Its 5:02 am. I’ve been awake off and on throughout the night. Even the Ambien wasn’t enough to counteract the exhaustion and the jetlag currently wreaking havoc on my body and brain.

The boys seem to have come through this remarkably well. They slept reasonably well on the plane, napped for a few hours upon arrival, went to bed early – about 6pm local time – and appear to have slept through the night. Kori reports that Xiu Dan was up for a while in the middle of the night; it must have been during the time the Ambien was working, since I don’r remember it at all.

The kids also seem to be adjusting reasonably well to the new surroundings – no fighting, no extreme grouchiness – in fact, they’re treating each other better here than they do at home. We’ll see how long that lasts; we’re going to actually try to get them out and about for a while today, visiting the Asia’s Hope Christian School around lunch time.

We were greeted at the airport by Savorn and Sony, and by all of the directors of our Phnom Penh-area orphan homes. They gave each of our kids single stem roses, and had garlands of jasmine flowers for Kori and I.

The staff hustled us off to our guest house – a beautiful three bedroom apartment in the center of the city, near the famed “Russian Market,” or Psar Tuol Tompoung. The property is managed by a local church pastored by our good friends Narin and Quenie Chey. The Cheys and their four children, Donald, Donna, David and Joshua live across from us in a slightly smaller but otherwise identical unit.

The staff handed over the keys to the apartment and to the car, and Savorn said, “We’ll leave you. You’re tired.” We quickly sorted out who’s sleeping where, and unpacked as much as we could manage – we were running on empty, so we didn’t get far.

Aside from a quick trip to the store to buy eggs and juice, we really didn’t go anywhere or do anything. I took the kids on a short walk, after which the boys went to bed. I haven’t seen them since.

As much as I’d hoped we would be able to sleep through the night and wake up bright and early, I have a feeling that we’re going to be taking it slow today. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. I’ll try to post more tonight, perhaps with pictures from the day.

Greetings at the airportXiu Dan and Sony

Pak and Savorn

Daniel and Donna, Narin and Quenie's kids

Well, in about a week, Kori and I will gather our kids, wrangle our luggage and begin our family’s first-ever trip together to Asia’s Hope’s ministries in Cambodia and Thailand. The initial journey will take us from Columbus to Chicago, Chicago to L.A., L.A. to Taipei and Taipei to Phnom Penh — about 40 hours of airplanes and airports. We’ll spend about a month in Phnom Penh, three weeks in Battambang and three weeks in Chiang Mai, 70 days in all.

It’s hard to believe that since founding Asia’s Hope in 2001, I’ve spent almost a year’s worth of nights away from home. Finally, I get to take my home with me. What a blessing it will be to integrate both sides of my life in such a beautiful way.

Kori’s always been emotionally invested in the ministry, but she’s always been the one stuck holding down the homefront. I’ve gotten all the hugs; she’s had to pay the price as  a “ministry widow.” I’m so excited for her to experience the joy of Asia’s Hope firsthand. She’ll finally be able to put all of the pieces — videos, photos, stories — together with tangible experiences. She already knows the names and has fallen in love with so many of the kids, now she’ll finally meet them face-to-face. I can’t wait.

My oldest son, Chien (12.5), visited Cambodia and Thailand a couple of years ago, but neither Pak (11.5) or Xiu Dan (5) have made the trip. This is going to be an experience of a lifetime for them.My son with Chien with his friends from the Prek Eng 2 orphan home in October 2007. They all look quite a bit different now...

I’m going to be busy – on the clock pretty much 24/7 – but much of my job will include things I enjoy anyway: interviewing and interacting with the staff, documenting the kids and their homes, strategizing and building relationships with colleagues and ministry partners.

I’m going to try to blog as much as possible, probably at least two or three times a week. I’ll post lots of pictures, and will try to keep things as entertaining and informative as possible. I’d encourage you to bookmark this blog or subscribe to its RSS feed. Pass it along, too! I’d love to give as many people as possible the opportunity to “virtually” travel with us. 

