen wall that will have a pass through to a patio.

I get the executive corner office and to the right will be the spare bedroom that we are hoping to paint pink and fill it sometime next year.

Living room and our room, the dividing walls aren't up yet.

The space is double that of what we have now, but mostly we have a piece of privacy a floor above the noise.
Sorry to take the roof so many teams have enjoyed in the past.

Shortly after the donation to build our house someone else blessed the orphanage with money to repaint the outside and repair some of the wear and tare 50 people can do to a building, especially in a tropical climate where buildings our poorly built to begin with.

We found out that we have a number of teams stacking up for 2012 and now as our family is moving up stairs we have space to put teams in our old space house.
We then needed to add another bathroom to our bed room so boys and girls will have their own bedrooms and their own bathrooms to use.

The downstairs bathroom addition allowed us to carry the roof over the laundry area.

Since we use we have always use a lot of power we upgraded our meter to let more power in and hopefully reduce our bill each month.
The problem with this is the local electric regulator didn't want to let us change because the smaller the meter the higher the price.
We had to use some power in the family to push some weight around the corruption and got the meter installed. More power less money, yeah another blessing.

Earlier this year a team donated funds to us and we were able to upgrade our generator that was more powerful and a lot quieter

It seems that has been the theme this year to upgrade and cut cost,so thankful for the funds to do so.

We have been shopping for Birthday and Christmas which are huge task in themselves. Sadly we are missing our German and American elves from last Christmas.
We left our bedroom empty after the bathroom add on to use the space as Christmas central.
This is an early photo it is much worse now.

Plus in order to reduce some of the waste the kids tend to have with their personal effects we've decided to buy the kids as much of the years supplies at the first of the year, making them responsible for their stuff the rest of the year. For example they get their 2 pair of shoes now and if they break them they have to buy themselves out of their allowance. It should help them to take care of what they have a little better.

Bunheoun was selected to be the red cross representative at the high school. Sothea was selected last year. Basically when they do any aid distribution in our area she will get to go help.

It is a nice honor for a child that well deserves it.

We have teams due in 7 days for 3 week from Missouri and a team from Hawaii South Shore Christian Fellowship due in January for about a week.

In February we have another pastor from Hawaii North Shore Christian Fellowship that will drop by.

In June it looks like we have 2 volunteers coming for 2 months and another wanting to come in December 2012.

So really busy but in a good way.

The wife and I did get to take a couple days off this year and go to the beach, which was pretty nice. We stayed on the beach 20 feet from the sand. We also took a boat trip to a near by island where we played and found a lot of shells. Sam and Joe had a blast. We took SreyRoth and Sorya to the beach with us so they could help watch the boys play in the water. Other wise there would not have been a vacation for Ream and I.

FOOD.
For lunches and dinners,
I ate barracuda fillet's for $5 bucks.
I ate red snapper for $5 bucks and sea bass for $5 the next night.
Ream ate black crab, shrimp, a slab of Marlin, Squid all for about $5 a plate.
The kids ate a lot of burgers and pancakes.

Also on our boat trip to the island Soray and Ream caught 3 fish on fishing string wrapped around a plastic bottle which the boat crew was quick to cook up and eat.

Chicken prices are up again and we should make a good profit this month.

Our pigs had babies yesterday and the price is pretty high right now so we should get a nice income.

With the end of the rains are gardens are filling up.

I have to say how thankful we are to having Alica to care for the school while we focus on the construction projects. Volunteers can make all the difference sometimes, by the way we could certainly use some more.

I wanted to share these photos of our kids at our school. I love to see them just as friendly and close at school as they are at home.
Borin is on bottom with unknown child on top.

Sorya on the right with the one of the girls on her lap, she is the daughter of a teacher at the other school. She is a very cute little girl that always has a smile to share.

Sambath and Veasnaand my cousin Eangly

Sam turned 8 on the 14th and we had a little party. Sam invited Weed and Rathana (Chenda) to share in the sweets.

An awesome thing, I asked our newer staff member Seem when she was going to become a Christian, to which she replied that she had become one a couple months ago along with Sowly another care taker.
Totally cool that all of our staff have always made a positive change in their life after working with us for a short time.

The older boys learning word and Excel, Ly is teaching them.

Ly, working the translation for a book we want to use for school.

There is so much more to share but I think the years review is getting long.

So, Thank you all who have supported and prayed for us this year. It has been a long, busy and very fruitful year for us.

I love my job if I can call it that.

Kit and Ream

Guest blog

2011-11-30T21:32:00.001-08:00

We have a return guest that has decided to stay with us for an unknown period of time.
Currently Alicia stays at the orphanage and is helping with the childrens education. During the day she is the principal of our private school A Heart for Wisdom, where 21 of our children attend.
Alicia publishes her own blog called So Speaks the Heart.
I want to let you know there is a link to her blog to the right of our page located under "Current Guest Blog". You should be able to click on the title and it should open her page.
She is a wonderful young lady with a great amount of love for the children of Cambodia.
She also has a fantastic way with words that you won't read on my blog.
I copied her last months post to share with you and to encourage you to look at her blog from time to time to get a different view of what we do and make sure to read over her past posts.

Kit

" Seeds Planted in the Fall

10 months ago, I shared a little on the state of education in Cambodia, it's history, and the vision, a few years long delicately prayed dream, of Kit and Ream, the directors of A Greater Hope Orphanage, CCF, for a Christian school, and quite possibly the first one in the province.

Within this past year, outside the perimeters of the orphanage, faces have turned into more than just faces and prayers for the school have ended in "May your will, not mine (ours), be done." And after the long expected opening day, our seven teachers, students, and families, overflowing with excitement, together welcomed A Heart for Wisdom School's opening on October 3, 2011. Welcoming grades K-6, more than thought possible last January. A Greater Hope Orphanage (AGHO) children and local children make up the, a little over 100, children that are beautifully decorating the classrooms of our small school, the unused rooms of the church, where they study the Bible, Math, Khmer, English, Science/Social, and P.E., all while filling the spaces in between with their laughter and life.

Now, four months into an unknown time frame, equipped with an ever growing love for these children, this daunting beautiful honor to share God's love with these precious children, seems more incredible and more real than ever. Preparing each child for their future ahead and the challenges and struggles that the Khmer culture faces daily quickly brings into light that this generation is 'It.' They're the generation that is going to start the steep recovery process that this country faces. The importance placed on giving them the spiritual and academic tools needed to pass on to future generations to come, weighs heavily. To teach and encourage them to be the Josiahs' of their time, who with his whole heart sought after God, thus, transforming a nation.

