Sunrise to Remember | Words by Josh and Crystal

[Josh] Today we had to get up really early at 4am to go and see the Angkor Wat sunrise. The Tuk Tuk ride was really fun especially riding in the dark. Once we got there we had to walk across a plastic kind of bridge to get to the actual temple. Then there was a huge ancient bridge almost Aztec looking that lead straight to the temple. We walked down the bridge and stopped half way and watched the sun break out from behind Angkor Wat. This being my first sunrise I’ve ever seen I would say it’s the most fantastic and breathtaking thing I’ve ever experienced and will be something I’ll remember for a lifetime. After that we went into the temple and we were able to walk around and take photos. For the entire time I was in the temple I felt like Indiana Jones discovering new secrets and artefacts. After that we sat down and had pancakes for breakfast and then moved on to two more temples. One was Bayon temple which was covered in faces and was fallen apart a lot more and had lots of ruined temple stacked up in piles. The third temple I’m not too sure of the name but I do know that one of the tomb raider films were filmed there. It was probably a medium size but there were a lot of pictures of how the temple looked when they first found it and after they restored it. Later that day we went back to the hotel and swam for a while then after lunch we went to the day markets and got 1 hour to walk around and buy and barter for whatever we wanted. After that we headed back to the hotel again and had another swim then at around 6 we went off to dinner and soon after that we headed off to the night markets. We got another 1 hour to go around and buy whatever we wanted, I got some really funny glasses and got a pretty good reaction from everyone. For this being our first full day in Siem Reap I couldn’t have asked for anything better and can’t thank my teachers enough for bringing me here and experiencing such a wonder of things and opening my eyes to different experiences and making me realise that I need to be more grateful for everything I have.

[Crystal] Today started with an early wake up at 4am. As the sun began to rise we made our way in tuk tuks toward the famous and much anticipated Angkor Wat. Upon arrival we soaked up the beautiful sight before us. The temple's tall and majestic structure was framed by the rising sun.

As we walked through the temple's ancient halls and rooms I noticed the numerous carvings and decorations on the walls. From afar the temple looked like a large mass of stone but up close it was a series of tall towers, covered galleries, chambers, porches and courtyards on different levels linked by steep stairways. It was definitely an experience I will always remember.

As the day progressed we went to the Bayon temple that was significantly smaller than Angkor Wat but was unique and different. All the staircases were extremely steep and narrow which was a bit scary but the beauty from the top floor was worth it. Everywhere were carvings and pretty doorways.

To sum up our historical experience we visited the Ta Prohm temple. This one was probably my favourite because it looked mystical and almost surreal. Tree roots cascaded down the sides of buildings and twisted around pillars. Local people were selling their handmade goods and others were giving out bracelets that served as a reminder to be compassionate to others.

At night we went to the Night Market. All types of things were being sold from rolled ice cream to henna and watercolour paintings. The atmosphere was very lively as tourists walked around trying to find souviners for a reasonable price.

Today was a very exciting and busy day that taught us more about the history and culture of Cambodia. We also had the opportunity to appreciate the ancient ruins that still stand today.

On the final day of our Cambodia adventure, NCC students had the opportunity to visit Apopo, a Non Government Organisation in Cambodia that uses trained rats to find unexploded land mines. This was yet another example from our trip of a group of people working to make what many would see as a hopeless situation better.

A Sabbath to Remember | Words by Zoe and Favi

[Zoe] How great it was to sleep in this morning! Waking up and getting ready an hour later was the rest that should have caught up on ages ago. Rather than getting down to the lobby and out onto the streets of Kampong Thmor at 7:30, we could casually make our way down at 8:30 to hop on the truck and accompanying tuktuk to drive to Light of Hope. We ate our usual breakfast of assorted cereals and toast (bread when the toaster gave up) and walked across to the open shelter for church. We were greeted by tonnes of smiling faces, and some of the kids that we had talked to the day before. Amanda and Isabella welcomed everyone to the service with kind words and a short prayer. Then a few of us got up to sing some songs. Songs like “No One Like Jesus”, and “Deep and Wide” had engaging actions for the kids at Light of Hope, even to the extent that most of the house parents were joining in too. “Everlasting Love” was a bit too complicated for the kids to understand, even we were a bit lost on what we were doing. But we just kept on smiling and even if we both jumped different ways. At the VBS on Tuesday, we learnt a Cambodian worship song and by Saturday we knew how to sing it ourselves. There just seemed to be something special about worshipping God in another country that further emphasised this trip for me. Sally got up to do a little “get to know you” activity with some of the older kids from Light of Hope and some NCC students. After some coincidently similar answers from NCC, one of the Light of Hope kids responded to one saying “My secret talent is looking after the cows.” After everyone stopped laughing, some NCC students performed a drama of Jesus’s struggle to reach us when we are distracted by materialistic things. Hannah got up and spoke about the lost sheep, Nathan talked about the lost coin, and Nick talked about the prodigal son.

