The sacred and the simple
The lake near our Doi Saket 3 and 4 homes

I got up early this morning. It's more a side-effect of the jet lag than an outgrowth of a work ethic. But by 5am, I was showered, dressed and feeling restless. We're staying at the Good Shepherd Guesthouse, just steps away from our Doi Saket 3 and Doi Saket 4 homes. 

I did my best to not wake up Kori and the kids, and I wandered out to see if I could catch the sunset over the nearby lake. I got to the lake just in time, but I didn't really get any good shots — note to self: bring a tripod if shooting in the dark.

At about 6am, as the sun came up, I strolled past the gate of the Doi Saket 3 and 4 homes. One of my staff noticed me, waved and motioned me in. I arrived to find the older kids still a bit sleepy, but already hard at work. Chores start early in a family with 20 children. A couple of kids crouched on the floor of the DS4 kitchen, and I joined them, chopping cabbage and pork for the day's lunch. 20 shiny tiffin boxes sat glistening on the table, waiting for one child to add the fragrant rice cooking in the giant steamer burbling on the counter, for another to add the cabbage and for yet another one to top it off with the meat crackling in the propane-fueled wok in the corner.

Outside, groups of kids swept the leaves that fell during last evening's torrential rain while aunties combed hair, weaving ebony plaits tight enough to last almost a whole day of elementary school. Mom washed breakfast dishes on the front steps while Dad prepared for morning devotions. 

Little kids laughed, a few of the older ones argued playfully, a baby cried. Lovelorn cats complained to an audience of none, and neighborhood chickens squawked in agitation, distributing a nervous gazette of neighborhood hatchings and choppings. Dishes clanked, woks burbled and, animated by a gentle breeze, the branches sprinkled the metal roofs with the last of the overnight rain.

Nothing to see here. Just a couple of normal families getting ready for school. But in a world where chaos, fear, alienation and hate lay claim to the last, worst word, these simple chores take on for me a sacred significance, and embody a hope that may just save us all.

John McCollumComment
Pizza party with Asia's Hope scholars

I'm back home in Columbus, writing in a bit of a jet-lag induced stupor; 30+ hours of flights and airports will do that to you. I wanted to post some pictures from my last days in Cambodia before I left, but the time simply ran away from me.

On my very last night in-country, I had the privilege and the joy to rent a boat for a couple hours on the Mekong River to enjoy some long-wished-for recreation time with many of the Asia's Hope students currently studying at university around Phnom Penh.

Some of these kids I hadn't seen yet on my short trip to Cambodia; they're quite busy with homework, classes and tests. So it was so nice to spend a cool evening with some pretty cool people. I'm proud out each one of them, and the dozens of other Asia's Hope scholars I didn't get a chance to hang out with. Please pray for them. And please consider supporting their studies by visiting our scholarship page.

John McCollumComment
January 31: Asia's Hope Battambang Secondary School dedication
January 31: Asia's Hope Battambang Secondary School dedication

Well, once again the staff of Asia's Hope Cambodia has beat me to the punch. After yesterday's marathon of activities, I returned to my hotel room to find that Savorn and the home parents had already uploaded hundreds of photos of the school dedication service before I'd even taken the memory card out of my camera.

I was determined to get the majority of the day's 750+ photos edited, but in the end, I was too pooped to pop. So I'm doing my darndest to get back on track, but it's already 9:30 a.m., and I'm barely half way through. 

To be fair, however, I'm pretty darn exhausted. My pedometer says that I walked about 4 miles yesterday. But about 3 of those miles came in the form of dancing at last night's afterparty. 

Church with friends and family at Asia's Hope Battambang.

Church with friends and family at Asia's Hope Battambang.

What a day it was. We started with a wonderful church service and ended with the school dedication, a feast — and the aforementioned dance party.

It was an honor to share the evening with my staff, my kids, guests from Crossroads Church, my dear friends John and Bobbi Campbell, and an impressive list of officials, dignitaries and leaders from around Cambodia. The governor of Battambang gave the keynote address, and took the seat of honor in front of the stage. 

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But at the risk of sounding corny, our most honored attendee was God himself. I know, it sounds like a cliche, something a pastor is supposed to say. But I felt his presence throughout the afternoon and evening. And he was smiling. He even graced us with a cool breeze and a big cloud that lingered over the hot Cambodian sun until dusk. And I felt his spirit move among us as we danced joyously under the stars. 

