The Cake - Part 4 - Made it to England!

Hurray! I made it to England and the cake is all still in one piece. When I came out of the airport I didn't find Robin Hood or Little John, but I did find Benjamin waiting there for me with a sign. This is an important cake because the sign had my name on it and the Cake. I guess we are now a pair!

As you can see  Benjamin is dressed for cold weather. I've gone from warm and sunny Asia to cold and dreary England. I'm going to freeze, but at least I don't have to worry about the cake melting on the way to the wedding.

I thought I would breath a sigh of relief when I arrived in England, but then I got in the car with Benjamin. Benjamin lived in Cambodia for a year and a half and he brought the Cambodian driving habits back to England. I was nervous as he drove on the way to Nottingham.

I'm now worried about myself. After 20+ hours of carrying the cake I am now afraid I have an emotional attachment to the cake. Just 2 more days until the wedding!

The Cake - Part 3 - We are on our way!

Well, we made it through airport security in Phnom Penh. Of course, I had to stop and open the box. When I did, all of security stopped and all the security people had to come over and check out the cake. One guy broke out into a chorus of Happy, Happy Birthday!


Then it was onto the plane. The handmade case was the perfect size for the overhead and was made just right to protect the cake.

We had a great flight, but had to stop in Ho Chi Minh City to pick up more passengers. This cake will have been in four countries: Cambodia, Vietnam, Qatar and England. It's a well travelled case.  While we were boarding more passengers in Vietnam we celebrated New Year's. The happy couple had a glass of Champaigne to celebrate.

Celebrating the New Year with a glass of bubbly!

Then it was on to Doha. We've arrived with no incident!!! The stewardesses have been great. Of course they are curious about this guy carrying a styrofoam case with FRAGILE on it. But I think they could tell from my demeanor and good looks that I'm a caring guy so they weren't worried, just curious. So when they finally asked what was in it and I told them a wedding cake they all gave out an "Aaahhhhh!" in unison.


Now the airport in Doha has been a different story. You wouldn't believe the looks you get when you walk around with a big container like this. People look at you nervously or with a strange look. I know they are wondering, "Is that a bomb, or maybe human organs, or is this some guy with a weird diet and has to carry all his food with him." Not sure what they are thinking, but getting a little self-conscious with hundreds of people looking at me as I walk by.

Well, the plane to England is boarding, so I'll update when we make it to England. So far, so good! I hope Robin Hood and Little John are waiting there to take me on to Sherwood Forest!

The Cake – Part 2 Picking up the Cake – the Journey begins

Now most people after reading yesterday’s blog will have two big questions:

1. Why? Why in the world buy a wedding cake in Cambodia when you could have one made in England?

2. How are you going to get a wedding cake from Cambodia to England?

These are two great questions! I’ll do my best to answer both.

Why? Why in the world buy a wedding cake in Cambodia when you could have one made in England?

First of all here is the cake! I picked it up this afternoon and will take it with me on the 10:40pm flight tonight from Phnom Penh to a short layover in Doha, Qatar. Aren't the red-headed groom and brunette bride cute? Nobody told me this was going to have an icing topper! My chances of this thing arriving in England like it is supposed to just took a serious nosedive. I hope the bride doesn't melt!

The cake is obviously beautiful! Bloom is known all over Cambodia for it’s designer cakes, even preparing cakes for royalty. And, I happen to know from experience that Bloom cakes are by far the best tasting cakes in all of Cambodia.  Now you may still be asking the question “While Bloom may have the best cakes in all of Cambodia, doesn’t England have places that make cakes of similar quality?”

Inside the shop

What makes Bloom cakes special is not simply the cakes, but who makes the cakes and why Bloom makes cakes in the first place. You see I mentioned the couple getting married has spent their lives serving others in marginalized, exploited and vulnerable communities. They have worked to help people find restoration, both physically and spiritually. To help people walk in their rightful dignity and value.  This is the very mission of Bloom Training Centres. BloomAsia Training Centres assist and empower vulnerable young women through vocational training and employment.

