posted by sarah-

Hi to all! I know it's a little late posting this up.. But better be late than never right? :)

I'm really happy to be seeing Serve Cam people in school almost everyday in school! Especially Julianna, Sarah, Diana, Gary, BX, Fiona, Yvonne( Acc oei~) and somewhat.... Heng hao ( he seems to be everywhere! ) Seeing all of you make me reminisce about the times we spent in Cambodia. Scrubbing walls, painting, mixing cement, transferring rocks, singing, cheering, aiding the injured, playing with the kids...all these activities seem so recent..

Firstly, I must say that I'm really more appreciative of the little things I have in Singapore now. The kids in the FGA and solid rock are soooo friendlyyy and niceeeee! I had a good time talking and playing with them! They showed me a different side of life, that happiness can be achieved from simple pleasures. They all seemed so sincere in everything they do. I feel really loved and comfortable with the kids there.. it’s like the feeling of a family. Very very heart warming. :)

I enjoyed the most when I see them having fun! Especially during games day at FGA! They innocence reminds me of the days when I was younger. Looking at the smiles on their faces made the trip more worthwhile. I hope that the kids in Cambodia enjoyed themselves and that we have created a positive impact, no matter big or small, in their lives.

I'm really fortunate to be given the opportunity to be part of the Serve Cambodia Team. The experience that I got during the 14 days in Cambodia was priceless. It's an experience I'll never forget...and I’ll carry the values I had learnt with me.

I would like to thank the Serve Cambodia team for all your efforts and work. It would be no fun without you guys! I love you all! Hope that we can continue to keep in contact and do our best to help the community in every ways!

Touching hearts, building lives.

- Isabel.

posted by midnight desires

The two weeks that i had spent in Cambodia is one of the most memorable moments in my life. I felt very fortunate to be in Singapore after what i had experience the life of the people over there. In Singapore, almost every children would have the opportunity to go to school. However, in Cambodia, a lot of the children did not have the chance to go to school because of poverty. Many children had lost their parents during the civil war. 

In the first week where we are in the orphanage, the children there were all very hardworking and wish to further their studies in the university after they graduate from the high school. I am very happy to know them and worked together with them.

In the second week, the team worked very hard on the building of the basketball court. However, we still could not complete it when we left. This makes me feel that, there is a lot of things that we want to do but could not do.

In conclusion, the whole trip had left a very deep memory inside me which i would carry it for the rest of my life.

posted by Ng Bing Xian.
posted by Wen Zi You Du

Serve Cambodia was truly a great experinence for me and I am very thankful for all the luxury items I have in life and the love and warmth I receive from my family.

Since primary school I was taught the song "Give Thanks" but I have never really comprehend the true meaning of that song until we went to Mdm Cheah's place. As I sing the verse and now let the weak say, "I am strong" Let the poor say, "I am rich" I truly grasp the meaning and the emotion for that song and it has become the most meaningful song in my life. Everyday this song will inadvertently replay in my head and made me feel that I am very blessed to have a roof over my head,three sumptuous meal a day and all the love I have got from my family everyday for twenty-one years.

At FGA I learn something new in life, that is we tend to think that people from the economically disadvantaged are leading a sad life because they cannot buy and have the things they want. Yet the people living in poorer countries can be happy too. On the contrary, people who are living in a country which is economically stable are never satisfied with what they have because they can never have enough money to satisfy their unlimited wants.

Serve Cambodia made me reflect on all the things that I have in life and be thankful of every single little thing that I owned. I have made many new friends in Cambodia and I hope my friendship with them will go a long way because it is them who taught me how to appreciate the love I have got from my family.
posted by diana

It was a memorable experience as all the people involved in this trip really put all their effort into completing the various tasks and objectives. It was not easy for us to work in a team of people that we initially do not know well.
However, it was really enjoyable and i felt thankful having to work with them.

Sometime, we may have some unhappiness toward one another, but we manage to understand one another and try to give and take. I personally felt that it was a very good opportunity for us to train our interpersonal skills.

Apart from that, workng with the kids over there was fulfilling, it was the best time for us to communicate with them. Through communication and every little actions, the Cambodia kids revealed their sincere self. Some of them shared their background story with me and I realized that I’m very lucky to be born in Singapore. I've learnt how to appreciate what I have now.

