Recently the blog for the orphanage reached it's space limits and we had to open a new blog site. We would like this new blog site to include the school activities and any other updates about other ministries we are involved in. Trying to keep up with two blogs is a bit too much right now and I would prefer consolidate them in order to keep information current.
Here is the link to the new blog we'd like to direct you to.
http://ccf-cambodia.blogspot.com/
1/14/13
12/1/12
Potter's Field show date
Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 4:00 pm at Calvary Chapel Fallbrook,
Pastor Mike Rozell will be speaking about Potters Field Ministry's new involvement with our Heart for Wisdom School in Cambodia.
Everyone is welcome to join us and find out more about this wonderful new chapter for our orphanage in Cambodia.
Pastor Mike and Pan have both been ill recently please continue to pray for them. The are on tour right now and I am sure this isn't the best timing for them.
Also my brother in-laws Ra and Sirin are in the USA right now and will be in Fallbrook for a short time. I encourage for you to meet them. This is Sirins first trip to the USA. You can probably make contact with Ra via Face Book if you know him.
11/9/12
Ministry Partners
A Heart For Wisdom school in Cambodia founded by the Carson Family under Calvary Chapel Fallbrook NGO in Cambodia would like to say YES, that is our face in the future.
Though it's only 99% official while the MOU is finalized I've been allowed to share that CCF Cambodia / (us) has been given a tremendous blessing and will be partnering with Potter's Field Ministries.
A Heart for Wisdom school will become a supported ministry of Potter's Field Kids program.
We currently also intend to become an extension site for the IGNITE mission training program where missionaries will serve 6 months with us supporting and growing our ministries here.
A Heart For Wisdom with grow next year from providing elementary classes to providing Junior High classes and licensing for High school.
The school will intern provide for a number of other ministries such as a clinic, possibly adult education and a Christian College.
To what end all this will come too God only knows, but I've been given permission to dream.
What trust, what a blessing. Takeo has no idea what's coming.
Over the next year a large amount of what we do will under go changes. Please bear with us in understanding.
So how will this effect A Greater Hope Orphanage. Well a far better education will be provided for our kids, we will be able to educate our upper grades 7-12.
We will have greater ability to provide for their time in college with possible housing cost covered.
We will also be looking at our kids to provide them a careers if they wish. We will be employing a large number of people from with in our community, really hope many of them will be the kids we've worked so hard with.
As our MOU is finalized our future will become clearer the opportunities will better defined.
Workers, laborers, here is your opportunity for you to attend a wonderful mission training program growing yourself in preparation for the mission field. Perhaps that field will be with us.
I am excited, really busy but excited.
11/4/12
So Far so Good
This years gotten of to a great start.
We are so thank for Temple Christian College for helping out again this year, helping us cover the cost of the two new buildings for Pre-K and Kindergarten classes.
We still have over 240 students with pretty much every one happy. New teachers are improving and adapting. I am thankful that the help we provide is well received and appreciated.
We hear tail of another school opening in the next community but that they are already losing students to us.
Lastly my wife got a call from her cousin V in the city last night and she was saying that her dad can't stop talking about the school and how impressed he is the way everything is going. V's father is our vice principal and ream's uncle who worked 30 years and retired from the public school as a vice principal for the local high school. It was nice to hear what uncle tells others, because he is not so expressive to us directly. We certainly know he approves of the work but not to the extent he has shared with others. It is also nice because he is an in-law of mine that approves of the work and me which I am grateful for.
I haven't know school pride to such a degree before. People are living and breathing this. It's given the community a huge amount of hope for their children to succeed.
We are so thank for Temple Christian College for helping out again this year, helping us cover the cost of the two new buildings for Pre-K and Kindergarten classes.
We still have over 240 students with pretty much every one happy. New teachers are improving and adapting. I am thankful that the help we provide is well received and appreciated.
We hear tail of another school opening in the next community but that they are already losing students to us.
Lastly my wife got a call from her cousin V in the city last night and she was saying that her dad can't stop talking about the school and how impressed he is the way everything is going. V's father is our vice principal and ream's uncle who worked 30 years and retired from the public school as a vice principal for the local high school. It was nice to hear what uncle tells others, because he is not so expressive to us directly. We certainly know he approves of the work but not to the extent he has shared with others. It is also nice because he is an in-law of mine that approves of the work and me which I am grateful for.