We all piled back into the big blue Light of Hope truck and drove to San Tuk mountain to climb to the top and walk through the temple. The walkway has the most disproportionate steps I have ever seen. Actually, all the stairs in Cambodia are pretty interesting. They were different heights and lengths which made you feel like you were going to fall because each one was irregular. But I think that it made the trip up and back more amusing. On either sides of the steps you saw the occasional monkey, but we didn’t get close as Mrs Bonnington had firmly explained the consequences of a monkey bite, and I didn’t feel like large needles of rabies shots today. A third of the way up we had the opportunity to go to a rock lookout which had a view that was simply breathtaking. We had to take our shoes off, but that was a small price to pay for a picturesque view of the city and countryside below. When we finally got up to the actual temple it was worth all the effort it took to get up there. The colourful elegance of every building was breathtaking. After taking a truckload of photos, we all trooped down back to the truck.

When we got back to Light of Hope we had dinner and then walked back over to the Church building for evening worship. This time there was no translator to translate what the Khmer people were saying, so we have to imagine and make up what the message was about. It all was finished off by a a few songs and a prayer. Then the cultural concert/cultural night began.

Beautifully dressed, the older girls and boys from the village came and danced for us. Their outfits housed as much colour as was physically possible, the girls’ makeup was amazing, and it was just so incredible to watch. A few NCC boys and girls were called up to dance with one Khmer dancer and redo what they had just witnessed. It was quite humorous, but everyone just got in there and gave it their best shot. They did many dances, and again NCC students were called up to copy the dance. When we got up there they said that we had no leader and that we would have to try and remember it on our own. That was a bit more out of my comfort zone but it was more fun than I imagined it to be. Despite the messiness of it all we all really enjoyed it. Then they brought the sticks out and we all had the opportunity to try. When we had all had a go, the dancers gave us special cloths they had used to dance with. The atmosphere it this place was electric, everyone was just here for a good time. And that’s what we had, a good time.

[Favi] The day played off with a well deserved later wake up time,  satisfying our constant hard work under the dreaded heat of the sun. Breakfast was provided at Light of Hope, and shortly after we were doing last minute polishes to our church service for the kids and people of Light of Hope. It was great to see everybody dressed up and looking fantastically sharp for the occasion,  and even better than happened during the service. Majority of our students were required to make some sort of item, while some preached in front of everyone. We sang songs that were slowly becoming repetitive, Sally T gave a Q&A panel, while three Light of Hope and three NCC students were to reply. Surprisingly there was a short drama/skit. Although it looked good, I was incredibly surprised on how it went. Being able to perform that in a matter of days of practicing, was definitely a good effort. To round up, three NCC students gave sermons on lost things in the Bible and how that reflects on us and the world. Three awesome sermons were positively done by Hannah, Nathan and Nick, while the difficulty they faced having to wait for all their words to be translated. To completely wrap up, the Cambodian kids played a short game similar to duck duck goose. It was so good to see the kids getting up and about going mental with big smiles on their faces laughing around.

Once the church service was finished, lunch was once again provided by the mothers as we were shortly after preparing for a dreaded hike, similar to the 1000 steps back home on Australia. For me of course it wasn't going to be hard, but definitely for others it was certainly going to be a challenge dealing with everything. Once we took the truck, we arrived safely and instantly could feel the heat and humidity upon us. As we made out way up, their were plenty of people going up and down the steps due to the fact it being a Cambodian public holiday. Step by step I could really feel the humidity. Nothing hurt, I just felt hot as ever. Once we arose to the top of the rock, the risk of going up was definitely rewarded back at us with an amazing view of the Cambodian land. At the very top were big impressive temples. It amazed me on how they did all this at a very high place. Around us were plenty of monkeys enjoying the place, trashing and even eating things they could find. Some spots of these temples were photo worthy, as the scenery still got to me.

