Reflecting on Cambodia from Laos
Cambodia meant many things; a new land, a new culture, and a new people. The part I will miss most deeply is the relationships formed with the many people with whom we had the chance to become acquainted and even build meaningful friendships. Sunday was our last real chance to say goodbye to those who helped make the trip a memorable one. At church on Sunday morning the congregation honoured the Belmont group by presenting us with beautiful Cambodian silk scarves not only to commemorate our time in Cambodia but also to commend the work we’d performed. The irony of the situation was that the exchange occurred inversely; those truly deserved of commendation were the ones who accepted us into their lives whole heartedly and showed us an unforgettable time.
After church we had some free time to roam about the city, tie up any loose ends, or just relax. Emily and I decided to sneak a gander at the National Museum. The short tuk-tuk ride was well worth it – I’ll definitely miss those little motorized wagons, the put-put of the engine, the wind (or dust) in your hair, and the many sites captured en route. Once we had made it to the museum Bounchanh, who had hitched a ride to Art Street, hopped out of the tuk-tuk and promptly rolled his ankle leaving a doozy of a bruisy in its wake. The museum was rather unassuming from the outside; an old temple with a well-manicured garden housed the treasures within. Once inside, it was evident that space was at a premium because there were dozens of statues of Buddha, essentially sitting in one another’s laps. Upon further inspection we saw many bas reliefs, statues, and various other priceless artifacts, the majority of which had been salvaged from the temples at Siem Reap. In the courtyard were four placid fish ponds, stocked to the brim with an assortment of colourful fish. The trip was capped with a walk to the souvenir stand where we picked up a couple of iced coffees, our newfound obsession, and then it was back to the hotel to prepare for the pot-luck dinner.
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Waking up early to exercise in Cambodia has become one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip. People are able to participate in the morning routine of running, walking, dancing to music, or any other type of exercise. Furthermore, it helps everyone to get ready for the day. This morning I had the opportunity to see monkeys as they ran around looking for food. 
I sit in Seoul Korea on our way back home and finally have the time to write my blog entry. We are all doing well and are looking forward to being reunited with our families and friends.
Today marked the completion of our first full week at the hospital. Sadly, it is also our last day at the hospital. Nursing and pharmacy students both had a very busy week ranging from HIV home visits and mobile clinics to nursing check-offs and genocide museums. It has been a challenging week both physically and emotionally.
Overall, I am really enjoying the trip. I'm excited to work in the hospital this coming week and to meet more of the staff. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Even at church, some of the nurses that I have met will invite us to sit with them! This week should be exciting!
What an amazing couple of days. We left the hospital yesterday afternoon, went to the 'market" and shopped for the children at the Orphanage. At their request, we bought underwear, salt, sugar, fans and cooking oil. Then we made a stop to buy fruit, getting two "hairy eyeballs" for each child. The children are happy, cared for and well educated. We spent time playing games, singing, and also, visiting the library and their rooms. (Some were a little reluctant for us to see their room but with 5 girls to a room you can imagine!) What beautiful kids, and what a great concert they gave us. The hard part was leaving, they begged us to stay, 'please come tomorrow' and ran after the Tuk-Tuk as we went out of the gate; pictures that will remain with us for a long time. These are the fortunate children of Cambodia-they are safe and get an education.
After lunch, we left the medical world to learn more about culture and history in Cambodia. During the reign of the Khmer Rouge, genocide camps were spread all over the country. The one we had visited was called Office S.21, today known as Tuol Sleng. Formerly a high school (a place for learning and growth), the Khmer Rouge overtook the facility and held over 5,000 prisoners here by 1978. All but 7 of these prisoners were killed. Taking this historical era made me realize this event affected people just a generation ahead of my own.
All in all, the trip to Siem Reap will be a great memory for all of us. The trip is far from over, though. We look forward to returning to the hospital and working alongside our new friends once again. They have such wonderful hearts, and I pray that we will all take a piece of that with us. 
Today was our first day in the hospital. We were all anxious to see the hospital and to see what our roles would be. As the largest group Belmont has sent to Cambodia it was interesting figuring out where each person would go in the small hospital in order to balance experiences and staffing. The group began the day by touring the hospital areas including ER, OR, surgical ward, medical ward, pharmacy, outpatient clinic and chronic care facility. We met many of the staff who are familiar with the Belmont groups and they welcomed us graciously.
After close to 40 hours of traveling, we arrived in Chiang Mai with jet lag and excitement as the realization that we had reached our first destination halfway around the globe began to sink in. I can't begin to describe how surreal this whole experience has been thus far. None of the group meetings and discussions could fully prepare me for the shock of being immersed in another country and culture. It's such a unique experience to not only be an ethnic minority, but also to have a complete language barrier between myself and those surrounding me. Despite the differences, it is obvious how valued respect is in this culture. I am reminded that I need to be just as respectful of their culture. As an outsider, it is so easy to judge their culture by our Western standards but God is constantly reminding me to keep my eyes open to what He has to reveal and the beauty of His creation even on the other side of the world. Please continue to pray that we would see Him revealed even in the small things on this trip.
After two days in Chiang Mai, we jumped on another plan to get to Phnom Penh. Somehow, the airports and planes feel more familiar than our hotel room. We had a four hour layover in Bangkok. It apparently is our layover city for the trip. We spied the corner that we slept in on our way to Chiang Mai, and I was particularly grateful for the daytime layover. One of my personal favorite parts of the day was when we played cards to pass the time. We played Egyptian Rat Race and B.S. Brandon also taught us how to play Copi, a Libyan card game taught to him by a friend. We were being international all around. It was a fun time to make memories as well as remember home, for card games are a family tradition during my family reunions. Other memories were made as well. Christine bought a block-type Rubik cube that we all became obsessed with. Almost every person tried at least once, with Brandon, Billy, and Bounchan spending a good amount of our flight and layover trying to tackle it. The worst part of it was that the girl who sold it was five and could complete the puzzle in under a minute. We have yet to solve it. I guess that will be our entertainment for the rest of the trip.