Life In Poipet

So as I’m sure you can all tell I’ve been slacking a bit on keeping up with the blog. I don’t have internet at the home and can only make it into an internet shop every once in a while. I’ve been in Poipet now for a little over a month and am currently just winding down from all the Christmas festivities. It was quite busy around here working on getting presents together for 40 kids as well as working on skits and songs that the kids performed for I think about nine different places. It was really awesome to see the kids practicing their hearts out getting prepared and then finally getting to perform in front of peers and just others in the community that they were witnessing to. There’s really such a different perspective on Christmas here because they truly are celebrating it to remember when Jesus came to earth. They don’t understand the idea of Santa Clause or the excitement of Christmas morning because it doesn’t coincide with what the holiday is really about. Christmas is exciting to them because it’s such a big deal to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, which is the whole reason for the holiday in the first place. It was really incredible to have that mindset for myself this holiday season and not focusing on trying to find the right gift for everyone. It was such a blessing that the home had sponsors for Christmas who were able to donate money for all the kids Christmas gifts this year. From year to year there’s never a guarantee that there will be money for presents, so it felt extra special to see how grateful the kids were to have gifts. It brought many things into perspective for me and I could tell you a list of a million and more things that I have a new found appreciation for. I can confidently say that my Christmases to come will never be the same again. My heart is so much bigger for the happiness that I’ll feel to simply have the love of family around me, but most importantly remembering that Jesus loved us so much that He chose to be made poor on earth so that we might be made rich with Him eternally.

Poipet has been a little harsh in every aspect, so of course I’ve had some highs and lows here, but the end draws near now and it almost seems as if it’s coming up too fast. My stomach hasn’t been quite the same since arriving and I’ve been constantly in and out of being sick with “traveler’s problems,” ( a nice way of putting it) as well as persistent colds. While I’ll be arriving back to Thailand physically a bit weaker, I’m so much more spiritually and mentally alive! Poipet has been an incredible experience, scary at times, but well worth the opportunity and time I was able to spend here.

The MMF Home is truly an oasis in the middle of chaos. There are five houses total, one for the big boys, big girls, little boys, little girls, and the main house, which has the common room downstairs and another main sleeping area upstairs. The upstairs is where I’ve been living for the past couple months along with the administrator over the home whose from the U.S. and been here for a little over two years now. There’s 40 kids living at the home and they range from ages 3-17 years old. They’re pretty much at maximum capacity, but depending on the circumstance new children still trickle in because sometimes you just can’t say no. These kids are absolutely wonderful and you would never be able to tell the horrific backgrounds that they have endured.

The toughest thing about Poipet has been adjusting to the Khmer culture. I’ve struggled to make sense of why they do things the way they do, but there is literally no rhyme or reason to pretty much anything. Life is up front in your face and everything is operated with an animal-like mindset AKA everyone is out for them selves. It’s take, take, take and often just seems unnecessarily violent. It’s also been a complete turn around from Thai culture in the sense that Khmer people lack respect for one another. Just all the little things add up, like there is no concept of waiting in line. It seems silly enough to even mention this, but it’s just an example of how funny it is when you try to buy something and people just keep cutting in front of you. They just don’t understand the idea of waiting and you see how something as little as this could start to become very chaotic. I couldn’t even begin to explain the driving situation, but lets just say it’s mayhem and often pretty frightening. There’s really no explanation I can find to fully enlighten you about this culture, but it is one that is in need of much help and assistance to get it’s feet back on the ground.

A typical week in my shoes and main responsibilities included working at the preschool built in the slums and working at a clinic with an American doctor one day a week.  The slum in Poipet is called Kbal Spean and the preschool, which was built about 5 or 6 years ago is one of Mercy Ministries’ projects. I worked at the preschool four days a week to oversee as the eyes and ears of the school and ensure that things were running properly. The main administrator over the school was taking some time off and visiting his home back in Canada so they needed a little extra help at the preschool to make sure things ran as usual. Two months was a good enough chunk of time that allowed me to observe the true living conditions and life that is a reality for these kids and others living in the slum. The children usually had very few teeth and the ones that did have teeth usually smiled through black and rotting ones. School started at 7:30 every morning and the kids would trickle in with all sorts of candy as their breakfast. The budget used to provide each of the kids with soymilk and a banana, but with recent building improvements made to the preschool there just wasn’t enough money to provide “breakfast” this year. And mind you that the preschool is only made out of bamboo and rubber so the preschool already runs on a pretty low budget.

