Hope of Deliverance

The primary reason for this trip was to spend time with Sang Ju, the boy we’ve sponsored through Ray of Hope since 2017. He’s graduating high school later this year, and this was a good opportunity for all five of us to spend time in person with him before his final tests and our new school year begins.

The organization does absolutely incredible work with the street kids of Battambang. After the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, many families in Cambodia are left with no future and no hope, but the kids in the program at Ray of Hope have both and are shown God’s love every day.

It was amazing spending time with all of them, from the early morning pickup to get them to the center and ready for school to a monsoon-level water balloon fight with the kids. Ray of Hope can always use more sponsors for their work, you can learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Ray-of-Hope-Cambodia-100064523239802/.

There was no mercy in this water balloon fight

A view from a tuk-tuk

Venturing into the Killing Cave

Don’t Look Back in Angkor

 

After arriving in Siem Reap, Cambodia, we were greeted by torrential rain. It was so bad that we needed to wade through ankle-deep water to get to our hotel. None of us were wearing the right shoes for this, so we had to slosh into the hotel barefoot. Apparently this is what they mean by the rainy season in Cambodia.

We had planned to go see Angkor Wat at sunrise the next morning. As we booked this with the hotel, he asked a couple of times if we were sure we wanted to do that and pointed out that we would need to leave at 5am and it might rain again. We had exactly one day to make this work, so like a Red Rocks show, it was rain or shine for us. And just like at Red Rocks, shows in the rain are a lot less fun. They also don’t involve the sun.

We were again greeted with rain as we left the hotel and there was no sunrise. But there were also no crowds. With our amazing tour guide, it felt like we had a private tour of one of the most spectacular temples on the planet. We also made it to Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Bayon Temple. It’s all literally right out of Tomb Raider.

Of course, this also meant that we were all wearing sandals instead of proper attire to go hiking over and through ancient temples. Seven miles later, some sandals rub on feet in a very bad way when wet. We’re still dealing with the blisters.

No sun, no crowds

Did the temple come first, or was the tree here first?

Lara Croft looking smug because she chose the right shoes

Heat Waves

 

Tokyo and Southeast Asia in July isn’t necessarily a great idea, but it is if it’s really the only time you can make a trip work. We spent two weeks last summer in the Southern Hemisphere and strongly believe it’s much easier to get warm than it is to cool down. After all, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” – or so they say. But it’s the rainy season so how hot and humid can Tokyo really be in July?

 We jammed a lot into three days. There were a lot of temples. There were many visits to the ubiquitous Japanese convenience stores, where 7-Eleven has the best ATMs but we liked the snacks at Family Mart. There were weird burgers cut in half. And there was a breakfast at Denny’s that was familiar yet strange. And familiar yet strange is a good way to describe Tokyo.

The Japanese are incredibly quiet. The near-silence while walking around busy streets was disconcerting at times, with no crowd noise and so many EVs that even the cars were muted. There really wasn’t any talking on the subway, and this became hard when we couldn’t hold back the laughter at the various approaches to gripping the handles on the train. The primary approach seems to be two fingers, but there is the four finger and for the adventurous, the one finger variation. There’s also a fist through the loop and a strange palm through the loop approach that also seems to serve as a good stretch. My favorite was the full hand death grip.

The Japanese are also incredibly polite, especially in the service sector. I tried and failed to buy a pair of Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 shoes in Australia, so my quest continued at the point of origin. However, it was not as easy as I hoped when the first store we went to had a line down the street just to get in to see if they were in stock. We skipped that one and tried a store near our apartment. And while they didn’t have the right size, the clerk went above and beyond to write down the stores that did have it with the addresses and all the information they would need. After I successfully secured the right shoes in the right size, the next clerk came running out of the store when she saw we were confused on how to get to the tax-free desk. But there is no polite on the subway at rush hour. They cram in as tight as possible, jam elbows into sweaty backs and body check everyone out of the way when the doors open. The contrast is confounding. Turns out the famous crosswalks at Shibuya felt more chaotic and rude than polite and orderly.

Some of the highlights included an incredible experience with the immersive art at TeamLab Borderless. Endless conveyor belt sushi where everyone had their own tablet and could order to their heart’s content (stomachs were happy too). And the kids have never, ever been to Disneyland or Disney World in the US because it’s ridiculously overpriced and overrated, but they have now been to Tokyo Disney. We chose DisneySea for the day and it was really consistently great. Tokyo and Southeast Asia in July isn’t necessarily a great idea, but it is if it’s really the only time you can make a trip work. We spent two weeks last summer in the Southern Hemisphere and strongly believe it’s much easier to get warm than it is to cool down. After all, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” – or so they say. But it’s the rainy season so how hot and humid can Tokyo really be in July?

 We jammed a lot into three days. There were a lot of temples. There were many visits to the ubiquitous Japanese convenience stores, where 7-Eleven has the best ATMs but we liked the snacks at Family Mart. There were weird burgers cut in half. And there was a breakfast at Denny’s that was familiar yet strange. And familiar yet strange is a good way to describe Tokyo.

