Dates
We will travel in the January school holidays, between 15th and 25th of January 2017. Due to flight times we may arrive back in Sydney on the 26th. Staff should note we will be away during part of the January Conference.
Cost
The will be two parts to cost.
The land part of the trip will cost $2000, even less if we get more than nine team members. This covers all transport and accommodation in Cambodia plus all food and drink. Team members are at liberty to take additional funds to spend on gifts to bring home or gifts for schools we visit, however additional “pocket money” is not really required. This cost also covers your Cambodian visa, travel insurance and a tariff to help provide for professional support in case of emergencies.
The flight costs will depend on when the team is finalised (the prices go up closer to the date). Currently a ticket for an individual is priced around $1500. We may be able to get the price lower with a group booking.
The total price will be in the vicinity of $3,500. This money will need to be paid prior to departure. A fixed schedule of payments will be arranged for those who are not able to pay fully at sign-on time. A non-refundable deposit of $500 will be required at the point of signing the commitment form.
Two Trips?
In 2015 there were two Mission trips happening at the same time. Samaritans Purse have asked that we run only one trip in 2017. It will be a Discovery Trip... ideal for students and families who have not been on a Samaritan's Purse Discovery Trip to Cambodia before.
Air Travel
We travel from Mascot airport in Sydney to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. There is usually a flight change at Singapore or Bangkok. Flights will be with Singapore or Thai Airlines. The return flight is similar. Please note that transport to Mascot and from Mascot to home is to be arranged by individual team members. Families are encouraged to come to the airport for a farewell on the departure date. We will be accompanied by a Samaritan's Purse staff member.
Itinerary and travel arrangements
The itinerary, travel arrangements, accommodation and transport are all arranged by Samaritan’s Purse. A draft itinerary will be available in September and will be sent to applicants. Mr Lack can show interested students or parents copies of previous itineraries.
Staff
Mr Andrew Lack will be leading the team. Mr Lack has now led Cambodia teams in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Other staff will be announced shortly. One Australian Samaritan’s Purse team member and two Cambodian team members will also accompany the group.
Activities
We land in Phnom Penh and spend 1-2 days acclimatising, learning about the history of Cambodia, visiting one of the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum and learning about the work of Samaritan’s Purse in Cambodia. We also make further preparations for the school visits, practise our Khmer language and see some city sights.
The team will then travel by small bus to visit villages and projects. We will distribute Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, spend time at schools and churches, and learn about the work of Samaritan's Purse. At the schools or churches we will play with the students, do sports activities, craft activates, lead some singing, tell stories about Australia and help with English classes.
At the end of our trip we travel to Siem Reap. There we will debrief (reflect on what we have seen and learned) and also visit the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat.
Who can come
The trip is open to staff, parents and students of Pacific Hills Christian School, Pacific Valley School and Pacific Coast School. Students would normally come from Years Nine, Ten, Eleven and Twelve, however younger students will be considered on a case by case basis. Younger students can certainly be considered if parents are on the team.
There are a maximum of twenty places (and two of those are already taken by school leaders). Applicants will be accepted usually on the basis of the date their applications (with deposit) have been received.
The Mission
Cambodia is mainly a Buddhist country. The majority of schools were once Buddhist temple schools (for boys only). Today there are Christian churches throughout Cambodia and pastors working in many villages.
Samaritan’s Purse is a non-profit, Christian organisation providing emergency relief and development assistance to suffering people around the world. Samaritan’s Purse is meeting the physical needs of victims of war, famine, natural disaster, poverty and disease with the aim of demonstrating God’s love and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. The aid and assistance are given without regard to the race, creed, gender, religion, or ethnicity of the beneficiaries. For more info go to www.samaritanspurse.org.au.
Where it is appropriate (for instance at the invitation of a local pastor) we will speak directly about Jesus and our faith. On all occasions we are able to be open about who we are (Christians from a Christian school) and why we are in Cambodia (to show Christ’s love to others).
The team will be challenged prior to leaving and through the trip to grow as Christians, to pray for each other and those we meet, to bring concerns to God and to share His Word. All team members will be asked to use a journal and follow some set Bible readings prior to leaving, and maintain a personal journal while on Mission. Students will also be asked to contribute at least once to a blog post to go on the main school website.
Joining the team
Your first step will be to let Mr Lack know of your interest (see the Contact Page). There will then be a commitment form to complete, teacher references to gather, an interview with Dr Boyce, and a deposit of $500 to provide. Team meetings will take place weekly and other requirements (a visa, innoculations and other preparations) will be outlined. The full cost must be agreed to up front, but you will be able to pay installments through till November 2016 on an agreed schedule.
Support Team
We would be excited to hear from those who cannot come but are willing to help with
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prayer
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knowledge and information to share with the team about Cambodia
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financial support so we can take gifts to the schools and villages
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organisational help (for instance organising team shirts, craft materials and the like)