First update from sunny, sweaty Poipet.

Dear all,

I am in Poipet now - it's an amazing place, there is one, long continuous high street which stretches for about a mile from end to end, with various residential streets branching off at irregular intervals. To call the majority of the dwellings 'houses' would be to pay them a compliment they don't really deserve, as most of them are of the wooden walls corrugated iron ceiling variety. None of the roads are paved either.

We're staying in a hotel - basic but comfortable- unfortunately it does slightly give one the impression of being separated from the locals, but that also may be because we're not actually working with them yet.

We'll be starting work on monday morning, making bricks alongside the locals for the construction of an intergrated refuge centre, orphanage and school for kids who either have escaped from the child trafficking industry or who are home alone much of the time because their parents have crossed into Thailand in search of work. Our day will look like this:

6.15 - up

7.00 - breakfast

7.30 - devotions with team and CHO staff

8.00 - start work

12.00 - 1.30 - lunch

1.30 - 5.00 - work

The Cambodians are such friendly people - not just the CHO staff but also the locals. A smile will always be returned warmly, if a little shyly, though due to the language barrier it kind of stops there. The staff at CHO are just amazing, talk about living with the joy of the spirit, they all walk around with big grins on their faces and are always up for a practical joke!

I rekon I'll be able to get to the internet once or twice a week, so I'll try and email then.

If people could pray for continued team unity, that the language barrier would start to be broken down, and that we will have the humility to accept the humble work that's going be given to us, that would be fantastic. I don't think I've quite taken in the fact that I'm away for four months, so when that realisation does hit me (as I'm sure it will during a low point) I would really really really appreciate your prayers that God would sustain me through it and give me a joy irrespective of my circumstances.

I think that's about all.

How's everything in sunny sunny England (it was 37 degrees here today!)?

looooves

Greg