Later that night the ICC students performed a well rehearsed Cambodian traditional dance. It was impressive to say the least, as everyone knew what to do. Later on they got us NCC students to perform, and must I say it was rather embarrassing. However, it was completely fine, seeing the kids laughing is just the best thing. To end the day, Light of Hope and NCC students were going incredibly mental, running everywhere and having fun. It was a fantastic way to end a fantastic day. All the memories made will definitely cherish forever.

Paint Day | Words by Laura and Jake

[Laura] Today was paint day. All week we have been painting houses and it has come to a full day of painting, being the second last session till we completely finish. All the different fruit teams worked together to get the job done and one by one the houses were completed. There was one house in which had proved to be challenging from the start since our group, the pineapples, had to not only clean but scrape and seal our house before applying the paint. Despite the rocky start the house was almost done except for walls on the side which were too high to reach. On Sunday we will continue the painting journey but sadly it won’t be possible to finish it completely. In the afternoon we went off to play and talk to the kids. I talked to the girls and learned some of the language before playing futbol. It was pretty good although most were obviously better than us. This afternoon I also had the opportunity to play with my sponsor kid and some of his friends. He had a ball and we all threw it around. I also took the opportunity to talk to the older kids. Time flew by and it felt like seconds. I wish that we had more time. As we left I fell over in this hole which was covered by grass. Although was a tad embarrassing due to the amount of people who saw, I still was able to laugh it off. All in all, today was a productive day and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I will miss Cambodia for sure.

[Jake] Today we endured through a prolonged day of hard work on house A, B, C, etc. It was filled with countless scraping, washing of the walls and painting. In the blazing hit sun we worked and worked. Aiming to have all the painting complete at the end of the day. It was a long days work but by the end of the day we finally finished the houses, except for the cement house which still required more work to be done on it.

It was so good to see the team all working. We all worked so well together. It was just like in the times of the Jesus, where the disciples served others for God’s glory. It was so good to see the team all working. Seeing all my classmates spending quality time together, working, chatting and being united as a whole. Even though many were quite exhausted they were able to persevere through these tough trials and used each other to get the job done. It was like Christian service really came alive to each one of us. It was showing the grace and love of Jesus.

I'm so proud of each one of us. It's proof that we can achieve anything that we put our mind to. It is so good to see a great level of perseverance and hard work. May we reminded that through God, anything Is possible. When we go home let's continue the service of Jesus and showing the love of God to all who have the ears to listen.

Memories to Last a Lifetime | Words by Hannah and Sally M

[Hannah] Today I think that we were all starting to feel drained and tired after continuous working and interaction in the harsh Cambodian sun. The rays were already beating down on us in the morning as we made our way to Light of Hope on the bus, but our journey was quickly interrupted as our transport broke down. Nonetheless, with the help of some random guy from across the road we were able to make our way to Light of Hope. After breakfast and worship it was business as usual as we broke off into our groups and continued working on our projects. My group probably had it the toughest as we needed to scrape off all the old paint from our house, apply a sealant and then apply our first layer of paint which we didn’t even get around to doing today. The heat was really hitting different today compared to the other days and I struggled a bit, but I made an effort to continue at a good pace. After lunch, we headed off to do our VBS activities which included the four main events - singing, a story, crafts and then to finish it off with an activity. 

The afternoon was definitely a major highlight of the trip so far. We finally got to meet our very own sponsor kids and spend some time with them. Mine is named Srey Roth, she is 19 and is a bit shy but is so nice and lovely to be around. The afternoon was spent hanging out with her in activities like volleyball and soccer. We even had a NCC versus the kids at Light of Hope soccer game that was lots of running around but also heaps of fun. The food for dinner was beyond words because it was just SO GOOD and reminded me that even after a hot and sticky day, nice food and a shower will always make things better. 

