‘Finished !!!’

Another early start on the worksite set us up for a great final day of building. The students were on the tools with a frenzy of action finishing all the jobs to a high standard. Without doubt this is a high quality house that will change a families life.

Learning new skills

Learning new skills

So many nails!!!

So many nails!!!

 

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The hard work paid off and today was the day we were able to sit back and see our final accomplishment. The build is complete and we can rest knowing that we have changed the life of one of the poorest families in this country. With such a house comes improved security, safety, health and the chance to step out of extreme poverty and offer hope. This is something that the students were deeply aware of in the house dedication service. The work was completed by lunch, including two special features for the family; a purpose built kitchen and an enormous swing for the children. The journey has taught us much about ourselves, others, our place in this world and God’s desires for how people should live.

Smiles, it's almost finished!

Smiles, it’s almost finished!

The last job.

The last job.

The swing in use already

The swing in use already

The afternoon saw an early knock-off and time to relax and unwind in the hotel. The group had a chance to wander though the town and expereience the local (non-tourist) markets. We visited a different hotel for a pre-dinner swim and a shared dinner of generous proportions. Post dinner several students and staff visited a the local fair/carnival, a real eye-opener and a fun, unwinding experience for the group.

The students should be proud of their efforts here in Kratie. They have worked in tiring conditions, battled heat, injury and sickness, learnt new skills and strengthened as a team whilst completing this build. Our efforts fundraising have been worthwhile as we have been a part of the transforming work RAW Impact does on a daily basis. We have been inspired by the RAW staff and blessed to be able to learn from and work with them. Thankyou parents for your comments, encouragement and prayers and please continue with this support as we travel the six or more hours to Siem Reap tomorrow.

The completed house!

The completed house!

8 thoughts on “‘Finished !!!’

  1. Well done guys, very proud of you all for all your hard work. What an adventure and with so many stories and happy memories to bring home to Perth xxx

  2. Fantastic work – the house is amazing! We are really proud of what you have achieved on this trip. You guys are awesome!
    Stay safe and God bless.

  3. Exceptional achievement in tough conditions that you weren’t used to. The determination on your faces ending with smiles of relief tell the story of what you have done. A wonderful group of youth with their teachers have changed lives and you should be so proud of that. Enjoy the rest of the trip and look forward to the weary travelers returning home.

  4. Gosh what can I say, do we have some future trades people coming up in the future?? You have all done an amazing job and although it has been partucularly harsh (to what you are used to) conditions just remember this is how these people live on a daily basis. Maybe some of you will return if not to Cambodia but elsewhere and volunteer your time with another charity. It makes you feel worthwhile to help people and know that they are so are very appreciative. Feel. Ery proud of yourselves and thank you raw impact for giving these young people the experience that will not be forgotten for a long time. See you all at home. God bless you all

  5. It has been an absolute joy to hang out with all of you and get to know you over the past week or so, and I’ll be sad to see you go. I’ll carry fond memories of this trip with me for the rest of my life and I just wanted to share a few words about each of you that I have found to be true in the short time that we have been together. You are all such amazing people and if you only take one thing away from these messages then I hope it’s that. If you ever doubt your own self-worth then just send me a message and I’ll remind you of how wrong you are to doubt it. Don’t let anybody convince you otherwise.

    Bianca. I love that you care more about the safety and well-being of the students than of yourself; losing sleep and running yourself ragged to help them out with whatever they need, whenever they need it. That says more about you as a person than the words of another ever could. You are an absolute pleasure to talk to, always having something interesting to say and contribute to the conversation. I especially love watching you interact with the girls in the group, because seeing you joke and play around with them makes your face light up and your already youthful features look even younger.

    Matt. I love how solid and dependable a person you are, always knowing what is right and helping to bring a voice of reason to a lively and free spirited bunch of people. The way you talk about your daughter and the way you smile when you show everyone pictures of her is all the proof I need to know that you are an amazing father and those skills lend themselves to you being a great teacher too.

    The love and guidance and energy that you two give to these kids is priceless and it is something that they will never be able to repay. They may not know it right now and they may never tell you as much, but each and every one of them will be thankful to have been taught by you or even just to have known you. Years from now when you look at the amazing people that they have all grown up to be, just remember that you played an invaluable part in who they are. You remind me of the greatest teachers I had in high school, who helped shape who I am today.

    Dave. I love how adventurous you are, always curious and willing to try new things. Your great sense of humour and carefree nature may get you into trouble sometimes, but what is life without a bit of mischief. It’s great to see adults who have never quite forgotten the sense of wonder and fun that comes with being a kid; so although your face looks like a shriveled up old coconut, I know you are still young at heart. I’m sure all the parents would like their kids to have two working thumbs, so I’m not sure if you are the best role model, but it’s awesome to have you around because there are certainly a lot of things that we can learn from you.