Seeds are being planted almost parallel to the surrounding rice that gives this time of year the county's sought after photographic beauty. And like every year, "the God of the seasons...who caused the seeds to swell in the earth, burst with life, and send up their bright green shoots, the promise of harvest (Cormack, Don. Killing Fields Living Fields)," is ever so patiently waiting for this land, a demonstration of His mercy pointing to the unveiling hope that His eyes are on this country.

From Cambodia with Love,
Alicia"

Aussie team !!!

2011-11-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Aussie team !!!

From Temple Christian College in Australia

In short a lot of fun, growth and emotions.

The team had a young girl celebrating her birthday while they were in Cambodia and we had to celebrate 15 birthdays from the last quarter. So we celebrated birthdays together, which was a lot of fun for both groups.

The girls and teachers helped us make a decorate the cakes so wonderfully.

The next day we rode bicycles around the area to see the new school and visit an old staff member weaving.

Jon

and Rachana jumped into help tie the silk so it could be dyed.

Ben was very popular with our girls

A new village to work in only one adult Christian in this village.

The team played with the kids, painted faces and blew up balloons.

They also passed out rice and a little bit of school supplies.

Pastor Khon

Introductions

The team got to pray with some of the on lookers. Two of the ladies not Christians said the felt better that moment and had felt peace inside them.

School supplies

Rice

Music

This young lady who was a bit challenged really, really enjoyed the music.

Now I see her ride past the school almost every day and she is always talking out loud to me as she rides by, saying in Khemer "hello white guy where are you from Phnom Penh". Very cute.

A grateful lady spends time thanking Pastor Khon after.

Next stop, one of the church cell groups that also has a preschool.

Ben later became know as Ben 10 to our kids.

So much more has happened, so much bonding between the two groups each side mending and ministering to the other in ways we wouldn't have guest.

Good buys came to quickly.

I think nearly every child I have had tears in their eyes.

Ashley's boys

Thank you guys.

2011-10-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

Our Summer trip this year was spent in the city.

We went to the water park again.

This has become a place I don't really want to go,

but each time I go I have fun and I end up happy that we went.

No water yet that's alright, will still slide.

Samrang & Hua

Th girls learned an important about friction that after noon.

Sorya says "my biscuits are burning"

Joe

Chantrea

Veasna

Hua

The goal on the zip line is to let go before the it stops.

Saveoun

Sreypow and Sreyly

Hua & Darow

We also drove the bumper cars again. Sorry this is about the only picture I got because I didn't want to lose the camera.

Stopped for lunch at Sirin's church.

We also took the kids to see their first movie a 3D movie in a cinema.

Our first real cinema opened this year tickets were $4.50 to watch the new Transformer movie.

Plus they gave us a free coke and popcorn. Not to bad.

Sorry no cameras in the theater.

In the evening we took the children to the fair grounds.

Some of them were brave enough to take their very first roller coaster ride, which was pretty small but pretty fun for their first one.

Young and Sam

Sreyly and Rachana

Tee

Sreynygt

Vanack

Sreyly, Sreynygt and Sreyroth.... and Nop and Hua

Staff and Alicia

I know our sponsors will getting more details from the kids in their letters they are writing.

New Boys

2011-10-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

New Boys

Arrived September 17

Sengho (ho), Dad & Senghi (hi)

Sengho is 10 years old and attending our school in the 4th grade.

Senghi is 9 years old and attending our school in the 3rd grade.

Both boys have adjusted really well and are very good children. We've enjoy them coming and I know they are happy here.

They do not have a sponsor yet if your interested.

Chi helping at the Children Church

2011-10-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

I think it was the first time Chi decided to help out on Saturday.

Chi, Rachana and Sreypow

Duck, duck, goose or as the kids here call it "duck, duck, DOG"

I guess because the dog is always chasing the ducks?

Church is smaller since school has started, most kids have class on Saturday.

Chi and Melor. It was Melor's first time doing children church.

Photo's taken by Alicia Yossa

needs

2011-10-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Sponsorship:
If you have ever wanted to sponsor a child now is your time. We have children that need a sponsor.
We have different levels you can participate at if funds are tight but you still want to help.

Notice:
The Cambodian Government is raising it's standards for child care here.
For the most part this means it will cost us much more to care for the children here which we are happy to do but we need help to do it.
Mary will be asking if existing sponsors will want to add more funds to their current sponsorship or if their would be willing to share their child with a second sponsor to help cover rising cost.

We have been very, very busy with teams, paperwork and the opening of our school. I have a number of pictures I have to sift through, and will try and publish them shortly.

Besides the help in funding the child sponsorship needs we are looking at a few projects we would like to accomplish maybe late this year or early next year. If you would like to help us accomplish one or more of these with any amount please let the church know what the gift is intended for.

We do not have exact numbers for these projects yet, so I can only provide a rough estimate for them.

Painting the exterior of the building.
$3,500.00 USD
Additional bath room
$500.00 USD
Enclosing the 3rd floor for our living area
$25,000.00 USD
Adding 2 class rooms at the church/school
$10,000.00 USD
Every penny gets us closer.

Our children have started attending our private school, fee's are $5.00 a month per child maybe your would be interested in helping provide for their education.

School info; please note that information on school needs and progress can be found easily by clicking on picture of the boy studying on the right of your screen, A Heart for Wisdom is the name of the link.

Another very easy way to help us out is to follow this blog. When a person adds themselves as a follower our ratings on the internet go up. When we start reaching the top of search pages people find us quicker which opens more doors for visitors, volunteers, and funds.

I promise to get some pictures out soon, thank you for your patience.
Thank you,
Kit

Melor's future

2011-08-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

In July of 2011 Melor graduated high school.

Melor with his younger brother Chow arrived at the orphanage October 2006

Melor had been brought to us by his Grandfather.

Melor and his brother was growing older it had gotten harder and harder for their grandparents to care for the two. A the time Melor wasn't attending school regularly and hanging around the wrong group of children which only made it harder.

2005

Grandpa's house 2007

Over the next 5 years Melor grew up at the orphanage. There were some rough moments that stretched us and many moments that stretched Melor forcing him to make positive changes towards becoming a man.

Previous to his coming to A Greater Hope Melor had not been attending school for quite some time and this made it very difficult for him to get through high school.

There is only something like 10% of the population graduating in the first place.

But he did it, he hung in there graduated is now preparing for a vocational school.

We chose this path with Melor rather than traditional college, because this vocational school has so much to offer and his all his cost for living will be provided for during this time.

Melor will be attending Project Khmer Hope where he will learn all things construction for the next year. He will have intensive English classes and grow in his faith through their worship and church services.

While he waits for his classes to start Melor is helping us around the house on staff.

