On the 1st of December 2018...

...23 students, three teachers, one Mr Vanderpyl, and three parents hopped into a plane going to Cambodia Singapore. After a long 11-hour flight, we finally arrived at Changi Airport; where we stayed in transit for another 12 hours. From there, we took a short two-hour flight to Siem Reap.

We were welcomed into Cambodia with nice, humid, 35-degree weather. Outside the airport, two amazing people – Anne and Anthony McCormick – were waiting for us. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to go! They had planned everything for us, from our transportation to our food to the places that we would go to work. From there we went on to do some sightseeing. We visited a few temples, including the well-known Angkor Wat. We also spent some time trying to acclimatise to the heat! On the 3rd of December, we travelled from Siem Reap to our next stop in Battambang. The three-and-a-half-hour bus journey came to an end at our accommodation for the next nine days – the RaVorn Villa Boutique.

Over the next week, we found ourselves in a range of places – from schools to hospitals to gardens – doing a range of activities like teaching, singing, dancing, cleaning, smashing clay, and presenting our own, unique testimonies. We were usually up and about by 6.30 am and out in different places most of the day. We were split into four groups and each of the groups spent time in lots of different places. It was hard work, but thankfully we got a break every now and then. The RaVorn Villa Boutique provided us with a nice swimming pool. We also explored the city of Battambang and the Kingdom of Wonder – Cambodia. We all enjoyed the tuk tuk rides and loved having the drivers join in with some of the activities. One of the highlights for lots of people was singing “Wairua Tapu” with our tuk tuk drivers as we farewelled them. As our 10 days in Battambang came to an end, we thanked and said goodbyes to everyone who made our time in Battambang better and more enjoyable; and on the 12th, we were all very excited for the six-hour bus journey that lay before us.

Entering Phnom Penh was like being a fish swimming down a river, but realising that there’s a dam ahead and you’re also surrounded by other fish. In Phnom Penh, we went to various markets and did some more sightseeing. Visiting the Killing Fields was another highlight where we all learnt a lot even though it was a hard place to see. On the last day we performed songs and puppets one last time at the Salaa Hope School.

On the 16th of December, all 30 team members arrived at Christchurch. During our time in Cambodia, we learnt more about each other as well as strengthening our faith and our relationship with God. It was a truly fabulous time and an adventure we will never forget.