The governor of Battambang Province cuts the ribbon at the Asia's Hope secondary school dedication.

The governor of Battambang Province cuts the ribbon at the Asia's Hope secondary school dedication.

My speech at the event was pretty dry and formal, an update of Asia's Hope's programs, mostly for the benefit of the dignitaries in attendance. But a couple of people have asked me to post the text here. And although it's not the most engaging prose, it does speak powerfully to the mercies of God and the hard work of his people.

Good afternoon, your excellencies, local dignitaries, international and Cambodian guests. My name is John McCollum, and I am the Executive Director of Asia’s Hope International.
On behalf of myself, my staff and the board of Asia’s Hope, I want to thank the honorable Governor of the Province of Battambang and the District Governor for joining us today. I also thank the Police Commander, and the representatives of the Ministry of Education from Phnom Penh, the Department of Education from Battambang, the Department of Social Affairs from Battambang, the commune chief, the village chief, the commune police commander, and pastors from local and international churches. I welcome you all on this joyous occasion, the dedication of the Asia’s Hope secondary school.
Asia’s Hope is a Christian Non Governmental Organization with projects in Cambodia, Thailand and India. We are honored to enjoy warm and longstanding cooperation with the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. We first registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 12, 2006, with the Ministry of Social Affairs on June 27, 2007 and received our permit from the Ministry of Education on July 2, 2008.
At Asia’s Hope, we provide comprehensive family-style residential care for orphaned and abandoned children. In Cambodia, we operate 16 childrens homes — 6 in Phnom Penh and 10 in Battambang. At these homes, we work hard every day to provide for each child’s physical, intellectual, psychological, social and spiritual needs. More than that, we meet each child’s greatest need — to experience the love of a mother and father in the context of a safe and stable family. Our 78 Cambodian staff currently provide full-time care to 390 children — 212 girls and 178 boys.
Our elementary school in Phnom Penh offers a high-quality primary education to 195 students. We also offer various training and tutoring opportunities to our children in our homes and at our Battambang learning center. And we provide full university fees, expenses and tuition for 53 young scholars from Asia’s Hope Cambodia.
We have invested not only in the children living at Asia’s Hope, but in the local community as well. We have provided more than 3 tons of food — at a cost of more than 4 million riels — for needy families in surrounding towns and villages. We have also donated more than 4 million riels’ worth of assistance to children and families affected by HIV in and around Battambang. We have donated 2 computers and 1 printer to the office of the commune chief, and a printer to the Ministry of Social Affairs in Phnom Penh. And this year we gave gift boxes to 485 HIV-affected children across Cambodia.
And today, I’m pleased to announce the dedication of the beautiful building you see here, the Asia’s Hope Secondary School. At full capacity, this school will ensure a quality education for 250 7–12th grade students from Asia’s Hope Battambang and the surrounding community. This new facility will allow us to expand our existing English and computer classes and offer a wide range of training and educational enrichment opportunities.
With God’s help, in cooperation with local and national authorities and with the generous support of our international donors, we intend to provide the highest possible level of care to this generation of children and to future generations as well, providing every Asia’s Hope child with the skills and confidence they need to fulfill their dreams for themselves, their families and their country.
We believe that — despite the difficulties and disadvantages they have faced in life — the children you see here today will one day soon take their places among Cambodia’s emerging next generation of social, professional and intellectual leaders. They have the vision, the intelligence and the character. And now, thanks to your support of the Asia’s Hope Secondary School, they will also have the education they need to build a prosperous future for all Cambodians.
Thank you and may God bless you.
John McCollumComment
In the name of the Father

The last couple of days have been a blur, and it's only going to get blurrier... 

Tomorrow is The Big Day, the dedication of the Asia's Hope Secondary School in Battambang. We're hosting a variety of distinguished guests from Cambodia and abroad. 

Last night, Pastor Dave Vance from Crossroads Church (Mansfield, OH) arrived, joining a team from his church already in town. Dave's congregation sponsors our Battambang 3 and Battambang 7 homes, and it was a delight to witness his very first arrival.

