Shalom Summer Camp
We were recently privileged to take part in Shalom Church’s annual youth camp in a small coastal town in the Koh Kong Province (4-hour bus ride). The theme of the camp was Why Love?, focusing on God’s love for us, and our love for others. We left Phnom Penh on Tuesday morning, and returned on Friday night (Aug 24th-27th). There were approximately 75 youth, a number of them Non-Christian. Nate taught four sessions (in Khmer) while Ava and I participated by attending the meetings, but mostly…by making friends! She was definitely the star of the show, especially as some of the locals had probably never seen a white baby before. While it was stretching for us (the interesting food, Ava’s schedule being thrown off, language limitations [for me], etc.), we had a wonderful time with everyone, and we’re so glad that we could go! Achoon chraun, Shalom Church, for this opportunity. Thank you to those abroad who prayed for the Lord’s blessing during this time–please keep these young people before the Throne. Thank you also for your continued support, making such ministry possible. We are so very grateful!
Here are some visual images from the trip:
Click the pictures to enlarge.
- Ava reading…upside down and backwards…very talented.
- Mother-daughter reading time
- No shoes for the games
- Rith and Nate
- Making friends with Mettah, Pastor Sopheak’s daughter
- She would run away and then run back, Ava laughing hysterically
- Ava’s cage/bed. What would we do without the Peapod?
- Goofy girl. She kept doing this to make me laugh
- Catching a glimpse of the white baby
- Ava enjoyed the bus ride
- Playing games en route
- A palm tree farm – beautiful!
- Hangin’ with Daddy
- Ava loves balls
- Khmer Games – hitting the water bottle with a ball
- Taking a break
- Nap time in palm tree land
- More nap time – the bus drivers tied their hammocks to the engines
- Excited that Ava is sleeping
- Look closely…
- a small forest
- Still sleeping…
- Walking to the mini water fall
- Tokay gecko that was hiding in our meeting place
- Nate teaching in Khmer
- Daren was kind enough to take Ava for a while
- She and I met some locals, who were very thoughtful, brushing off this platform so that she could crawl
- Ava finally strectching her legs (during low tide)
- Thanks, Christine, for this great family picture!
- Ava sleeping during the session…naughty girl
- The second session, closer to the water
- Our meeting place – a large grass hut
- Ava loves dogs…she squeals in delight
- The only “clean” place for Ava to play – on the bus
- Chumno listening to the session
- Ava and her three little friends
- Convenient laundry lines in our bathroom
- Happy baby
- Meeting the locals
- Waving goodbye
- Food!
- The restaurant where we ate all of our meals
- Our local friendly seller. She asked us to send the pic.
- Ava playing peek-a-boo with Ana
- Nate’s name tag
- Nate and Chumno, the worship leader
- Low tide fun
- Doing my Khmer homework on the bus
- Ava flashing her pearly whites…all 2 of them.






































































