Hillary

Today was Sabbath, and our last day at Light of Hope. The moment we got off the van, the kids surrounded us, and we spent the start of the morning playing games and having our last breakfast at Light of Hope. Afterwards, we went to church and took the service.

After church, we went on a small hike to a temple with the kids and saw so many monkeys. It was steep and tiring, but the view and spending more time with the kids were so worth it. It kinda reminded me that there's going to be parts of life that are harder to climb, but the connections you build and the impact you make along the way will be worth it, and in the end, you'll also get something out of it if you approach it with a positive mindset.

After our temple visit, we rested at the hotel, started packing, and then went back to Light of Hope for dinner. Then we went to the church, where we danced with the kids and enjoyed watching their cultural dances. It was so cool to see their hard work and get to participate in their culture (I'm still surprised I didn't trip). After the dances, we had a cake fight with everyone, and it was probably the most fun (and cake in my face) that I've had in a while.

Sadly, it was soon time to go. We all went outside the church with faces and ears completely covered in cake, and we lit lanterns to send off into the night sky. It was poetic in a bittersweet way, and the kids had fun lighting up the lanterns together. The lanterns in the sky and the full moon looked beautiful, like a scene from Tangled. Afterwards, we all hugged the kids our final goodbye. I tried my best to smile and high-five them, even as they teared up and clung to me. The hardest part of today wasn't the stairs to the temple or getting cake out of my hair, but pulling away from them when we had to go. I couldn't help but think about how they must've been feeling and about the lives that we briefly entered. I think we made an impact, and even though goodbyes are sad, I'm glad I got to experience every part of this.

The ride back to the hotel was full of tears (and laughter). We made an impact on the kids, but the kids made an impact on us too. I know I'll be thinking of them for the rest of the trip, and when we get back to Australia. I hope our team and the kids will look back on today, remember the happy times and memories we made together, and smile. I guess today I learnt that even though some journeys and connections are only seasonal, it makes them all the more meaningful, and the impact stays with you. Saying goodbyes is a part of life, and sometimes, goodbyes are said with smiles and high fives.

Amelia

Today was an unforgettable, important day of the trip as we had to say goodbye to the children we’d gotten so close to, as well as Light of Hope as a whole. The day was filled with mixed emotions as we experienced new things together while knowing it was our last day. We started Sabbath morning with the church service run by NCC. My friends led skits, short sermons, and songs, while I introduced the offerings and craft. My highlight was singing with the kids because they always seem to know the songs better than we do.

After that, we had our last homemade meal before going to a temple. The climb was extremely steep and tiring, but the view and the monkeys at the end made it worth it. The Light of Hope kids came with us as well, and it was a fun visit.

After we got back to the hotel and rested, we went back into the church for the cultural night LOH had planned. They performed four beautiful Cambodian traditional dances, all of them super well done and fun to watch.

Next came the chaotic part of the day: the cake fight. They brought out a big cake, and after we took photos, we each got a piece. Then, war began. We ran around the church with pieces of cake in our hands, swiping the faces of people we passed. At the end, we were all covered in cake and cream. After the cake fight, we all went outside and lit up lanterns. It was so pretty seeing all the lanterns in the sky, and it was nice to see all the kids so happy. We each lit a couple, and then it was time to leave.

It was hard to say goodbye to the kids and keep a smile on my face as they surrounded me. Even though we only spent a week with them, we all made meaningful connections through teaching and playing with the kids. It’s crazy to think we’ll go on with our lives after, and the kids will too. I’ll miss them so much, but I’m so grateful for the connections and impact that we made.