I said that because some families had difficulties sending their kids to school for education. Therefore, once the center is willing to support them for their education, some of them worked extra hard to make sure they won’t disappoint the center's effort.

However, i was really sad when I learnt that their education system was not as strict as ours. Rich families there can just give some money to the teacher to cheat in the exam. As most of the children in the centre felt it was unfair for them as they work so hard but their result was not as good as others who acted dishonest during exam.

Despite all these, some of them still continue to work hard without giving up as they wish to attend university. One of the main reasons why they never give up education was because of hope & their love for their family. Their hope and desire to clinch a better job. A better job which creates a better future for themselves and their love ones. Even though I am older than most of them, the burden they have are much more than me.

Throughout my two weeks over there, I really had a lot of fun with them. I felt deeply touched by their sincerity. Furthermore, they showered me with genuine care and concern, it warms my heart.

Last but not least, I want to thank everyone who were involved in this serve trip which includes sponsors, the hosts who took care of us in Cambodia, two lecturers who puts in a lot of effort in preparing the work and those "heros" which we worked with, the whole of serve Cambodia 2009 TEAM! This trip had been wonderful and of valuable experience.

Lastly, I want to apologize to those people whom I may have unintentional hate you all, Sorry!

-Gary
posted by Miss Fiona

It has been great experience spending 2 weeks in Ccambodia. Through this community service project, i have learnt a couple of things. First and foremost, i learnt to appreciate things which could be just as simple as food and accommodation. During our stay at the orphanage, our meals would consist of mainly just one dish and lots of rice. Another example which i could learn from the Cambodians would be they seem to appreciate what they have and not expecting much. The next thing i have learnt would be perseverance, even though there were couple of days where we had to do hard labour, the team hardly complained at all. Another example could be communicating with most of the local kids there as it often took some time to put the message across.
One of the best rewards from this trip would be having to know a few Cambodian friends. Even though it has almost a month since we left the orphanage at Phnom Penh, we would continue to keep in contact through emails and the Internet. The last thing that i have enjoyed from this trip would be having a great team, where we could complete all the tasks together no matter how tough they were.

BY YuHeng
posted by amylimyiwen

Serve Cambodia has definitely made an impact in my life. Cambodia opened my eyes to a whole new culture and lifestyle which conflicts ours. The people there were really simple minded and the little things like playing with them, showering them with care and concern made them really happy and that made them really happy. I suppose through our complicated lifestyles where everyone is busy trying to attain perfection made us neglect all the simple things in life. We are never contented with what we have, like having a basketball court and we are still complaining like how it is not well maintained but for them, such simple facilities really made them happy. Having spent 2 weeks in a foreign land made me realized how fortunate I am to be living in Singapore. Many a times we take the things and people around us for granted, and after this trip, I learnt how to appreciate them more.


Though with the advance technology that we have in Singapore, we never get to experience how to mix the cement and scrubbing of the wall as all these are done by others. But within the 2 weeks that we’ve spent there, we experienced the “stone age” of mixing the cement and painting of the wall, which was pure manual labour.

The most difficult thing that we have experienced was the language barrier. We were not able to express freely or communicate with the people there as much as we wanted to. However the children there were very keen on learning our language and I had an enjoyable time teaching them some basic Chinese. The barrier has to be broken down somehow and for us, it was through playing with the people there. Playing is an universal language like playing basketball, soccer and hopscotch. We do not need to speak their language nor do they need to speak ours in order to play with us, because playing is the one thing that everyone has in common.

post by Ting Wei
posted by Wen Zi You Du

Human always learn to appreciate things after they lost it.


Spent 2 weeks in Cambodia, made me realise that our pace are moving too fast. Maybe is due to environment factor that we could not slow down to appreciate things around us. Have you ever tried lying down on the grass patch looking at the sky? I would say I never did.

But I had found some other factors to appreciate people around me. Cambodia is a place that makes me re-learn a lot of things. Things like human relationship.

The first week in Cambodia, we walked them to school. The walk is about 10 minutes. Although I ever walked to school before which the journey took me 20 minutes. But I still will have alternative of taking bus to school on rainy days. But they do not have this privilege. It does not matter it is a rainy day or sunny day. Their transport is either by foot or by bicycle (for the higher grade). I love the times spent while painting the walls with them. And the times spent teaching them Chinese. They are so happy to be able to learn Chinese as a language and they attempted to communicate with us in Chinese too. That is something that touches my heart. Meals provided by the centre makes you feel at home. The local delight and drinks that we made for them, they love it and they asked for more.

