Friday:
Friday was our first day of work. The day started out hanging out with the kids of course, which was really fun. Here in Cambodia every body loves angry birds. So I started off the day with coloring angry birds with Sambo and Sokheng. After that I started to play some volleyball with Anna, then Nikko joined and then all the boys joined, the boys are so good at volleyball here its amazing! Play time is over and it is time to get to work, we started off doing gardening work, we made the soil beds, it was really hard work and it had to be perfect. This took quite a while a couple hours. Next came lunch time! After lunch me and Nikko had to clean the bathrooms, it was very gross, the bathroom is just tile and then a big hole, with a bucket of water on the side to clean yourself with and to 'flush'. After we were done we joined in on the fun -- everybody was doing the limbo! The kids are so good at it!! It is just so much fun to watch.
There is a man who is 28 years old and blind his name is Sopia. Sopia is absolutely amazing, his english is almost perfect. I could talk to him forever, I love him so much. He told me, Zoe, and Camryn a little bit about himself, then told a few stories. Sopia became blind by a fire, explosive land mind when he was only 4 years old. He had joined the orphanage in 2004. In his mind he likes the colors blue and red.
When a child doesn't know my name they will call me 'sister Jack'! That's about all for Friday!
Saturday:
Today I had a really awesome day. It started with gardening, after the soil beds were made it was time go plant, they had a very interesting way of planting that I cant really describe, but it was really fun. Today's weather was really nice it was cloudy all day. After the planting was done we played with the kids some more. I talked to Sopia again, but this time I was with Jenna. Sopia showed us the days of the week in Khmer. This is the best part of the day, the WATER FIGHT!! At CPO the have a well, where they stick a bucket down the well and that is how they get there water, we would to take the buckets and splash them all over each other! There is a boy named Ruha, he is 18 he would tell all of us to sit in a line and he would carry the big bucket and dump it on each one of our heads! It felt so good. After that the kids have these long round pieces of wood, that they would sing and we would have to jump through them, it was so challenging but so much fun. After lunch we toured the slums, it was so gross, there was just trash everywhere, but we got to see the school, library and Slymi & Yomas houses. When we got back it started pouring down rain, so Anna, Lavin, Dara and myself decided to keep playing volleyball, and when the ground gets wet so does the mud, and that's when the kids start sliding around in it!! It was great! There is so much talk about all the kids who were on the first trip -- they really miss you guys! Having so much fun and just can wait for tomorrow!! Write again soon!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
All i can say is wow!! Everybody here is so nice and welcoming its incredible. The people at the Tatoo Guest House are just amazing! So sweet and always do their best to make sure your satisfied!
Today started out with Orientation. Orientation was at the STAR kampachea, it was a really nice area with a big table for our meeting. After we introduced ourselves, we started off with a game, Liam one of our ''teachers'' gave us a big stack of paper and we had to make the biggest tower/ building we could in 3 minutes. I was with Zoe and Ava it was so much fun! We had a very big tower until the wind blew and it collapsed in the last 5 seconds. After that we learned to much about the country, history and of course the language.
The second thing we did was the Genocide Musium. I do not have words to describe it. It was so sad it was unbeleavable, just looking at the pictures just made me cry. Throught the tour it just kept getting hotter and hotter. After that we headed back to the Guest house for lunch, lunch was so good, different but good. After lunch we headed over the the killing fields it was an audio tour, the man talking had family apart of this horible sutuation, and half of his family was killed. This was so crazy, educational, and sad. As we walked on the path from sight to sight, you didnt notice but you were stepping of bones, teeth, and cloths. We walked through a path that had a fence on both sides, and a little boy was on the other side of the fence walking with us, saying "water me, water me" it was so hard just walking by. At the end of the tour we went in the Stupa, this had layers and layers of sculls just stacked on top of each other. I could not believe what I was looking at! I hated seeing pictures of people be tortured, and sculls, bones ect. but I know it was good for me to see.
