Vienna to Iceland

We were in Vienna only 3 days ago and it already seems a world away. I guess being in the middle of the Northern Atlantic on an island will do that to you. Vienna is an amazing city that is as rich in culture and history as Paris, London or Rome. Outside of receiving our share of rain (we were due for some rain after so many nice days) we made the most of our 40 hours in Vienna. We simply put our rain jackets on and hit the streets. We even took in a free concert in the park with the old palace as a backdrop. We enjoyed the Lippanzer Stallion show in the orginal ornate riding hall of the Hapsburgs. Sharing a room that was about 8’x10’ helped motivate us to stay out late!

On the 29th we took a flight to Frankfurt and then another onto Iceland. By this time we were all starting to think of home and Iceland was not so high on our radar, but all that changed as we drove our rental car into the city and saw just how beautiful this place was. We have shopped, swam in the famous Blue Lagoon and spent an entire day driving and visiting spectacular natural wonders.

The highlight for me personally was taking the hike to Iceland’s highest waterfall. After a drive down a long gravel road we parked in an empty parking lot (never saw another person) and read the sign for the 4 mile hike which took a little persuading after a long day, but to my surprise the family rose to the occasion and became billy-goats as we walked along some challenging terrain that included a log over a river along with a little caving to boot. The final destination was worth it as we gazed upon one of the most beautiful waterfalls any of us have ever seen. It was one of those places that were right out of National Geographic.

Today we return home, but we already have hopeful plans of returning to Iceland to explore more of this awe inspiring country.
God is sooooooooo good!
Kurt

Bonheoffer, Budapest and the End of the Road

With less than a week to go our family is beginning to mentally prepare for life back home and unlike our last big adventure 3 years ago we are all ready to return. I think this goes beyond just missing Jessica. The big difference this time is that we are missing our community (and Jessica). In fact if there is anything that has been reaffirmed in my life it would be that I need brothers and sisters in Christ to help me live life fully.

Having just finished reading Bonheoffer’s book ‘Living Life Together’ I would say that God is talking to me about His design in all of us to not only share His love, but to receive it from others as well. A month without the ongoing fellowship of fellow believers has left me dry, but at the same time has helped me see the need for more discipline in my spiritual life (a few pushups wouldn’t hurt either).

These past few days have been spent in the amazing city of Budapest. Unlike our other destinations we found ourselves in a large metropolitan city that at first seemed overwhelming, but after a couple days and countless miles of walking we can say that we have seen a lot of this city. The kids may say we saw too much, but Cari and I could easily spend a few more days here just soaking in all the history and culture this place has to offer. I will say that that Meghan and Cole have been amazing sports in regards to the long walks across town just to see another museum or castle which for them all starts to look the same. They even attended an ‘organ concert’ at St. Stephen’s Basillica.

Tomorrow we will take the 3 hour train to Vienna, Austria for a short two days before flying (hopefully without volcanic ash) to Iceland. Below are a few pictures.

-Kurt

Oh Slovenia

I don’t know where to begin when I speak of our time in Slovenia. This country is beyond beautiful. Everywhere you look you see natural wonders like the Julian Alps and the Skojan Caves (the largest underground caverns in all of Europe). I keep expecting Heidi to come skipping down the wildflower hills yodeling. All I can do is praise God for His creation. I will let the pictures attempt to speak of our time. Needless to say we are all smiling.
-Kurt

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

What we have seen on this around the world adventure is more than we could every put into words. For the most part it has been an amazing adventure filled with wild travel plans and enough forks in the road to usually keep us on our toes and leave boredom way behind.

As always it has been the people along the way that have enriched our time the most which I guess is one of the reasons I am now running a little out of steam spiritually. When all I have to think about is what’s next on our itinerary I easily slip into a self absorbed life that has me missing the mark on what’s most important. I remember C.S. Lewis saying something about how ‘it’s harder being close to God when traveling abroad’. I would agree with Mr. Lewis and add that when not surrounded by a purpose greater than one’s self it compounds the issue. Yes, I Have my family which is a great blessing and one that gives me a purpose, but it still lacks that greater sense of community that can drive us all closer to our Maker; all that to say I have been living too much for me. With God’s help I will look past my desires and wishes and see more clearly what He has for me in the days ahead.

Our last day in Dubrovnik was spent celebrating Meghan's Sweet 16th Birthday, which had us shopping and eating well into the night. In fact a large scoop of gelato ice cream (or two) was a part of everyday in this city. Needless to say Meghan and the rest of us had a great time.


