Well it will be a long 30 hours with no moisturizer, but I'm heading out.

I will be in Bangkok for 3 days with lovely Tong. I'm pretty sure all we'll be doing is eating and laughing. Not much on the agenda.

Then on to Luang Prabang for 4 days for a little looky-looky.

Then to Siem Reap where I will hook up with Ponheary and Dara. I am delivering all the money we have raised for the Ponheary Ly Foundation since January and there is enough to fund the schools in three remote villages. This means about 2000 of the poorest rural kids will get their new uniforms and school supplies. Water wells will be dug, teachers will be subsidized. Secondary school "scholarships" will be awarded. Big party in each village to distribute school supplies.

Ponheary is so excited she says she cannot sleep at night.

I want to thank the members of this board who first introduced me to Ponheary. She is indeed a "one-woman Cambodian army of love" and the most amazing person I have met in many years.

Thanks also to those who have supported Ponheary financially in this cause. We have raised what amounts to a mountain of money by Cambodian standards and it was a piece of cake.

You will all be with me there as we hand these kids the keys to their education. We hope it brings them opportunity, then equality and eventually peace.

I'll be reporting from Siem Reap.

www.theplf.org

Have a great trip! Great work you've done!

Give my regards to Ponheary. I look forward to your report and to hearing how my Rotary Club can help the cause for the coming school year.

It will be a wonderful trip!

Laurie-
Have a great trip. I am sure the school visits and parties will be very fun.
Sorry I have not posted the pics from our school visit yet (computer problems).
Please tell Ponheary that Lorna and Scott say hi! We also hope to be able to continuing contributing to her great work.
P.S. Ponheary might remember Scott as the guy who was much more interested in visiting the school than the temples!

Good job! Have a great trip! I can't wait until January when I get to meet Ponheary and the kids.

Pictures & video when you come back please!

I got misty eyed just reading your note

Lori-moisturizer is overrated. It's the bottles of water that I will miss.


I know you must be really excited to be participating in this chapter of the story. A small suggestion. Remember that there's a very good chance that events will not go as planned. Go with the flow.

Andy, it's Cambodia...absolutely nothing will go as planned!

Lori

Bon Voyage Lori....Say Aloha to Poheary from Linda and Peter in Hawaii

Beautiful thing you are doing....must be fulfilling.

Aloha!

What does one expect from a place where the river reverses its direction of flow? I know you will have a wonderful time. Please remember your obligations concerning the timely posting of reports. Penalties are doubled for veterans.

Hey, Lori, by the time you read this, you will be enjoying life in SEA! Hope you are having a wonderful time! Looking forward to hearing your trip report.

Please send our family's warmest wishes to Ponheary and Dara and the entire Ly family. Please let them know that many of us here really applaud them (and YOU!!) for their continued hard work and help to school-age children and families in SR. We continue to learn from you and to help out in what ways we can. For those who are heading to Siem Reap yourselves and/or are interested in supporting their charitable work, pls go to www.theplf.org for information.

Safe travels!

Terry

Greetings Fodorites from Siem Reap!

It has been an action packed couple of days. We have been to "our" four schools and met with the teachers and headmasters from each. School is not in session yet, so we've been getting head counts on how many kids at each school and how many of those need sponsorship. Ponheary's guesthouse is full in every corner with school supplies. All the kdis in the family spend all day packing up the bundles.

At each school, we made an appointment with the headmaster to bring the kids who have gotten excellent grades on their final primary school exams and are wanting to go to secondary school. This is tuition based and costs about $150 a year per kid. THis would include a rickety bike to ride the 9km to school each day. There are 40 more kids than we have money this year so I'm hoping for a windfall before September 27th.

Those of you who have been with Ponheary to Khna, Kong Moch, TCHEY and Wat Bo school I hope you will respond to this please for help.

The good news is that kids are coming out of the woodwork to start primary school. The headmaster for each village and the village leader took us on tours of their prospective villages and we got to see the way everyone is living. These kids have a very hard life. Working in the rice fields from sunup to sundown, barely enough to eat, missing parents, living in pretty rough conditions. But their eagerness to attend school is sincere. Their eagerness to please Ponheary even greater.

I have taken pictures of the kids we are sending to secondary school as well as the ones we hope to send and will post them on the website when I return, along with other news of the 1,800+ kids that are either starting or returning to primary school with Ponheary's sponsorship.

Special note to Don and Joyce: The desk you donated at Kong Moch school is in place and is beautiful. The headmaster is very proud of it. It sits in the library.

Will send more news as things progress.

Lori
www.theplf.org

Lori - thanks for the update. It is great to have a few stories to tell my Rotary Club - I'll "pass the hat" again with the intent of raising a portion of those much-needed funds for the kids attending secondary school in time for your deadline. I look forward to your photos and future updates. How was LP?

Thanks for the update, Lori. We'll gladly sponsor a child to secondary school! I'll send the check today.

Thank you Kathie and Craig! So many great kids! I wish I had a truck full of money.

Craig -- LP stands out as my favorite destination so far. Formany reasons. I will elaborate in the final report, but I adored it. Loved the hotel as well-Maison Souvannaphoum. I think maybe you recommended this place?

I will have lots of stuff up on the website when I return about the progress. Was it Konh Mouch school where you and Jeane went?

Lori
www.theplf.org

Lori, I'm glad you enjoyed LP. It really is one of my favorite places!

Lori, glad to hear you enjoyed the Maison S-. Yes, it was Kong Moch school that we visited.

This afternoon Ponheary and I were shopping for oxen. I was standing in my bare feet (I had long since lost my shoes) ankle deep in the mud and cow sh1t in the torential rain thinking "Some people just come here and see the temples!"