I was playing games at home 3 when the team's van pulled into the driveway. The kids squealed in excitement, jumped up and ran to the vehicle. When Dave stepped out, he, Darlene and Greg — who had also arrived just yesterday — were swarmed with hugs. After a delicious homemade dinner, the kids and staff presented each visitor with a gift (even I got one!) and then we enjoyed more than an hour of singing, and dancing and sharing stories. 

Finally I whispered to team leader Jocelyn, "I think Dave is getting tired." Shortly thereafter, the party wrapped up with one more raucous tune, and all of us returned to the hotel — exhausted but thrilled to be part of the joyous occasion.

This morning, we got up bright and early and headed out with almost 200 people in a massive convoy to a mountain retreat about an hour and half outside of town. All of us filed down to the river and there, Dave, Savorn and I had the honor of baptizing 130 people in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit while our staff sang hymns in Khmer.

Of those baptized, forty five were from the towns and villages surrounding our Battambang homes — men, women and children who, through the witness of our staff and kids, have decided to follow Christ. 

What a blessing to be a part of such an amazing move of God here in Cambodia. The church here is small, but vibrant, and Asia's Hope is a  beacon of Jesus' mercy and kindness to the community at large, growing brighter by the day.

Tomorrow we celebrate the next stage of our investment in Cambodia's future. Keep us in your prayers, as some of us — myself included — are running low on energy, skirting sickness. Thank you for supporting this amazing work.

John McCollumComment
Road trips and reunions

Curtis West and I got up early yesterday morning and checked out of our room at the Queenwood Hotel. Curtis took his breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and I stepped next-door to the Feel Good coffee shop and ordered a flat white. My drink had just arrived when a white Asia's Hope van pulled up to the curb; out spilled Ravy, Savong, Narun, Samnang, Sopheng and Anh, all smiles and laughter. 

I love these guys, and it's clear that they love each other — and me.

I finished my coffee, paid the check, and we walked a block down the street to a bustling breakfast joint whose charm will, if discovered by the hordes of backpackers and sex tourists, be lost forever. As it stands, however, I'm the only white guy I've ever seen there, and I get confused glances and curious stares when I walk in.

We ordered a variety of Cambodian dishes — I had grilled pork over rice and a steamed Chinese-style bun — and each of us ate our fill. The final bill for all seven of us was less than $20; no one can accuse me of overspending my meal budget on this trip. Not yet, at least.

After breakfast, all of us hit the road and headed out toward Battambang. To everyone's relief, I declined driving duties to Narun, and settled for the privilege of picking the soundtrack for the first portion of the road trip. Before long, the conversation turned to our childhood in the 1970s and 80s.

While I was riding my bike to Lawson's to buy candy, my friends were marching barefoot and beleaguered through jungles toward labor camps. While I was competing with my classmates to see who could eat more Jello Pudding Pops in one sitting (my record was 17), my friends were literally starving, subsisting on a daily diet of two tablespoons of porridge, given twice a day. I pouted and slammed doors because my dad made me rake the lawn while my friends cried themselves to sleep at night, keening hopelessly for the parents they had lost to the murderous Khmer Rouge regime.

So, yeah. You can see why I let those guys lead story time.

About an hour outside of Phnom Penh, we found the little Cham village where Curtis will be teaching for the next few months and after some initial navigational difficulties, we dropped him off near enough to his actual destination that he was able to get himself the rest of the way there.

The rest of the ride was enjoyable but uneventful, and we arrived in Battambang mid-afternoon. Most of the dads from our Battambang homes were there to greet us at the hotel — what a blessing to serve with those men and their families. After a few minutes of hugs and greetings, they left me to freshen up, and to greet the folks from Crossroads Church (Mansfield, OH) who are in Cambodia to visit the homes they sponsor and to the school dedication on the 31st.

After an hour of rest, I headed out to our Battambang campus, which I haven't visited since before construction began on the school and athletic fields. 

My goodness.

Words can't really express how wonderful this place is. And, thanks to the unfortunate positioning of the sun directly behind the new building, neither can my pictures. But there will be lots of time for photography over the next few days, and I'm sure that I'll find some way of approximating the sensation of walking hand in hand with some of the world's sweetest kids across our sprawling campus toward our beautiful new school building. Just a few years ago, this was all farmland, home to more cows than kids. Today, it is positively teeming with life, filled to the brim with the smells of dinner and the sounds of children laughing, singing and playing.