    Amy. I love your personality. You are such a bright flame that you will have no problems meeting new people and making new friends in the future. I have met a few people like you in my life and the one thing that they all have in common is the atmosphere of happiness and joy that they create around themselves. It has been a pleasure to have felt the warm glow that you so naturally radiate. Your voice and the way you talk are both so endearing. Your laugh and your smile so infectious. Not even the wet season in Cambodia would be enough to dampen your spirit.

    Caitlin. I love how tough you are. Doing this build and giving it your all is hard enough in good health, let alone when you are battling sickness the whole time. I barely heard a word of complaint from you and you put in more than your fair share of effort so you should be extremely proud of what you’ve done. Also, there are a lot of people in the world who have a phobia of spiders but there are a lot fewer people who have that phobia and would still attempt to eat one, especially in front of a group of their peers. You are a very strong young woman.

    Emma. I love how quiet you are. In that regard I see a little of myself in you. I sometimes see you staring off into space, and although there are times when that is undoubtedly because of how tired you are, there are other times when I think that it’s because you are lost in your own thoughts. These is no better company than yourself because only you know what you are truly going through. If I had one piece of advice for you, it would be to try and learn to love yourself and value your own company as much as others do. You can never be alone if you have yourself around and we all know how amazing you are, all that’s left is for you to realize it.

    Sarah. I love how playful you are. You are always keen to sing along to a good song and I must admit that most of what you put on was pretty good. It just wouldn’t have been the party bus without you. The way you joke around with everyone, including the teachers is an endless source of amusement for me and for everyone else involved as well. I enjoy your shenanigans almost as much as I enjoyed you mercilessly haggling with a clothes seller in the night markets.

    Emilija. I love how loyal you are to those you care about. The way you talk about helping and protecting your little brother reminds me of how my older brothers treated me when we were younger. And if that is anything to go by, he will grow up appreciating it more than he will be able to say. How you speak and act around your friends makes me think that it takes a lot for people to earn your trust and friendship, but once they do, you are always there to defend them when they need it. Standing up for your friends is a noble endeavour and you are a very brave young woman to be able to do it so well.

    Hannah. I love mean girls. Oh, and I love talking to you I suppose. You always have interesting things to say and your dry sense of humour never gets old. If there is one person who I would want to get punched in the face by, it would be you. Not just because you are so tiny and also a woman, although that would help, but because then I could quote mean girls and say “One time, she punched me in the face. It was awesome.”

    Scott. I love how open you are. You are one of the few people who has actively tried to make new friends and mix with the people from the other campus of your school. You are the life of the party and are great at getting other people to open up and let loose. All it takes is one person to start something and most of the others will follow soon after, so it’s great that this trip had someone like you on it to liven things up when they got a bit too dull.

    Kirby. I love how supporting you are. Whenever I have heard your friends express any doubts or concerns, you have always been there trying to reassure them and help them out. Most of the time it works too, and when it doesn’t, it not because of a lack of effort on your part. All of them are lucky to have you as a friend because you are the type of person who most people need and want to have around them. Those that truly care and are willing to try and do something about it.

    Tessa. I love how kind hearted you are. One of the nicest and easiest things you can do to improve the day of a complete stranger is to smile at them when you walk past, because you never know what they are going through and what it could mean to them. Every time I look over at you to give you a smile, I find that you’ve already beat me to it. You have a beautiful smile and I hope that you continue to gift it to those you might never see again, as well as those who you probably see every day.

    Jamie. I love how friendly you are. I have had nothing but awesome conversations with you, whether it is a few words over lunch or a chat in the mornings. Half the time I don’t even initiate them, it’s just you being your naturally lovely self. You’re also an awesome guitar player and have an amazing voice. Probably the nicest meal I have had this trip was in the community center during the week when you played a bit of music for us and sung as well.

    Byron. I love how energetic you are. It’s always good to see people go hard when they need to, especially people who you didn’t think had it in them. Watching you help carry cement blocks that weighed twice as much as you did and watching you go ballistic on a patch of dirt with a hoe was impressive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone dig a hole in the ground so fast that they burnt their hand through a glove. You even powered through a couple of injuries, and if you can step up for something like this, then everyone will know that you have what it takes for other challenges in life.

    Ross. I love how relaxed you are. I haven’t once heard you with a raised voice or seen you stressed out about any of the challenges that we have faced. Being chilled out is a much more pleasant way to live your life and most people should take a page out of your book. Keep being laid back and enjoying yourself, and watch as all the serious people around you slowly become more and more miserable. Maybe they will figure it out one day and follow your example, because you are definitely one step ahead. Also, sorry for dropping that board on you.