[Sally M] Watching paint dry, in all honesty, sounds quite relaxing in comparison to the job of the painter. Today we, once again, were the painters. We began our first coat of hand mixed off white paint and by now the novelty of painting houses had almost vanished. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed talking and working with the other kids in year 10 and those living in our house plus found great satisfaction in surveying a freshly painted wall. Although we hadn’t quite finished the first coat when we stopped and had lunch. Almost everyone was exhausted and ravenous and once again the food cooked by some of the mums at the school was divine. Throughout the week I have been really enjoying the VBS (vacation Bible school), especially meeting, teaching and playing with the kids. Today we went to a new location-ran through the program( I helped with the felt storyboard), and watched the kids giggle and laugh as they played ‘duck duck goose’.

After returning to LOH we were told that we would be meeting our sponsor child, or in my case, sponsor children. It was an anxious wait somewhat filled with excitement as I sat in the food area looking for my 2 year old triplets. They were adorable. I feel very fortunate to have met them and had a lot of fun blowing bubbles and playing with them. Today was exhausting and even now as I’m writing I’m desperate to get some sleep but one way to tell that you’ve had a good day is by measuring how tired you are at the end of it. Today was fantastic and although there are only 5 and a bit days left of this trip, the memories made here will dwell in my mind for a lifetime. 

Making the Most of Our Time | Words by Ariza and Zoe M

[Ariza]Today was a very exciting and full day. I fell asleep and woke up to the sounds of a prayer or music which was being played loudly from across the street. It was so noisy that I would continuously wake up throughout the night. After freshening myself up and gathering my items we drove to Light of Hope in tuk tuks and ate breakfast. We then got into groups and prepared to start the race. We spent most of the day running around Kampong Thmor doing an amazing race; going to different places, searching for items and carrying out challenges. I was in a group of four which included Zoe M, Sally T, and a Year 12 girl student of the school named Sre Hreang who helped us along the way. Running around in the blazing sun made us extremely tired and sweaty but it was a very fun and enjoyable experience and worth getting to know more about Cambodia and the kids of Light of Hope. The challenges were very entertaining, and going around the province of Kampong Thmor was a creative way to help us learn more about the culture. There was one challenge where we had to follow the children of Light of Hope and do a traditional dance. It was relaxing but to get to the next challenge we had to get the whole dance right. I kept messing up the end and we would have to start all over again, but after a few times I eventually got it. There was also another activity where we were blind folded and given each a different type of cereal to eat. We were so scared as we didn’t know what was happening. Zoe squealed because she thought they placed bugs on our hands to eat or hold which was funny to listen to. After finishing that, we were given cups with different kinds of drinks in them. After successfully consuming both cereal and drinks, we took our blindfolds off and had to guess which one we ate from a variety of cereals and drinks laid out on a table. There were other fun activities such as painting decorations, taking multiple selfies, folding flowers, matching dates,  and exchanging money. There was a lot of running involved to try and beat the other teams but with the help of our friendly Year 12 guide, we eventually pulled through and finished. 

After a delicious lunch made by the villagers, we started the second coat of brown paint on our houses. Working all together and spending time with the house children was very enjoyable. It was relaxing and fun although we were very tired from the race. After finishing the second coat we spent some time playing in the playground and sport with the kids. After these few days I have been able to make friends with the children, so we joke around and play with them a lot now. When I played soccer one of the younger boys would joke around and make fun of me but he is really nice and wanted me to play on his team later. We then finished with dinner and went back to the hotel to get free icecream :)

To finish this blog off I just wanted to touch on how I’m feeling in the middle of the trip. I feel like I have made many connections with the children and I don’t want the week to end. Spending the week at Light of Hope has been so short and I want to continue working and spending time with the kids. It has been an awesome experience and I just wish it was longer. I will definitely make sure to spend the next days with no regrets and get the most out of the trip before returning to Melbourne. I have enjoyed so much of the trip, learnt many things, and experienced feelings and emotions I have never felt. I have learnt to be more grateful for the things I have and the place I live in. It’s such a blessing to see a smile on the children’s faces when they live in such a poor and unfortunate environment. However, they still live their life to the fullest with what they have which helped me reflect on my own life and how I need to be more appreciative. An example of this can be when some of the young boys taught me a few games with just an empty plastic bottle. Another one can be at the feeding program when they taught me lots of fun hand games. Being able to bring joy to the children was all I wanted to achieve and it has been a real blessing to have the opportunity to be on this mission with my classmates, to spread the word of God, and bring happiness to the children of Cambodia. 