Outside of Bloom - The coconut salesman
wanted to be in the photo.

This is why the cake is making the long journey. The couple want even the choice of their wedding cake to be one symbolizing the values they live their lives by. When I see this level of conviction commitment to values I’m inspired.

The next time you or I buy something lets ask ourselves: “Why am I buying it here?” “Are the people I’m buying from ethical and are they helping or hurting others in their business practices?”

Stay tuned to see the cake in England! Now, how am I getting it there, you ask?

How am I going to get a wedding cake from Cambodia to England?

The family of the groom specially designed this cake carrier. Large enough for the cake, but just right to be a “carry-on” on the plane. The owner of  Bloom assured us she has carried cakes to other countries via airlines before. ( I told you these cakes are good!).

I’ll take the cake in this “cake carrier” to the airport tonight and once I clear customs I’ll seal it up for the journey. For the 20+ hours I’m in transit through Doha, Qatar to London and then onto Nottingham the cake will be within arms length.

Now I’m really nervous! The cake is in it’s special carrier, but it’s the guy carrying the carrier, I’m worried about! I'm actually having a hard time putting the lid on with those two little faces staring up at me.

The cake starts the first leg of the
journey in a Tuk-Tuk.

I’ll post again tonight after I’ve cleared security. Now how do I explain in Khmer why I’m carrying a cake on a plane? Hope the airport security guards aren’t hungry tonight!

Journey with a Cake - Part 1 What have I gotten myself into?

As a pastor and friend over the years I have been asked to do lots of things, weddings, funerals, baby dedications and all the other “normal” pastoral opportunities. But this request was definitely a new one to add to the books.

When two dear friends asked if I would perform their wedding ceremony I was extremely honored. I quickly agreed and began hearing the details of the wedding. Then…………the bride ducked her head, batted her eyes and added in her sweetest voice. “We have one more little request.”

“We’d like to ask you to transport our wedding cake to the wedding.”  Now most people when they read this will say, “No big deal, it’s just taking a wedding cake from one place in town to another”. The problem with this is: No. 1, the only vehicle I own is a motorcycle. No 2. The wedding cake is being made in Cambodia and No 3. The wedding is in England!!!

As the story has unfolded I thought it would be a story I couldn’t just keep to myself, so I hope you enjoy me sharing my journey in the next couple of blogs. I guess you can tell, with great fear and trembling,  I said yes. In some ways I’m writing this blog so I don’t feel so alone as I nervously carry this cake through airports, x-rays, customs and airplanes on a 2 ½ day journey with the cake. Considering I can’t carry a piece of paper from the printer to my desk without wrinkling it or spilling something on it I’m terrified about carrying this cake.

Journey with a cake - Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Doha, Qatar to London, England to Nottingham

Where It All Started

One year ago I was eating dinner with a group of Australians and some colleagues from two different organizations I work with. Two of my colleagues, and friends, were sitting across the table from me. These two were always very professional, so when I happened to look down at the floor during dinner what I saw shocked me. It was at that moment I realized these two were now dating. I later learned that evening the two had started dating just a few days earlier, just after Christmas.  

These two are amazing young people. They both live and work to help others, especially in seeing marginalized or exploited communities find life and restoration. Now a year later they are getting married.

The Wedding and The Cake

So I’ve already said I have to carry this cake to England, but not just anywhere in England. I’m carrying it to Nottingham, just on the edge of Sherwood Forest. If you think this starting to sound like something from a storybook, wait til you read the continuation of the story. And the Cake itself has an amazing story. Wait til you hear why it’s being made in Cambodia and why all this work! Check back tomorrow when I go to pick up the cake and start the journey. 

And oh yeah, you may just want to follow along to see if I can actually make it there with the cake in one piece ( or something close to that)!

Christmas Pigs, a House and a Moto

Teaching our boys the meaning of Christmas and to be givers has been a priority for Tricia and I as parents. We’ve also wanted to teach our boys to be wise in their giving and look for ways to invest in people that have a long-term effect.