Please pray for our health, our logistics, our attitudes and our finances as we embark on this epic journey together!

As most of you have heard, there's a lot of political unrest in Thailand right now. Until recently, the violent anti-government protests were occurring only in Bangkok, hundreds of miles to the south of our work near Chiang Mai.

I received a call from Tutu, our Thai director this morning, and she told me that a bomb exploded at a market in Chiang Mai. She had left in the market only 20 minutes before the blast. While I'm thankful that Tutu was not injured, I'm also concerned. There have also been a number of other such blasts in the past couple of weeks.

Historically, coups and transitions of government haven't disturbed us too much, and I'm certain that our ministry will remain unaffected by the final outcome of these squabbles. Please join me in praying that this tension will be resolved soon, and that our staff, kids and friends will remain safe.

A common scene in Thailand: a Western man, buying a young Thai girl forced by poverty and oppression into prostitution.

As most of you know, Asia's Hope is committed to providing long-term, loving care -- in safe, family environments -- to orphaned children in Southeast Asia. These children are at extremely high risk of sexual and economic exploitation.

In Thailand, we work exclusively with ethnic minority "hill tribe" children. This excerpt from a report from ECPAT, a UK-based child advocacy organization sheds some light on the dangers facing the children we are working to protect.

While there is a general reduction in the number of Thai children in the sex industry this is not true for all children. The northern hill tribe children are especially vulnerable to internal trafficking due to state policies that discriminate against them in education and citizenship and thus expose them to poverty and disadvantage. 

The reasons why and how children are commercially sexually exploited are numerous and include:

• Poverty: A third of the population lives on less than US$2 a day and in the agricultural northeast one in six people lives on less than US$1 a day.
• Ethnic hill tribe children: There are approximately 800,000 to 900,000 hill tribe people living in the border region of northern Thailand. They suffer from disproportionate levels of poverty in relation to the general population and most of them lack citizenship cards. This means that they do not have access to health care or primary school, which limits their further education or employment opportunities. This discrimination makes the children and women especially vulnerable to trafficking and other forms of sexual abuse.
• Trafficked children: Many children are trafficked into or within the country through criminal networks, acquaintances, former trafficking victims and border police and immigration officials who transport them to brothels across Thailand. Because foreign children are unable to speak the Thai language and are often considered illegal immigrants, they are particularly vulnerable to physical abuse and exploitation.
• Sense of duty: According to traditional customs the first duty of a girl is to support her family in any way she can. Due to this sense of duty and to pay off family debts, many girls have been forced into prostitution and some have even ‘married’ their abusers.

Many organizations talk about human trafficking. With your help we're doing something about it.

Please consider making a contribution to Asia's Hope today. Help us protect these precious children.

I just finished a Skype video chat with Duang's wife Lew and their two daughters. I'm so happy to report that all are doing well. Both Lew and Kelapaw face a long road of recovery, but are happy to be out of the hospital, and living as a family again.

The family, along with Lew's mother, are living for now at the home of Tutu Bee, our national director. They will recuperate there for as long as necessary -- two, perhaps three months. Tutu is glad to have them there, and Lew's mother is enjoying her role as caregiver and helper.

Lew is still in rough shape. The swelling has gone down in her face, and she is doing physical therapy regularly to improve movement in her hand. Her hips and legs are her major struggle right now. She is unable to stand, and will use a wheelchair for at least two months, after which she will transition to a walker. Please pray that God will accelerate her healing, and bring her to full health and mobility ahead of schedule.

Kelapaw is getting around with a walker, and hopes to return to walking on her own in a few weeks. Both she and her sister were giggling and smiling; they will always feel a deep sorrow for the loss of their father, but I can foresee a return to some sort of normalcy over time. They are truly beautiful girls, and it was so good to see them smile.