Leaving Dubrovnik we piled into our rental diesel Fiat Punto and headed up the coast. As many of you know Cari is amazing in 99% of all that life throws at her, but maps and navigating would be her downfall. This allowed us to spend an extra hour on roads less traveled while I showed the kids what high blood pressure looks like. Just before nightfall we ended up in an overpriced city that we were too tired to explore and ready to call it a day.

The next day was another driving adventure due to several random roads, including their super-highway, closed for who knows what. I will say that by God’s grace Cari and I kept a smile on our faces and were able to use several back roads to finally get to our destination with enough time to explore some cool caves before dark.

Today was one of those days that your jaw drops as you find yourself surrounded by incredible beauty. We spent half the day hiking through the World Heritage site of Plitvice Lakes in central Croatia. This place is a Garden of Eden when it comes to waterfalls and lakes. I found myself thanking the Lord over and over for His beautiful creation. I only wish my pictures could somehow do this place justice.

Our family is doing well, but for the first time everyone is starting to get homesick which really means we miss our family and friends. Having said that we are still geared up for more adventures and God willing we will be in Slovenia tomorrow afternoon for 4 days.

-Kurt

The Pearl of the Adratic

Dubrovnik, Croatia is one of those places that lives up to all the hype. Here our family, ok more so Cari and I, are overwhelmed by the majesty of the place. The sunny days and clear blue waters only help intensify the beauty of this ancient city. I will let the pictures we took make the point more clearly.
-Kurt

A long Way From Romania

Our last day in Brasov, Romania was spent with our new friends that owned and ran the guest house we stayed at. It was such a blessing to be with fellow believers and be bonded by our love for Jesus. In fact we had such a good time with this couple that we almost missed our train.
Did I say “train”? How about 28 hours on 3 different trains that took us through Romania to Belgrade, Serbia and then into the heart of Montenegro. I thought Cole was going to explode or that I was going to strangle him, but by God’s grace we all made it and even had some tired smiles as we got off that last train.
After spending a night in the capital we took the 2+ hour bus to Kotor, Montenegro which sits at the end of the deepest fjord in mainland Europe. To say this place is a natural beauty would be one big understatement. It is one of the most beautiful places on this green earth. To top it off we have been staying the last 2 nights in the Old Town which sits inside the fortress walls surrounded by water. The streets are all cobblestoned and the buildings are right out of the middle ages. The whole area is surrounded by mountains and the one directly above us has an old fort that we climbed the 1340 steps to this morning. What a view!

Tomorrow we are off to Dubrovnik, Croatia. I feel so blessed and thank God daily for such a wonderful trip.
-Kurt

Trains & Romania

There is a lot to be said about trains in Eastern Europe and some of it is good, especially when the windows are clean enough to see out of them. They give you a lot a time to see the country side and for the kids to crawl out of their skin in utter boredom. These trains can travel up to 60 mph, but rarely do and then there are the border stations which can require you to stand out in the cold for an hour at 3:30 in the morning. Having said all this I still like traveling by train and the lazy way they travel through the countryside and towns.
After a 2 hour train delay on the border of Bulgaria we arrived in Bucharest, Romania and spent the night near the station. The next day we took the train into Transylvania and landed in the city of Brasov where we have now made our base camp for the last 2 days. Here we have walked and walked and walked and have seen the cool old town of Brasov, a fortress from the 7th century and Bran Castle (Aka: Dracula’s Castle).
We are having fun and ready to explore more of the area tomorrow before taking the overnight train to Belgrade, Serbia. Maybe in 48 hours I will have another opinion of trains.
-Kurt

Our First Days In Eastern Europe

After a long day of travel for each of us, our family was reunited on April 29th in Istanbul, Turkey. Well most of our family. Jessica is back home working at the dealership to earn some money for college.

We spent 3 days in Istanbul where we walked the Roman Road, visited all the must see sights in the old town. The families favorite was the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, really amazing! We shopped in the crazy Grand Bazzar and the Spice Market and had hundreds of offers to drink tea and buy rugs :) We spent our final day took a boat ride up and down the Bosphorus which seperates Asia from Europe. We ate our fair share of Turkish Delight and amazing baklava. We capped off our last evening by eating at the Orient Express resturant before catching our overnight train (which was definatly NOT the Orient Express) to Bulgaria. We will be spending the next few days in Bulgeria and Romania and traveling on trains!!