[Zoe M] So today we did ‘The Amazing Race’, and the experience definitely did a great job of living up to the name. The competition was on as soon as we were given our teams. My team were determined to win. From running around the village, completing eating challenges and being quizzed on our knowledge of Cambodian history, to sprinting around the town in tuk tuks. Each moment was full of zeal. We raced through markets, stopping shortly to capture selfies with bags of snakes, a head of a pig and another kissing a fish (one for the more adventurous). I really enjoyed meeting our Year 12 Cambodian guide and getting to know her with the rest of my team as we completed the race. I felt cheerful during the challenges despite the increase of the heat as the day went on. 

We spent the afternoon working on our second coats of the homes in the Light of Hope village. I found painting to be quite therapeutic and calming. It was sweet and heartwarming to see the children of the house my team were painting eager to help out at every chance, one of the kids even going in with two paintbrushes at once. 

We are half way through the trip and sadly  our time in Cambodia will be over soon. However, I know we’ll all strive to make the most of our last few days. I am truly so grateful for such an incredible opportunity. 

Same Same, But Different | Words by Mason and Nick

[Nick] Today, Nathan and I woke up extra early to go to the local market with Cam. We went at about 6:30, and the market was already lively, we walked around quite a bit, the market is more for meat and fruit and veg, and the meat part of it smelt pretty bad, but it was pretty interesting looking at all the different meats. There were frogs, insects, lots of fish. It was pretty cool. After that, we went to an old lady that served steaming hot noodles, it was pretty risky trying to find food that we knew was safe, but Cam had been there a few times before and knew that the meat wouldn’t get us sick, so we tried it out and it tasted pretty good. After that we headed back to the hotel and joined the rest of the group.

At about 7:30 we left for Light of Hope Children’s Village. When we got there we had breakfast and did a worship. Then we returned to work on the houses, this time we were painting them, but only the bottom half of each house, and it was to be painted brown. It was fun, but really hard work under the sun, but also really rewarding to go all the way around. While we were painting the Cambodian girls that lived in the house we were painting helped us. Many hands made light work and we got it done quicker than most other groups, which was super good. After that we helped a few other groups finish off and went to wash our paint equipment. (Which took forever). We then had a really tasty lunch.

We then prepared for our VBS session at the local village. Because I was in the music group, we didn’t have to plan too much, so we walked around a bit and played with some of the kids, until at about 2 when we left for the village. On the trip we were packed into the truck really tightly, so it was quite claustrophobic and pretty annoying, but eventually we got there. At the village there were quite a few less kids compared to yesterday, but the number increased as the session went on. We sung some songs, told some stories, made some crafts and played some games. It was super cool and I could tell the kids gave absolutely loved it. At the end, we gave all the kids chocolate and headed back to Light of Hope.

At Light of Hope we played some volleyball with the kids and some adults, they were really good, so it was super super fun. They did some amazing shots, and some could jump so high surprisingly. After that we had another amazing dinner and headed back to the hotel. At the hotel we had milkshakes and then went to our rooms where I’m writing this right now.

[Mason]Today we had another early start to the day, waking up around 7 and trudging our belongings down to the foyer where we gathered. As a group we climbed aboard and squeezed into the truck which then travelled to Light of Hope where we started our day with a nice breakfast shortly followed by an initiation of painting on the 5 houses where the children and teens live with their house parents. As the painting commenced on our house, no one had any apparent idea about what to do. After much deliberation between my classmates and Mr Marsh, we finally had a system and started to get moving all while grooving along to some tunes provided by the girls who lived in the house in which we were painting. By about lunchtime we completed the first coat and then took our supplies and went to help other houses in need of assistance. After we had finished helping the others, all of us headed over to the shelter where we are having our meals while we are at LOH.