There are about 180 kids total that attend; 90 during the morning session and 90 during the afternoon session. There are two classrooms and that puts around 45 kids in each classroom with two teachers. The desks have a bench seat and might uncomfortably fit two kids, but three were squished into one desk. Imagine how well it didn’t work to have three kids, now high off of sugar, elbow to elbow in a classroom. It was pretty much craziness all the time and you just couldn’t get the kids to stop hitting and or fighting what felt like every second. It was a frustrating situation because I knew how much easier it would be for the kids to focus if situated with a bit more space, but there is just nothing that can be done.

I really wish that I could have done more or contributed more to the preschool because a large majority of my time was spent in the back of the classroom just sitting and observing. That has also been one of the most challenging parts about volunteering because there’s always an uncertainty whether you had any impact, if you even helped, made more work, or if you made a difference at all. You don’t always get to see immediate effects and it some times leaves you feeling helpless. However, I’ve come to realize that all I can control and know is that my actions and attitude reflect my desire and love to help in any way possible. I was able to teach the kids numbers 1-10 and read from a collection of books that were in English and had a Khmer translation for the teacher. While it usually feels just plain silly to be reading a story in English that they can’t understand one bit of, I have to imagine that it at least helps in some way to hear the pronunciation and fluid English sentences. Because the language barrier was a bit difficult with the teachers I mainly helped with arts, crafts and played with the kids during breaks. I was extremely proud to teach the kids how to play, “Duck Duck Goose.” It surprisingly took a lot of effort, but it was really neat to see the kids playing a game that is so second nature to us all back home.

Don’t let the word “preschool” fool you into thinking it was anything like an American preschool.  A preschool in America usually has toddler-aged children, which I think of being around the ages of 3-5 years. A preschool in a third-world country however has children from the age of 4-8 years old. It’s just all over the board and yet they’re all put into the same classroom. The skill level, attention span, etc. between a four year-old and eight year-old is huge! You can begin to understand the frustrating scenario of this setting and doing what you can to work with what’s already implemented. While it seems like there are obvious ways to improve the environment for learning, there’s just too many external factors that hinder advancements. A Western mind sees separating the kids by ages or even skill level, adding more desks, and more teachers as the most apparent solutions. Sadly, these options are limited and usually not feasible with the resources available.  The preschool and management looking after the preschool has conditioned it to run exactly as it is in order to be the most ideal situation for the kids. It has been a constant heartache striving to reach out to as many kids as possible without denying them the education that they really need. You want to provide as many opportunities as possible, but at the same time you don’t want to have zero effect because there’s an overwhelming student to teacher ratio. The preschool resides right in the middle of the slums and is enclosed by a bamboo wall. It just breaks your heart because every morning and afternoon when the kids enter and leave we have to lock the gate behind because other kids try to get in. They sit on the other side of the gate and just watch. I don’t think I can ever forget how awful it feels to lock that gate shut. It’s like how do you choose, which kids to take and not take…

The clinic I had the opportunity to work at was led by Dr. Kent, who worked with CMA (Christian Missionary Alliance). Dr. Kent and his family are from the States, but have been in Cambodia for about 11 years. This family of seven is also the one to invite me over for my first Thanksgiving dinner spent away from home. The clinic was set up in the second story of a house and we had access to three rooms. There was one room setup as the office where he saw patients, one for extra equipment/supplies, and the third used as the lab. It was truly incredible to see all of the medicine, machines, supplies, that he had collected and brought to Cambodia over the years. While he had an amazing amount of resources, he still was very limited with supplies and proper tools to treat so many patients. It was astounding to see diseases, symptoms, you name it, that come from living in a third-world country and all that Dr. Kent was still able to treat. I have never SEEN so much in my life; numerous tropical diseases, fungi, nervous system disorders, thyroid disorders, and all this in such a short period of time. I was able to run labs, blood work and get some hands-on work with the patients. It was such an awesome experience to see so much, and complicated cases at that, all the while juggling limited supplies and performing all the work your self. I loved every minute of it and my interest for the medical field has only intensified! Everything I saw and participated in is unlike anything I would have ever had the opportunity to do in the U.S.