I haven't know school pride to such a degree before. People are living and breathing this. It's given the community a huge amount of hope for their children to succeed.
Pre-K and Kindergarten normally has parent hanging out at the windows all morning making sure their child is alright and ready to be with out mom. I also think the parent are learning a little as well.
10/3/12
Our God is a BIG God.
According to a local witch doctor our school is to powerful for her to enter or come near.
Yes, just like the Dracula or Werewolf movies this person that Satan uses could not physically enter the property the other day to drop her niece off at school.
It's a common part of our daily prayer that the kids at school would be protected and blessed that their minds would be open learning and the hearts turned to Christ.
It was very obvious today that these prayers are being answered.
So here is how it played out.
Chenda use to be on staff at the orphanage before she started at the school. Before she came to live with us she lived near a corrupt Christian church. She and others knew quite well how the pastor was a terrible guy taking advantage of the people. When Chenda came to work with us and saw the Jesus us in our lives as a very different Jesus that they preached in her village. It wasn't long before Chenda became a Christian and I actually was blessed to help baptize her. Chenda told us not long ago she would have never become a Christian if she hadn't met us; I think God would have still called on her but her kind comment was a blessing for us to hear. Today Chenda is our Kindergarten teacher and is still a wonderful believing sister and single I might add ;)
Chenda only works in the morning with the K classes and in the after noon she's is helping the office with public relations. This week she went around checking up on families that have asked for a scholarship to attend school for free; we want to confirm that they really need the help as $5 bucks a month isn't that much. The house she checked on today had a lot of nice cars in the drive way. Chenda thought they might be having a party and wanted to leave but was invited in anyways. Turns out the child's family shares a property with her aunt.
The child's family has very little but her aunt is better off but her aunt is also witch doctor. The aunt had a lot of business this week because of the Halloween type holiday they are celebrating right now. The Aunt was the one who received Chenda and asked her a number of questions and also told Chenda how she felt about us.
First she asked Chenda how she felt coming onto her property. Chenda replied fine though she thought there was a party going on.
Then the Aunt said she tried to take her niece to the school the other day and she couldn't come near the place. She told Chenda it was to powerful for her to go near. The aunt witch doctor also has half of her hair in a natty dreadlock and she said her hair was tingling and her hair would not let her come. Evidently the hair bit is a part of her "manifestation" that she uses or is used by to preform her craft.
What I am hearing from the story today that was shared is that our God is powerful and hers is not. There is power in the blood. There is power in prayer, We are being used and we are being protected.
I think it is awesome for Chenda and total conformation for her that day that God is in her, that she is saved and has nothing to fear. If Chenda's ever wondered I'm I saved this was the big "Yes you are".
I can't think of a more powerful testimony to the work that is being done here than this story that was shared today. God has a hedge around us. What a powerful push this has been for us. It makes me want to bounce around the room doing some sort of happy dance. We are winning..
Our God is a BIG God.
9/9/12
Possible News
First we opened successfully the school's second year September 3rd with 194 student registered.
This week September 9th I think we have about 234 students.
We actually have people waiting all day at the school with the hope someone gets kicked out or doesn't show up, quite amazing.
Out high school kids again helping us out, receiving payments and selling books to those who needed them which we were able to sell at discount because of the amount we purchased.
We also bought a number of books for a school in Batnambang.
Teacher Vath getting the 1st graders in order.
Ly and teaching 2nd grade English
Break time
Sreyroth, Engly, Sorya, visiting our helpers Saveoun, Bunheoun at the registration table.
Ly teaching English to 4th grade with Pastor Barry supervising in the back.
We hope to have an announcement this month in regards to support and a possible partner that would fully fund the entire construction of a full campus and all that we have dreamed of.
Boards from both entities are going to meet this month and prayerfully things move forward with acceptance.
Wow, what blessings and possible future steps are hard to even imagine now.
If things are approved and we get the "GO" be prepared, we will be looking for volunteers and things like crazy.
If you ever wanted on board your chance is around the corner, keep it in prayer.
This week September 9th I think we have about 234 students.
We actually have people waiting all day at the school with the hope someone gets kicked out or doesn't show up, quite amazing.