The Japanese are incredibly quiet. The near-silence while walking around busy streets was disconcerting at times, with no crowd noise and so many EVs that even the cars were muted. There really wasn’t any talking on the subway, and this became hard when we couldn’t hold back the laughter at the various approaches to gripping the handles on the train. The primary approach seems to be two fingers, but there is the four finger and for the adventurous, the one finger variation. There’s also a fist through the loop and a strange palm through the loop approach that also seems to serve as a good stretch. My favorite was the full hand death grip.

The Japanese are also incredibly polite, especially in the service sector. I tried and failed to buy a pair of Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 shoes in Australia, so my quest continued at the point of origin. However, it was not as easy as I hoped when the first store we went to had a line down the street just to get in to see if they were in stock. We skipped that one and tried a store near our apartment. And while they didn’t have the right size, the clerk went above and beyond to write down the stores that did have it with the addresses and all the information they would need. After I successfully secured the right shoes in the right size, the next clerk came running out of the store when she saw we were confused on how to get to the tax-free desk. But there is no polite on the subway at rush hour. They cram in as tight as possible, jam elbows into sweaty backs and body check everyone out of the way when the doors open. The contrast is confounding. Turns out the famous crosswalks at Shibuya felt more chaotic and rude than polite and orderly.

Some of the highlights included an incredible experience with the immersive art at TeamLab Borderless. Endless conveyor belt sushi where everyone had their own tablet and could order to their heart’s content (stomachs were happy too). And the kids have never, ever been to Disneyland or Disney World in the US because it’s ridiculously overpriced and overrated, but they have now been to Tokyo Disney. We chose DisneySea for the day and it was really consistently great.

Impolite street art

Disney train riders were well behaved, but still quiet.
A full hand death grip on these handles is also hard to do.

Uma wearing Mexico 66 Tigers. She probably had to go to fewer stores to get hers.

Burgers rudely cut

Immersive art, I think this may have been titled The Sound of Silence

It takes a village

 

On Sunday, Dinah and I were able to join our hosts in distributing most of their monthly grocery deliveries for February. Coordinators will notify the people on their distribution list, who then gather at the coordinator’s house and await their monthly distribution. We were able to hand out dozens of eggs, along with pasta, rice, beans, oil, and other staples. Each person received their dispensa with extreme gratitude, often pulling us in for a big hug or kiss (one poor granny had to wipe her lips off after kissing my sweaty neck), or a handshake and blessings for our future. We felt like we were the ones  receiving the best end of the deal, especially when the coordinator at the second location commanded us to sit and prepared a local meal for us.

 

No matter where we traveled, people gave out of their scarcity, offering food and drink, well-wishes and prayers, and always taking time not only to say hello, but to talk and try to get to know the people in our group. We also noticed that people would reach out to our hosts for help with various issues. Our hosts are the embodiment of the phrase “love your neighbor” and showed us countless times during our stay how to love and care for people, no matter their situations. If we learn nothing else from this trip, we are definitely learning a lesson in being open to opportunities to meet people, and receptive to those God puts in our lives.

 

On Sunday evening, our hosts held a special Bible study in their home. Dinah taught some neighborhood girls how to make friendship bracelets and played board games with them for a while. I shard some of my favorite Bible characters with the group, and they were surprised to find out how imperfect some of the heroes of the Bible truly were. It was a wonderful time spent reading the Word of God together, even if I did struggle reading the Spanish verses at times.

 

Monday gave us another chance to distribute the remaining monthly groceries. This time, our hosts made house visits, checking on the people they hadn’t heard from in a while, and generally making sure they were ok. This simple act of physically visiting people and checking on them clearly made some of them feel more loved, and handing them groceries showed them just how much people care about them.

 

When delivering groceries to a family who lives in a very rural setting, our hosts started talking to neighbors to see if a better living situation could be found for them. This neighbor knew someone who knew the family’s history and promised to follow up with details. That neighbor knew someone who could look for a better location for housing. Another neighbor promised to look out for the family while they were living in their current place. Just with simple conversations, the ball started rolling to get this family in a more sanitary environment, where they could be protected from the elements and maintain their dignity. It truly takes a village to care for each other, and we are returning home with a renewed passion for helping our fellow humans.

They say all good things must come to an end

 

This week, Jess gets to go on her third and final mission trip with one of our eighth-graders. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been on this journey for over a decade, but we’re looking forward to what’s next. In the meantime, check out what Jess and Dinah are doing in Oaxaca.

 

It’s the last eighth-grade mission trip for the Campbell Homeschool Academy, and it’s a

bittersweet experience for Jess. I’m excited to spend time with Dinah working with our friends, Sacha and Fabricio, as we support their organization, Carballo International. I’m also sad to think this will be the last one-on-one mission trip I get to take with one of my children.

