Update: Tim in Cambodia June 8-15

Now that we are home, we will try to catch up with our blog entries. The following is Tim's entry on his experience in Cambodia:

The Pioneer Spirit in Cambodia

My trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia was to record the Khmer language version of the Church's film "Legacy", the pioneer story of the quest for Zion. Cambodia is a land filled with pioneers in the Gospel. The Church is experiencing some of the most rapid growth of anywhere in the World (nearly 25% per year). This is a land torn apart by war during much of the last half of the 20th century. the worst of it coming after the War in Vietnam ended. It wasn't until 1991 that peace came to Cambodia. With such a late start the people are struggling to catch up with the rest of the world economically and educationally. The country is still covered with millions of land mines, but in spite of all challenges is moving ahead steadily. The thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are all pioneers here, and are seeking to establish Zion in their part of Asia.

The Church Office

The Church's Service Center in Cambodia is located in a very nice area of Phnom Phen. My week started on Monday morning as I joined the office staff for their devotional and short staff meeting (just like back home in the Church Office Building). Elder and Sister Calderwood are Missionaries here, his calling is as Service Center Manager. He is well loved by the staff and is a terrific leader. The office includes the Distribution Center for Cambodia and the office for the Phnom Penh Cambodia Mission. It was great to meet the staff and feel the pulse of the growing Church here.

Recording Legacy

Kim Sang is responsible for Church production and distribution in Cambodia and is our Audiovisual producer. He had begun preparations for "Legacy" weeks before my arrival, and had everything ready to begin the recording. Belinda Sok is the Translation Supervisor for the Khmer language and did the translation of the script. She also assigned herself to be the Language Coach for our production in the studio. The two of them were absolutely great to work with. Their dedication and commitment complements their God-given talents. We spent many hours together during this week and they were a joy to work with. The studio had excellent equipment and everything we planned was accomplished.

Because of a problem with voice talent scheduling we had a couple of free hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then worked the whole day Saturday. I left to fly back to Qingdao at midnight Saturday night. There was enough time to take a few photos and visit several places I hadn't seen when I first visited Cambodia in 2005.

Beautiful Phnom Penh

There are so many beautiful buildings in Cambodia. The Presidential Palace is amazing, with beautiful landscaping everywhere. My hotel is located on the the banks of the Tonle Sap river, and from my window (and balcony) I could look across at the Palace. The distinctive roof lines of palaces and temples all over the city are facinating and beautiful. The culture of Cambodia is visually stunning and omnipresent in the city.

People on the Move

The street below my Hotel window was facinating to observe. One morning about 6:15, I looked down and saw an elephant walking down the street. With all the motorcycles, bicycles and Tuk Tuks, it was an amazing parade of humanity. It is always amazing to see a family of five or six all on one motorcycle. Riding in the rain or shine, so many depend on their trusty moto to get around. I used a Tuk Tuk taki service a lot. (The Cambodia Version is much superior to the Indian/Sri Lankan version, more of a trailer to a regular motorcycle).

Cambodian Genocide

Kim Sang took me to visit both the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum as well as "The Killing Fields" of Choeung Ek. Both of these places were sobering to the maximum. Under the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, the city of Phnom Penh was emptied and thousands were murdered, especially anyone with an education (or even who wore glasses). The Tuol Sleng prison was where prisoners were kept and tortured and then they were taken to Choeung Ek to be killed. Both areas are now preserved as places of rememberance. The Stupa at the killing fields is filled with a small portion of the human skulls found in the mass graves located there. The poisonous snake I discovered in a tree seemed to fit right in with the theme.

A Country on the Move

(Note the child on right eating a Grasshopper snack). Cambodia is now trying to overcome the massive loss of talent and education to move into the world economy. Mines are being cleared, people are moving forward and the Church is exploding. One can feel the hand of a loving Heavenly Father lifting up His children in this land. It will take a while, but the future is bright.

We're Home!

On Wednesday we arrived in Los Angeles. . . two hours before we left Taipei! After four more hours of waiting and an additional 1 1/2 hour flight we were back in Salt Lake City after almost two months. It was an amazing experience for all three of us, but we were so glad to be home.

We will catch the blog up with our adventure over the next little while. Today Dad will psot his update on his work in Cambodia, then in coming days we will update you on our time in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Thanks to you all for the emails and comments and for your continuing prayers and interest in Joseph's behalf.

We return home with a much deeper love for the people of Asia and profound new friendships with many individuals. It is so appropriate that we celebrate the birthday of the United States this coming week. How blessed we are to live in a land of liberty and freedom.