One of the great tools we used was a Christmas gift catalog serving people in need, like the one Samaritan's Purse sends out every year before Christmas. The idea of the catalog is that you can purchase a gift for someone in need. But these aren’t ordinary gifts, they are gifts that are really an investment in people’s future.

Of course our boys, being animal lovers, would always choose to give the gift of chickens or pigs to a family in a developing country. We would always decide what gift to give as a family and talk about how the chickens or pigs weren’t a one-time gift, but a gift that would continue to give if the person who received it learned how to turn it into a small business.

We’ve done things like this before, but we were never able to see firsthand what the real outcome was in people’s lives. This week I had the opportunity to visit a family in Kampong Chhnang province in Cambodia who received one of these gifts in 2012.  I was completely shocked by what I saw.

This family was a recipient of a pig project through the Seeds of Hope project with Samaritan's Purse. Working with Samaritan's Purse I’ve learned families receive much more than can be explained in the Christmas catalog. They receive training in animal husbandry, assistance with constructing a proper pig pen and even training on marketing their pigs once the pigs are ready to sell, increasing the price they receive.

Mrs. Khiem Moeun's family of eight were living in this one room thatch home!

 Mrs. Khiem Moeun and her family were living with a number of challenges. She had eight family members living in a one room thatch and bamboo home. Her three teenage children not only had to live in this cramped one room house with five other family members, but also had a difficult time with obtaining an education and staying healthy.

Mrs. Moeun and her family received help with starting a vegetable garden, raising chickens and raising pigs.  Mrs. Moeun soon became very successful at raising and marketing her pigs. She was an entrepreneur who simply needed a little help getting started. Soon after starting to raise pigs she began to realize she was a natural.

Mrs. Moeun currently has 4 pigs ready to sell and 4 new piglets

Mrs. Moeun started out raising four pigs. She then sold those four, saved the profits and raised four more. Four pigs turned to eight and eight pigs turned to sixteen. Soon she had sold sixteen pigs and decided it was time to recognize a dream she had for her family. The original small investment in four little piglets had quickly turned into enough savings to build a new home for her and her family. They went from a small thatched home to a large wooden home that is big enough for the whole family and is much more secure.

The family in front of their beautiful new home purchased
with the proceeds from their new pig farm.

She didn’t stop there however. She continued to increase the number of pigs she was raising and saved the profits to purchase a motorbike for the family. Now her teenagers can travel to school. With the combined income and fresh food from her chickens, vegetables and pigs, the family’s life has been completely changed. What was once a desperate situation is now a healthy, happy home where everyone has big dreams for the future!

A beautiful home!

While I was in the village her teenage children helped lead the young people in a song and dance performance at a small village church. As we talked with members of the village the village chief told us this family was not the only success story. He said that as a result of the Seeds of Hope project in his village many families have now seen increased Income, domestic violence cases have dropped significantly and mothers and fathers have stopped having to migrate to other provinces or countries to work for income. This has led to healthier stable families throughout the village.

We’ve shared this story with our boys and thought those of you who do something similar might find it helpful to share with your family as well!

Snake Inside The Boat, Snakes Outside The Boat. Where Do You Go?

Last week there was flooding in Cambodia and we had to use 4 wheel drive trucks to reach many of the schools and communities we were working with. But it just kept raining.

When it floods in Cambodia, people aren’t the only ones displaced from their homes. Tricia learned last year that snakes are also displaced. Her medical outreach team came across two cobras in a chicken coup that were looking for higher ground!

This week the flooding was so bad the roads to the communities where I was travelling were completely submerged in water for miles. When we got ready to travel to one community the local staff I work with told me we would have to travel by boat for at least 8 miles to reach it.

When he said “boat” he was being generous. The boat he was referring to was more like a wooden plank with a lawn mower engine attached and an egg beater for a propeller.