Thailand Wrap up by Meg and Cole

My time in Thailand has been absolutely amazing. I have met and reconnected with so many great people while I was here that it felt like I was back at home. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Ghan. It is so fun to be around her joyful spirit. She has taught me so many things about the Akha way of life and other great life lessons. It was such a treat to be around her for these five weeks.
I also had a great time on Easter in the village. After an hour and a half of driving up a mountain, we were greeted with great hospitality. We had a nice service in the village’s church (that I couldn’t understand) with communion as closing. Following the service, we had our “Easter Brunch”. It was a bowl of rice with other unrecognizable dishes. That morning was a great reminder of the true meaning and simplicity of Easter. Who knew you could survive without Peeps and chocolate bunnies?
For the first week we were here, we worked intensely on painting the dorms. We started work at 6:30 most mornings to beat the heat, but after 8, we were all drenched in sweat. I had fun painting, cleaning and killing lizards. It felt great to get the job done and see the dorms with fresh paint and new curtains.
All in all, my memories in Thailand will be unforgettable. My time here has been incredible and I hope to return soon!
Meghan

My time here in Thailand has been a gift that is better than any Christmas present or an Easter egg. This month has also been hard for me in some ways because my dog died (that I was really close to) and my great uncle died and my best friend’s dad died. These events at home made me homesick and want to be home yet I realize this is an amazing opportunity that I have here.
I met Rusty and Lynette Polinder. They are really fun people that are fun to be around and you can tell how much they love the Lord. It was nice to see Luka and Ghan again and see their dedication for the kingdom of God. I hope in 3 years I can come back here for I feel a pull to this place and the people and their ministry. Cole

Happy Easter!

Just finishing our Easter day here in Chaing Rai. Had a nice day but missing family back home and some of our traditional Easter activities!

The week was a crazy one. We started off the week with a hospital trip for routine blood work for me and a Doctor visit for Meg. Super easy...had a Doctor confirm Meg's ear infection, prescribe 3 different medications. In and out of the hospital in an hour and all for about 15 dollars...unbelievable!

Decided to take a bit of a side trip and left Chaing Rai Tuesday to journey towards Pai-about 6 hours west of here, stopped in Chaing Mai for the night and continued on the next day. Pai was interesting....beautiful scenery up the mountains and a different little town...we discovered where all the hippies went...they and their children and grandchildren are all in Pai, Thailand...seriously... We enjoyed our stay in the area. Visited an amazing huge cave one day and went to a Pirahna fishing park the other...random I know but the whole trip and town was pretty random. Took the government bus down the mountain yesterday (you know it is bad when they hand out plastic vomit bags as you get on!) we did well and got our bus onward right away to Chaing Rai and happy to be back!!

Enjoyed Easter services at a Akha village about 1.5 hours away in a beautiful setting well off the beaten path!

Looking forward to a new week. We will be moving on Thursday night back to Bangkok and a middle of the night flight to Istanbul where we will meet Kurt-looking forward to that!!

Enjoy the pics~ Cari

Week End Wrap Up

Sorry it has been so long since we have been able to update-it has been pretty busy here in our little corner of Thailand. I will try to go back and hit some of the highlights of last week.
Kurt and Jessica have made it safely back to the states. Jessica then took off and went to Denver to spend some much needed Grandma and Grandpa time, she was able to be there to help Grandma celebrate her birthday so that was great.
We started our week last week at a village church about an hour away. Beautiful area with a cute church newly built on the hill. We drove in to see an 8-10 foot python (I didn’t get close enough to measure but I am confident I am not exaggerating!) hanging headless over a branch. A boy from the village had killed it the day before by the church… I am so thankful I didn’t have to come face to face with it when it was alive!
This week in Thailand was the Songkran festival, the holiday that everyone celebrates by having a 4-5 day long water fight. If I understand it correctly, what started out as a time that children returned to their home village and received a blessing from their family by a few drops of water on their head has evolved into this crazy thing of days of intense water fighting. Everyone just dumps water on everyone- young, old doesn’t matter….we spent two afternoons in the town participating. The first day I rode in the truck and had a great time watching but had to get out and play the second day. We drove around with a 50 gallon bucket of water and one smaller one filled with ice water and just got to throw water on everyone we saw, of course we were targets as well…favorite targets because we were obviously not locals! The kids loved it! Kinda a dream for kids to be able to throw water on whomever they feel like- especially when it is hot! Everyone is a great sport about it and just walks around soaking wet. We had tons of wet, exhausting fun and I would come back every year just for that!
We just returned last night from an overnight stay in an Akha village where Ghan (our hostess) grew up. We were able to meet her mom and family and get a better idea of how life in the village is lived. It is so interesting to see how people live, and even though we don’t speak the language we were made to feel very welcome and could observe a whole different way of life very up close! I was mostly fascinated with how it is possible to live with everything you need provided for by your own work, ingenuity and from the land and area you live in. The jungle and small farms provide all the food, vegetables, fruit and eggs they need and nothing goes to waste. Hard hot work for sure!! I am such a long way from living that kind of life. I don’t think my weekly trip to Costco that I complain about really qualifies for back breaking hunting and gathering!
Well that about sums up the week. We also had a great time eating pizza, playing games and watching movies with Pete, Mary and Wynn. We enjoyed a hot walk to a nearby waterfall and a great cool swim at the end. We continue to be spoiled by great hospitality by the people around us. We remain healthy and happy and so grateful for this opportunity. Not sure what adventures this week holds but will try to keep the updates coming!
Enjoy the pictures~Cari