Once Melor finishes his schooling they will even help with job placement for him or he may choose to study more in a different area. I have suggested to him that he learns a little bit of landscape/gardening.

We are proud of his accomplishments thus far. We are most proud that he made it when so few do.

We hope his successes will encourage the rest of the children and secure their thoughts; that their futures to will be okay if they work at it and keep their Hopes with Christ.

Here are some photos of his school tour.

Wonderful grounds

classrooms

Beautiful building

Engine repair

air-condition & appliance repair

Electrical wire and repaire

Fantastic tool room

Outdoor workshop/class room

Hydroponics

Lockers

Dorms for 120 students

Green spaces

School was built in 2005

English - Church - Worship area

Dining hall

Library

What a great and impressive place built and run by Godly people.

We couldn't have hoped for more for Melor.

http://www.livingstreams.org.sg/pkh/

Praise to God for Martha's Recovery

2011-08-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

I hadn't planned on posting on Martha again,

but the recent photos that came to us this week were amazing.

The amazing hand of God and the willingness of people to pray and help.

I hope that it is a bit encouraging to you.

Some times a life can be easily saved when we take the time to help.

7 months ago Martha wasn't eating and at 2 years old she was at 2 kilos, barely over her birth weight. Today she is pushing 7 kilos.

I encourage you to get involved with a good work some where, some how

and take time to make a difference.

Thank you to those involved in her recovery.

She still has physical therapy to go through but her life is no longer endanger.

2011-08-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

I am told that the Firecracker Golf Tournament was a success and wonderful time.

I want to personally thank all who supported this effort,

from the organizers, donors, guest to the facility that allows us to host such an event.

Thank you.

Time, effort, money or your prayers I am sure made the difference.

I was told the most of these type fundraising events are down by 50%.

God has blessed us how every.

You have blessed us.

Kit Carson

Firecracker Golf Tourniment 2011

2011-07-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

FGT 2011 is coming July 30

and it's probably not to late to lend your support.

http://www.firecrackergolftournament.com/

As we graduate 2 of our high schoolers this year FGT will be covering their needs for college or in some cases a vocational or trade school.

This year FGT paid for 6 computers.

40 children are learning to type and use the computer.

Some more advanced kids are learning Excel now.

All of our staff also are learning as well as a few neighbor kids

Rosa

Long

Samrang

Nop

Vanack

Big kids

Te-a who has spent the most time on the computer is enjoying helping the others learn.

By Request

2011-06-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year 2 schools near by us had a volley ball competition.

Darow was chosen to play and represent his grade.

Some of our kids got to go watch and we saw Nite who had moved from the orphanage about a year ago.

Darow got to serve a lot and did pretty good for playing a full court.

Our foreign friends that were here during this time came to watch and support.

It was I think good for the kids and Darow to see us there. We certainly drew a lot of attention and made Darow a bit popular.

Sorry to say they didn't win. :(

Maybe next year.

The rainy season again

2011-06-09T04:40:00.000-07:00

Longan tree is in season again, we planted this tree from a seed and is about 9 feet tall.

Other berry trees are in season, the kids are out picking and snaking almost every day.

Own in the tree, cow and Sorya

Own

Weed playing Lava Monster game.

Just for fun.

Chow helping write the lesson for Sunday school

Rachana reading scripture for the morning memory verse.

Sunday worship team

Sorry you can't see Thea at the drums.

Average sky here in the afternoon and evening last couple months.

Harvesting our fish

Our walking fish - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_catfish

Tilapia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia

Mekong catfish - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_giant_catfish

New bug for me, this one is a nasty little guy too.

What looks like a little cute caterpillar is actually a shell type body with this really sticky worm underneath. The little fuzzy things on the sides are very itchy if you touch it. Also if the cow eats it by mistake it will kill the cow. I think this is why the kids are deathly afraid Bugs in Cambodia never cease to amaze me.

Aunty Kim blessed us with Easter candy again this year

Sold off a lot of geese and turkeys

Jon is camera shy, but Rachana and Vanack are not

God, what is going on?

2011-05-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

"What is going on" can be a question that we sometimes ask here at the orphanage as we try and look into a problem that is occurring.

I want to share with you the latest answer to our most recent and lingering question.
For three years we cared for a child that was a great kid, he often made mistakes and poor decisions but was liked and loved by us and the other kids. His time here was filled with extreme highs with extreme lows. With this one child it seemed like clock work that every 6 months or so he would get close to being removed from the orphanage. We would show grace and mercy, he would take his punishment, ask for forgiveness and we would move on.
He learned from his mistakes which I believe is better than most of us are able to do.
How ever December 2010 we had to remove him. We gave him a chance to change on a recent problem and yet he forced our hand. We had to do something we really didn't wish to do.
The problem this time was that he was effecting other members of our large family. We sought council ourselves, spoke to him and asked him to stop and he refused.

It was a rough moment for us as it always is for a parent to have a child leave the home early. There were a lot of reflections over the last couple months if we had done what we should have. How could we have done things different, did we give him every chance?

The unfortunate thing about this home is that there are so many of us here, to be effected by a single person. Sometimes we have to make a sacrifice to remove one for the better of everyone else.

In the end it was not our choice, it was the child's choice by refusing to obey and follow rules that have been set.

The two questions that always come to us during such problems are "God, what is going on?" and at some point "Who will be the replacement". When we look at removing a child we always think about the safety of the kids, are there major disruptions to the house hold and is the current child steeling a life from another child. Meaning is this child taking advantage of all that we are offering them or are they just coasting by and waiting to leave?
These are important thoughts as we are an orphanage that focuses on the quality of the up bringing of a child not quantity and numbers. A child's bed here is valuable and important, kind of like the parable Jesus told about giving money to the servants and some invested in what they had been given and one did not. This not to say if we judge a child's worth to be here or if they deserve it or not but is our main desire that they leave better than they came. If they are not then we wonder about another kids out there that is missing their chance for a better future.

So the focus of this blog is not about the child who had to leave us or even why he had to leave.
It is about the child that replaced him. One child leaving opened a space for another to come in.

Back to our questions of "God, what is going on?" and "Who will be the replacement".
As we look back we can say to the "what is going on?" that God saw a child that was not going to change. So like in the parable He took from the one that did nothing and gave it to another who would. I love that God gave the child a chance, He gave Pharaoh a chance, He gives us all a chance.
Just we do not all do well with that chance we get.

We know God always has another child waiting for us.

Menea Chang was the "Who?" and over the past two months we have been shown the "Why?"

Menea is a cousin to one of our girls Saveoun and he has been waiting for a home for some time. When he came in he was excited, but quiet, a little different than our other 7 year old boys.