 

For this trip, we let people know that the organization was looking for Spanish NIV Bibles and stuffed animals, and boy, did people deliver! A grand total of 87 Bibles, three suitcases, 30+ stuffed animals, and funds to cover luggage fees was donated, meaning we have oodles of items to hand out…and felt a bit like smugglers during our flights. It also meant that one suitcase in particular had so many stuffed animals in it, it was in jeopardy of exploding if anyone tried to unzip it, just like a suitcase full of animals on another trip.

 

Early Thursday afternoon, Dinah and I landed in Oaxaca City, Mexico. Our friends, Sacha and Fabricio met us at the airport, along with their son and dog. They gave us a ride to our adorable hotel, where we were able to get settled in and freshened up. In the evening, we walked around the downtown area of the city, taking in the markets and historic buildings. Jess tried samples of mezcal and crickets, Dinah opted out of both.

 

The next day, we hit the road to Monte Alban, which is the site of huge ancient Zapotec ruins…and also the site of an important scene in the movie “Nacho Libre”. Jess was expecting one ruined building, instead it was an entire city of ruins, spanning across massive fields of grass.

 

The tallest structure, which had 43 steps to the top, had every tourist in the area huffing and puffing. Keep in mind that each step was at least 12” tall…Apple measure may or may not have been accurate. Also, the sun apparently shines very brightly here, and although Jess did attempt to apply sunscreen, she and Dinah both ended up resembling candy canes, much like Daniel did on his mission trip to Puerto Rico.

 

After the ruins, we headed back to the city, to enjoy lunch, a marriage parade, and a trip to the museum. This museum is housed in an old convent, or maybe monastery, and holds treasures discovered in the tombs of Monte Alban, along with history of the Spaniards and indigenous peoples of the area. We followed that with a little cooldown, then back out to the streets for dinner, people watching, and a street performance of Cosi fan Tutte.

 

On Saturday, we left Oaxaca City, and headed toward Tehuantepec, where we will be based for the rest of our trip. On the way, we visited El Tule, which is the stoutest tree in the world (2,000 years old, according to the sign), and Hierve de Agua, which are astounding petrified waterfalls.

 

When we reached Tehuantepec and had gotten settled, Dinah and I helped divide up the monthly grocery order. Each month, Carballo International distributes groceries to residents of the area - spreading God’s love through the simple gift of food and toiletries. This month, their order was large enough for sixty families. Over the next two days, we’ll also help to deliver these items to the residents.

 

We’ve eaten amazing food over the past three days, seen incredible history and landscapes, and already met kind and generous people. Now to rest up and prepare to share the next few days handing out food and toys.

 

Tree, tall and stout 

Petrified waterfalls

Are you ready for some footy?

 

Along with losing a day on the way over here, I’m also going to be leaving a year older. And it’s unclear if I get my day back. What a trip.

Melbourne is home to one of the largest IMAX screens in the world, we had to see it. Melbourne also has their version of Li’l Sebastian, Phar Lap. The Australian’s love for Phar Lap runs deep, and the lore is fascinating. On his first trip to race in America, it’s quite likely someone killed this beloved horse. After this unfortunate ending, the Jonas Brothers (no joke) stuffed him and he’s also on display at the same museum.

Then there’s Australian football. We watched an intro to this wild sport so we weren’t completely in the dark. It only helped a bit, but the fans’ enthusiasm really made up for our complete confusion. It’s hard to describe this sport of grown men without pads running around and tackling each other while kicking and bumping the ball to each other. It really seems like a game that middle school boys play on the dirt playground somehow went pro. North Melbourne won by kicking through the middle poles more than Richmond. Kanga, kanga, kanga! Roo, roo, roo!

Phar Lap, a really big Sebastian

Jonas Brothers hard at work

Turns out this is going to be a goal worth 6 points 

So far, beer makes sense to me all around the world

Get it on, Wollongong, get it on

 

Having seen all the major sites Sidney, we day tripped to Wollongong. It has one of the largest Buddhist temples in the southern hemisphere. It’s home to one of our favorite characters on Love on the Spectrum. Why not? Maybe because it’s a two hour train ride each way. And maybe because it’s not that great.

We followed it up with a nearly 12 hour day by train to Melbourne. Neither of these things are recommended but, like all choices we make on this trip, were interesting adventures. The best part was an overly excited man who enthusiastically told us about the train bathroom situation. “Go back there for the spacious toilet. You don’t want this one, it’s too cramped. I call it the ‘cramped toilet.’ And make sure you lock it, because if you don’t, anyone can walk in…and no one wants that in their brain! If I see a door, I’m opening it unless it’s locked! So be sure to lock the door.” He also told everyone else in the train car this very important information. And he used his outside voice.

Well this is an interesting way to greet us, Wollongong

I’m afraid this is what happens with too many Tim Tams

This is what a Pagoda looks like in Australia

Monk on a walk

Oh, hello Melbourne