From There to Here

I arrived Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on 09 July, 2013 at 12:15 local time . Ptr Raul fetched me at the airport then we stayed in a guest house for $6/night. It was a comfortable room but the stairs were not so favorable to us as I had a huge luggage. The owner was so helpful as to carry it along the very narrow upclimb to the 5th floor. We had noodles in the nearby resto where so many young people, more foreigners than locals were drinking the night away. Then we took the 1pm bus from HCM to Phnom Penh (locals pronounce this as P-nom Pen).

On the bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Fare is $13 including snacks.
The bus had CR in it.

I had a nervous encounter with the Cambodian immigration officer at the Vietnam-Cambodia border. I needed to lay in all my fingers for their database. First are the fingers (forefinger to little finger) of the right hand, then the right thumb. Then you the left fingers, then the left thumb. I was supposed to wait until the color changed in the monitor but I missed it. So the officer said "fo finge" (in stern voice). I was sure he did not mean my fore finger so I asked if it was my thumb. He repeated "fo finge" (in irritated voice). I panicked. Why fore finger? Then Ptr Raul, who was behind me at the yellow line, said "your four fingers first". Ah "four fingers" not "forefinger". Ok got it. I thought I was going to be detained. The officer must have thought I was stupid not to know "fo finge".

Lunch with HLC Family

We arrived PP at 6:30 pm after an almost 6 hours bus drive. I was greeted with happy faces of the Pacha family. It was warm and no so shocking considering that everybody spoke our local dialect, Cebuano-Visayan.



This is a start of a new journey. An exciting one - a more focused one. I say more focused because I believe that God has been molding me in preparation for journey. I always used to think that I would only be a missions mobilizer. But alas, my efforts bore fruit when I was able to mobilized my very own husband. And so, being a submissive wife, I joyfully join him to the mission field. What can I say?

We are currently housed at the Hope Learning Center (HLC) in Chbar Ampov, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. It is a 3 storey concrete apartment. The ground floor is for the children's activities. The kitchen and the rest room is also there. The second floor which is more like a mezzanine floor is for the office. The 3rd floor is for the residence and private functions.

Nails tend to grow fast with children.

HLC was founded in 2000 by Rev. Samuel Pacha, a retired pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and is assisted by the Baptist Missionary Association of the Phils (BMAP). Assisted here means BMAP sponsors their visa as a NGO. Its ministries include educational assistance to Khmer children who are in the elementary and school levels, free lesson in the center (10-15 children come to the center from Tuesday - Saturday for the lessons), free breakfast and lunch for the children, bath, vitamins and medicines.  HLC's operations are funded by private individuals. It has two teachers, 1 cook and 1 tuktok driver. All are paid with a very meager honorarium.

Pastor Sam and family are in the Philippines right now for a 1.5 months furlough. We are here to help oversee the operations of the Center in their absence.