After lunch we began finalising our plans for the VBS such as preparing the crafts which were little banners that read “Jesus loves me” in their language and we got the kids to trace over it and decorate the banners. While the story tellers practiced their story and and the song group recited their songs. We loaded into the truck with all of our supplies and headed towards the village where we were hosting the VBS. When we arrived after travelling past it and not realising we all made our way out of the sides of and back of the truck and started to set up the tarp for the children to sit and stand on. We started off with the songs and sung the same songs as the day before. Followed by this was the second part of Joseph which continued on from the day before. Midway through the story I really needed to go to the bathroom so the Piep who is the coordinator of the children services at LOH took me too a field next to the VBS where I jumped over water and walked through mud up to a tree where I started to go to the bathroom, but then I suddenly realised that I had a whole colony of ants crawling up my legs. I continued to swat them off my legs but by this time everyone of them had begun to bite my legs. My legs felt like they were on fire as I travelled back to the VBS where I sat and it held my legs all the way back to LOH and the guesthouse. 

Why We're Here | Words by Elizabeth and Jessie

[Elizabeth] Sror low tong was the name of one of the villages we visited, to the delight of our NCC group and the children at the village. Before that, we arrived at the Light of Hope village early in the morning. It was first day with the lovely community, and we were welcomed by many ants when we stepped off the back of a truck, on to the village grounds. To start our day at the Light of Hope, we had breakfast and then jumped straight into work. In order to achieve the goal of painting some of the houses, we first had to wipe them down. While we were cleaning the houses, the groups we were challenged to make a song. At the end when the job was complete, all the groups performed their own songs in front of a panel of judges. Our group (the sunflower group) was robbed of the competition. By far our group had the best lyrics, tune and emotion. 

The group that won plagiarised the melody of an underwhelming Ed Sheeran.  This was all in good fun though and after the competition and delicious lunch it was time for the village of Sror Low tong. This by far was the highlight of the day and the whole trip. Once again, we  split into groups and ran the VBS program. The most successful activities were the craft and game of duck duck goose. All the kids at Sror Low Tong loved both and we were sad to say goodbye when it was time to home. The truck ride back to light of hope was squishy and everyone arrived tired but happy. There was time to mingle with the residents of the village and play soccer or volleyball with them. The locals proved to be very good at both sports. After the break we had a dinner that was even better than lunch and everyone was ready to back to the hotel.

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[Jessie] Monday morning began with all of us meeting in the foyer of our hotel around 7:30. We thought we'd be travelling to Light of Hope in the vans we've previously used but we were all crammed into the back of a truck. And by crammed, I mean crammed. Everyone was squashed together on either side of the truck. Excitement filled the truck as we got close and closer to Light of Hope. When we got there it really hit why we were even in this country and why we're helping at Light of Hope.

After breakfast, we were put into five groups and given some shirts with fruits on them to associate ourselves with our group. We were then taken on a tour of the school by Sherree and were shown what the previous year levels have done there.  Every group was then assigned to a house which becomes our house which we will be painting throughout this week. We started off today by cleaning the houses so that we can start painting tomorrow. During this process, Cam came around to every group and started a competiton where the group with the best theme song would win 1000 riel for each group member. It sounds like a good amount of money but it's the equivalent of 25 cents in Australia. That didn't stop us all from creating a song with our group members. Once most people finished cleaning their houses, we were able to go play some games with the kids. Of course a lot of us went to play volleyball.

We all gathered again for lunch and for the presentation of the songs. Pineapples won in the end even though they sampled an Ed Sheeran song. 

It was now preperation time for our VBS. We all split off into our groups and planned what we were going to be doing. Then we again crammed into the truck to head down to the little village. We got out and sang some songs for the kids and they taught some songs for us to learn too. Storytelling followed and so did some games and crafts. The games got the kids super excited and out of their shells as they played a good old game of duck duck goose. The smiles on their faces as we played with them is something I'll never forget. 

We travelled back to Light of Hope after a really fun afternoon with the kids. As free time hit, most of us went straight to the volleyball courts again. It was really fun to have all the kids joining in with us and just having fun. The night ended with dinner,  worship and a ride back to the hotel. Tomorrow is is a new day and brings on more challenges but also more memories.