All in all, I spent about two full months in Poipet and am finishing this entry from where I currently am, Thailand. As I reflect back on my experience and time there my perspective has changed a bit. It was definitely one of the most challenging experiences in my entire time so far in Asia. It was a third-world country and indeed felt very much like a third-world country. It stretched me to the end both physically and mentally, but I know I have grown immensely in perspective and at my innermost being from my time in Cambodia. While the trip isn’t over yet, Thailand does seem a bit on the fluffier side in comparison. The reality of life and harsh conditions for a Khmer individual was a radical shock as I emerged out of all I knew, my little sunny and bright California bubble. I am so much happier for the time I had in Poipet and feel like I have been so blessed by what I was able to be apart of and witness. I dearly miss the kids from the Poipet Happy Home and they point blank- changed me forever. The most challenging situation I found myself in has so far brought me the most rewarding experience and memories as I recall the journey in Poipet, Cambodia.

Chiang Saen

My time in Chiang Saen was oh so short and sweet. I loved every minute of it! I absolutely adored all the little ones at the Babies’ Home. I especially love the leader, Marge, and really got some amazing one on one time with her. There’s a beautiful lake nearby and we got to take a bike ride around it one morning. The air was crisp and the fog was just lifting off the water. The freshness and chill was something that hadn’t been felt in a while. Everything about that bike ride was exactly what I needed at the time; good conversation, a quiet, peaceful, and serene awakening to the day. This was really the first time I had gotten out and done something physical in a while, which felt amazing as well as getting the opportunity to see more of Thailand. My time in Chiang Saen was a couple of days that I found very nourishing and left me feeling completely refreshed. I loved spending every minute I got with Marge, she’s so wise and had such awesome advice. I really enjoyed getting to know her better and just chatting with her. I got to spend time with the two Canadian girls as well. It was so great to have “friends” again and people to just chat with. I think I’ve been missing those casual conversations or “girl chat” with friends from home. It’s those simple talks with friends and family that give comfort on a day-to-day basis. It was also a first in what felt like a very long time that I got to have a “real” conversation in English. There’s been a lot of “broken English” conversations and you usually can’t get too deep in those talks, so it really meant the world even to have a short time of companionship with the two girls and Marge. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that after my time in Poipet I’ll be able to volunteer for a few months up at the Babies’ Home.

And I haven’t even begun to mention the kiddos. Gosh the kids were unbelievably adorable. There were 11 kids total and I’ve heard through the grapevine that they just recently got a new baby! Most of the kids have come to the home as infants, so many of them have names from the Bible like, Luke, Anna : ), and Leah. The kids usually stay until around age five or six and then they head off to another Happy Home in Thailand. It just seemed so special to be with these little ones and care for them all. I can’t even imagine how wonderful it would be to stay for a while and be apart of their world as they grow up. It makes me smile even thinking about the Babies’ Home and how precious they all were to me. While they were quite a handful at times, as you can imagine eleven kids can be, they were so loveable and endearing. I can really see myself getting a long very well at the Babies’ Home.

cutie patooties

You're looking at the Golden Triangle! Laos is off to the right and Burma to the left

Typically, they only take two volunteers at a time and they’re usually scheduled pretty far in advance. I was a little bummed to find out that they already had two new volunteers coming in the month of January, but recently came to find out that one of the girls had a change of plans and won’t be able to volunteer anymore. This leaves a spot open in perfect timing with the home’s need as well as my time in Cambodia coming to an end. Marge said I was welcomed at the Babies’ Home anytime and it truly just seems like a perfect fit. Chiang Saen is only about a 45-minute drive from Chiang Rai, home base, so if I was ever needed there it’s an easy trip! I’m really hoping and praying that it works out for me to spend some time at the Babies’ Home : )

Lahu Village

My next adventure began in the higher than you can imagine, mountains of northern Thailand. To my surprise, I learned that a good majority of kids from the different Thai Happy Homes often come from the hilltribes all over Thailand. Many of the tribes are notoriously stricken with disease and poverty, which explains the rescue story of a lot of these kids. This is just like the Thoeng Home that I was at previously; pretty much every single one of those kids came from the Hmong Tribe. There are so many different tribes that I haven’t been able to keep track of them all let alone get the names and pronunciation straight.