Gone are the days when I can know every child's name. Heck, I'm about 50/50 in my guesses of which kids belong with which families. And while that represents something of a minor personal loss — I loved being able to connect with every single child on an individual basis — I watch the team from Crossroads interact with the homes they sponsor, and it's clear our these kids don't lack attention from their overseas aunts and uncles. 

So after a few hours of wandering from home to home (my pedometer says I walked 4.2 miles yesterday afternoon), I anchored myself in the courtyard between homes 4 and 5 and hosted a dozen or so rounds of "Simon Says" and "Guess The Leader." I then shared a delicious homemade meal with my staff under a thatched bamboo cabana and then headed back to my hotel, exhausted.

This morning I'm a bit under the weather, so I'm resting, writing and running errands. With any luck I'll get lunch and a nap and have enough energy for an afternoon with the kids and two days of celebration to follow.

My photography has slowed down as I've struggled to balance shooting pictures of kids with real, meaningful interactions. But here are a few. Enjoy. And thank you for your prayers, your love and your support.

John McCollumComment
The Queenwood

While in the capital city, we choose to stay at the Queenwood Hotel because it's cheap and centrally located. It provides cold A/C, existent wifi, reasonably convenient egress — and it's next door to the best coffee shop in Phnom Penh. But its centrality also means that it's crawling with sex tourists, guys who travel to Cambodia to get drunk, get high and get laid. The prostitutes here are plentiful, beautiful and cheaply bought. And if you llke them young, well, you can get 'em as young as you like if you're willing to slip your cabbie a few extra dollars.
    Like many of her residents, Phnom Penh's captivating nighttime beauty conceals a profoundly dark and hopeless reality. From a distance and at a glance, you can appreciate the gorgeous classic bone structure and the sparkle of fancy new baubles, but if you get close enough, you begin to suspect that hellfire itself glows inside the neon tubes.
    I'm not sure how much longer I can stand staying at the Queenwood. I'm sure I can budget an extra fiver a night and I can drive a little further for a great cup of coffee. I'm not sure I can endure  many more nights filled with the trade's squeals, screams and thumping basslines that fade somewhere between midnight and dawn.
    
Needless to say, we're not here for the nightlife, and we spend as little time at the hotel as possible. Most mornings are for correspondence with home, errands and eating. After lunch we head out to Prek Eng — which now takes about an hour thanks to some truly heinous road construction — where we arrive before the kids get out of school. 
    A few of the high school kids are already home when we get there. Pheaktra, for instance, goes to school from something like 6am to noon. Others have similar schedules. So when we arrive, it's pretty laid back. We hang out with the home parents, play Jenga or throw the Frisbee with the kids and relax. But around 3pm the Asia's Hope School on our campus lets out. The neighbor kids filter back to their homes and the Asia's Hope children return to theirs, change out of their uniforms and take in some light recreation before chores, homework and dinner (which is followed by homework, chores and devotions). Sometimes we stay and eat at one of the homes. Other times we return to the city around dusk and eat at one of the many excellent restaurants. So far on this trip we've had Cambodian, Thai, Chinese and Indian food — all excellent.
    
Last night we left around 5:30 to give Jeff, Peter and Conrad a chance to shower before leaving for the States. They checked out of their rooms in the morning, and so we all hung out in Curtis' and my room until it was time to go. I'm so glad I had the chance to connect with those guys on this trip. Jeff Cannell is my pastor and apart from my wife, he's probably my best friend in the world. Peter Shumaker is a dear friend and a mentor to my two teenage sons, and Conrad Esh is a pastor at the Marysville (OH) Vineyard, and is a new friend that I've loved getting to know. Curtis West is a new friend who is moving to Cambodia to teach English among minority communities outside of Phnom Penh.
    What a motley assortment we were, the five of us at the airport surrounded by a dozen beautiful Asia's Hope kids and a handful of staff who had gathered to say goodbye. After a hundred hugs and a couple tears, Jeff, Peter and Conrad tore themselves away from the giggles and embraces and passed through the sliding glass doors into the land of airport lounges, canned air and seat cushions that can, in the unlikely event of a water landing, be used as flotation devices.
    
