Holiday in Cambodia!

8:00 AM, July 1

Yesterday morning we got up early and had a hearty breakfast along with many cups of coffee before we met with Diane and Fede Hernandez. They are Friends missionaries here in the capitol of Cambodia, Phnom Penh - they are fantastic hosts and have two beautiful children. Fede and our guide, Hitnee took us to the Genocide museum, which was very heartbreaking and somewhat depressing. It was very important to experience this early in the trip, as it gave us all a better idea of the countries history and how the horrific events have helped shape and mold the evolving culture here.

Back at the hotel (with AC!) we cleaned up and rested before going out to dinner with the the Hernandez family. We went to a place called Divine Pizza and Ribs - a place owned by a missionary who does missions through business, providing jobs to Cambodians seeking the Lord. The pizza was fantastic, and although we wanted to experience more local cuisine, it was nice to have one last Western meal before heading deeper into the heart of the country. We shared so many laughs, and are really bonding as a team. Fede and Diane really made us feel comfortable and at home as we ate and talked into the evening.

Back at the hotel we all went to bed early, enjoying the break from the hot humid weather in our air conditioned rooms. This morning we will head west to Siem Reap - a 5 hour drive to the city build around the famous Angkor Temple complex. We get to do a few more touristy things in the upcoming days before we dive into the English language camps to teach some basic classes to Cambodians who know some English, but just need to converse in English to practice.

I am so blessed to be here leading with Kelsey, and I could not ask for a better team of young adults to share this experience with.

- Jesse

YCEW to Cambodia leaves

Wendee and I awoke at 3 with the team to make the early morning trek to the airport. It was a privilege to see the excitement brewing in the team. After many months of anticipation and preparation they have begun the trek to Cambodia. At this point they should be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Get to know the Team

A short bit about the team members along with their excitement for Cambodia.

Janna:

I am going to be a junior at Newberg High School in the fall, and I like playing volleyball, listening to music, playing my flute, camping, being outside, and hanging out with friends. As for this trip, I am most excited to get to know the YCEW team better and having fun with them. I’m also excited to experience a new culture and grow with God in new ways through this experience.  And that plane ride is going to be really fun!

Katie:

I am going to be a senior at Rex Putnam High School this fall, and will be ASB secretary for the school year, which means a lot of involvement and activities. I really like going to concerts on the weekends, and also food carts. I am really excited to try new things in Cambodia, from food to transportation to meeting new people. I also am excited to get to know the group more as we travel together.

Aaron:

I am going to be a senior at Knappa High School this fall, and I enjoy wrestling, swimming, photography, and reading. I’m excited to meet new people on this trip and experience a new culture. I’m also excited to try new foods.

Natalie:

I will be a senior at Newberg High School this fall. I run cross country and track and love being outdoors and hanging out with friends. I’m really excited to go to Cambodia and experience a different culture. I hope I can build relationships with people there, and become better friends with my team members. I’m looking forward to being stretched in Cambodia and deepening my relationship with God.

Anna:

I just graduated Newberg High School and am attending college in Arkansas in the fall, running cross country and studying psychology. I’m really excited to see how the Cambodian people live.

Jered:

I am going to be a senior at Newberg High School in the fall, and I’m super pumped about that. I like to read, run cross country, hang out with my friends, and I really like to make people laugh. I’m really excited to get stretched in Cambodia, and to come back with some crazy stories, and then get to share those stories with people.

Joey:

I’m about to be a freshman at George Fox this fall and major in biology. I am a drummer as well, so I enjoy doing that. This is my first time overseas in a completely brand new culture, after my first short term mission trip to Mexico this spring, so that makes this really exciting. I’m also excited to make friends from another culture.

Jesse:

I am so excited to experience the Cambodian culture! Travelling has always been a passion of mine.  To me, missions and travelling go hand in hand. I have always wanted to be in a leadership role on a short-term mission trip, and I cannot imagine a better way to live out that dream.

Kelsey:

I just graduated from Seattle Pacific University with degrees in history and international affairs, and am hoping to be able to use what I’ve learned to work toward peacekeeping and the resolution of conflicts, maybe in the Middle East. I love sports, people, reading, music, and good food. I am excited to try new foods in Cambodia and get to learn about another culture and its history, as well as get to know everyone on the YCEW team and have fun with them.