How Lucky We Are | Words by Lian and Kelzey

[Lian] We woke up this morning and headed to the rubbish dump with materials for the families that lived there to grow their own vegetables; beanies, dolls and toy cars for the children; and rice also for the families who had little food. As we began to close in on the dump, already the deep stench of rot and rubbish was prevalent. We went down a large alleyway on our tuk tuks. To my right there were lands that had little wooden shacks with metal roofs, surrounded by outgrown weed and plastic bags, bottles and food scraps partly submerged in the muddy dirt that surrounded the  houses. To my left I saw an elderly woman who schlepped a large clear bag of plastic bottles and aluminium cans, very thin and clearly in exhaustion, her struggle to continue walking was exacerbated by the sweat and pain on her face. My urge to hop out and assist her was overwhelming, but there wasn’t much I could do from the back of a moving tuk tuk.

As we arrived, we took out the soil, rice and gifts and made our way between another small alley littered with rubbish and mud. The houses had no proper toiletries, and the hygiene condition if one were to live there would be horrid, but from the morbid living conditions came kids with the brightest smiles. Giggles and laughter drenched us all as some of the children took our hands and lead us to a house. There we stood in front of a crowd of parents, children and the elderly, singing “There Is No one Like Jesus” and “My God is So Big” to them. The actions to the songs settled the mood and it was bliss. The parents got up and participated in the actions too, and the children also taught us a song. The atmosphere was so delightful. Afterwards we grabbed some bags and had a child assist in adding dirt to fill the bag. As I introduced myself to a little boy named Draam, and the enthusiasm and excitement on his face to simply place dirt in a bag to make fresh veggies was astonishing. We added some seeds to the bag, and then drizzled some water on it. 

We met a Cambodian pastor earlier on Friday who ran the feeding programs for the homeless children living at the rubbish dumps, and he made all the kids sit down before us. We grabbed some cotton beanies of the every different colour, toy cars, little dolls, some lollipops and handed them to the children. The scintillating smiles of sheer appreciation and joy from the children receiving a little lollipop, and a beanie in 30+ degrees Celsius was a beautiful sight. Such little things in our eyes were so much greater in theirs. They understood pure and sincere gratitude, and I learned so much. In all honesty I am not thankful for this opportunity in Cambodia to see those less fortunate, I am indeed in gratitude of this privilege to be in Cambodia. I am blessed and loved by my God, this beautiful opportunity to serve Him thorough this trip has been a blessing in itself. I pray for guidance and peace as this trip goes on and I am uttermost grateful for those who love me and for God who provides. What a wonderful start to this mission!

[Kelzey] Today to increase our cultural awareness, we took a short tour of the killing fields, guided by a audio tour guide speaking to us through a headset. The memorial was breathtaking and the entire ambience was overwhelmingly peaceful yet solemn. We were given a map before we were sent out to develop a deeper understanding of the people of Cambodia. The audio tour guide individually guided us around the fields, giving us insights about the mass murders that had occurred on the places that we were standing. For me, the fact that the scenery was so incredibly beautiful but the things that had happened were so horrendously gruesome and brutal was extremely prevalent and confronting. It was quiet which allowed for time to sit and reflect and really appreciate what us as Australians are gifted and how the people of Cambodia have risen above what had happened. For me the part that stood out the most was when I was standing opposite the mass grave where women and children had been buried. I heard the tour guide describe how the soldiers would torture and kill them, while trying to drown out their moans and screams with music. This experience has really demonstrated how the people of Cambodia have struggled because of the corrupt governments they’ve had over the years. It goes to show once again how lucky we are to live in a country where we’re given the right to freedom of speech, and the freedom to worship and practice religions freely. While what happened to the people in Cambodia was atrocious, it presents itself now as a valuable insight into their history and gives people the opportunity to learn.

First FULL Day | Words by Nathan

This morning began with an early start as we rushed to get ready to leave at 7:40am to go to the Chreav Waterfall. We ate a variety of different breakfasts and hopped into a bunch of vans, not really knowing where we’re going, or how long it would take to get to this waterfall. All we knew is that we wanted to escape the heat and jump right into the water as soon as possible. After a while of being in the van, it became pretty clear we were gonna be in this van for a long time. It seemed as though we were never going to get out of the city of Phnom Penh, as traffic began to beat us. Tired faces started to form and conversations began to die as we became immune to the constant honking and traffic jams as road rules were totally abused. After about two and a half hours, we were able to stop to stretch our legs and people began to wake up from their naps. After this, the van was re-energised and myself and my classmates were not as grumpy or tired anymore. The bad news though was that there was another two hours of travelling as we journeyed into the Cambodian country. 