Things might be changing after coming back from Cambodia. It might not be something that we know. But I believe, our attitude towards life would somehow change. Because I know, there is something always missing ever since I am back here. That will be the love that we received and given during the trip.

Thank you to the whole team including Miss Jamie & Mr Robert. Thank you for the 2 hosts and the kids back in Cambodia. Not forgetting all the organisations and people who had been doing the background work.

Without all of you, this trip will never be possible.

With all your love, this trip is an unforgettable and memorable one.

Give Thanks to Qing Fei De Yi's Peng You who put us at the Top Of the World
posted by Wen Zi You Du

Well, Serve Cambodia 2009 not only left me with experience and whole lots of fun but a definite change in attitude and perspective towards many things. One thing after this trip, I am certain of is that we are sufficient in all things, as long as you are contented. Contentment is one of the valuable virtues which the Cambodian kids and people taught me. Even though, we, foreigners, see and feel that there is so much poverty, so much pain, so much suffering and so much we can do to make it a better place for them, yet these Cambodians willingly accept their plight and are satisfied and contented with what they have. All the more, I should too be contented and happy with what I have. As what the world says, “People are never satisfied with what they have”. I think these kids that I lived, talked, laughed and interacted with, proved this wrong. One thing, I ask myself when I came back, if the kids were placed in this society that we live in, would they behave differently? I’m just wondering.

This trip was one that was of real hands-on community service work, all our effort and sweat. I recalled someone asked me, must we sacrifice in exchange for someone’s blessings? I guess, we didn’t really sacrifice much or at all. When it is our desire to help people, there would not be any sacrifice because it is out of a willing heart.

The Serve team was truly one that was FAMILY. Even though, there were conflicts, disagreements and stuff, we were all there for the same purpose and reason, serve Cambodia.

I really miss the times we had in Cambodia as a team and also the kids there. Whenever, I look at the time, I will always remember about the kids there, like at this time what are they doing? Is it meal time?

“Touching Hearts, Building Lives” – not only was this achieved for the Cambodian people, we too also achieved this. This trip touched our hearts and built our lives through the valuable experience.

Written by:
Robin
posted by Sandra

SERVE CAMBODIA 2009, more than just an OCIP.

Away from home and into a foreign land, friendships were forged and memories knitted.

There are just so many things I have learned during the trip.

I have learned to be more detailed and thoughtful when it comes to planning of the itinerary for the trip. It was difficult to strike a balance to ensure that the schedule is not too packed but at the same time, we are able to maximise the time we have at the orphanage. This trip had taught me to be sensitive to others needs and ensure that everyone safety are looked after.

The hospitality of the locals and the young children have deeply warmed my heart. Their friendliness and sincerity is the bridge to the differences between our communication barriers. Even though we might not be able to converse in common language but between the Cambodians and us we share the language of love and care for each other.

After this trip, I realised that I am so blessed to live in Singapore. There are just so many things that I had taken advantage of, such as the clean tap water we can consume! Not forgetting the road system we have! I still remember the flooded area that we have to walk across to get to and out of the feeding center. There are just so many things to be thankful for just because I am living in Singapore!

Even though its only 14 days of community service, but the impact of being able to be a blessing to others have encouraged me a long way down. I believe the rest of the team members had felt the same way too.

I am really thankful for God’s providence in my entire trip. Indeed, the Lord had never put me in a situation where his grace isn’t sufficient.

For the fun we had shared,
for the laughter we had,
and for the friendship we have made,
we will keep the spark to care for others burning...

Thank you Serve Cambodia 2009 for you had part my trip really fruitful and enriching.

May the Good Lord bless you in all your ways. (:

SC2009 ROCKS MY SOCKS! (:

Written By:

Juliana

posted by Sandra

Miss Jamie Teo Mr Robert Juliana Robin Foo Hou Si Ting Sarah Sandra Isabel Stacey Diana Amy Yvonne Ivy Leonard Gary Heng Hao Ting Wei Yu Heng Jacqueline Katerine Bing Xian

Chit-chat :D

• September 2009
• October 2009
• November 2009