Menea joined us in March 2011 and a month later he and the other children got to go home for a week to celebrate Khmer New Year with family they may have.

Yesterday a month later we got a call from his mother saying she is broken and needs help, answers and prayer. She is exhausted and often sick. She works as a maid in the city to make $50 a month to support her mother, father and her sisters family that moved back home to live with the parents. She said she has no hope. She said "at least if I die I have some comfort that Menea is in good hands".
She called to praise us with the work that has been done with Menea. She said while Menea was visiting her he took care of himself, washed his own cloths, was helpful around the house and polite.
She said when she was crying because of her current situation Menea comforted her telling that she needs to believe in Jesus and He will help her to feel better.

She called Ream that day to not only thank us but to also ask more about Jesus. God is working through and using Menea at 7 years old to help and heal his mother.

So wonderful for us to get that call to help reaffirm the decisions that were made some months ago, that it was a part of God's will.
It is a blessing to see answers to questions and prayers.

And we very proud of our little man, Menea.

We are going to continue to help Menea's mother, we will share with her and help her get a couple hours off work so she can start attending church.
We will also help her find hope in HIM.
If you wouldn't mind giving a little prayer for her and that the help we give her will be the help she needs. That God would continue to use Manea and us in such ways, in her life and others.

Thank you,
kit

PS: we had some guest here during the time things unraveled with the one child and they also were able to watch Menea come in. I thank them for their support during that time, it was helpful and I hope this helps for some closure to questions you may have had and to know and see Gods working through it all.

Cambodia Staying Green

2011-05-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

A while ago I read Cambodia doesn't have much of a environmental foot print.

Might be one reason why.

More Pictures I Haven't Posted Yet

2011-05-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Performers of the Coconut Dance on Christmas .

Lauren's first day at the orphanage, in the jet lag recovery chair.

Extra big moon

Mars

A day of fun with Sam and Joe

This train driven by Joe and runs on Sam's energy.

Took Sam and Joe on their first little roller coaster, not pictured.

Half way through the ride I thought to take the camera out and video tape it.

I wish I would have caught the first two runs around the track, Sam did alright but Joe's face was priceless. A horrified look of fun. By the end their hair was all messed up with giant eyes and dizzy asking for more. It was a great experience for a father.

Making things is fun to do.

Berry trees are producing a lot so we made more jam.

They taste like a Kiwi but cooked taste like honey.

Doesn't look to bad either

Lots of Rose Apples this year

Turkey and chicken eggs

Mom's birthday, made and her a mango and strawberry ice cream cake.

A hard rain the night before broke two of our trees heavy laden with fruit. Which the kids were really happy about.

To top the day off we spent hours catching crabs for dinner.

My yard flags came in handy. Half the kids marked the holes while the others dug.

Pictures. long over due

2011-04-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Pictures, long over due

Our children doing children church at a nearby church.

Marshmallows and Songs of Praise

They don't call it a long bean for nothin,

these were from our garden.

Soccer

Catching Veasna in black taking a cheep shot to Rachana

Evidently Lauren has like 6 older brothers and she demonstrates that she is able to take care of herself.

Veasna.

Yes, Jon missed it,

but she had good form.

Preparing for capture the flag.

light blue team

Hua looks like a Korean protester

Red team

Black team

Steal the Bacon or "candy" in this case

Baseball

Picking teams

The outfielder no one wants on their team

Hecklers

What started out as base ball ended up just having fun.

When you have 20 something people on a team you get extra coverage on your bases.

Birthday games

It was hot so we played a lot of candy shuffle board in the shade of our roof.

Basically you roll your water balloon into a square and get the candy that is there.

The kids like it because they don't have to really do anything.

Some jump rope

Water fight

Water balloon launchers

The grand finally

The nuclear bomb of all water balloons

Clean up and chores

Menea's first day at the orphanage, gets a little weed picking advice from Chantrea

A change in our farming

2011-04-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

A change in our farming.

We started our farming to educate the children on how to care for and raise the animals but we also teach them how to do business and to make changes when necessary. Originally we started with 2 pigs they began producing well enough we felt that should increase our stock above just training and into reducing our cost of the orphanage. We did really well the first 2 years.

Then last year the free trade agreements with neighboring countries like Vietnam flooded the market with cheaper stock, drove down prices and increased the diseases with low birth rates for the year. We took big loses while we hung on to produce our last litters before we sold everything.

Our litters were great, high numbers with big healthy babies.

We recovered last years losses through our latest sales.

We also did a lot of thought and research into other things we could do.

The answer was chickens.

With chickens the turn around is a month, cost less per animal and are easier to manage.

So we reduced our goat stock and housed the remaining goats in a empty pig pen.

We also reduced our other fowl to reduce the risk of disease to the new chickens.

We turned the old goat house into the new chicken pen.

We found a buyer and a supplier.

We bought feeders, waters and 200 cute baby chickens.

This was a fun day for us.

In a couple week our chicks weighed two and a half pounds.

We sold out our first load of chickens, average chicken weighed 4.12 pounds and sold at $2.20 a pound. All said and done we profited about $1.64 a bird in 34 days.
So we are now looking into if we can increase our holding, by increasing our pen size.

The children are also involved not only in the work but in the investment as well. 41 of the chickens we raised this time belonged to the children. Needless to say they where thrilled on payday.

Our hopes are that we will continue to produce good numbers with good profits. Our prayer is that this project might be away to provide for the orphanage and other ideas we have.

No matter the out comes God is blessing us in many ways through our efforts. Our stock is always better and always draw a higher price. We get a lot of compliments when we sell animals and many people say it is because we are Christians.

I'll work on getting more pictures out this month.

Also there is a young lady, her name is Alicia she will be staying with us long term. She is home trying to tie up lose ends and raise support. She was a lot of help to us in our efforts to start a school here and will be returning around June.
If I could ask you all to keep her in Prayer that God would provide for her abundantly. Bless the people (Family) that she will be leaving to be in the mission field.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Kit, Ream and Kids

A Little Tribute To Valued Guest,

2011-03-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

A Little Tribute To Valued Guest,

who have become our friends.

Neal and Rachel Frederick

They came to Cambodia only having been married for 5 months. They spent the next 4 months with us. I think we learned a lot from each other as people, couples and as Christians. Our children certainly grew from their short time here.

From time to time Neal or Rachel would learn to do something new and I would mention that it is something they could add to their resume', like building a roof out of palm leaves or harvesting rice.

I never said it to them but the same applied for our children. Neal and Rachel added a lot to our children "resumes" as well, in how to do this or how to make that. They added much to their life in love and time spent.