Eventually we made it to the waterfall and we were surprised to see an abundance of locals living there, selling food and also swimming in the river. We settled in to our little shelter and parked our stuff there and immediately went off to walk around and see the area. However, the water became too tempting as we could see the local children having so much fun splashing about; so the majority of us decided to go into the strong current of the river. It started off really cold and a lot less warm than we thought, but we lived by the phrase that “it is alright once you’re in”. It paid off as we spent lots of time enjoying the fresh water and challenging each other to fight the strong current that sped over the slippery rocks. After a while in the water, we decided that it was time for lunch which was kindly prepared by Sheree and Mrs Allen. For lunch, we had a delicious tasting classic being haystacks. Everyone loved it which left us feeling happy and full. This was a great time for us to bond over food, talk to each other and, talk to the Light of Hope uni students and get to know them and each other better as well.

It was about time to leave by then and we were not looking forward to another gruelling four hour van ride. Being so tired after a big day of driving and a big day at the waterfall, it was about time for another sleep for some, well for me at least. 

The unpredictable traffic resulted in us all coming back to the hotel at different times, all desperate to get cleaned up and ready to move as we were all so tired of sitting for so long. We decided to then take a trip out to the Mekong river where we ate some ice cream and strolled around the river, talking, socialising and just being in each other’s company to finish off a big day of travelling. We came back for a late dinner and enjoyed a worship provided by Jamie, which sent us back to bed on a good note to close off our first full day in Cambodia.

We are in Cambodia... Pinch me | Words by Sally T.

So we are in Cambodia... pinch me. Our trip here was long and tedious, there was a lot of waiting and napping and walking around airports. The air in the plane was so dry I felt like a freeze dried mango after we landed in Cambodia (note to self: pack moisturiser on board next time). Being around such a great bunch of people made the trip less tiring. Seems like boredom got a new best friend, I found myself emersing myself within the people around me. I mean, staying with a group of people together through 6 hour delays in an airport surely would bring the group closer. I now know the international terminal of Melbourne airport like the back of my hand. Who knew airports had a prayer room. It was such a privilege waiting in an airport for 6 hours, not many people can say they took a plane half way across the world.

Cambodia felt nostalgic and homely. The smells remind me of Malaysia and the square houses remind me of my grandmas house. We visited Pastor Nupich’s feeding program and played with the kids. The kids were so energetic and excited. A whole commotion arised when the children were all full and filled. Plenty of chasing and laughing. It was such a pleasure seeing all the children being looked after and fed so well. Pastor Nupich is such a giving person the program he has started has created a safe place for children to play and receive support. When eating our meals during dinner Hannah said “I am so greatful for what I have in front of me”. So that sums up the blog from me, passing it on to the next student.

Akun!

See you in Cambodia!

After months of prayer, planning and fundraising, our Year 10 students are ready for lift-off on their Cambodia Adventure.

Along with the online fundraiser, NCC Year 10 students ran two major fundraising events, gathering over 300 alumni, family, friends and members of the local community to support their cause. In total, $18,037.95 has been raised to support the work of Light of Hope in Cambodia, far exceeding the goal of $15,000 in 2019. This fundraising will be used to tile classrooms at the school, continue to provide for the basic needs of children at Light of Hope and also support Light of Hope’s goal to rely less on fundraising and become more sustainable.

Thank you to our wonderful community for the prayers and support you’ve given to our Year 10 students. Our training is now complete and the only thing left to do in pack our bags for this exciting adventure. We look forward to travelling with you and sharing all the amazing things God does for and through us this year.

Spikael Jordan, Winners Cambodia Cup 2019

NCC Staff, Runners Up Cambodia Cup 2019

New Year, New Opportunities

Our Year 10 students are once again travelling to Light of Hope school in Cambodia. The class has set a goal to raise over $15,000 for children at Light of Hope.

You can make a tax-deductible donation to support their fundraising on their Chuffed.org page.