The part that we have all been waiting for... the orphanage!! When we arrived, the van was swormed with kids, it was so awesome! When we got out they acted like they have seen us before, giving us huggs and kisses, I had an instant connection with a few kids. All the kids would say "whats your name? how old are you?" But to me all they would say was "sister jack!? sister jack!?" It was awesome!! they were so loving and welcoming. There were two kids that i have just folling in love with, the first one is a boy, he is 15 and his name is Lavin, he is the nicest kid you will ever meet, always willing to talk to you, give you hugs when you need it. He has a brother and two sisters at the orphanage as well, they are amazing as well. One of his sisters is 13 so close to my age, I tried to talk to her as much as I could but it was hard, she did not speak much English at all. The whole hour we were there, all the kids would be talking about the kids from last trip! "you know Haley, you know Keavy, Aj?" They love and miss you guys so much!! The other little girl I had a connection with was Jani (Cha Ni) She was 8 but she looked like she was 4! she is the sweetest thing in the world she would not let go of my hand the entire time! It was so hard saying goodbye, but we will be back tonorrow!!
Well this is about all I have to say for today! So exited to be here!! Thank you all for your support!! Blog soon!
Today started out with Orientation. Orientation was at the STAR kampachea, it was a really nice area with a big table for our meeting. After we introduced ourselves, we started off with a game, Liam one of our ''teachers'' gave us a big stack of paper and we had to make the biggest tower/ building we could in 3 minutes. I was with Zoe and Ava it was so much fun! We had a very big tower until the wind blew and it collapsed in the last 5 seconds. After that we learned to much about the country, history and of course the language.
The second thing we did was the Genocide Musium. I do not have words to describe it. It was so sad it was unbeleavable, just looking at the pictures just made me cry. Throught the tour it just kept getting hotter and hotter. After that we headed back to the Guest house for lunch, lunch was so good, different but good. After lunch we headed over the the killing fields it was an audio tour, the man talking had family apart of this horible sutuation, and half of his family was killed. This was so crazy, educational, and sad. As we walked on the path from sight to sight, you didnt notice but you were stepping of bones, teeth, and cloths. We walked through a path that had a fence on both sides, and a little boy was on the other side of the fence walking with us, saying "water me, water me" it was so hard just walking by. At the end of the tour we went in the Stupa, this had layers and layers of sculls just stacked on top of each other. I could not believe what I was looking at! I hated seeing pictures of people be tortured, and sculls, bones ect. but I know it was good for me to see.
The part that we have all been waiting for... the orphanage!! When we arrived, the van was swormed with kids, it was so awesome! When we got out they acted like they have seen us before, giving us huggs and kisses, I had an instant connection with a few kids. All the kids would say "whats your name? how old are you?" But to me all they would say was "sister jack!? sister jack!?" It was awesome!! they were so loving and welcoming. There were two kids that i have just folling in love with, the first one is a boy, he is 15 and his name is Lavin, he is the nicest kid you will ever meet, always willing to talk to you, give you hugs when you need it. He has a brother and two sisters at the orphanage as well, they are amazing as well. One of his sisters is 13 so close to my age, I tried to talk to her as much as I could but it was hard, she did not speak much English at all. The whole hour we were there, all the kids would be talking about the kids from last trip! "you know Haley, you know Keavy, Aj?" They love and miss you guys so much!! The other little girl I had a connection with was Jani (Cha Ni) She was 8 but she looked like she was 4! she is the sweetest thing in the world she would not let go of my hand the entire time! It was so hard saying goodbye, but we will be back tonorrow!!
Well this is about all I have to say for today! So exited to be here!! Thank you all for your support!! Blog soon!
Monday, June 25, 2012
Hi everyone!
My name is Mallory Skidmore and I am a part of the Cambodian mission trips. I will be on
the second trip, leaving June 26. The first group had a very successful trip and arrive back in the states Wednesday, June 27!
I am very excited, not just because I am going but for the experience of being alone and putting myself in the same situation as someone else who has nothing. I could say that I am nervous, going to a place half way across the world, meeting new people, becoming closer with the people I am going with, learning a new language, learning to bargain, etc. can be quite nerve-racking. I know that I can do it because I believe I am strong enough. As for what all the kids from last year say, all 75 kids in the orphanage there are a family, so what gives me hope is being able to meet my future family in Cambodia.
I will try to write on my blog just about everyday, unless something goes wrong with the connection. Thank you so much everyone for all your donations that you made to help me and my brother. Without your amazing generosity, this trip would not have been possible for us. Thank you and look for all of my updates!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)