Every time we have new foreigners on the team I take them on a walking tour of Phnom Penh. We start near the Royal University of Phnom Penh which is one of the few public green spaces in the city and historically hosted many MCC volunteers. Then we walk along the railroad tracks through a…
Tag: Orientation
New Service Workers
Back in September of last year, I shared that we were recruiting for three new service workers to join the MCC Cambodia team. I’m glad to announce that all three arrived safely and without incident in Cambodia on May 19th. We had a service worker back out after accepting last year so we waited to…
Maternity Leave and Orientation
Orienting new international workers is my favorite part of our role as Reps. Yes, its very busy with many trainings and logistics, but the energy they bring to our team is infectious, as is the joy of the national staff when they see, again, that international people really do want to come to Cambodia. As…
Ukraine and Colonialization
This week, I’ve been thinking back to a conversation I had during our MCC orientation in 2019. This occurred during a session on colonialism. The facilitator split the participants into two groups based on their skintone – people of color were to discuss the legacy of being colonized and white people were to discuss the…
Saltiness
Last week we had a meditative devotion on Matthew 5:13-16. Throughout the service the verse on “the salt of the earth” was read several times and we were asked us to reflect on “saltiness.” You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make…
Orientation Plus
We started our final week of orientation today, packed with sessions on international leadership for human resources, responding to trauma and finance. It’s been a great set of weeks with so many conversations about best practice. While I am new to the organization, learning from others about the many positive changes Mennonite Central Committee continues…
The Welcoming Place
Late this afternoon, after several hours of last minute packing and repacking, we set off for Akron Pennsylvania. We’re staying in the Americas House at Mennonite Central Committee’s Welcoming Place. It’s been 13 years but it’s just as peaceful as I remember. Tomorrow we start Orientation with Mennonite Central Committee.
Crystal leaves for a week in Phnom Penh
Crystal just headed to the airport for a week long orientation in Phnom Penh with the current Country Representatives. She’ll fly through San Francisco and Seoul before arriving in Cambodia around 10PM on Sunday. She has a busy schedule once she arrives that includes lots of visits to Partner Organizations. Morning Afternoon Monday DevotionsIntroduction to…