Out of all the guest we've had over the years their departure drew the most tears from the kids and from children we did not expect to be saddened by it.
I think with other guest their is some hope that they will return one day. With Neal and Rachel they will return to the States and maybe start their own family, I think the kids knew it is the last time they would see them.

I think Neal and Rachel are special people. They were special to us in their time here and while they were here we could always see that they were special to the people they knew at home receiving mail, emails, packages, facebook messages and calls.

I don't think they could have had a more fulfilling trip. They got to in a short time come into our world and experience everything we get to experience. Children going and coming, staff coming and going, weddings, funerals, Christmas and Birthdays, work and holidays and for ever the daily cry of the village loudspeaker which became the "hey there is a party at Neal's house" joke. They got to see God work in a babies life the dramatic miraculous effects. They got to see God work in the daily lives of the kids changing. When I think about it all I think they got more than they bargained for.

Rachel helped with classes, school, bible stories and creating fun.
Neal worked tirelessly around the house, taught the Word and played.
These are small little titles for what they did. I have much respect for the things they did and the things they overcame as a newly married couple in a new environment.

I hope they realize what they have done for us in our work. I pray they will miss us as much as we will miss them.

I also hope their stories encourage others to come to give and receive of themselves as well, to see how God might use you.

How lucky the people they work with next.

Sponsorships

2011-03-11T01:34:00.000-08:00

Sponsorships

Interested in sponsoring a child?

We could use your help.

Here is a link that will help you sign up to be a sponsor.

http://www.agreaterhopeorphanage.org/2partner.php

We currently do not have anyone on our waiting list, so what are you waiting for.

Trips?

2011-02-21T02:14:00.000-08:00

Summer is coming so what are you doing or where are you going?
Maybe you should go on a mission trip, or will you think about supporting someone else who does?

I'd like to invite you to come and make a difference here in Cambodia with us.
If your interested in a trip contact us and let us know how we can be of help.

We might be able to connect you with someone else that is coming so you can travel together.
Maybe we can get you the name of a person who could use help with their support.

We have teams lining up so you'll want to make sure you get on our calendar.

July 5-8 full
August 3-17 full

5 other teams are pending

People interested doing a medical clinics, a trip during August would be most helpful. We have one lady already scheduled.

We have a lady wishing to travel with someone from L.A. California to here any time this summer if someone would like to join her.

We also we have a lady coming from Hawaii around June if you wish to make a trip with her.

Any questions or requests you can email us at,
kitandream@gmail.com

Plus your the cost of your flight, it only cost around $100 a week for a trip the orphanage. Planning a more extensive trip will cost you more, but not much.

kit

A little history

2011-02-09T19:50:00.000-08:00

I hadn't planned on posting another blog about Martha but I think it is important to share what is going on in this little church and how Martha and we (you too) are being used here.

A little history.

In 2006 we were called out at night to pray for a woman that was demon possessed. She lives right next to a very large temple. Shortly after pastor Khon started a cell group there.

In 2008 I think it was they built a church a couple hundred meters from there.

Some time last year the teacher at this church decided to abandon his church. He return to his former religious practice visiting and offering sacrifices at the local witch doctors house. The teacher subsequently became very ill to where he is now nearly bed ridden.

Since then the church has dwindled to nearly nothing. A faithful lady has picked up and is carrying on as best she can. This is where we were able come in last year helping their children church with our children from the orphanage.

It is not the church I would have chosen, it is a little far and quite often inconvenient to go to. I like a closer nearby children church where the kids have been extremely receptive and loving towards us. It is an easy work to do an more enjoyable for me.

But this is the church God has placed on Ream's heart and she felt lead to help so we did. We were helping here a couple months before Courtney showed up and found Martha February of 2010.

Courtney had helped the family a lot with therapy and trying to figure out the root of Martha's problems.

Back then Martha was barely a year old and was breast feeding fine.

Courtney returned home after three months of a life changing trip, we got busy, and soon with out the extra help we were unable to continue going to this little church out of our way.

Summer came and we found more time and willingness from our children to go and help this church.

I had never met Martha before so it never occurred to me where she was or that I should visit her right next to the church property.

November had come around before Ream took our newest guest to visit Martha when they found out that the mother was not producing enough milk and was starving.

The next trip we gathered all our baby supplies left from the CCF medical trip in September. We took Pedia Sure, powered formula and some baby food and talked to her about feeding Martha.

Next trip we dropped by and the mother said the formula constipated the Martha so she stopped and went back to breast feeding. So we told her to try the baby foods that we had given her.

Then it was "the baby food gives her diarrhea" so they stopped and returned to the breast feeding.

The problem was that Martha was the families first baby, they didn't know how to care for her needs beyond the breast. People in their village don't use formula and they don't really know the effects of changing new foods on the babies.

So Ream was rather frank with them about not stopping the foods and that their baby girl would soon die if she didn't kept adding to her diet. We stopped and prayed with the team as I shared the first time.

We came home a little frustrated with the mom and her efforts and as we began making arrangements for her to go to a good hospital. I sat and prayed about it because it felt a little over whelming for me to have what we felt was an easy thing to care for but was not working out. I then felt lead to blog about it and ask you all for help and prayer.

We got wonderful responses from you all with prayers, concerns and offers to help.

We also had some of our prayers answered our biggest prayer was for her to eat. That after noon she did. Our request was for help with formula cost and we had a good response to this from you all.

We are quite sure with the timing of our prayer that day and Martha waking up that afternoon and reaching for the formula that it was a miracle. In one month exactly she has gone from staving to a some what healthy little girl.

Martha early January

Martha this week, early February

A men right!!

This week we had another mother bring her little 10 month old girl to us for prayer.

The cool thing is that people in the village know. They know what happened with Martha and the word is going out that God is working to rebuild this struggling little church.

Though a man abandoned them God has not.

We also had a young pastor we like tell us he wishes to teach at this church that his heart hurts for them. I am excited to see what happens here and am praying for their congregations return and a revival happens there. Such wonderful things to be apart of.

Martha has her next appointment on the 22nd.

The day after Christmas

2011-02-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas

Behind the scenes at church.

They are getting ready for the Christmas plays and dances

center stage and no signs of nervousness

Prayer and a little bit of worship

The opening blessing dance

Then the Christmas story

Tee used our bamboo place mat as the scroll

In come the sheep Nygt made about the cutest sheep you'd ever seen

Borin, Veasna and Sambat played the the shepherds

King Herod.

Kyo Te-a Wut

Darow played the sleepy innkeeper

Marry, Joesph, wise men, shepherds and the angles.

Bunheoun was a lovely angle

The end of the story

A song Te-a put together with our nieces

First time I've been asked to speak at the church.