Welcome to the Lahu Village

One of the Happy Home graduates, Sadudee, from the Chiang Rai location is originally from the Lahu Tribe and was excited to show me her village and home. Two other “farangs,” (Foreigners/Westerners) as we’re called, would be meeting us in Chiang Rai and then we’d take off to begin our trek. I was so very hyped about this once in a lifetime chance to see rural Thailand and stay in an actual village! We took a 3-hour bus ride to the bottom of the mountain and then Sadudee’s brother met us at the bus station to take us the rest of the way up the mountain. The drive up the mountain took around two-hours and extremely bumpy would be an understatement. Now I wouldn’t say I have the strongest stomach when it comes to motion sickness, but now reminiscing I can laugh and equally compare the car ride up the mountain to the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland gone very wrong. Boy oh boy this ride literally kept me on the edge of my seat! I have to say it might be an exaggeration to suggest that the hill was even a 25 percent grade. The rode was typically only wide enough for one car and you’re usually bumping right along close to the edge. During rainy season, it is impossible to drive up and down this mountain because either the car will become stuck or would slide right off the edge.

We finally made it to the top and all in one piece! The Lahu village was nestled so comfortably into the side of the mountain. The scene was almost dreamlike and felt as if I had just gone back in time. Everything about the location, sights, and smells was majestic; it felt as if we were standing above the rest of the world.  Life was undoubtedly primitive, but yet so beautifully simple. There were currently around 14 families that lived in this little village all sharing every aspect of their lives together. All families shared in the rice crop and worked to support one another, young taking care of the old and handicapped. We came to find out that Sadudee’s brother was essentially head of the little village and owned the only car, which everyone in the village shared. A truck is necessary to transport rice and other agricultural goods to be sold in the market at the bottom of the mountain.

Sadudee’s house was also one of the only two that was partly made of cement and not just the usual bamboo, wood, and straw materials. From this picture you can see that the bottom is made of cement and the second story is made out of wood. Much more “advanced” than I had originally expected!

This is the kitchen

All the homes separate the kitchen from sleeping area, so each family has built a separate “house” solely for storage, preparation, cooking, and eating. I was shocked to find that the family had two spickets with running water and utilized solar panels. The bathroom was a little outhouse kind of near the kitchen. I was excited that the bathroom was in an enclosed area and that they had a squatter toilet; it’s funny the little things I get very excited about and am extremely grateful for now. Although, that bathroom had some of the biggest spiders I have ever seen in my life—big, thick, and juicy white/grayish spiders! The bathroom wasn’t exactly made for someone my size so I always had to duck. I came to realize that the ceiling is also where all the spiders liked to hang out so I was very happy that I started off ducking because I was too tall. The solar panels were used for a total of two lights, one light in the kitchen and one in the upstairs of the house. One thing that always catches me off guard here in Asia is that despite a family’s living condition, whether it’s a tribe living in the middle of nowhere or in the slums, there’s always a TV to be found! It still cracks me up how TV is such a necessity for people over here. So the solar power of course is also used to fuel up the TV at night. The government installed the solar panels about five years ago, so having any sort of lighting is a fairly recent development.

Cooking/watching Sadudee cook was one of the best experiences. It was like camping, but cooking gourmet style. Everything was cooked using only the little fire, but we had amazing Thai dishes that were all cooked from scratch. There was no refrigerator so it was extremely interesting to see how they just make do and work around needing to refrigerate items. The meat part seemed a little iffy to me, but no one got sick! My favorite meal was the one we prepared beforehand and took to go for our adventurous day out. We took everything in little baggies and hiked it down the mountain for the long day ahead of us. Later in the day we got to eat our little meal off of banana leaves that we picked off a tree—so fun!

The Canadian girls and I got to thresh rice with Sadudee’s family and pick tea tree leaves. It’s that time for harvesting rice everywhere in Thailand and the rice that we got to help thresh is a vital part of the village’s livelihood. The rice they get from the harvest helps not only to feed the village for a year, but the extra is sold at the market. The family was out there from sunrise to sunset and let me emphasize that rice threshing is not easy work. It was truly incredible to see the old working right alongside the young performing this backbreaking work. They had already cut and gathered the rice so now all that was left was to thresh the rice to obtain the individual kernels. This means taking a handful of the rice grain and beating it against a wooden board until all the little kernels have fallen off. These people worked so incredibly hard and it was eye opening to realize that it’s all in an effort to have enough to eat for the year. Experiencing their work ethic firsthand for such an essential need, like food, really struck me with a newfound appreciation for always having plenty to eat and never being worried about going hungry. The rice crop is completely dependent on the weather pattern and if it provides too much rain or too little will dictate how much they have to eat for that year. It really is crazy as I stop and pause to think about living like that; your life source is conditional and you never know what each year will be like. Picking tea tree leaves was a process as well because you only wanted to pick the very bright green leaves. Of course the bright green leaves were often times only at the very top of the tree. I have no idea how the family ever managed to reach them, since I myself found it a challenge to reach for those leaves.