Tomorrow morning I'll check out of the Queenwood and drive to Prek Eng to pick up a half dozen staff members who are joining me at the dedication of the Battambang secondary school. We'll drop Curtis off at an undisclosed location and embark upon a moderately epic road trip: me, Narun, Sopheng, Ravi, Savong, Samnang and Anh — in a van, dodging cows, bikes and various homemade vehicles on our way to a massive celebration that will culminate on the 31st as we cut the ribbon on one of the most ambitious projects we've yet to launch.

But today, we're running a few errands, grabbing a light luch and then heading out to Prek Eng to spend the balance of the day with some of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet, in a place that is at its heart a million miles from the Queenwood.

John McCollumComment
Tiger Eat Cow
Tiger Eat Cow

What a joy to attend church with the staff and kids from our Prek Eng homes. And what an honor to teach from Luke 15, the Parable of the Lost Son and the Running Father: in a culture where shame was often met with rejection — a turning of the back, a closing of the eyes — Jesus promises a different kind of family, a different kind of kingdom. One where unfaithfulness is met with embrace, not rejection, where the father runs toward you, rather than locks you out of the house...

After church, we ate lunch at Prek Eng 2. Jeff and Peter stayed behind to hang out with the PE2 kids, and Conrad and I spent a couple of hours at our newest home, Prek Eng 6. Even though the kids have only been with their new parents for a couple of months, they already feel like a family. Thank you so much, Vineyard Columbus, for your generosity to these wonderful kids. I can't wait to tell you all about them when I return!

We then headed over to Prek Eng 4 where got thoroughly perplexed by a game called "Tiger Eat Cow." It's something like a mix between tic-tac-toe and Othello. The kids were very gracious, but it was clear from the start that Conrad and I had no idea what was going on.

John McCollumComment
(Mostly) Live from Phnom Penh
My welcome team. Savorn, not pictured, is holding the camera. Great to see you guys!

My welcome team. Savorn, not pictured, is holding the camera. Great to see you guys!

Well, I survived the 40+ hour journey to Phnom Penh (via Chicago, Doha and Saigon) without much drama. Didn't miss any flights, didn't lose any baggage. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, or maybe I'm coming down with something, but I emerged feeling pretty beat up. It's not the "quick pop across the globe" that it used to be.

Usually I arrive in Phnom Penh late at night, go straight to the hotel, pop a couple Ambien to jump start the jet lag recovery and get my first taste of Cambodia the next morning. Yesterday, however, I arrived at 2:30pm. I was greeted warmly by all of the parents from our six Prek Eng homes, got dropped off at my hotel, given a set of car keys and told, "See you tomorrow at church. You're preaching!." I guess I'd forgotten the "tomorrow is Sunday" thing. No worries.

At the hotel, I met up with Jeff Cannell and Peter Shumaker from my church, Central Vineyard (Columbus, OH), Conrad Esh, from Vineyard Marysville (OH) and Curtis West, a young many who is moving to Cambodia to minister among the Cham Muslim minority population. I attempted a brief nap, but was unable to get any shut-eye. So, we gathered up the crew, jumped into the van and headed off to dinner. On the way, I stopped to get a sim card (so now I'm reachable — use Facetime or Whatsapp if you need to call me), and get measured for a couple shirts.

We ate at Sam Doo and had a passable assortment of dim sum-style dishes, and headed back to the Queenwood Hotel. It's central, it's cheap, but it has deteriorated since my last visit. The water isn't quite as hot, the rooms aren't quite as clean and the sex tourists who frequent the hotel make even less of an attempt to hide the nature of their activities. I think it may be time to look for a new hotel.

Anyway, I slept poorly despite the assistance of pharmaceuticals, and finally gave up on sleep at about 5am. I'm a bit achy, but excited to get out to our Prek Eng campus to see all of the kids and staff. I've not yet written my sermon, but I have a couple of hours to do so. I want to teach the parable of the Prodigal Son and focus on the figure of the father who, despite all of the cultural expectations surrounding his relationship with a son who had shamed the family, went out every night and searched the horizon, waiting for his return. And who when he saw him on the edge of his field, hiked up his robe and ran to him, weeping...and welcoming.

Or something like that.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. But for now, you'll just have to imagine it.

John McCollum Comment