Out high school kids again helping us out, receiving payments and selling books to those who needed them which we were able to sell at discount because of the amount we purchased.
We also bought a number of books for a school in Batnambang.
A little introductions and some rules.
Teacher Vath getting the 1st graders in order.
Ly and teaching 2nd grade English
Break time
Sreyroth, Engly, Sorya, visiting our helpers Saveoun, Bunheoun at the registration table.
Ly teaching English to 4th grade with Pastor Barry supervising in the back.
We hope to have an announcement this month in regards to support and a possible partner that would fully fund the entire construction of a full campus and all that we have dreamed of.
Boards from both entities are going to meet this month and prayerfully things move forward with acceptance.
Wow, what blessings and possible future steps are hard to even imagine now.
If things are approved and we get the "GO" be prepared, we will be looking for volunteers and things like crazy.
If you ever wanted on board your chance is around the corner, keep it in prayer.
8/24/12
A MUST READ AND SHARE
Why we have started a school and good reasons to help us.
Actually I can't read the whole thing, personally combating these issues it makes me tear up so I'll highlight somethings for you and ask you to read the whole article.
"in 1931" only 7 children graduated high school" The education numbers climbed into the 1960's when it suffered further devastation under Khmer Rouge.
"Soviet sources report that 90 percent of all teachers were killed under the Khmer Rouge regime. Only 50 of the 725 university instructors, 207 of the 2,300 secondary school teachers, and 2,717 of the 21,311 primary school teachers survived." My in-laws were almost all teachers but almost all of them survived.
Keep in mind statistics are far different than reality. Under the section "Dropout rates" a survey suggest 92% should finish elementary while school administration suggest it is more like 43%.
"The low 40% enrollment rate at secondary level and 5% at tertiary level."
The numbers I've read says 3 to 5% enroll in college less graduate.
Sections labeled "Tertiary (college), Poverty, Teachers, and Corruption" share important contributing factors to the problem.
This last school year we had 154 students we failed around 50 of them because when they came to us they didn't know their own alphabet. They do now, but they aren't proficient in their grade to continue on.
Hopefully this next year they will catch up enough and add to the stories of success we've had already.
The steps we've taken in opening a school especially in the village is huge. Please be apart of it.
Please read the full page.
8/3/12
Guest Blog A Must Read
Our current guest; Jessica Shimomura, a somewhat shy and humble young lady has a blog that I hope you will read and follow. Her writings are wonderful and her photos fantastic. Best of all it is a view other than mine which is unbiased, fresh and captivating.
I look at her pictures and I ask where was that? I ask who is this? Oh, yeah it's my house and it's my children, but their so beautiful, their not killing each other. ;)
It makes me thing I need a bigger better camera and the photos and the words would paint the canvas and flow with poetry. No, probably not.
Second options chain her to the property so she can't get away. Yeah, I don't think that would work either. I could just see Pastor Bud and Pastor Travis roping down a helicopter in January to rescue her away.
I suppose we'll have to just enjoy the moment while it last and why you should too.
Read the guest blogs, be inspired, fall in love with Cambodia like so many others have.
http://jessicashimomura.blogspot.com/2012/08/teach-us-to-number-our-days-that-we-may.html
I look at her pictures and I ask where was that? I ask who is this? Oh, yeah it's my house and it's my children, but their so beautiful, their not killing each other. ;)
It makes me thing I need a bigger better camera and the photos and the words would paint the canvas and flow with poetry. No, probably not.
Second options chain her to the property so she can't get away. Yeah, I don't think that would work either. I could just see Pastor Bud and Pastor Travis roping down a helicopter in January to rescue her away.
I suppose we'll have to just enjoy the moment while it last and why you should too.
Read the guest blogs, be inspired, fall in love with Cambodia like so many others have.
http://jessicashimomura.blogspot.com/2012/08/teach-us-to-number-our-days-that-we-may.html
7/31/12
School News
News on the schools progress.
Some of you might have read the news on Cambodia's latest health epidemic.
For a period of time the disease was unknown; but they now know it to be Hoof and Mouth disease.
The disease is common here among livestock as well as a host of other problems, bird flue, blue ear, Anthrax and so on.