Te-a and Sarah doing playing the violin.

Things went pretty well our staff help plan everything this year and the kids worked really hard on the things they did.

There was also a fashion show this year which I thought was slightly cheesy until Sarah came walking out with her partner and the church roared with excitement.

It was a lot of fun.

Next was a couple days of rest and sleeping in.

more of our CHRISTmas

2011-01-30T22:36:00.000-08:00

We let the kids decorate the tree this year with some cut outs and paper shapes mainly to let them have some fun and help get the tree up.
Christmas eve when they all went to bed and we went to work with our team of elves fixing the tree and making things look magical. It's funny because we had a lot of help this year but it still seemed like a lot of work and we ended up going to bed around midnight or so. I am not sure how we did it last year.

We bought some lights this year and someone sent us a string or two. The children awoke to see a nice surprise with the tree all lit up with color. This year we celebrated Christmas with 13 children who have never before celebrated Christmas and that have never even a Christmas gift before

5 am
The children began to trickle down stairs little by little, one by one. Wiping their eyes the one grew into a group they would hover around the door or outside windows to frequently peer in the dark filled room with twinkling lights. Only shadows and outlines of gifts could be seen and they would say theirs "wows" their "oohs" and "Awes" or even a "pretty" then run upstairs to get someone else to share the excitement with.

While the door to fun and excitement remained locked, our regular schedule continued.

Get the house in order, eat breakfast, care for the animals, do their laundry and take a lot of pictures.

Giving thanks for what God has provided just before brekfast

Good morning mom.

Every thing looked wonderfully different this morning. It was beautiful and quiet with a little bit of morning mist, which for us is the closest we get to snow. It chilled down to a nippy 75 from yesterdays mid 90 something. This possibly has been the best Christmas that I have had.

At breakfast the doors were opened wide so the awes could continue.
Jo's jaw sits wide open as well.

Sam did a little happy dance.

Not only were we blessed with a lot of guest this year we also received through our guest different donations for some bicycles and music installments adding to the rather large pile of gifts.

Plus we received shoe boxes again this year from Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child.

We were blessed to help pass out a part of the 10,000 boxes to the near by churches and school. Our gifts came from Western Australia this year. A big THANK YOU Australia.

With some thought to how we would do Christmas this year. We want the children be a part of giving and have some thought to giving is better than to receive, so the children were asked to pick a gift and give it to the person it belonged to.
It was actually a lot of fun, a great time watching them get their gifts. Smiles, laughs, some embarrassment when younger boy picks the gift of an older girl and people would "ooh".

Underwear!!

In many shoe boxes lied a roll of shock, a bundle of cloths the children would proudly unroll in front of everyone would turn out to be a set of unmentionables.

You could easily watch the realization of their gift on their face as they would quickly try to hide it with embarrassment.

Te-a didn't seem to mind though.

Neal has been fantastic with the boys, it's been a real blessing to have him spend time with us these past couple months.

Chenda spent a bit of time sewing the stockings this year. She had no idea she would be getting one.

We invited the nieces and nephews from next door to do their Christmas with us.

It was nice to have Grandma here this year.

One of the weirdest things to happen this year was Tong and the Blue Vest.

2006

For 2006 Christmas Tong got a Blue Vest in his S.P. shoe box and now 5 years later he's gotten another one.

2011

The one ring to rule them all ;)

As always we tend to celebrate their birthdays for the quarter on Christmas day.

Pop the balloon

Water balloon toss

Guest for the day.

water balloon races

Lunch

The foreign guests made cookies for the children to decorate and eat.

The ginger bread house I had made went to Own the winner of musical chair game.

Birthday cakes, Rachel and Alicia helped to beautifully decorate.

Art deco cake

We celebrated the birthdays of 14 children this quarter, including Sams'

Prep for dinner

If we could read B's mind it would say "What just happened"

Sponsors needed

2011-01-24T23:41:00.000-08:00

We need sponsors.

We have a couple spots open to sponsor children right now.

You can sponsor a child for $50 a month.

If you are interested you can contact us directly via email or you can click on the link below and sign up.
http://www.agreaterhopeorphanage.org/2partner.php

If you find the list for sponsoring a child is full and just can't wait, then consider the ones who help care for the kids. We can't do with out our staff and we could certainly use help with their salaries.

Thanks for your considerations in these request, also feel free to contacts us on how you can be of further help in different areas.

Thank you,
Kit Carson

Subscribe to

2011-01-18T01:02:00.000-08:00

You can now be notified easily of when we've made a post. On the top, left side is the words subscribe to. Click on this and then choose how you want to be notified.
Now when we post you should be notified.

Our Christmas Pictures

2011-01-18T00:47:00.000-08:00

Finally our Christmas pictures for 2010

There is so much to show, so on this blog I just go with the head shots and leave the rest for later.

Darow

Engly

Mangju

Rosa

SreyOn

Veasna

Sam

ChanLay

SreyOwn

Tate

Samrang

SoThea

Channee

ChanChow

SangHua

Jake

Jon

Rachana

Melor

VeChi

SoTee

Chenda

Tong

Saveoun

SreyWut

SreyKyo

SreyPow

Yong

SreyRoth

Chantrea

Borin

Sambat

Sorya

Nop

BunLong

Vanack

Mangly

SreyNygt

Bunheoun

Boys

Girls

Family and friends

Mom and Dad

Thank you to all who made our Christmas possible this year.

Try as hard as I did to take a nice photo of everyone, after an hour long shoot one child was able to eluded us.

Which means I have some photo shop to do, my apologizes to the sponsor not being able to post it with the others.

An update about Martha

2011-01-10T22:25:00.000-08:00

An update about Martha.
The day I took the photos of Martha I also felt the urge to pray, I could hear it being said with in me to do so.
We were busy tired and ready to go and being told it was late we should go. We headed back to the car. Ream went back to get something and as I and the team paused about 30 feet from the house. I told Alicia who has been staying with us, she should make a habit of coming and prying for her on Saturdays when she comes to the church, because we really have not done so. We've been busy calling hospitals and figuring things out that we haven't called on God really. Our other guest Neal said "well should we do it now". Yes I said I feel that we should, because we haven't.
So we went back and prayed, Ream prayed in Khmer to the family and I got to hold her hand, which was barely bigger than my thumb.

We finished up and came home.

I posted the blog asked for help and called more hospitals and arranged for the trip to the city the next day. The next morning we got the call that the hospital said they can help with her nutrition and is going to educate mom on how to care for her. They will create a special nipple so she can eat more easily. She also has some infections on her throat that they have to test to see what is going on. I also got to speak to the doctor on the phone that day and he told me Martha is only 400 grams above her birth weight. The good news is that is dose not look like they have to do a feeding tube, which is good.

