Extreme Operations: October 2014

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

Asian Adventures

I have been wondering for some time about whether or not I would go to Asia this year. Then an American friend, Linda, wrote to ask if I would consider accompanying her on a trip to Myanmar. A mutual friend from Myanmar, David Joy, had been asking us to come for some time, to share stories and encourage Christians in his city, Yangon. Linda really wanted to go.

I spent some time investigating options and praying about the idea. It seemed entirely possible that I could link a trip to Myanmar with a trip to Cambodia - if I was going to Cambodia, that is. And if I could go for at least three weeks. The more I considered the idea, the more excited I felt about it. When I asked Craig, Julie and Kate what they thought about the idea of me disappearing off to Asia for almost a month, when we had just moved and were still in the throes of unpacking, I was rather surprised to find them entirely supportive and certain that it was the right thing.

A flurry of emails and Facebook discussions ensued, and I am now delighted to be able to say that I am going to Yangon, Myanmar, for a week. From there I fly to Siem Reap to see my friend Narith and his wife Mealea - and finally, on my 4th trip to Cambodia, to see the famous World Heritage site of Angkor Wat. And then I spend almost two weeks with the XP Missions team in Phnom Penh. I will travel with them to Poipet, to see how the projects there are progressing, and hopefully to see some of the street-children I met and shared about on previous occasions. Finally, I will travel back to Pattaya, Thailand, to see friends from our first trip to Asia, Operation Extreme Love 2012.

I am still asking God questions about the 'why' of these Asia trips, but I am very happy just to come along - as long as He knows why, this is enough, isn't it?

I do have some thoughts though:
* My heart has been engaged with Cambodia and it won't let go, and there are so many specific people who matter to me there; it is good to keep and develop the connections.
* I have long cared about children who are sexually abused and want to play a part, however small, in stopping it.
* I have grown to love and respect the full-time missionaries, and bringing them some support, encouragement and blessing means a lot to me.

* I am researching and writing - there is a book coming I think; I'm not sure when, but it is in process.
* I am better equipped to be a voice when I know from experience what I am talking about, and I have more authority and credibility when people know that I have been 'there'.
* The foundation of all the above remains the idea Patrica King communicated with the title of her book 'The Light Belongs in the Darkness'. My perspective changed the day I saw that book (didn't even need to read it!!!) and it has really affected how I live my life as a Christian.

How to Use this Blog - for new users

This blog describes thoughts, experiences, discoveries and impressions during short term assignments in Brazil, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. These are entirely my own perceptions, and as such, may be inaccurate or misinformed at times. In no way should any of the agencies or people I work with be held responsible for any errors of information. As far as possible I try to make sure that inaccuracies are addressed when they are pointed out. Meanwhile, please forgive my ignorance.... I have so much to learn.

There is a lot of information about poverty, street children and human trafficking in general, and about the work of specific charities and organisations working to address it.

I have also included my notes from the various teaching sessions we had during XP's training schools: 'Operation Justice' (Cambodia) and 'Operation Extreme Love' (Thailand) of 2012, along with some notes from training sessions with Richard & Ingela Larsson Smith, who run 'Horses for Orphans' in Brazil.

Unlike websites, blogs run back to front, so if you want the whole story it will be useful to use the Blog Archive and read in date order, beginning in May 2012.

And if you scroll down, there is a 'search' option below, helpful if you want to know about a specific issue or country. Just type in a keyword and you will be shown where that word appears in the blog.