The Flip Side of Life

Life is unpredictable, yet I find myself going to bed thinking that tomorrow will be just as I have it planned or at least something close, when in reality I don't know if I will be around for another sunrise. This was all made to clear when my friend Jay Sutherland passed away a couple days ago in his sleep and my uncle just yesterday was flown to Harborview with a stroke that has him in a coma awaiting the unknown.

Maybe I often sleep well because I know where I’m heading when my time is up here, or maybe I just fall into the ‘assumption trap’ that can keep me in a state of mind that says “there’s always tomorrow”. I now pray, once again, that I would look at the lives around me as if they too may not have another tomorrow and that I would somehow be that person that shows them the love Jesus has to offer for all of eternity.
This past week was not only met with sad news from home but also great joy here in Thailand. We have made new friends and have enjoyed building on past friendships as well. We have done the bizarre like riding ostriches and enjoyed the simple things like a Thai foot message. My personal favorite was the day five of us guys from the ministry rented dirt bikes and rode through the surrounding mountains.

We are blessed without a doubt and thankful for the days given us. My prayer would be that we plant and water the lives around us with the goodness of God and stop assuming there is ‘always tomorrow'.

-Kurt

Settling In

We arrived at our new home a couple days ago and feel very happy to settle in and stop moving for a while. We are about 30 minutes outside of the town of Chaing Rai in the very north of Thailand. We are so blessed to be able to stay with friends of ours in their guesthouse. Luka and Ghan are Thai-Akha’s who run the Thai-Akha Ministry Foundation. Also here on the property are Rusty and Lynette Polinder (for those of you wanting to play Dutch bingo-Rusty’s father is Ron who worked at Rehobath for a number of years and who now works for Calvin College ) who through a serious of connections know our family as well and are friends. We have been very warmly welcomed and are enjoying settling in!!
The beautiful property here includes dormitories for Akha children from the nearby villages.(The Akha people are a native hill tribe people group)

Luka and Ghan house about 70 children from first grade to about age 15 and care for them during the school year. They can attend the local schools, get tutoring help, Bible teaching and church on Sundays. There is also a field of tea, fish ponds and rice paddies, all which help support the kids and the ministry. The Ministry Foundation also works with the Akha Christians doing pastor training, conferences, Bible translations and really supporting Akha Christians in a large variety of ways.
School is on summer break right now so the place is quiet and peaceful. The Campbell family mission this month is to deep clean and paint the boys and girls dorms. We got started yesterday and it felt great to do something useful again after our last month of mainly travel. We hope to finish the painting this week while Kurt is still here and Cole and Meg and I will concentrate on cleaning and some other jobs for the rest of the month. Jessica is going to be busy for the next few days sewing 36 new curtains for the windows in both dorms. Kurt and Jessica will head back to Bangkok then home Saturday already-we will miss them!!
A few things we are excited about- Having our own kitchen to cook for ourselves is awesome!! I have a bit of a learning curve in buying groceries at the local market and preparing unfamiliar foods but have found out toast and eggs work in any culture! Jessica is excited and feels vindicated because we all discovered there really are rats the size of small dogs here…she told us and we didn’t believe her, unfortunately I believe her now!! We are all excited to connect with old friends. We had Pete, Mary and Wynn Queesenberry over last night for dinner and being here with Rusty, Lynette and Luka and Ghan is just great!!
Well the rooster’s are crowing so that must mean our 6:30 am start work time is close- gotta go!!
Ohhh by the way, the picture is the view out our front door, really pretty looking over the tea plants and down to the rice fields! More pictures to come when we get better internet connection!

A Belated Cambodian Update

So after we posted pictures on our trip to Cambodia it falls to me to update everyone about our family's Cambodian adventures; if just a little late... Since this will be the only blog I write on this trip I can only hope that it is a least slightly informative.

