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Day 1: Preparation and play at Maple Ridge

Updated: Sep 14

The first day of the family road trip began with several billets reporting that their Cambodian guests opted to sleep in, which is understandable given the long day before. After getting their breakfasts at their respective houses, the team got together at Maple Ridge Alliance Church to practice for their performance the next day.


The kids were quite amused at seeing themselves on screen, as they laughed loudly and teased whoever was shown on the video. While they found that humorous, it was one particular dance that had me chuckling. I will not spoil anything here, so you will have to come by one of our tour-stops!

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After practice, it was time for lunch. Trakuan is an extraordinary chef, and with the help of Wei Ling and June (very helpful members of the Maple Ridge Alliance community), a traditional, yet western-accessible, meal was prepared for all. Tables were set up at one end of the church's gymnasium, which meant that as soon as the kids finished their meal, it was time to kick around the various balls lying around. Despite constant warnings to not kick the balls towards the side with the tables (where the adults were chatting), numerous errant kicks occurred which resulted in giggles during chastisement (a favorite phrase among the boys being, "so sorry").


I played with the kids for a while, in which I was cruelly climbed upon like monkey-bars. Such injustice! I had to dole out some wrestling maneuvers to right the wrongs. Minea was especially a handful, as I discovered he could easily outrun me.



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The highlight of the day for me was introducing the Cambodians to 5 pin bowling. Ardie (the primary planner behind our Maple Ridge stay) and I accompanied the Cambodians to Revs Maple Ridge, the local bowling alley. We were split up into four groups of four, as Sokthon and Sany chose to not play but watch the hilarity.


All things considered, it's a miracle nobody got hit in the head with a bowling ball. While everyone did take their turns in the correct order, the approach area was frequently crowded, with everyone standing very close to the current bowler. To avoid the disappointment of gutter-balls, the blockers were put up, which was good call, seeing as the kids didn't so much 'bowl' but lob the balls a good distance away from the foul line.


Lin and Kapriel were the two sources of the most hilarity. Lin would frequently try to bowl before the pins reset, and would laugh maniacally when I had to physically stop her from throwing a ball. She then began trying to sabotage me and other bowlers, which proved more humorous then frustrating. Kapriel, meanwhile, had a very interesting approach to bowling, as he would lob the ball onto the floor a few feet ahead of the foul line, as if he were participating in shot put. At one point he threw the ball directly into the divider between lanes, which caused a panel to fall off. The staff was understanding and fixed the panel without issue, all while Kapriel grinned at me sheepishly.




I would have liked to get some photos of the kids bowling, but I had to stay on my toes watching the little bandits.


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After bowling, the team regrouped at Maple Ridge Alliance. The team relaxed around the church, with some of the kids playing outside, while the others did crafts. Another delicious meal was made by Trakuan, Wei Ling and June, which the team ate gratefully. The kids once again ran around the gymnasium, switching frequently between makeshift games of soccer and volleyball.


The billets arrived significantly earlier compared to last night, meaning the kids got to spend more time with them, as well as a less-rushed time for winding down. It is quite heartwarming seeing the kids get excited over spending the night at a billet's house. By 8:00, everyone had left the church, ready for the next day, which marks the first performance. The specifics of that day will be covered in tomorrow's blog.


Expect to see videos and small interviews with the team in upcoming blog entries!

God bless & Jesus saves.


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