The family is extremely grateful for the prayers, the condolences and the financial support they have received from all around the world. They know that they are loved, and they thank God for all of you who have kept them in mind during this extremely difficult time.

I too am very thankful for all of you. Please continue to pray for this family. And please continue to pray for Asia's Hope. 

I've updated many of you individually on Lew and Kelapaw's condition -- I also wanted to put some information up on the blog.

Kelapaw has been released from the hospital and is recovering. Lew, however, will remain in the hospital for another week or so, and will require more physical therapy and some significant time for healing.

We're going to keep Lew on staff, but change her duties some. She's very much looking forward to reuniting with her two daughters, and with Josiah, the little boy she and Duang cared for.

We will continue to collect funds for ongoing medical expenses and expenses related to the staffing changes necessitated by Duang's death. If you are interested in contributing to this, you may do so by visiting http://www.asiashope.org/support/. If you write a check, put "Duang's family" in the memo line, and we'll make sure it's allocated correctly.

Please continue to pray for this dear family.

"For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." -- Lamentations 3:31-33

I just can't tell you how sad I was to hear this morning about the tragic death of Duang, one of our key staff members in Thailand, and the horrible injuries sustained by his wife Lew and daughter Kelapaw.

The three were on a motorbike that was struck head-on by a car that was passing another vehicle on a narrow road in the north of Thailand. Duang went under the car, his neck was broken, and he died instantly.

Lew is in the hospital with two broken hips, a broken leg and many other injuries. Kelapaw's leg was broken clean through. Neither of them know yet that Duang has died. The next few days will be excruciating for them both physically and emotionally. And even if their bodies heal completely, their hearts will bear permanently the wounds from this horrible accident.

I'm also weeping today for Duang and Lew's daughter Neracha, who saw the accident happen, but was on another bike and was uninjured. And for Bang (known to some of you as Josiah), the little toddler Duang and Lew have raised since infancy.

I'm also heartbroken for all of the girls at Doi Saket 1 to whom Duang was a father. These children -- already orphaned -- have now suffered another shattering loss.

I'm so thankful for Mike and Debbie Flinchum. They're ministry advisors who have provided our staff and kids with countless hours of assistance for no pay. Mike rushed to the hospital to help with arrangements while Debbie had the unenviable task of contacting Duang's friends in the U.S. and Canada. They seem to be hanging in there, but they're exhausted and very, very sad.

And, of course, I'm devastated for Tutu Bee, our national director. She is understandably distraught. Nearly inconsolable. She is strong, but the loss is a huge blow. On a normal day her job is nearly impossible. Today, it's unimaginable.

Please join with me in earnest, fervent and prolonged prayer for these guys. I love them all, and my heart is breaking for them. Please beg God to make his promises very real to all who are suffering from this loss today.

This has to be my favorite story of the year. I received this email from Tutu Bee, our Thailand country director. The email was titled, "Naughty staff but blessing." Enjoy.

In the end of the year on December 29,09. Our staff Dong and his wife Ying. She pregnant for 8 months turn to 9 months. They asked me to go back to their villag for celebrate New year at church. I had told them you should not go because your baby will born soon and your village very far from the city and road very camping road. They said will be fine not born  yet.

So, they went back to the village on the night of Janury 1st, 10. Dong had to hurry from the village to the hospital with a midwife in the back of the truck. Ying very serious with painful for baby will born!! the midwife told her don't puch yet, break... break... don't puch but can't break not work!! and on the way her baby born in the back of the truck!! on the way and then arrived in the local hospital later, both mother and baby saved in God's hand. Praise God! 

See the pictures. So cute and lovely baby boy. His name is Hope because parents working at Asia's Hope and his nick name is Ford because the truck brand baby born inside the truck is Ford!! 

Staffa and all your kids miss you so much and they are praying for your coming back soon.  They all love the Lord very much. They encouraged me a lot by their singing and pray and love to study bible.

Thank you so much for care for them and loving them and give them hope and future.