The scary thing was the not knowing what it was. Learning what to look for and keeping track of affected areas was all we could do. Most times when a disease hits and it is known we search the internet for answers. The last problem we've run into was with Blue Ear it was an immunodeficiency in pigs. The internet allowed us to do a lot of research over night and take action the next day. Also a big thanks to Grace Puttnam for helping us teach the kids how to give the pigs shots.
While we could not cure that disease we did learned we could help by keep the environment clean and free of other illnesses that was the main concern for the period the pigs were ill. We ended up helping a lot of people in the village with the information we had learned. While others were loosing a quarter to half their stock we lost one baby out of 120.
Anyway not knowing leaves little for you to research on.
This time and most of the time we were not affected by the random illnesses that roam Cambodia.
Generally peoples affected by such illnesses here tend to be where living conditions are worse. The problem also is that most of the country is living in poor and unhealthy conditions.
Poor hygiene, dirty drinking water, lack of bathroom facilities, poor quality foods or lack there of, poor housing and not having mosquitoes nets are major reasons that lead to the large amounts of illnesses that plague Cambodia. Our house hold here rarely are effected by these things because the living standards we keep. For example it seems like my niece next door gets dengue fever every year or so and in 6 years we've only had two kids get it out of the 54 children we've cared for.
So as things makes the new about conditions here you have little to worry about us being in danger.
How ever you should pray for the kids and the country and what they have to deal with. I published earlier the numbers on the sicknesses the children have had at the school. I have been telling guest lately the children they see, they are survivors. In Rakanakari where we vacationed this year the mortality rate was near 22% for children under 5 years of age. That is roughly 1 in 4 children.
So with this recent problem we were only affected because all schools country wide have been closed early.
We had a couple weeks left but over night it was finish up the year, collect everything and say good bye.
Kids were extremely happy.
We have scheduled to build 3 temporary units at the church we rent. They will start construction in August.
We have two teachers starting their second year of school. One is the sister of our beloved teacher Chenda who has been and done so much for us. If Chendo is half the person Chenda is we will be blessed. The other lady is one of Reams cousin Nary.
We have 4 people scheduled to start college to become teachers.
Sdung our staff's sister
Khan a staff member who wishes to teach rather than remain a guardian at the orphanage.
Sokheng a part time helper with the kindergarten this year is going.
Seem our staff's brother I believe has asked to go
So we are continuing to build up for the future teaching staff.
We are also looking educating well over 200 children next year.
We will also need to furnish the new buildings once they're built.
I am also working on reworking our plans for the school that is less scary to people.
We'll be putting the plan into phases. Also I have had a building design idea that will make the school more interesting but also give us a free building or teacher room for the cost of 4 buildings.
When things actually come through, who knows but were excited about the future and what is happening.
We are increasing the tuition this year from $5 a month to $6.25 we expect to break even through out the year.
We are also picking up our paper work for our Junior High and High School licenses. We don't have the space and are not entirely ready for such a jump but we are getting ready for when the time comes.
Out of the 154 students we had this year we are advancing a little over 100 of them. About 50 of them will be held back because they came to us not knowing how to read or right. We have to hold back 1 of the 6th graders because he didn't know his alphabet. The teachers in the public school just keep passing and passing until the child just quits because they have know idea whats going on in class. It's just sad.
4 of the children that are not passing this year belong to teachers at the public school, if that isn't shocking.
The great thing is that all the children that could not read can now read but they are just behind.
We have had a good response from the parents that we even wanted to work with and help the children rather than just pushing them forward.
Cost; currently Ream and I will be paying for the new buildings and furnishings we are also supporting the teachers headed to college.
The new building we are told will be $5000. most likely a little more.
Desks will cost us about $1000
Cost to send one person to college has been $300 we have 6 going, $1800.
If you'd like to help we appreciate it. You may contact us or our church about how to do that.
Big steps for our community, real big.
Some of you might have read the news on Cambodia's latest health epidemic.
For a period of time the disease was unknown; but they now know it to be Hoof and Mouth disease.
The disease is common here among livestock as well as a host of other problems, bird flue, blue ear, Anthrax and so on.
The scary thing was the not knowing what it was. Learning what to look for and keeping track of affected areas was all we could do. Most times when a disease hits and it is known we search the internet for answers. The last problem we've run into was with Blue Ear it was an immunodeficiency in pigs. The internet allowed us to do a lot of research over night and take action the next day. Also a big thanks to Grace Puttnam for helping us teach the kids how to give the pigs shots.
