Never fear, we are here!

IB - Dear Family:

You're probably thinking we'd gone clear around the world...and you're right! So sorry for taking so long to post, but it's been challenging for the technologically challenged, as you can imagine. Connecting to the internet only happens at a few places in town and then, at a few times. But I'm on the hotel computer today, and so far its working.



Now to recap:



Our flight over was fine. Just 17 hours over the North Pole, Mongolia, China and Laos before landing in Bangkok. A two hour layover then an hour flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It's like so many other hot, tropical, poor but growing country I've visited. Change the language, the food and the faces, and its Guyana, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, all over again.



But it's different. Beautifully different. The people are sweet and eager to please us. They help us cross the street (no stop lights!! anywhere!!!!),and are quick to smile.



Siem Reap, home of the anceint temple city of Angkor Wat, is a tourist town. So there are folks here from all over Europe and Asia. Not surprisingly, Makara and I have not seen any other Africans or African Americans, but we are representin' in full effect, have no fear!



OUr local hosts, the Life and Hope Association, has a number of social projects going, aimed at helping orphans and vulnerable children. Two orphanages, a sewing center, a junior high school being built, and a micro loan program for women. More on this at the next posting. They are waiting to take me out to one of the orphanages now, so this will be brief.



For now, let me just list a few of my most favorite things in Cambodia:

elephant rides

$5 hour-long foot and leg massages

US currency in use (no money conversions needed)

some of the best curry I've ever tasted

the Blue Pumpkin internet cafe, with a long couch and pillows taking up two sides of the room. Shoes off, get comfortable.

Hollywood monk (more on him later, too.)



And next time, I'll figure out how to get a few of the 450 pictures Makara has taken on this site.



Be blessed!

On Our Way

IB: Greetings All! Makara and I are just days away from our trip to Cambodia. If it weren’t for all the preparation involved in traveling and being away from home for a month, we’d be beside ourselves with excitement. As it is, our thoughts are filled with hot sunny days, star-studded moonlit nights, ancient vine-covered temples, lush flowers, succulent fruit, and the warm and beautiful people we are about to meet.

We’ve got some notion about the work awaiting us there. United Planet.org, the volunteer organization we are traveling with, has several ongoing projects in the country. We could be teaching English, serving at an orphanage, helping at the crafts center, or working in the micro library. So we’re open for whatever comes, and our intention is to be fully present to what we receive and what we are asked to give.

While we’re gone, we’ll be jotting down our thoughts and experiences on this site. We hope you’ll follow along and send us a note or two along the way. Our next posting will be from Cambodia. See you there!