We woke up this morning to the sounds of chanting and funeral music. During breakfast I had a really great talk with Nicole. It was definitely a perfect way to end the trip. It really helped me process some of the last things that I wanted to think about on this trip. After breakfast we all went to the Daughters house to spend some time in the neighborhood. We got there and walked through the muddy streets to the neighborhood school. The Cambodians put mud on the streets to “make them better”. This actually just makes them worse. The streets without the mud are in much better condition than when they put the mud on them. When we arrived at the school all of the children were out of their classrooms within three minutes. It was so much fun to play with them. We all circled up and did the wave and then we sang the chicken song.
Singing the chicken song.
Trying to make Srey Nouch sing the chicken song.
It was so much fun! Srey Phala, Srey Nouch and Srey Di all came to give us hugs and tell us hello and that they had missed us. After the teachers finally got their students back in their classrooms, we were able to sit down with the administrator of the school and ask him questions, with Theary’s help of course. He told us that teachers starting out only make $50 a month and after 30 years they will make $75 a month. There are anywhere between 20 and 40 students for each teacher. After we were done with the school we continued to walk along the river road to see the homes and to visit a home where they made scarves. Then it was time to go back to the Daughters house. When we arrived there we actually walked down to an orphanage that Theary and her husband own.
One of the babies at the orphanage.
It was so very nice compared to the other orphanages that we have seen, and honestly just in general it was very nice. They had some very cute kids there. Then it was time for lunch! Lunch at the Daughters house is amazing. We had friend rice, soup, spring rolls and fruit. When we finished lunch, some of us went to the hotel and swam or napped. I organized my clothes a little bit and then sat by the pool. When it came time to go back to the house it was in the middle of another torrential downpour. We had so much fun playing with the kids in the rain whenever we finally made it back to the house. Clarissa and Ashton were hosting Kids Club for the neighborhood kids. We played games and had the kids tie dye t-shirts. The girls had taught all the kids about Joseph and his coat of many colors yesterday so this was the art lesson to go along with it.
My station was the green station. It was soooooo much fun!
There were approximately 60 kids from the neighborhood there. It was an amazing time! Then we had a dance party in the rain with the kids. I can't convey just how much fun I had. The yard was full of kids just playing and dancing in the rain. Then we got cookies for the kids and it was time for us to leave. I wish we had spent more time with the neighborhood kids because today was so much fun! It's almost like the trip needs to be three weeks: one week of vision stuff and cultural immersion stuff and then two weeks of work and spending time with the kids. After some time to shower, we all had dinner at the hotel restaurant. All the daughters came over when we were done so we could present the three girls that made dresses by themselves with certificates. We played games with the girls and were just being silly before we did the presentation.
Me with Srey Roth, Sokpea, and Mala with Saran in the background.
Each of the three girls that made dresses on their own, Srey Roth, Mala, Sochea, had to stand up with their dresses in front of all of us while Nicole investigated them for quality control issues and then they were presented with their certificates. Each of the three girls graduated from the level 1 dress-making and will now move on to a different skill set. After those of that had gifts for the girls gave them our gifts it was time for the girls to go home. We all cried because this will be our last real goodbye before we leave. We might see them tomorrow just for a few minutes but this was much more intimate than tomorrow will be. Some of us played cards for a little bit since we were so wound up from saying good bye to the girls. It was very nice to just sit and relax and laugh for a little while before bed.
The thought that today is our last full day here makes me unbelievably sad. At first the time went kind of slowly and it felt like we had been here for quite some time. Now it seems as though the last week has flown by! I’m not ready to leave yet. I’m ready to get home to see Lola but I’m not ready to leave the girls. I just wish I had more time here. I know that I have touched their lives, but I want to have time to convey to them just how valued they are and how much God loves them. Some of the daughters still have not committed their lives to Jesus yet and I wish that I had time to show them how amazing His love is and how it can help you get through anything (as I'm learning on this trip). I truly hope that one day in the near future I get to return to this beautiful country with these amazingly wonderful and loving people.
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