Saying Goodbye

Updates have been slow because of the blog being blocked in Qingdao and Beijing. Now we are in Hong Kong we are trying to catch up. Here is Joseph's last entry for Qingdao:

Tuesday, June 10
After returning from our time in Qingdao with the wheelchair accessible van loaned to us by the Mayor, Matthew and I were transferred to the ninth floor. This is both a good and a bad thing. It was bad in the sense that it made us both realize just how much junk we had accumulated over the previous six weeks. However, it gave us an early start on our packing in preparation for our departure from the hospital on Sunday. The room upstairs is a little bit smaller, but the view is a little bit better -- so overall I guess we cannot complain.

Packing is going to be a real problem. When we first left Salt Lake City, all of our bags were exactly at the weight limits, except the last one, which was about 12 pounds over. Luckily Delta didn't seem to mind too much, I'm not sure if we're going to have the same luck with China Eastern, Air China, or the other airlines we will be flying on over the next two weeks. We decided to go ahead and packed one of our suitcases already with just the souvenirs we have purchased. That way one bag would already be packed and out-of-the-way. Unfortunately after packing my smaller suitcase full of just souvenirs, it looks like it's already going to be overweight and there's still plenty of space left inside. Sigh... now we can only hope that the airline gods have mercy on us again.

Wednesday, June 11
Today was my final stem cell transplant. Everything went just fine. Even spending six hours in bed seemed to go buy more quickly than usual. Probably because I knew it was the last time I would have to stay laid out that long. I feel good knowing that I have had the eight transplants now, and I'm starting to get excited for the physical therapy coming over the next six months or so. I've been planning out in my mind my daily physical therapy routines for when I return home. It will be nice not having to worry about school for the first few months, so I can concentrate singly on physical therapy.

Members of the staff who will not be working this weekend have already started coming to say their goodbyes. We planned ahead and brought plenty of coffee table books (of photos of Utah), Mormon Tabernacle choir CDs, and other goodies to give away as gifts to our friends here in Qingdao. We were also able to share a couple of copies of our special book.

Since arriving here we have had many interesting discussions about the meaning of life, and God's plan for us all. As a missionary serving in Brazil I spent most of my time teaching Mormonism, here we mostly answered questions about who God and Jesus Christ are, and why they are so important. We noticed that a few of the staff members already have Bibles, and they seem to be the ones most prepared for these types of discussions. It's exciting to explain to someone for the first time that we have a Father in Heaven, that He loves us, and wants us to return to Him.

Thursday, June 12
On Thursday night, there was a potluck dinner put on by the international patients at the hospital. Matthew and I have been at the hospital longer than any other patient, so we kind of felt like the veterans. It was fun spending time with all the new patients that have arrived, it seems like almost half of them arrived in the last 10 days or so. In the afternoons we spend a lot of time taking them to cool little shops we have found, or showing them where to go or how to get around.

It amazes me how many of them are afraid to try the food here. I have absolutely loved the food. About an hour before lunch, and an hour before dinnertime, the translators go around the hospital and taking people's orders. They have a whole book of menus of take-out food. Chinese, Korean, and Western food is available. I could probably count on one hand the number of time Matthew or I have ordered Western food. We mostly ordered Chinese food. We both have grown quite fond of the steamed rice. Here they come to a little bit longer than we do in the states, so it all sticks together in little clumps. We call it sticky rice. Some of our favorite dishes are the sweet and sour chicken, pork stirfry, spicy vegetable stirfry, spicy beef strips with peppers, and many many more. It's also interesting to note that authentic Chinese food is completely different than American Chinese food. It's hard to really explain the difference, it just is. I think real Chinese food is much better!

Friday, June 13
Friday was our last day of physical therapy. I know that I'm going to be going without it for the next week or so while I'm traveling through Beijing and Hong Kong, I think I'm going to miss it. I especially have enjoyed the acupuncture. Even though nine times out of 10 I sleep through it, it just makes me feel really good afterwards. Especially when we hook up the electric wires to the needles on my arms and legs. I posted the video on my face book profile of my finger bouncing up and down as electricity entered my body through the needles. It's pretty cool.

Friday night we all went clubbing with the staff one last time. It was pretty cool. I think leaving our friends behind is going to be the hardest part of leading Qingdao. We have really grown close to many of them, I wish we could take a few of them home with us.

