Join us in: Cambodia!
Trip Information
DATE: 1/8/2024 - 1/22/2024
LOCATION: Kampong Cham, Cambodia
ESTIMATED COST: $1,000 per person trip fee (plus airfare to Phnom Penh, Cambodia - currently estimated at $1,650)
REGISTER: Click here to Volunteer with us!
FUNDRAISER: $8,000
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
Time for construction!
We will be partnering with World Team Missionaries to help finish a new school facility renovation for Friendship Ministries located in Kampong Cham Cambodia.
FRIENDSHIP MINISTRIES - CAMBODIA
Friendship Ministries is focused on developing a thriving network of house churches in and around Kampong Cham, Cambodia. The ministry’s vision is to have a network of house churches made up of reproducing disciples that impact the community around them for Christ in every district in Kampong Cham provinces. In 2022, the Friendship Ministries consisted of seven house churches led by five house church leaders with 41 people in attendance. They also have a Sunday church meeting that sees weekly attendance from 60 to 70 people. Friendship Ministries have set out to communicate the Gospel in both word and deed by serving the poor through free medical care and education.
Poverty is a vicious trap for Cambodia’s poor. Education is one form of development that can help free them from the cycle of poverty; however, education is also hardest for them to attain. Most children in the provinces are unable to receive a sustained education, and many of them drop out of school by second grade.
To meet this need, their team started a small school introducing first grade in the fall of 2009. The staff consists of Cambodian Christian teachers who have a unique opportunity to serve communities and influence students, their parents, and neighbors for Christ. As of 2023, Friendship School teaches grade 1 through 9 and also assists students in grades 10 through 12 with education through the government school. They also assist a few college students that graduated from Friendship School. They teach or assist over 250 students.
TYPICAL SCHEDULE
Below is a basic schedule for the week, which we approach with flexibility because our ultimate focus is on serving Christ and growing in our relationships with one another!
Monday-Wednesday
3 P.M. – Meet at Medford airport and board plane to Cambodia Arrive in Phnom Penh Sunday
Thursday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Friday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Saturday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Sunday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Monday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Tuesday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Wednesday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Church
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Outreach or Market shopping
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and relax
Thursday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Friday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Building projects
12:30 P.M. – Lunch
1:30 P.M. – Building projects
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Saturday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Site seeing (Angkor Wat, markets etc.)
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Sunday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
9:00 A.M. – Head to the airport for the flight home
Monday
Arrive Home
LODGING & FOOD
Where We Stay & What We Eat
Lodging will be provided at a local hotel and will consist of a hotel room for each volunteer. The food is also prepared by hotel staff and will reflect a variety of traditional Cambodian foods.
SUPPLY LIST
In January, the weather is dry, but the temperatures are slightly cooler - it's usually expected to be approximately 25°C - 30°C (77F - 86F) at this time of year.
- Bible
- Bedding: NA (but alarm clock and/or ear plugs if a light sleeper etc.)
- Bath: bath towel, soap, shampoo are provided by the hotel but a toothbrush and toothpaste, personal items, etc.
- Clothes: work clothes, one nice (not dressy) outfit for church, jacket and/or sweater (cold at night)
- Shoes: tennis or work shoes are preferred (e.g. no bare feet at any time) etc.
- Other: camera, flashlight, hand sanitizer, and cell phone charges etc.
DRESS CODE
- No undergarments showing at any time (guys and gals)
- Dresses/skirts for outreach should be mid-calf to ankle if your not wearing pants
- No tight fitting shirts, tank tops, low-cut or scoop neck
- Men cannot take off their shirts
HEALTH & SAFETY
Helping Hands International recommends you follow those health and safety recommendations readily published by the CDC and Travel Alert program offered by the US State Department, as well as those recommended by your personal physician. COVID-19 testing varies by Country and may be necessary before this trip departure and before returning to the USA. Please click here for vaccination requirements and/or recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We also suggest you check with your personal health clinic or physician regarding what vaccines or medicines you may require while participating on this service project. Please note, if you do take prescription medicines, please check with your local pharmacist to ensure the medicines are not considered a controlled substance in the location you are traveling. Finally, please be sure to read HHI's COVID-19 policy, and Consent to Leave the Country (for minors) form, requirements below.
PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Please be sure to read specific passport and visa requirements listed here, per the U.S. State Department. "You will need a valid passport and a Cambodian visa to enter Cambodia. Tourist and business visas are valid for one month from the date of entry into Cambodia. Cambodia offers on-line visa processing. You may also apply in person at the Cambodian Embassy located at 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011, tel. 202-726-7742, fax 202-726-8381. Tourists and business travelers may also obtain a Cambodian visa at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. Cambodian immigration officials at airports now collect fingerprints upon entry using an inkless, electronic process. You will need two passport-sized (4cm by 6cm) photographs and a passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Cambodia."
THE STORY BEHIND THE PROJECT
“Helping Hands International has a connection with a local missionary who works with World Team in Cambodia.
A few years ago (pre-COVID 19) HHI reached out to see if World Team needed help on any local projects but, due to the pandemic, any volunteer opportunities were postponed.
However, we were invited to World Team's 2022 Annual Field Conference and it was a huge success!
This Annual Field Conference was primarily designed to encourage and equip local missionaries serving in Cambodia and HHI was specifically asked to provide worship and child-care to the children of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
However, we were also able to meet and begin building relationships with many World Team Missionaries!
Through these new relationships, Helping Hands was asked to serve along side Chris and Amy Gesler and their family in 2023. Specifically, they asked us to send a team of skilled volunteers to help them renovate a new school building they have been able to purchase for their expanding Friendship ministry."
– Ron Ashpole, HHI Founder and President
Healthy & Safety
COVID-19
Helping Hands International requires each Volunteer planning to travel on a non-US project, or out of State project, to obtain a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to departure, IF you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or may have been recently exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Test results will need to be shared with individual HHI Team Leaders. However, you do NOT need to send results to our main office.
We also HIGHLY recommend all participants receive COVID-19 vaccinations prior to your trip overseas!
While Helping Hands International recognizes that vaccinations are a voluntary decision, we highly recommend all participants receive a COVID-19 vaccination, in large part because we do not want to bring the virus to a small or remote village that has little or no healthcare - the results could be devastating!
Helping Hands International also recommends you follow the country specific health and safety recommendations readily published by the CDC and Travel Alert program offered by the US State Department, as well as those recommended by your personal physician. You can find this information on your trip specific HHI web page (e.g. www.helpinghandsinternational.com/kenya or www.helpinghandsinternational.com/mexico etc) as well.
COVID–19
While COVID-19 requirements vary by location, and sometimes day by day, we will do our best to monitor and keep you abreast of testing requirements for each trip. Please also be aware that some countries may require you to provide a negative COVID test before leaving the USA and entering their country, as well as prior to departing their country to head back to the United States.
FAQ
Q: What if someone tests positive for COVID-19 in a foreign country and cannot fly home?
A: Although this scenario is unlikely, it is a possibility we need to be prepared for. If an HHI Volunteer tests positive for COVID-19 in a foreign country, that person (if a minor, with an adult) will need to stay in the country and quarantine for the amount of days required by local authorities (e.g. in some cases this is between 10-14 days.) Helping Hands International will arrange lodging for HHI Volunteer(s) who need to be quarantined, but the expense will be the responsibility of the traveler(s), not the nonprofit.
Join us in: Cambodia!
Trip Information
DATE: 11/04/2022-11/17/2022
LOCATION: Siem Reap, Cambodia
ESTIMATED COST: $800 per person per trip from San Francisco (plus airfare to Siem Reap, Cambodia - currently estimated at $1,650)
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
We plan to encourage approximately 55 missionaries and their children over a 4-5 day Annual Field Conference in Cambodia. We expect to serve about 30-35 adults attending the conference, and about 20 or so children, ranging from infants to high school students. The plan is to serve at the conference through a half day program, generally from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., build relationships with the missionaries serving there, and explore the area in the afternoons/evenings.
- Music – Each morning we plan to have some time singing and worshipping together.
- Child Care/Teaching — Each day, between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., we plan to provide Child Care to missionary children ranging in age from infant/toddlers through high school.
- Attend Local Church
- Fellowship – While the activities involved in this project include serving missionaries at their annual missionaries conference, there will be afternoons off, times of fellowship, opportunities to visit local events or activities (such as the Cambodian Water Festival), enjoy food/culture, shop, and explore the area prior to departing.
- Purpose –Our purpose is to share the love of God by bringing help and hope to hurting people through practical hands-on care. This care will largely take the form of providing child care while we are in Cambodia but we also hope our presence will encourage and strengthen the body of believers!
TYPICAL SCHEDULE
Below is a basic schedule for the week, which we approach with flexibility because our ultimate focus is on serving Christ and growing in our relationships with one another!