    Jacob. I love how respectful you are. When you talk to myself or Chub or the other adults, you are always so well spoken. Speaking respectfully to others earns you their respect in turn, so keep up the great attitude. You can be different when you are around your friends, but everybody acts differently depending on who they are around so that’s ok. And lets be honest, whenever all you guys are together you turn into a bunch of clowns anyway. I’ll never forget the first time I saw you all when you came back from “deck out a mate”.

    Lachlan. I love your sense of humour. You are an awesome storyteller and the hardest I laughed on this whole trip was thanks to you during the lunch break of the van ride to Siem Reap. Partial credit goes to Scott of course. Gather as many stories as you can over the years and tell them to as many people as you can, because being able to make people laugh is one of the most valuable skills you can have. You will always be the center of attention if you have a funny story to tell and they are great for breaking the ice with new friends. It worked on me after all.

    Olivia. I love how cheerful you are. The sound of power tools and hammering on the building site was often broken up by the sound of your laughter, not even wearing my ugly hat and working in the sun whole day could stop it from coming. When we got up at 4am to go to the temple I remember looking around the group at the down-turned faces with bleary eyes and then looking up to see you rounding the corner with a spring in your step. It’s very motivating to be around people like who are usually in a good mood and ready to laugh, it helps bring a more positive attitude to whatever group you are in.

    Mikaela. I love how reserved you are. You aren’t the loudest in the group and you don’t speak up the most often, but that’s because you think before you do. I’m sure you are an extremely intelligent person, but your thoughtfulness makes you come across as even more intelligent. When everything you say is a valuable contribution to the conversation, it makes people much more inclined to listen to you. It has been a lovely talking with you whole trip and I’m sorry you had to spend the first part of it feeling unwell.

    Kirsty. I love how polite you are. Every question of yours that I have answered has earned me a thank you in return. It’s lovely to feel appreciated when you offer help and it makes you more inclined to do it again. They might be small gestures but being well mannered makes you into a bigger person. Everybody needs help at some point in their life, so if you already know how to ask for it and appreciate it, then you are one step ahead of most other people.

    Michael. I love how hard working you are. There are a lot of different things that will get you far in life: money, connections, luck, etc. But the one that is greater than all the others, is the ability to work hard. Everybody likes hard workers and history is full of examples of hard workers that achieved the seemingly impossibly through sheer force of will and effort. Look up the story of Jeffrey Immelt. From the way you interact with your friends I can tell that you are a humble guy, so despite how you may sometimes feel, I just want you to know that I think you are completely deserving of everything that you will achieve in life.

    Rowena. I love how curious you are. The way you are always wanting to look at new things, whether it be new stalls at the markets or different temples. The mysteries of life are only revealed to those who seek out the answers, and along the way you will discover more about yourself than those who never want to see what’s over the next hill. I would love to see you nurture that curiosity and let it flourish as you grow older. The experiences that you have and the perspective that you gain will help to fuel your creativity and make your already amazing art even more meaningful and impressive.

    Jason. I love how you have such a positive attitude towards everything and you never really complain. Unless you have known somebody who is always so relentlessly good natured, it is an easy thing to undervalue. Nobody likes to hang around the people who do nothing but complain, but it is the opposite with you. Everybody wants to hang around the guy who is enthusiastic and upbeat all the time.

    Courtney. I love how much you smile around your friends. I may not have talked to you all that much, but I have seen a lot just from watching you on this trip. You are always so happy when you are hanging out with them, which is a great quality. The happier you are when you’re with them, the happier they will be when they’re with you. You’re the kind of person who makes others smile each time they see you because you always smile each time you see them. Never stop showing the joy that your friends give you.

  6. Zuni, you have been such a massive help in our trip. Your wiseness and knowledge of ones character is complelling we are so grateful that you took the time to get to know us individually and write this huge essay for us. Your humor and kindness are such powerful traits and your spirit is so free. Your calm demeanour has kept us grounded and for that we are grateful. Zuni, thank you so much for looking after us on the final legs of our journey.

  7. Thank you in it’s biggest form is what I want to extend to four very special people Zuni Dierk, Bianca Young, Matt Kirby & Dave Belson. You have looked after our teenagers, mentored them, comforted them, taught them, supported them, laughed with them and probably cried with some, since 6th Jan. You will hold such an unbreakable bond with each student. They now have to go back to calling you Miss Y & Mr B & K in the formal sense, when school returns but that mate-ship will shine through.
    Zuni, to express your feelings in such a way of words, for each person on that team, is from the heart and allowed us to get to know each one a little more. You highlighted the best in each individual and urged them to believe in themselves and to carry that through, in their future challenges.
    Each person on this tour has definitely made a difference and to a wonderful RAW Impact Leader and three dedicated and special teachers, THANK YOU! KIM & ANDY GALLYER

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