Saturday, June 14
Today we had nothing planned on our schedule. We spent most of the day saying goodbyes to people, making sure everyone got the gifts we brought for them, and finishing to pack. It's been amazing to see how much stuff we have accumulated over the past six weeks. We filled one entire suitcase just for souvenirs. We also had to pack a car battery size wheelchair charger. Our good friend David who returned home to Florida earlier this week, was kind enough to leave his wheelchair charger with us. It's a special charger that works in European and Asian outlets. If you remember from one of our first blog entries, when we first plugged in my wheelchair charger from the states it caught fire (even though we had used a converter with it). By lending us his wheelchair charger, it will allow me to charge my chair during our stay in Beijing, Hong Kong and the rest of the way home. Thanks David!

Saturday afternoon we presented the staff with a gift to decorate the nursing station. It is a peach wood carving (peach wood is symbolic in Chinese culture of long life and happiness). The two main Chinese characters on the figure represent luck, long life, and success. Along the base and gold lettering is a message in Chinese reading "Thank You, you have brought great honor to the hospital and China!" And along the base in the back is Matthew and I's Chinese names my Chinese name is Zhou Lie Fu, which means of roughly "bringing luck and success". Matthew Chinese name is Yang Guang Nan Hai, which means "sunshine boy". The nurses gave us both our Chinese names, we like them very much.

Saturday night we were invited to go for a final dinner in our friend's apartment a few blocks away. I wasn't able to go because it is on the second floor and there is no elevator, but Matthew was able to go for a while. This time one of the other patients who went along clicked for the staff, instead of them for us. I think everyone greatly appreciated the gesture.

Sunday, June 15
Cliff, a hospital driver came to pick us up at about nine o'clock to go to the airport. Quite a few members of staff came in to say goodbye to us one last time before we left (on Sundays usually there's only one or two nurses on duty, and no therapists etc.). It was really hard to say goodbye. I'm thankful that things like e-mail and Skype exist that will allow us to stay in contact. I hope that someday I will be able to return and see them again.

While we were saying our goodbyes over the past few days we were able to share a few special books and DVDs in Chinese. It's been a lot of fun to feel those feelings when sharing again. It's frustrating though, it's obvious that there are millions of Chinese people who are prepared to accept the Gospel into their lives, but it's just not allowed at this time. The day that China opens to Christianity will be huge! More than a few times people have approached us and asked about the purpose of life, what happens after we die, and why bad things happen. Everyone seems so thirsty for the truth.

At the Airport --
Regardless of where we are in the world, it seems like I'm the first person in an electric wheelchair ever to go through that airport. We sat at the front ticket counter for China Eastern Airlines for about an hour discussing what should be done. After speaking with countless gate agents, managers, security, and luggage handlers, everyone seemed to figure it out. It makes me extremely nervous every time I leave my wheelchair in the hands of someone else. For me, my wheelchair is an extension of my body. If it were to break, I would be broken too. A particularly big fear of mine is that my wheelchair would be broken throughout our stay in Beijing and Hong Kong. I really don't know what we would do. During all of the commotion of figuring out what to do with my massive 350 pound wheelchair, the gate agent failed to notice that every single one of our bags was overweight. I'm not kidding, every single one! Hopefully this kind of luck will continue the rest of our journey:)

Eventually we made it onto the airplane, and the vacation part of our journey began. . .

Winding Things Up in Qingdao

This is Joseph's latest update from Qingdao he has invited Matt to add portions as well. Here is a preface and the update:

I have been able to upload plenty of photos to Facebook. Feel free to check them out if you're interested. This last album is entirely filled with photos taken from the market we found the other day. Lots of interesting things to look at.-- Joe

Friday, June 6
Joe --
Friday morning we had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the Qingdao LDS branch president. He and his wife both came to discuss with the three of us the needs the branch has here in Qingdao. Of course dad was anxious to discuss how audiovisual media could help. We were able to leave a few DVDs for the branch here, as well as for a small group of members (a twig?) meeting in a city about six hours away. Most of our discussion is inappropriate for the blog, given the current political situations here in China. Once I've returned to the United States if anyone has any questions, I'll be free to answer them. Its enough to say that the stone is rolling forth, and it is filling the Earth.