We headed out in our “boat” and before we got very far the young lady sitting behind me started screaming in Khmer. I didn’t understand the word she was using but looked down to see a “snake” writhing around in the boat just 8 inches beneath the bamboo seating we were sitting on. We all lifted our feet up on the edge of the boat and started looking for a shallow place to step out of the boat. The next problem was that when we got to a shallow area we looked over the side of the boat to see a snake we knew was poisonous swimming towards us looking for something to climb up on.

Snake crawling under shoes in the bottom of the boat.

We were stuck in the boat and turned out into a rice field away from the snake. I couldn’t get out of the boat, but was stuck in the boat with a snake. Where was I going to go? As I spoke to the boat driver he didn’t seem to be concerned and told me to relax and said “no problem”.

I can’t say I was able to relax, but as we glided across the top of the water through what used to be an irrigation canal in a rice field, I began to think about a meeting I had been in two weeks earlier with two young ladies from Iran. These two young ladies stood up in front of some of the leaders of the largest missions agencies in the world and told the story of being imprisoned for their faith. They told of the horror they went through in the prison and their decision to face death instead of denying Christ. At the end of their talk they implored the leaders to continue sending missionaries and biblical resources into the hardest to reach and most dangerous places in the world.

As I thought of these two young ladies I began to realize my current situation paled in comparison. I started asking myself how many times I had played it safe instead of pressing on and sharing the love of Christ in questionable situations.

Life as a Christian is often similar to the situation I was facing on the boat. There was a snake in my boat and snakes swimming around outside my boat. There seemed to be danger all around so the easy solution would be to turn back and quit to avoid danger. But what did we do, we just kept going.

This is the heart Jesus has put in passionate believers. Keep Going! No matter what the circumstances we know His heart beats and yearns for those who do not know Him.  All we have to do is Go!

The bible clearly tells us we will face obstacles and suffer.

Philippians 1:29-30 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

But it also tells us He has given us authority and anointing when we face such challenges, even snakes.

Luke 10:19 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

We kept going that day and were able to spend time and share with teachers and students in the village. I wondered that day how many people around the world are waiting for someone to push through challenges and danger, so they can hear and know the Love Jesus gives in abundance.

When we arrived at our location I asked the boat driver why he didn’t get rid of the snake. He told me he was keeping the snake for Lunch! That was an added plus to me on this trip to know that snake got cooked and eaten. 

Discover your Purpose, Travel the World, Change a Life....

When Wayne and I decided to move to Cambodia, we took time to seek God about what specific areas he wanted us to focus on while serving here.  The needs of the people here seems to overwhelm me, and I’m moved compassion everyday.  It would be very easy to become splintered in ministry here because of the flood of spiritual, emotional, and physical needs that come before us on a daily basis. However, Wayne and I have both made a commitment to be intentional and faithful to the three main areas that we get excited about, are moved by, and feel called to: Justice, church planting, and leadership development.

Applying for Visa's to the US

Cultural Dinner at our House: intro to meals without rice!

Raven’s Hope International is one of those ministries that I get excited about. RHI is a Christ-centered resource center that offers spiritual growth, leadership development, and missionary opportunities to young ladies 18-30 from around the world. Starting this past June and for the following three months, I began mentoring  seven amazingly, strong young Cambodian women.  For three months, we met regularly at my home for intense training in preparation for their 6 month internship at Raven’s Hope International in Kansas City.  Sokleak, Leakena, Dara, Tevory, Chantrea, Phissara, and Sorany had overcome amazing obstacles to arrive at this once in a life time opportunity, and I am so proud be a part of the process in this journey of their lives.

Group Photo taken one week before departing for US (Phnom Penh)

God moved many mountains for this process to occur, and it was a sweet victory when they departed for the US on the 1^st of September.  Many of them had sacrificed more than what I could comprehend to obtain this internship. These young ladies taught me much through this time about courage, strength, and faith. They will return in March, following the internship.  I am excited to be able again to mentor them through another three months of debriefing, re-integration, and discipleship as they return back into communities in Phnom Penh. They will take what they learned, put it into action, and impact their nation for Christ! WOW! I get to be a part of that!

Tricia