Our Cambodian experience was, if nothing else, a Campbell family adventure. We spent our mornings climbing through restored ruins trying to decipher the meanings of the wall carvings (aided by summaries in our guidebook). The afternoons we spent recuperating, a.k.a. napping by the poolside and taking advantage of our hotel's rather cheap massages. In between we dodged sweet children trying to sell us souvenirs and those parts of the jungle that had landmine warning signs.

Slight sarcasm aside it was an amazing three days. The temples were fantastic. Some were a bit like stone labyrinths where one could wander and explores several layers of complexes and others were simply one room buildings exquisitely carved and set in picturesque jungle settings.

My favorite temple was Ben Mealea. About an hour away from the other temples this temple displayed the passage of time much more clearly. We were able to climb over piles of rubble to view the inner rooms of the temple which were still remarkably intact. Everywhere we could see trees growing through the walls slowly crumbling the stone that had remained standing. Our guides later took us through the jungle a ways to see the outer wall where they fed us sour leaves and dry berries they had gathered from the bushes. Despite the fact that this temple was out of the way it was an adventure well worth our time.

We spent our last day in Cambodia in Poi Pet visiting the Cambodia Hope Organization (CHO) and the work they were doing in the region. The projects include, but are not limited to, the safe haven, school on the mat, a HIV/AIDS word, a foster home project, and a skills training center. It was a blessing for us to be able to see God working in Cambodia through CHO and it was a great way to end our few days there.

Now we are well on our way in our Thailand adventure and while Dad and I only have a week here in Chiang Rai I hope to make the most of it before I go home!!

Jessica

Always an Adventure

A lot has happened since our last blog. After spending 3 days visiting the amazing Angkor ruins we all headed back to Poi Pet, Cambodia for an afternoon of visiting the good works of C.H.O. (Cambodia Hope Organization). The work they are doing to help better the lives of others, especially children is really something to behold. Dealing with child trafficking and extreme poverty is no easy task, so to see 65 dedicated Christian Cambodians changing their part of the world one life at a time gives us hope in a very dark corner of the world.
Chomno, the founder and director of C.H.O., was our host for the evening and surprised us by taking us to his son’s pre-marriage ceremony, which was an elaborate picture taking affair. Before we knew it we were having our picture taken with the bride and groom, who were decked out in their elaborate outfits while we were dressed in all too casual travel dudes. I would find it hard to believe those pictures will ever end up on their mantle.
The next day we left Cambodia through the hustle of one the busiest border towns we had yet to experience and took our taxi van 4 hours back to Bangkok where Jessica and I stopped by World Concern’s Asia office to say our hello’s before taking another taxi with the family to the train station which turned out to be a fun ride due to the fact our taxi driver performed magic tricks that had us laughing the entire ride.
That night we boarded the night train where we all slept in our little bunk beds and arrived 14 hours later in Chaing Mai. We then checked into our hotel and after sending a few fast emails we were off to our next big adventure up in the mountains to do some zip lining.

Now this zip lining thing is not for the faint of heart and all of us were a little worried that Cari’s six titanium back screws might not take kindly to jumping off 100ft tree platforms as if we were monkeys, but eighteen zip lines later we were all smiling. The only accident of the day was me hitting a sawed off tree limb in the middle of one of the zip lines which took a little skin off the old leg and reminded us all that these kind of adventures do not fall within Disney safety guidelines.
After a great night sleep and a small walk into town we rode out of Chaing Mai in a bus and arrived in Chaing Rai three hours later where we were greeted by our friend Rusty who immediately took us grocery shopping to help us stock up on food. Our day was capped off by dinner and games with our hosts Luka and Ghan.
Here are a few things to mention:
• Two days ago Harley our 11 year old dog was put to sleep, which as you can imagine has been hard on the family, but we have decided to celebrate those years instead of dwell on our loss.
• The weather in Cambodia and our few days in Thailand were actually perfect weather wise and had us all very happy to not be sweating by 9 AM everyday, which is typical for this time of the year. Unfortunately starting yesterday the heat is back on.
• Currently we are staying in our own house next to our host family who runs a ministry for Akha hill tribe children and the local churches. The plan is to spend the rest of our time in Thailand here helping with various work projects.
We are blessed beyond belief and thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.
-Kurt

Angkor

Instead of a history lesson I thought I would just provide some pictures of what our family has seen so far in regards to the thousand year old ruins of Angkor in Cambodia. This place is amazing!
Our family is doing great and really enjoying just being together again more than anything. We will spend 2 more nights here in Siem Reap and then leave Wednesday morning back to Poi Pet, Cambodia to spend 24 hours with the ministry of Cambodia Hope Organization.
-Kurt

Moving on and looking back

Sri Lanka 2011

Please click the picture above to view the our photos!!!!!