Matthew --
Friday evening – there was a nice pot luck dinner here at the hospital with all the other patients and staff. The food was good and the company even better. Peter, (our Korean friend from the local branch) had been wanting to take Tim and I to a spa for some time, so while Joseph enjoyed the party, Peter took Tim and I for a guys night out. We arrived at the spa looking forward to good massage and entered the locker room with Peter and his son. He took us to the lockers and said, “ok, take off everything.” Tim and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders and said, ok. We didn’t know we were going to be treated to a public bath as well. We were led into a very large, quite nice, tiled rectangular room. Two of the walls were lined with showers and the other two were lined with a couple of very large bath/hot tub pools and a sauna. So we took a shower, complete with disposable toothbrushes and all, and then relaxed and chatted with Peter in the hot pool. After we got out of the sauna we showered again. It was after this long cleaning process we were then given spa clothing, which consisted of boxer like shorts and a mini robe like top. We entered a large room upstairs where there were several mats on the floor for anyone wanting to take a nap on one side and large lazy boys in front of a large TV on the other side. We were then taken into another separate dark room of just rows and rows of large lazy boy chairs that pretty much reclined into a bed. Two girls promptly came over and began giving Tim and I a full body massage. We thought it was interesting that amongst incorporating several different body parts in the massage (hands, elbows, knees and feet) the massage therapists also did many stretches and adjustments one might experience at a chiropractors office back home. Overall the massage was incredible and relaxing. Its probably a good thing we don’t have a spa like this and at this price back home or else I would pretty much just live there.

Saturday, June 7
Matthew --
Saturday was kind of a lazy day. Tim caught up on a lot of paperwork that needed to be done for work as well as updating the blog, as Joe and I napped in the room and went browsing through a street market we’d recently come across. We found a few good items and got some good pictures as well, the prize of the shopping trip was a beautifully roasted cat. It actually looked quite appetizing (photo above left). Joe and I had seen them before, and after a few days of contemplating, decided we needed to buy one and try it out. It concluded our bizarre cooked animal phase (note the delicious croc).

Last week when we went to the club, the manager had spoken with us and invited us to his restaurant, which was going to open June 6th. So we’d decided to invite some patients and try out this brand new “western” restaurant. Joe was not feeling to well so he decided he’d stay back while the rest of us went. There were nine of us from the hospital that went and the only ones in the restaurant. Apparently it was not officially opened yet, they were going to have a trial week first followed by the advertised grand opening. It was a beautiful restaurant and very nice atmosphere with a jazz theme. Eventually there will even be a live jazz band. The manager was thrilled to see us. The food was, well a noble attempt at “western” food. The salads and soups were fantastic. I thought I’d try the sirloin steak, and sadly enough, even though it tasted like hamburger it was still really good to me. I think the highlight of the night though, was when the three cheeseburgers that were ordered arrived. The servers set them down in front of our friends, and we all looked at each other and looked at the “burgers” and back at each other. Sure enough, the “Cheeseburgers” had no meat on them. It was just a bun, cheese and lettuce. We asked the server where the meat was and he just smiled and pointed at the buns as if to say, “yes, this is your food,” we kept trying to explain through sign language that an important part of the meal was missing and he kept smiling and pointing at the food. The manager came over to see what was wrong and quickly said something in Chinese and the plates were gone. A short time later the buns came back with what we assume and hope was hamburger patties on them. We couldn’t decide what we thought was more entertaining, the fact that they actually brought us hamburgers with no hamburger, or the fact that they didn’t think anything was wrong with that.

(Photo below: chicken hearts on a steak) After we had all finished our meals the manager came over and spoke with me a short while. He asked what we thought of the restaurant and if it was comparable to western restaurants since his was the first in the ChenYang district. I told him it was a very nice restaurant and the food was very good. The hamburger meat was extremely rare and I mentioned that it might be a little too rare for American taste but that overall the food and service was up to par and that I was sure he would find great success. He was very pleased and he motioned to the server who quickly brought over a bottle of wine. He told me he was greatly honored to have me come to his establishment and that he would be honored if I would accept this wine as a token of such. The server had already opened it and poured my glass. Everyone at the table was snickering and laughing because they knew that I was the only one there that did not drink, yet I was the one that he brought the wine to. He watched with great enthusiasm as I smelt the wine and brought it up to my lips and pretended to take a large gulp. I put down the glass, smiled and said “shi shi, hen hao hen hao.” The manager smiled with approval, bowed and left. I then turned and said to the rest of the table, “y’all better drink this wine!” They laughed and were happy to oblige. We paid for our meal and then hopped across the path for another evening of dancing and entertainment at the paradise club.

