Alum Abby Fletcher heading to Cambodia in January!! In her own words……..

Posted by on August 30th, 2011, No Comments »

Cambodia Bound!
This is my fun announcement. =)

In January, I plan to move to Cambodia for approximately 2 years. I’m.pumped!!!!!!!!

I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head that I’m glad to start blogging about it all. It’s going to take time to get it all out.

Now that people are finding out and saying something to me I honestly don’t know where to go with the conversation when they bring it up… “oh my gosh! I heard you’re moving to Cambodia!” “yeaa!! I am!!” …. (cricket.cricket)…. It’s like I have so much to say that I can’t even get out one word and I also don’t know what people want to hear. Everyone asks different questions.

So, let me do a little QandA for you on this first of many blogs about the Cambo.

What will you be doing? Well, I’m so glad you asked. =) I will be working for People for Care and Learning (http://www.peopleforcare.org/) and my main priority is to enhance the education program for both of the Orphanages. There is an orphanage in Siem Reap called The Children’s Home, and a newer orphanage in Phnom Penh called Hope Orphanage. I hope to track all of those children on a path of success to higher education or a good job so poverty will not just be delayed for them, but rather nonexistent. I also hope to head up the PCL blog, the Cambodia side of it, because I enjoy writing so much and want to make sure all ministries etc. are exposed properly for everyone stateside to see. I’m REALLY excited about that part too!

Where will you live? I don’t know exactly yet. There are several people going over in January, multiple graduates of Lee, and housing is being worked out. Although, I’m not totally for sure, I’m not that worried about it. There are several options so we just have to wait and see for a little while.

Do you get paid? Noooo!!!!! =) I have to raise full support. $30,000 is my goal. yikes!

What are you doing with your house? I have to rent it. I’m working out the details on that as well, but if anyone knows a trustworthy Clevelander that needs a nice, little home…. please contact me because I would like to rent to someone who will cause no problems. I live in a super calm, safe neighborhood. With sidewalks. ha.

Did you quit your job? Well, basically, yes… I’m done in December. I told my principals right before school started. I was TERRIFIED to have this conversation but I do believe the Lord had a hand in this situation, the first of many hopefully, and they were wooooonnnnddeeeerrfullll about it. I am so glad they are supportive. I know that I really want and need my colleagues support the next few months. As it has started to leak out at LF, people have been very kind.

I think this covers some of the main questions but there are many more things to think about to make sure I’ve got it all covered. I do hope to come home at least twice in that two year stretch. I also hope and wish that as many people come visit that possibly can!!!! Not only do I want and need to see my American friends, but I truly want people to be exposed to what PCL is doing because it’s mindblowing all that is going on over there.

I hope my future blogs about Cambodia aren’t so businesslike but rather the heartside of why I felt the need to move there and what’s been going on in my life.

I would also like to go ahead and let you know how you can give to support me. Just mail a check, made out to People for Care and Learning (or just PCL), and put in the memo line my name: Abby Fletcher. 100% will go into my account. I hope to have some materials made to pass out soon.

People for Care and Learning
4235 TL Rogers St NE
Cleveland, TN 37312-4991

Here we gooooo!!!!!

Trip reflections…..by Jenn Tollefson

Posted by on June 23rd, 2011, No Comments »

(Jenn, as the trip tour guide and PCL staff, stayed an extra week to wrap things up with PCL Cambodia staff; enjoy her thoughts from her last day in Siem Reap)

My blog is about to become a Tarantino movie.

There will not be gory slow motion samurai sword fights or funky dance numbers brilliantly choreographed, intensely dramatic and scored by “You never can tell” (yeah, I totally dropped a Pulp Fiction reference, aren’t I edgy and cool?) However, I am about to blow your mind and employ a fractured timeline. I’m skipping to the end of the story and will pick up on the day to day happenings where I left off shortly. I believe my readers are sophisticated enough to handle this.

I’m having my last breakfast at Common Grounds before I end this trip and head back home. An American lady just walked in with a group of Asian girls. She is having a bit of trouble communicating and is trying to overcome this trouble by speaking very loudly. Very, very loudly. I’ll try to ignore this…

I spent my day yesterday visiting friends here alternating between business and small talk trying to fit everything in on my last full day. I’ve had an incredible trip. I’m proud of how well the camp went. I continuously hear from the students that it was the best one yet and that they learned so much and how much they loved my team. I also loved my team. They really inspired and encouraged me and I think I made some new friends. I feel like something more happened on this trip though and I’m struggling to articulate it. There is more processing to do but at this moment (sitting in Common Grounds trying to ignore the woman who has now made a call to the US apparently simply to describe two puppies she saw this morning, one who answered to Justin Bieber) here are the things I feel most significant.

1- God hears us. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear stories of small Cambodian children, sleeping alone in a dark village, afraid, hopeless, crying out to someone in the night, sure that no one was listening who years later found out that Someone was in fact listening. Someone who cared deeply about them and was able to move the world to make their dreams come true. I won’t soon forget the beautiful simplicity of the stories I’ve heard.

2- Working in a developing country is not for the faint of heart. Not only do things never ever go as planned (seriously never. Wait until you hear the story of the 7 drunk tuk tuk drivers at Angkor Wat) but you have to learn to be content with and celebrate the small victories. I teared up a bit at camp when one of our staff actually started a youth camp service 2 minutes early without any prompting from me. This is the first time we’ve even started an activity on time in 4 years. I was so proud.

3- Discipleship is not a weekly small group meeting, it is a continuous on-going process. I’ve been a Christian for as long as I can remember and I see things in myself daily that need to change. It is unrealistic to expect that the people we work with will just wake up one morning and “get it.” True discipleship happens when we don’t plan it. It literally happens on the road.

4- Relationships are the single most important thing. Nothing I’ve ever accomplished would be possible without the amazing cast of characters that have played their part on the stage of my life. In the words of my very favorite song from Wicked, “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

5- Life really is good. I’ve had my share of angst and restlessness over the past few months and while there are still many questions left unanswered, after the last few weeks I can’t help but conclude that my struggles are minimal in comparison to the blessings in my life. I’m a very lucky girl who is so thankful for grace that allows me to truly live the life I imagined. God hears little girls dreams all over the world.

Video: Justin & Donna Knowles

Posted by on June 20th, 2011, No Comments »

Large time in Bangkok

Posted by on June 18th, 2011, No Comments »

Our time in Asia has come to a close. We definitely ended our trip on a very high note with Lee alumni Janice and John Montrelerdrasme
and their parents, Somnuk and Lily! Lily was very kind to show us the sights of Bangkok, including some very good markets! Somnuk joined us in the afternoon to give us a tour of one of the many urban ministries they have, while John and Janice were able to join us all for some Italian food and then we bid them good night. It was so great to hear and see the ministry that Somnuk and Lily are doing in Thailand. They currently have 14 churches, with Lily as the pastor of one. Lily filled our day with stories of how she came to be a Christian, as well as how the Lord continues to bless them as they lead others to Him. This part of the trip was one of the highlights for us, and we were sad to leave our new friends. They all invited us to return very soon, and we wouldn’t mind that one bit.

Looking back over the last two weeks, there were so many wonderful moments that I fear I have left some out. That is why God invented cameras. Upon my return to the States, I will be uploading many, many videos from our trip, as well video journals from the alumni that traveled with us. You do not want to miss these.

It has been great fun taking you all along with us, and we look forward to maybe doing it again.

As always, check out the Flickr link on the homepage for all pictures from the entire trip.

Ta-ta for now,
Mitzi

 
 

© 2011 Lee Alumni Go to Cambodia.

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