Saturday
10 A.M. – Meet at San Francisco airport and board plane to Cambodia
Sunday
10 A.M. – Arrive in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Monday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Serve at conference (worship and child care)
12:30 P.M. – Finish conference
1:30 P.M. – Explore Siem Reap
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Tuesday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Serve at conference (worship and child care)
12:30 P.M. – Finish conference
1:30 P.M. – Explore Siem Reap
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Wednesday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Serve at conference (worship and child care)
12:30 P.M. – Finish conference
1:30 P.M. – Explore Siem Reap
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Thursday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Serve at conference (worship and child care)
12:30 P.M. – Finish conference
1:30 P.M. – Explore Siem Reap
5:00 P.M. – Dinner, evening duties, debrief and optional outreach opportunities
Friday
7:30 A.M. – Breakfast
8:15 A.M. – Breakfast duties, devotions and group meeting
8:30 A.M. – Serve at conference (worship and child care)
12:30 P.M. – Finish conference
1:30 P.M. – Explore Siem Reap
5:00 P.M. – Special dinner feast, debrief, free time and pack up
Saturday
7:30 A.M. – Head home
LODGING & FOOD
Where We Stay & What We Eat
Lodging will be provided at a local hotel (talk to Tim for details) and will consist of a hotel room for each volunteer. The food is also prepared by hotel staff and will reflect a variety of traditional Cambodian foods.
SUPPLY LIST
After the heavy rains of September and October, November is refreshingly dry and comparatively cool. It's the start of the cooler, dry season, but as Cambodia is a tropical country, the weather continues to be warm. The average November temperature in the capital, Phnom Penh, is 81°F (27°C).
- Bible
- Bedding: NA (but alarm clock and/or ear plugs if a light sleeper etc.)
- Bath: bath towel, soap, shampoo are provided by the hotel but a toothbrush and toothpaste, personal items, etc.
- Clothes: work clothes, one nice (not dressy) outfit for church, jacket and/or sweater (cold at night)
- Shoes: tennis or work shoes are preferred (e.g. no bare feet at any time) etc.
- Other: camera, flashlight, hand sanitizer, and cell phone charges etc.
DRESS CODE
- No undergarments showing at any time (guys and gals)
- Dresses/skirts for outreach should be mid-calf to ankle if your not wearing pants
- No tight fitting shirts, tank tops, low-cut or scoop neck
- Men cannot take off their shirts
HEALTH & SAFETY
Helping Hands International recommends you follow those health and safety recommendations readily published by the CDC and Travel Alert program offered by the US State Department, as well as those recommended by your personal physician. COVID-19 testing varies by Country and may be necessary before this trip departure and before returning to the USA. Please click here for vaccination requirements and/or recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We also suggest you check with your personal health clinic or physician regarding what vaccines or medicines you may require while participating on this service project. Please note, if you do take prescription medicines, please check with your local pharmacist to ensure the medicines are not considered a controlled substance in the location you are traveling. Finally, please be sure to read HHI's COVID-19 policy, and Consent to Leave the Country (for minors) form, requirements below.
PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Please be sure to read specific passport and visa requirements listed here, per the U.S. State Department. "You will need a valid passport and a Cambodian visa to enter Cambodia. Tourist and business visas are valid for one month from the date of entry into Cambodia. Cambodia offers on-line visa processing. You may also apply in person at the Cambodian Embassy located at 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011, tel. 202-726-7742, fax 202-726-8381. Tourists and business travelers may also obtain a Cambodian visa at the airports in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and at all major border crossings. Cambodian immigration officials at airports now collect fingerprints upon entry using an inkless, electronic process. You will need two passport-sized (4cm by 6cm) photographs and a passport valid for a minimum of six months beyond the date of entry into Cambodia."
THE STORY BEHIND THE PROJECT
“Helping Hands International has a connection with a local missionary who works with World Team in Cambodia.
A few years ago (pre-COVID 19) HHI reached out to see if World Team needed help on any local projects but, due to the pandemic, any volunteer opportunities were postponed.
However, we are happy to announce that we have now been invited to serve at World Team's Annual Field Conference in November 2022!
This Annual Field Conference is primarily designed to encourage and equip local missionaries serving in Cambodia and HHI has been specifically asked to provide worship and child-care to the children of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are excited about the opportunity to build-up the church by encouraging these full-time missionaries and their children in Cambodia and hope you will consider joining us!”
– Tim Plankenhorn, HHI Program Director & Team Leader