Well we are happy to be in Bangkok and reunited safely with Jessica! We have spent the day revisitng favorite places from our last trip and enjoying the more "relaxed" pace of Bangkok. We will leave in the morning for Cambodia. We will spend a few days exploring the temples of Angkor Wat then spend some time with CHO ministries.

The kids took some time to write down a couple reflections of their time and experiences in Sri Lanka

My time in Sri Lanka was an amain experience that I will never forget. Probably my favorite spots were Jaffa, Nerwu Eliya, ad Vavuniya. I loved to see the very town that Selina grew up in along with her homes, school and even her Aunt and Uncle. It was neat to put her stories together with what I saw out my window. Nerwu Eliya, which is unlike Jaffna and Vavuniya , has a very pleasant and cool climate. I enjoyed seeing all the tea plantations and scenery out my window. It was neat to see how poeple live differetly in the various areas of Sri Lanka and all of them live so differently from me.

I also really liked going to Vvuniya beacuse I enjoyed hearing the stories of everyone who World Concern helped even though they were all heartbreaking. The story of the young women who was married to the man in the wheelchair was really hard to hear. To know that they were doing well before the war and that they have a whole future planned out and lots of hopes and dreams that will never be realized because they were innocent victims in the war. Their living conditions were so poor and unimaginable. I was happy to see their family receive the cow and witness how much joy and hope this brought to them. All in all, my journey in Sri Lanka was a wonderful experience. ..Meghan

Sri Lanka is an amazing place with just about everythig in it but cold weather. I saw amazing things, and heard heartbreaking stories. It is definatly something I will not forget. As my Dad says we couldn't do more in the time we had. We had amazing drivers that put up with us for hours on end. We had an amazing trip planner in Selina. I couldn't have asked for a better trip....Cole

Hope Prevails

Boy meets girl. They wed and soon have a baby. A typical story that can be found around the world, but when it is played out in the middle of a violent war it often takes a turn for the worse. Such is the case of Chris & Teri and their daughter Dori growing up in northern Sri Lanka.

Government soldiers one day came to their village and took Chris away to a military prison on suspicion of aiding the enemy. This left Teri and their little daughter alone in the middle of a war. It wouldn’t be long before they both joined several hundred thousand others in one of the war refugee camps.

When the war came to a close this family was reunited, but much had changed. Chris had suffered physical abuse while in prison and was left paralyzed from the waist down. To compound their problems they had no livelihood with the disappearance of their 16 cows, yet despite all this they were cared for by their neighbors and some special people at World Concern.

Recently World Concern began meeting with people from the area to develop a livelihood program that would help the community sustain itself in the future. It was agreed upon that creating a ‘milk chilling station’ co-op would be a great place to start. The co-op started by selecting 10 of the most vulnerable people in the community that could benefit from a gifted milking cow by World Concern. One of those selected by the community was Teri.

Teri then attended a 5 day workshop hosted by World Concern that helped train the community on best practices in dairy farming.

Today Chris & Teri and their 8 year old daughter have access to a balanced diet and a source of income that will help them build on a brighter future, and their community will shortly have a milk chilling station that will allow every dairy farmer an opportunity to sell their milk.



-Kurt

Names have been changed to protect the family.

Just a few thoughts and more pictures

Sunday night here in Kandy, Sri Lanka as I write this...We are enjoying some just plain tourist time at the end of a hectic week visiting World Concern projects. So much to see in this little country and so much to process and take in. My impression is that it is a country with so much potential to be more then it is.

So sad to see the toll of so many years of not only civil war but natural disasters such as the tsunami and the more recent floods. We have had many many hours staring out car windows as we drive from place to place and I can't really describe the scene. So chaotic, high energy, colorful places and busy people and really crazy drivers swerving around the people, cars, buses and scared cows that are everywhere!

Really stunningly beautiful scenery and really heartbreaking conditions of some of the people. I am so glad we got to visit some of the many beneficiaries of World Concern projects because we were also able to see hope as well; one situation at a time.Hope of a better life because of a new cow, the money to insure an education or an icemaker for fisherman to help earn a living.

