Days 3-4: First performance.

The team woke up and came to the St. Thomas Fellowship Church for 9:00 AM. Considering that the wake-up time at Rescue is 6:30 AM, I think the kids got to sleep in. It was a special day, as it was the first performance. We had the entire day to prepare at the church, allowing for lots of rehearsals and practice sessions. It was funny getting to watch the kids get acquainted with the stage layout, as the step in the middle of the stage caused some near falls (I've been told that one of the boys nearly somersaulted off the stage).

With all of the hard work that goes with preparation, it was good that the team could eat a good meal. Local St. Thomas Cambodians came by with some delicious food which the children eagerly consumed. I was partial to the chicken wings, which I had a few helpings of.

The performance went wonderfully, with the presence of several Cambodian audience members adding further incentive for the kids to perform well. Very few hiccups occurred, and they were not very noticeable. The biggest blooper occurred behind the scenes, unseen by the audience but captured by my phone, as poor Soteaara had a door open right into her back. Maybe I should have been more concerned for her well-being, but I thought it was funny.

She was fine. Don't worry.

The next day saw us undergo the lengthy takedown process. Because our marketplace is much larger than it was last year, the amount of time it took to get everything put away took an excessively long time. Once we were finally finished, we started the tradition we did last year, where we sing and pray with whoever was there to help us unpack.

As we undertook the drive to Richmond Hills, we decided to visit one of Lake Erie's beaches. The kids found the experience very entertaining, as they all spread out to explore. Naomi got my attention by meticulously spelling out her name in the sand with high detail. I also found that Sreylang has somewhat imprinted on me, as she started following me around and would snuggle up to my arm to keep warm. We later ate lunch at a local park that had an abundance of geese, which we warned the children not to approach lest they get a nasty pecking.

We then arrived at Richmond Hills where we were given a royal welcome. Summit Community Church prepared for us a hefty meal and several snacks to keep the team full. The team did some rehearsals, as they would be performing the next morning for the Sunday service, before going to the various billet's houses with their assigned chaperones.

The next blog entry will cover the events of Sunday, September 21, where the kids had two performances! Thanks for reading. God bless.