She will never fully recover from what the shot did to her when she was young, but she is not going to be okay for now.

Martha and the family had a great experience at these hospitals, it is the first time in two years they have had a doctor take the time to say they can help. The family has renewed hope for Martha's future and are more than happy to continue their efforts. They have to go back in two weeks for test results.

So good news right?

We called them that night to make sure they got home alright from the city and the grandma told us

the really good news. Grandma told Ream on the phone the day we prayed. Martha went to sleep shortly after we left but when she awoke she looked at the can of powdered formula and started to reach for and cry for it.

Mom mixed some up and Martha began to drink regularly for the first time.

Martha now craves the powdered formula, where before she would refuse to eat it.

She has been eating regularly for a week now on Saturday we visited her again and we could see she has been eating, we could see it in her face and bloated belly. It was the first time we've ever seen her smile and got to hear her laugh. We were so pleased with what we saw.

I think it is easy to call it a small miracle.

The family knows they've seen a miracle as well and we pray so do the neighbors.

It's totally cool that all of us praying would be allowed to be used by God in such a way.

Also Martha just turned 2 years old this past week.

She will still need to go back to the doctor to see the test results regarding her infections in a week. So prayer for these is still needed.

Thank you to all who responded, offered to help and pray. Martha, now eating will still need help.

She will not need the more expensive liquid formula but the family still could use help with the powdered mix and doctors.

What I would like to do for those who contacted me to help is to accept your help now in with what amount you'd like to give how ever you wish to do so.
We will be giving the donation over to Pastor Khon my father in-law since the family goes to his cell church.
He will buy the necessary food her month at a time over the period of time she'll needs it. It will also cover her doctor visits and expenses.
We should be able to get her free wheel chairs and such things from NGO's in the future, so I don't see these types of items being funded.

So for now for the foreseeable future her food will be between $60 and $100 a month for the next year or two. Her last doctor visit was $120 and her next one will probably run the same.
A Check can be made out to:

Calvary Chapel of Fallbrook
Memo to: A4550 Khon

Mail it to:

Calvary Chapel of Fallbrook
488 Industrial Way
Fallbrook CA 92028
You must put in the Memo: part the code A4550 khon for it to make it to the right need.
You may also put a note in the envelope for the Church staff letting them know it is for Cambodia and make mention to the memo so it does not get missed by mistake.

I have not made such a special need known on the blog before even though there are many such special needs in our area. I try and use the blog to focus on the orphanage and what is done here
so I will not be posting more on Martha's recovery in the future.

I do have a growing list of people who have asked for updates and needs for Martha in the future I will only email this group. I have nearly 10 people offering to help Martha, if you wish to do so as well please email us about the update list and I will put you name on it.

Thanks you being apart of a miracle this week.

Kit

P.s. I am working on our Christmas photos for the next post.

A Small plea for Martha

2011-01-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

A Small plea for Martha.

Martha is almost two years old and she is staving to death.

Martha had a sever reaction to a shot when she was 4 days old, she turned yellow and lost control of her body, she has been nursing for the last two years. Mom is not producing enough milk anymore and Martha is slowly wasting away.

Because of her condition she hasn't been able to eat solid foods and will not drink the powdered baby formula we have given them. She did drink and liked the premixed Pedia Sure but this is very expensive, it would cost her 3 times their monthly income to feed her this.

She has visited several clinics and hospitals that are not really able or willing to help.

We have arranged for her to visit a more modern hospital soon. This will obvious be more than they can afford. I am hoping and pushing for the hospital to start a feeding tube to fatten Martha up while they help her to start eating solids.

Martha's is the families first child, they are wonderful Christians who have faith that their child will make it. They have endured their neighbors telling them to just let her die and to just give up and try again. They spent two tireless years doing what they can in a very difficult place under very difficult circumstances. They are nearly out of options and can't afford the options we have come up with.

I am asking if you would pray for her. Please pray that this next hospital will be able to or are willing to help her. Please pray for the families efforts and love for the child to strengthen them that they can continue to care for Martha and her needs. You can purely pray for a miracle to happen. Most importantly you can pray God's will is done.

I am also asking if you would consider helping them afford options that come up, such as buying the Pedia Sure for a couple months and afford the more costly hospitals.

If your interested in helping you can email us at kitandream@gmail.com. We will put you on a mailing list that we will send out regarding how you might help with her expenses and up date you on her recovery efforts.

Thank you for your prayers

Kit

Woderful Stories

2010-12-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

A couple of posts ago I wrote about Sreyroth and the first time she ever to enter school she entered at the 4th grade level.

It is worth going back and reading if you haven't done so.

Anyway I am proud to report she got her grade early December. She place number 3 in her class of 66 children. I was so proud of her when I saw her grade I went around the house telling everyone.

Tea was asked to be the Red Cross representative this year for the school along with Nerday Ream's Niece that lives next door. Basically he will assist when Red Cross in our area gives out assistance to the needy.

Tate was asked to be the equivalent to a boyscout along with several other children. He is also being asked to represent the school as the leader when they have to go to the city or else where.

Basically they go out and do good deeds as a group clean up places, help people fix their houses and learn how to do different projects.

It made us very proud of our kids already achieving goals we had hoped for them to achieve later in life, being leaders and making a difference in their country.
Being in a Buddhist country these type of activities are always surrounded by and celebrated by Buddhist chanting and doing things that Tate and Tea may not want to do. Please pray for them that they would remain strong and be able represent Christ well.

Action, Danger Take Photo

2010-12-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

Years ago one our honeymoon in Thailand we decided to see the floating villages. So we took a really long bus bide to I don't remember where to find a fairly small canal crowded with tourist. We got in the canoe and motored a couple hundred feet south and back. Mainly it was a short boat ride through a supper market. I think if the bus didn't take like 4 hours to get there it might have been more enjoyable. At the end of the trip there were to unexpected stops.

One was at the Royal Handcrafted Wood Museum where they spent years carving in intricate works of art on to 8 to 10 foot long tablets of solid and rare woods. This place was impressive.

The last stop on the tour was a snake show where there was a mini zoo of crocs and snakes. When the show started the announcer pretty much only to say 4 words in English "Action, Danger Take photo" and every one in the crowd would raise their camera for a photo op.
What was so funny that the announcer said it so much and so often that the words have for ever etched into our thoughts.

I told Ream the other day I was going to takes some action shots with the kids and the big ball. She says "Action, Danger, Take Photo".

The kids love to see their own pictures of them in action and I like trying to take the weirdest photo I can. Grab the big exercise ball and play soccer get in the most action possible. It is a little bit of fun and I hope you like them. There also some shots of the girls in the yard playing as well.