We will continue to sight see through Wednesday then will move on to Bangkok and to be reunited with Jessica! The kids are well and are taking everything in stride and taking everything in. Please enjoy the pictures because they say more then my inadequate words ever could.
~Cari

A Mixed Bag

Our time in Sri Lanka has really had us physically and spiritually all over the map, literally. We have been to the south of the island all the way to the most northern point and from the west coast to the east and several places in between. We have experienced all types of road conditions (except anything that resembles a US Highway) while traveling in a Mitsubishi Montero with 6 people and their gear. Let me stop and say “thank you Lord for safe travel and air conditioning”. Our lodging has ranged from top of the line beach hotels, thanks’ to Prem & Selina’s generosity, to places that had cockroaches the size of a small birds. We have been hot and often tired due to arriving at some of our destinations late into the night after 10 to 12 hours in the car.

Spiritually and mentally I felt totally out of it the first 3 days. My only real prayer was that God would soften my heart and allow me to see through His eyes. That prayer was answered when I met a young man World Concern has been working with who lost both his legs during the final days of the war. He sat before my family and shared some of his hopes in regards to finishing his education and hopefully one day earning an income that would allow him the ability to sustain himself. Then before I knew it he was off on his 2 artificial legs to receive physical therapy and I was left weeping. I never saw it coming as a flood of emotions swept over me and it was then I realized God was sharing with me how He feels when he sees us suffering. I personally believe the worst form of human suffering is when it is inflected by another intentionally and no where does that show itself more evident than the aftermath of a war.

I am happy to say that God did not stop sharing with me and went on to show me the great joy He feels when His children work on behalf of their brothers and sisters to bring healing and reconciliation to the brokenness around us. I saw this not only in the way that this young man was being cared for but also in the villages where World Concern was providing milking calves to the most vulnerable. It was here that saw eight women receiving a young cow that would secure their families with a balanced diet and a source of income through the selling of the milk. I will present one of these stories in a later blog post and for now just say that these women are receiving hope in a life that has been filled with unbelievable grief.

These have been just a few things in a list of many that our family has experienced while in Sri Lanka, and of course Jessica being in Japan has kept us all on high alert throughout this portion of our travels. We are happy to say that within 24 hours she will be on an overnight bus heading south in order to put more distance between her and those nuclear reactors and thanks to her Uncle Craig she will be flying out a day earlier from the 'south' of Japan.

I sit here writing this blog feeling blessed beyond belief.
-Kurt

Pictures from Japan to Sri Lanka

We are currently in a beautiful resort hotel on the South Eastern side of Sri Lanka where we are enjoying the second half of a very nice 24 hour stay. Selina's husband Prem is a Hotel manager and has spoiled us with this 24 hour side trip.Considering the heat and humidity I can't think of a better place to spend our time.
Before arriving at this hotel we were able to take a drive further south to the city of Galle and walk along the old fort walls that date back nearly 400 years when the Dutch built it.
We are all healthy, happy and thankful.
With breakfast and the beach calling I will wrap up this small blog entry. We hope you enjoy the pictures.
-Kurt

What a Diference a Day Makes

Well we have been on the run and not finding much opportunity to catch up on the blog!!!

First things first.....We left Japan the day before the big earthquake, I imagine we would still be there if it was a difference of a day!! I can't imagine what it was like, I know all the trains and buildings were evacuated and that in itself must have been something to see!! So thankful we were able to talk to Jessica immediatly afterwards and heard from her she was safe and didn't have to catch the earthquake news on CNN and be wondering how she was!!! She was evacuated from her dorm, but able to be let in shortly afterwards, she has electricity and is safe and secure. The aftershocks are unsettling however!!!

A quick update on us. We ended our time in Japan traveling back to Tokyo from Takayama via Matsumoto, had a really nice time traveling and a great couple days in Tokyo before flying out. We were able to connect with our former exchange student, Sumika on the last day. We took her to Tokyo Disneyland as a high school graduation present and that was quite a day!!nWe all had a great time reconnecting and she had never been to Disneyland. There was also an earthquake that day that shut down all the big rides but it didn't matter, the true entertainment was just people watching!! and there were LOTS of people!!! I wanted a fast pass option for the restroom!!

We had a surreal day yesterday...arrived in Sri Lanka at 1:30 am. Picked up by Selina and we were able to get a few hours of sleep at her lovely home. We spent the day doing drive by sight seeing. Most of the sights in Columbo-government buildings, parliment etc... are still closed to visitors since the end of the war.