Picking tea tree leaves

Eating our delicious lunch off banana leaves

So proud of the tea tree leaves we collected!

Threshing rice- just another day on the job

My time up in the mountains at the Lahu village was absolutely incredible! I had so much fun and will probably never get a chance to do anything like that ever again. So sorry I haven’t been able to update the blog more often, but time has been short and not usually able to make it into an internet café. I can’t wait to write more and tell you all about my experience in Poipet. It’s Christmas Eve day here and I’m thinking about you all and missing home. Merry Christmas love you all!

Chiang Rai

I successfully flew by myself and managed to avoid a repeat of my flight this past summer ; ) Now I'm safe and sound in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Chiang Rai is absolutely beautiful and feels like Kauai. It's refreshing to see mountains again and land that is just thriving. Everything is bright green and tropical--got to appreciate all this rain for something! The Chiang Rai Home is the largest of all the properties and I believe houses the most kids. There are kids of all ages, ranging from 5-19 years old. Of course, I instantly fell in love with the five-year-old, Gracie. She has the sweetest personality and just can't stop smiling. I've come to realize I have the biggest heart for the little ones. I light up around these little people and they just make my day every time. I've also made a few friends with the older girls. It's a tad more difficult to connect with these girls because they're embarrassed to speak English. Once you crack 'em though, there's no going back and they're just excited to have an American friend.

Another day spent in Chiang Rai brought about the excursion of a lifetime. I got to ride an elephant!! A few of us traveled to the Elephant Farm and got to ride elephants around Thailand. A little scary at first; up top you're moving side to side with the elephant's stride and it feels like you're going to slide right off with every new stride. It was unreal to watch our tour guide make himself comfortable on top of the elephant's head....no big deal! 

so fun!

On our way home the group stopped to find the "big snake." Turns out the "big snake" had been stolen so we had to make do with the smaller snake. Yep, believe it or not, this is the smaller snake!

I did not want to be apart of this picture, but somehow I got sucked into helping them all hold that thing up. That thing was HEAVY! Don't let my smile deceive you. I am glad that they made me do it. Once again, this was a chance of a lifetime here in the Land of Smiles.

My last weekend in Chiang Rai was quite eventful. We held an all day event for the teenagers. Teens came from Chiang Saen and Thoeng homes to join up with the Chiang Rai kids. There was a bible study in the morning and we got to answer a lot of hearty questions about temptation. It was great to see the kid's questions and how they were trying to work through them. After lunch, we paused for a comical break to play all sorts of "Minute To Win It" games. I had never heard of this show before, but know that if I was home right now I'd be watching it all the time! It was awesome to be apart of this event and get a feel for how MMF loves on these kids in order to teach them life's lessons.

Shortly, I will be headed to the northern area of Thailand: Thoeng. The Thoeng home is said to be very rural (couldn't find it on Google Weather) and struggling with some nutrition problems. The new plan is for me to compile a nutrition evaluation and stay there for the next two weeks. I'm excited for this new adventure and to see more of Thailand. This will be a first for actually using what I've learned and putting it into practice. I'm so thankful for this opportunity and hope that I can be effective in my observations and input! 

Mission's Team

Ha this is just a random picture I found off the net

I spent my first week in Bangkok getting acquainted with the Mercy Ministries Foundation (MMF) staff members. The North Coast Mission's Team and I got to teach the staff the art therapy lessons, For The Children, hence where I got the inspiration for the title of this blog. Bangkok was quite a show! I have never seen traffic like this before. There are unbelievable amounts of motorcycles/mopeds and tuk-tuks weaving in and out of traffic. A tuk-tuk is a three wheeled vehicle and you rarely want to get in one because once you do they usually take you for quite a long detour and then try to charge you for a ton at the end.

