Cambodia in 2.5 Weeks!

A big thank you for you who have given generously toward the fundraising for this trip!
A huge thank you for those who have been praying in this time of preparation!

Only 2.5 more weeks before departure - I'm excited!

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Here's the latest on my trip / what you can pray for:

1. My team! There are 6 of us on this ESL Cambodia team. Two of our members are heading over early, leaving this week! We corporately developed these statements:

Vision
Join together in God's work to love and selflessly engage those we encounter.

Mission Statement
Bless and equip World Relief staff using ESL as a means to develop relationships, gain cultural perspective, and establish our spiritual disciplines.

Please also pray for our teamwork and team dynamics - that we would be like-minded, have the same love, and be one in spirit and purpose - Philippians 2.2-style : )

2. Finances. Guess what? I am all funded!! The amount that I set out to raise has come in. Praise God for providing; and praise Him for the generosity of friends!
And as you may recall, I committed to personally contributing 1/3 of the cost. I am super grateful for the short-term job I had and am now just waiting on that last paycheck to come in so I can put it toward this trip!

3. More fundraising / awareness. On July 5th and 12th, our team is planning to sell beverages on Lake Avenue Church's patio between the two morning services. We hope to use this opportunity not only to raise any needed funds for the trip, but also as a way to tell our church about what we're doing!

Here's a link to a blog written by a couple World Relief staff: http://www.eslcambodia.wordpress.com. It gives more info on the wider project and some interesting tidbits from a local point of view.

Thanks again!

Next stop: Cambodia!

Rapid update: I've been back in America and am now prepping for a short-term trip to SE Asia! See below :)

As you may have already heard, I’m making a two-week trip to Cambodia in July to teach English to local World Relief workers!

My interest in the location began in the spring of 2007 when I did a project on human trafficking. Cambodia was a main focus of my research since trafficking is prevalent there.

When I heard about my church's partnership with World Relief in Cambodia, I became excited for an opportunity to see and contribute to the location which my heart already aches for. The chance to learn English from native speakers is rare for local Cambodian workers, while proficiency in the language also provides increased opportunities to earn a higher income and is also a useful tool for research and communication. Already, World Relief workers are impacting Cambodian communities in a variety of ways - see their site: http://www.wr.org/.

My plan for getting there is through God’s grace and lots of prayer from my friends and family. Will you pray for me?

On the financial side, the expense for this trip will be $2500. I will be personally contributing 1/3 of this total. Thankfully, I have a part-time job at an after-school program for elementary students which will help! For the remaining 2/3 of the needed funds, I am partnering with friends who want to be part of this!

Let me know if you're planning on praying for me or if you want to give your financial support for this trip! Here's a quick giving link: Give.


Things to pray for:
-That the finances would come in for this trip.
-Safety & health whilst in the air and in Cambodia.
-That this would be a great learning experience for me.
-That God would show me future ways that He wants me to be active in bringing Him glory & that I would listen to Him.