The two countries of Japan and Sri Lanka couldn't be more different. Comparing the quiet, orderly Japan with the loud, noisy, colorful HOT Sri Lanka was amazing. Columbo is a city of lots of traffi and people, some very modern buildings and stores and also lots of poverty, run down areas and vacant buildings yet since the end of the war. Downtown is a scene of business men, walking with buddist monks, men in traditional sarong skirts, women in burkkas, saris, jeans and business suits and of course soldiers everywhere. Mopeds,crazy buses, three-wheeled taxis and high end cars all driving crazy and dodging pedestrians and the occasional bull in the road...just wild and fun to see!!!!

We head today to Galle and the beach overnight. Looking forward to some downtime!! Next week will be busy traveling with Selina and seeing World Concern's work around the country. Will head to north to Jaffna on Monday. Hope to get some pictures posted soon!!

Thanks for all your prayers and concern! Continue to pray for Jessica in Tokyo!!

JAPAN First Days

Finally a quiet moment when we have stopped moving long enough to write a few quick things.
We hit the ground running and haven't stopped, enjoyed a great day reunited with Jessica. We had a great time as she showed us her University, her favorite neighborhoods, shopping and resturants.
The next day we had a day I will just call the "Great train adventure day". Due to the type of train passes we purchased we had to travel 12 hours on 8 different trains to arrive exhausted in Takayama in the snow. We made the most of people watching and had lots of lessons in culture on our travels. Despite the tight connections between trains (less then 3 minutes in some cases) we made every one..sometimes with the door closing on our backpacks!!
We have really enjoyed our time in Takayama. Beautiful town full of history, traditional style wooden house neighborhoods, great eating and great shopping!! The snow has been really pretty, too bad there was no room in our backpacks for parkas and boots!! Brrr...!
We are off again tomorrow, we will split the trip back to Tokyo into two days and get back on Tuesday night after seeing some sights along the way.

Why I Love to travel with Kids!!

Well we made it to Tokyo...let the adventure begin!! We had a smooth, uneventful travel day which right there is saying a lot!!! Due to a little mix up with Jessica about connecting once in Tokyo we arrived at our hotel without Jessica, pretty tired, and for myself more then a little tired and grouchy.

Why I love traveling with kids is during the midst of me trying to track down Jessica making her way to us in Tokyo and fretting over some paperwork I had left at a computer terminal in the airport, figuring out the internet connection in the room..... all I hear is Cole playing with the rocket ship-like toliet (i have named the toliets here that due to the amazing amount of buttons and gadgets built into them!)in the bathroom, laughing hysterically and saying how this is just the best and "I love Japan" I love 14 year old boys!!

Enough said....it is all in the perspective...my hope is to enjoy each day through the kids eyes and take it one day at a time!!!

Thanks for all your prayers for safe travels!!

And Away They Go

The start of the ‘2nd Campbell Family World Adventure’ began today with Cari, Meghan & Cole heading to Japan (minus me) to visit our oldest daughter Jessica who has been attending a university in Tokyo. Their plan is to take a week together and explore different parts of Japan, but sense I’m writing this particular blog post, and I’m not heading to Japan, I will use this space to fill in some of the elements surrounding the makeup of this travel adventure.

A brief background on our family might be in order:
• We are a family of 5 who have found a great love for traveling and seeing different ways in which to view this life as well as to witness what God is doing throughout the world.
• Our children are Jessica who is 18, Meghan 15, and Cole 14.
• Three years ago we took a once in a lifetime trip around the world http//:campbellsworldtour.blogspot.com and ended up having the greatest adventure of our life.
• We like to travel light (carry on backpack only) and as cheap as possible. Ok that’s all me but the family actually goes along with it. What a family!

So how does a once in a lifetime adventure happen a 2nd time? For starters a lot of planning (too much if you ask me) along with a large dose of understanding from my business partner/brother. The trip has a few compromises like me not going to Japan as well as coming home in the middle of this 3 month trip for a few weeks, but a small price to pay for an opportunity like this one. In the end all I can say is that we are blessed in so many ways and we give praise to God for allowing us another opportunity to live life so abundantly.

The plan in a nutshell is that I will fly out March 8th and connect in the Singapore airport with my family (minus Jessica) on a flight to Sri Lanka. We will spend 2 weeks there and then fly to Bangkok were we will connect with Jessica who will join us for our travels in Thailand and Cambodia. On the 10th of April Jessica and I will head home leaving Cari, Meghan and Cole in Northern Thailand with ministry friends. On the 27th of April I will fly to Istanbul, Turkey to meet up with my family (minus Jessica) and we will take the month of May to explore several parts of Eastern Europe (Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary & Austria). On our way home we will spend 3 days in Iceland and be home God willing on the 1st of June.

I promise more creative blog posts in the future. Consider this an attempt to set the stage for what we hope is another eye opening experience.

-Kurt