Young with the backwards kick that lands a head shot was the winning shot today.

Neal and Nop giving it all they've got.

I like these series of shots. You can tell something big is coming.

Tong tries a Karate block.

I think this was Hua about to take a shot to the head.

With the size and weight of the ball most kids end up on the ground.

Sambat also get the award for effort on highest kicks. He completely misses it and ends up on the floor.

Tee

Unfortunate thing about being an orphan is there are times a fathers advice could have been useful.

Like "keep you eye on the ball" or " Don't run between people playing a game" Soray learn this lesson the hard way today. ;)

The Big Ball had been the best toy that we have had for the longest time. It always generates laughs, some times tears but mostly laughs.

Rachel and girls playing Ring Around the Rosy

Tong and the girls in Tug o War.

The Girls playing London Bridged

Did I mention that we love our girls.

They were playing ghost or lava monster or something. Manglee with her tongue hanging out was the ghost at that moment. I hope she was it.

On and Chantrea

Vanack

Mangju, On and Vanack

Mr. Joe climbing mountains

and exploring life.

"Action Take Photo"

Little trips we've made

2010-12-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

This is when we went to pick up our newest guest Neal and Rachel. Own came a long for the ride to see the sites. This is the first time we got to see the pretty water fountain near the river front.

Last month was the Cambodian Water Festival the children got to go home for a couple days. Mom curled the girls hair before sending them off.

Some of the kids did not go home. Wut stayed home and came to the mountain with us to show Neal and Rachel the temple ruins in our area.

Alicia Wut Rachel

We have small boat races in our area like they have in the city. We decided this year to go because we had guest here and did not have many kids.

This is one of two lakes near us I have it located on the google map link on the left of the blog, once the map is open pan to the left some and you can see how big they are. This are man made lakes dug during the Khmer Rough time with forced labor.

Neal was the star attraction for the day, the people here who rarely see white people let a lone a group most likely have never seen a guy with red hair before.

Ream and Rachel

Wut was offering me some peanuts

In the city the boats seat around 100 people.

Just a few people ;) , actually I thought this was going to be a nightmare trying to drive out but is was far easier than I had thought.

Just a little bit of fun we had that I thought I would share with you.

One for the birds

2010-12-13T03:51:00.000-08:00

Recently my father in-law took us to a special spot where the cranes Sleep.

They spend all day at the river but sleep miles away in one small area of 5 or 6 trees.

We were also told that they lay their eggs at the river and leave them there while they birds sleep in the trees.

Every day for 5 years we have watched the cranes fly over the orphanage around dusk.

This photo is them flying over the orphanage the day before we went to see their home in the trees.

This photo is at the bird sanctuary with all the incoming birds.

My flash scared some of them off the trees.

It is hard to tell but there are thousands of them in the trees.

Just some interesting photos and something else fun to do when your plan a trip here.

Our Guest

2010-12-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

What do people do when they come here?
They take time to look over all that we do, try and fit in and apply their strengths to the tasks they feel lead to or are asked to do.
Sometimes stretching themselves sometimes humbling themselves. Over all submitting to God's will in their life for the period time they are here.

Each person brings something different. Each guest makes their mark on someones heart here and inevitably and mark is left on theirs.

Each guest time here is invaluable to the people they have worked with. A time that both people will remember for ever.

Here are some older photos I missed, back in September Grace and a couple ladies from New Zealand did some lice clinics and one of our Girls houses. They washed maybe 30 peoples hair for about 4 hours.
I though the best part was just the service to the people, it was intimate and personal. I don't think ever in their wildest dreams would they have thought to have a group of white ladies washing their hair. It was hard work but I think the guest enjoyed it s much as the people.

Rachana's grandmother

Rachana helped rinse them off.

She was so cute, a bit naughty but cute

All the kids had a mass amount of lice in their hair. They would come in with all scraggly, knotty dirty hair and they left beautiful little ladies.

Sarah came to us at the end of September. She is an American who has been living in Germany the last 9 years. She has been teaching English, Violin, and helping the kid with their math classes.
She has also been helping teach English at the high school.

Alicia has come to us from Hawaii. She has has her masters in eduction and has been helping teach Sam, English and helping the children with teaching Sunday school classes. Alicia has completely fallen in love with the kids and is having a hard time imagining having to leave.

Neal, the white guy in the back :) with his wife Rachel has just arrived from Philadelphia. Neal has been helping around the property and been trying to excite the children about gardening. He is also helping teach at a few of my father in-law's churches.

His wife Rachel loves children and is currently a nanny, she is helping teach the smaller kids English and helping us watch Joe for an hour or so, giving us a much need break during the day. She might possibly be teaching a parenting class while she is here.

Sam is really helpful when he comes with us. The kids absolutely love that he speaks Khmer

Nop always there to steal a photo. Sarah wanted proof she was helping with the yard work when Nop steps in with his 10 inch earth worm he just found.

Our children have been getting more involved in ministry. Wut and Young have taken really big roles in helping with children churches. The other month Wut said I want to learn more English and like over night she has been speaking like crazy. She has even translated for Alicia the other day.

We are really very proud of her.

Finally after 4 year some one used our flip books. Alicia taught on Daniel this week.

Alicia brought some puppets with her that were a big hit.

Kind of like Marco Polo with out the pool.

Jump rope

Singing and dancing.

This little girl stuck out. It's the only Afro we've seen on a Cambodian, she gets teased a lot at school but we thought she was just so beautiful.

Neal and Rachel and Sarah have links to their blogs on the right hand side of the page.

Get a different perspective of how they see life here.

Learning and Growing

2010-12-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

We took a couple kids to two fish farms. They learned how to raise several types of fish, frogs and crayfish.

This is a big bowl of catfish.

Making fish food

Something like 14 ponds with thousands of fish.

At the end of this tour we found out that my father in-law helped dig these ponds.

Next fish farm belongs to a cousin of my father in-law

Catfish coming up for food

Alicia was fond of the piglets.

Catching the crayfish

More of a prawn rather than a crayfish they can grow up like 10 inches. They also can sell up to $28 dollars a kilo in the dry season. Which like $5 dollars a shrimp.

These are small ones

Big frogs, the kids favorite part of the classes

Happy baby fish

These are our Duran fruit in the back yard the tree grown from seed 4 years ago.

The kids had a lot of fun growing gourds this year.

What is known as wing beans, taste a lot like green bean.

Just some things we are learning and doing. We are seeing what is practical for us to try or not.
Neal one of our newest guest is a landscaper and will be helping us get everything we do to be done better. He's trying to get the children excited about growing things.