Mission to Cambodia 2014
from Jordyn Westfall, Nursing student

Click on photos to enlarge

Friday was a traveling day for us. We had a relaxing breakfast by the pool at our hotel in Battambang, then hopped on the bus for the five hour drive back to Phnom Penh. On the way we were able to stop and get Cambodian potato chips, which we all loved.

Once in Phnom Penh we had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Anise (the air conditioned room won us over).

We took advantage of our free time after dinner and a few people got massages and pedicures while others relaxed and unpacked. We are all happy to be back at Golden Gate Hotel for a few more days.

Mission to Cambodia 2014
from Libby Franck, Nursing student

Today, we all woke up at 4 am in order to go see the sunrise at Angkor Watt, the famous temple. We all arrived just as the sun was coming up and were greeted with an incredible sunrise, something really worth getting up for. After the sunrise was over we ventured into the actual temple to look around at all of the beautiful architecture and layout of Angkor Watt. I was really amazed at the size of the temple and of the thought that must have gone into the layout prior to laying the first stone. After Angkor Watt, we went to a different series of temples, all similar yet very different than Angkor. I felt endlessly impressed and taken aback to the beauty and effort that was put forth while building these temples. I only wish that they had been preserved better by the people. Continue reading →

Mission to Cambodia 2014
Patrick Haltom, Nursing student

Some days are bigger than others. Yesterday was a big day.

Some of the group on their Bamboo Train platform. Click on photos to enlarge.

We began the day working with a rural community outside of Battambang, preforming skits on hand washing and the dangers of smoking. Afterwards, we toured Handa and World Mate hospital and clinic facilities where we sang hymns with some of the staff and patients. Some of us even had the opportunity to give blood, a service much needed in Cambodia. As we left the doors of the hospital, our schedule did not slow down. We then went directly to the Bamboo Train, a tourist attraction in Battambang, and this is where I want to spend most of my time writing.

Last year on the trip, I met a young man named “P.” I’m not sure how to spell his name, but I know that it is pronounced like the letter. P and I got pretty close in the short time we spent together at his village, which is a 15 minute stop on the train for tourists to buy handmade Cambodian goods and snacks. Last year P gave me a tour of his home and of the brick-making factory where his family worked. This year I was so excited to return and see P, hoping that he would remember me out of all of the white, American tourists he sees yearly. Continue reading →