The next week we traveled to Poipet, Cambodia, which is just right at the border of Thailand and Cambodia. Pretty much anything goes in Cambodia! Even from the looks of it it's a pretty torn up country. I heard someone compare Poipet to TJ, but amplified. I had never learned or heard about the Khmer Rouge, but understanding the history has provided insight into the country's lack of stability. The Khmer Rouge, which took place during the 70s killed about 21% of the Cambodian population. The Cambodian population still appears to be recovering from this horrific time in history. At the time our group was visiting Poipet the city was experiencing major flooding. They called it "The Hundred Year Flood" and just in time for the mission's team to see the hardship made even harder for the Khmer people. We traveled to the slums of Poipet to check out the preschool that MMF has started. A few of the MMF staff waded up to their waist in water, but could not get into the entrance of the preschool without going any deeper into the water.

Poipet is where I will be calling "home" for the next few months and it will be interesting to see how the city recovers and deals with the aftermath of the flooding. It was astounding to watch families washing clothes, swimming, and fishing in the water. I cannot even begin to describe the stench and I don't think you would want me to either. You might look in one direction and see kids playing in the water and turn your head around to see someone taking care of their business in the very SAME water! I couldn't comprehend how these people wouldn't understand the implications of this, but it is simply a lack of education and awareness about how diseases are caused and/or spread. It is predicted that there will be an outbreak of disease among the slums due to these incidences. This is where I have been assigned to work! I will be going into the preschool, once you don't have to swim to get there, and being the eyes and ears of MMF at the school. Rose who is the founder of MMF wants me to make sure everything is running smoothly and especially keeping an eye on the the children after this catastrophe. I have a feeling things will not be pretty...but I'm really looking forward to working with these kids. Working with the mission's team in Poipet, I absolutely fell in love with the kids at this home. They're beyond precious and have some of the most difficult backgrounds and stories, yet they have so much joy. I will admit that I was definitely a little uneasy about the thought of living in Poipet, but God has really been showing  me that this is where He wants me to be. I can hardly wait until I get to see these beautiful faces again!

We also worked with another organization led by a man named Chomno. He's from Cambodia and is doing so many wonderful things for the people! He has headed up many different programs that are, for example, helping to employ people and provide for their basic needs. Our group presented the art therapy material to his leaders as well, however I was sent out to one of his programs called, Safe Haven. This is a school he founded for children in the surrounding rural communities so that they could receive education and food. This is where two MMF girls and myself entertained 250+ kids for a couple hours. You might not be able to tell from the pictures, but I got to dance and teach the kids "The Hoky Poky." We taught them "Jesus Loves Me," played a few other games, and of course had to teach them some stretches before we did "The Hoky Poky." Wouldn't want any pulled muscles ; )

After saying goodbye to the majority of the team, Melanie, Barbara, Pamela and I stayed behind for some tourist attractions in Siem Reap. We visited the notorious Angkor Wat and saw for ourselves what all the hype was about. The numerous temples are stunning and unlike anything I have ever seen before. It was like a fairytale and I truly felt as if I was in a movie. I will say that the day we took our all-day tour of Angkor Wat and the floating village could not have been any hotter! A nice introduction to the harsher conditions of Cambodia in comparison to Thailand.

Looking beyond the tourist attraction, Siem Reap was quite heart-wrenching. Siem Reap has streets lined with maimed individuals that lost limb after limb from the Khmer Rouge. You cannot walk anywhere without being bombarded by kids, moms and cripples selling ANYTHING for that matter. Because so many of these individuals are missing both arms or both legs it makes it impossible for them to work. Therefore, these individuals stick to selling books, which seems to be a very reasonable trade for them. Needless to say I've been traveling around with a mini library in my backpack. It was very encouraging to see that despite their circumstances these people are still trying to work and provide for their families. I found it extremely difficult to stay in this town due to the mass amounts of needy people. You can't walk anywhere without seeing the most desperate case and just hurting for them. Siem Reap is obviously a tourist attraction and that's why so many flock there, but I still found it super difficult to casually walk down the street.  I was ready to leave Siem Reap and don't think I could have stayed any longer... I noticed a couple non-profit organizations with a goal to increase employment, but what that city really needs is employment opportunities for the disabled. This idea would be extremely beneficial and would help out numerous individuals; it is something that I'd be interested to look into further.

I'm headed off to home base, Chiang Rai, to meet up with Rose and talk with her about future plans in Thailand/Cambodia. I'm thrilled to see another MMF home and a different part of Thailand. I've heard Chiang Rai is beautiful and I'm so excited to get out of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and into the more rural regions of Thailand.