While we could not cure that disease we did learned we could help by keep the environment clean and free of other illnesses that was the main concern for the period the pigs were ill. We ended up helping a lot of people in the village with the information we had learned. While others were loosing a quarter to half their stock we lost one baby out of 120.
Anyway not knowing leaves little for you to research on.
This time and most of the time we were not affected by the random illnesses that roam Cambodia.
Generally peoples affected by such illnesses here tend to be where living conditions are worse. The problem also is that most of the country is living in poor and unhealthy conditions.
Poor hygiene, dirty drinking water, lack of bathroom facilities, poor quality foods or lack there of, poor housing and not having mosquitoes nets are major reasons that lead to the large amounts of illnesses that plague Cambodia. Our house hold here rarely are effected by these things because the living standards we keep. For example it seems like my niece next door gets dengue fever every year or so and in 6 years we've only had two kids get it out of the 54 children we've cared for.
So as things makes the new about conditions here you have little to worry about us being in danger.
How ever you should pray for the kids and the country and what they have to deal with. I published earlier the numbers on the sicknesses the children have had at the school. I have been telling guest lately the children they see, they are survivors. In Rakanakari where we vacationed this year the mortality rate was near 22% for children under 5 years of age. That is roughly 1 in 4 children.
So with this recent problem we were only affected because all schools country wide have been closed early.
We had a couple weeks left but over night it was finish up the year, collect everything and say good bye.
Kids were extremely happy.
What we are doing right now.
We have scheduled to build 3 temporary units at the church we rent. They will start construction in August.
We have two teachers starting their second year of school. One is the sister of our beloved teacher Chenda who has been and done so much for us. If Chendo is half the person Chenda is we will be blessed. The other lady is one of Reams cousin Nary.
We have 4 people scheduled to start college to become teachers.
Sdung our staff's sister
Khan a staff member who wishes to teach rather than remain a guardian at the orphanage.
Sokheng a part time helper with the kindergarten this year is going.
Seem our staff's brother I believe has asked to go
So we are continuing to build up for the future teaching staff.
We are also looking educating well over 200 children next year.
We will also need to furnish the new buildings once they're built.
I am also working on reworking our plans for the school that is less scary to people.
We'll be putting the plan into phases. Also I have had a building design idea that will make the school more interesting but also give us a free building or teacher room for the cost of 4 buildings.
When things actually come through, who knows but were excited about the future and what is happening.
We are increasing the tuition this year from $5 a month to $6.25 we expect to break even through out the year.
We are also picking up our paper work for our Junior High and High School licenses. We don't have the space and are not entirely ready for such a jump but we are getting ready for when the time comes.
Out of the 154 students we had this year we are advancing a little over 100 of them. About 50 of them will be held back because they came to us not knowing how to read or right. We have to hold back 1 of the 6th graders because he didn't know his alphabet. The teachers in the public school just keep passing and passing until the child just quits because they have know idea whats going on in class. It's just sad.
4 of the children that are not passing this year belong to teachers at the public school, if that isn't shocking.
The great thing is that all the children that could not read can now read but they are just behind.
We have had a good response from the parents that we even wanted to work with and help the children rather than just pushing them forward.
Cost; currently Ream and I will be paying for the new buildings and furnishings we are also supporting the teachers headed to college.
The new building we are told will be $5000. most likely a little more.
Desks will cost us about $1000
Cost to send one person to college has been $300 we have 6 going, $1800.
If you'd like to help we appreciate it. You may contact us or our church about how to do that.
Big steps for our community, real big.
7/25/12
New Year Party
We had a little Khmer New Year party
Raising the flag
New Years include putting powder on other peoples faces
Bible study
Both her and her brother look like little dolls, so, so cute.
Passer by stops to see what is going on?
Like a pinata but with a clay pot, it's traditional here and not as dangerous as I thought it was going to be
A number of parents stayed for the activities.
Some of our older kids that didn't have school came to help.
Sack races
Water relay to see who could fill up their bottle first
Prizes for the winners
Eat the jicama the fastest
Cleaning up and headed off for spring break
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