Sunday, June 8
Matthew --
Sunday was another day of physical therapy in the morning, then acupuncture and electrical stimulation in the afternoon. That afternoon Wendy and Amanda (two good friends of ours who are staff members here at the hospital) came in and invited us to their home to eat dinner and celebrate the Dragon Boat festival with them. Joe was very sad that he could not go seeing as how they live in a second story apartment. Wendy and Amanda were also sad; they had hoped that we could carry him up to their home. I felt really bad leaving Joe yet again for the third night in a row, but yet again Joe told me that it would be ridiculous to pass up this cultural experience and that I should go take pictures so he could see what their home was like.

That evening I went with a few other patients to the Home of Wendy, Amanda (translators) Fiona (one of our favorite nurses) and Martin (one of our favorite Therapists). They have a very nice, cozy apartment. We sat on stools and the one couch that surrounded the coffee table in front of their TV and partook of a fantastic meal. They are all very good cooks. The food consisted of preserved eggs, which were black in color, chicken and potatoes, beef and gourd, and green beans. The Chinese for the most part have bowls, but seem to rarely use them. Mostly you just eat off the main dish with everyone else. It’s kind of funny to see so many chopsticks all diving in a dish and fighting for food. One could almost say if a Chinese man is skinny it is because he never mastered the chopsticks.

After dinner we all just hung out and talked, they put on a movie as I wandered into Martins room and discovered a very small dusty out of tune warped guitar in the corner. Needless to say I was thrilled and Martin was happy to have his guitar tuned. I was very content as I hung out with Martin and Amanda in Amanda’s room just talking and singing and having a good time. Though it was nice to get a small fix, it made me miss Isabel (my guitar) even more. Their movie ended, we said our thanks and goodbyes and walked back to the hospital. It was a rather enjoyable evening and a lot of fun to see some of the staff, our good friends, just relaxed and at home in their own element.

Monday, June 9
Joe --
Today is officially Dragon Boat Day, although it is been celebrated all weekend long today is the official holiday. This meant that things hear the hospital were pretty slow. Not very many staff are on duty, and all physical therapy and acupuncture was canceled. Matt and I took full advantage by sleeping in, doing a little bit of grocery shopping, and sleeping some more. I'd have to say it's probably one of the most relaxing Dragon Boat Days I have ever had :)

Unfortunately a good friend of mine left the hospital today. His name is Zho Ja Ping, but we all just call them George. He was hired on privately by another patient (Michael) here in the hospital who needed some assistance taking care of himself. Basically, George's day consisted of following Michael around helping wherever needed. This meant he had a lot of spare time. During that time he and I would do our best to communicate with each other. From what I could gather, he is originally from Qingdao, he has a daughter who is probably a teenager by now, and he loves his job. We wish you luck in your endeavors George!

Tuesday, June 10
Joe --
A few weeks ago when our good friend Jim Ely(photo left) found out that I was unable to visit city center Qingdao because we did not have access to a wheelchair accessible van, he went to work to remedy the situation. After writing a letter to his good friend, Xia Gang
(photo on right), who also happens to be the mayor of Qingdao city, he called us with the good news. Through his contacts he had arranged for the city to make available to us a wheelchair accessible van and a driver for a day. At 10 o'clock the van arrived at the hospital, with our good friend Andy on board to translate for us.

[note from Dad: Getting the van is one of the great accomplishments of the 21st Century so far! Jim worked with the Qingdao University and the Qingdao Mayor’s office and connected up a van which is for the Para-Olympic Games in summer all for Joseph and Matt’s spectacular adventure in Qingdao. UNBELIEVABLE! Sino-US relations at their best. This merits a line in Joseph's International Relations Major notations].

Joe --
Our goal was to go and see the main tourist attractions in Qingdao. Our first stop was the pier (photo on right) on the coast, which was one of Qingdao's most recognizable landmarks. At the end of the pier is a very traditional looking Chinese building, the Chinese built it after the Germans left Qingdao just before World War I broke out. Inside is quite a nice little gift shop selling pearls and some Chinese antiquities. Matthew and I bought a few small handmade pieces of jewelry from the street vendors for our nieces and nephews back home.

Our second stop was a beautiful European style building called Badaguan Castle (photo below right). It was located just a couple miles up the beach from the pier. The castle is surrounded by a large, and by large I mean about 12 city blocks, park with playgrounds and walking trails everywhere. The castle, made of granite, was built in 1930 by a Russian aristocrat who later sold it to a British businessman. After the cultural Revolution the building was possessed and used as a reception facility and has been ever since. When we were there they were probably 40 to 50 brides they're having their pictures taken at the castle, and down on the beach. It felt quite odd stepping inside a European castle on the eastern coast of China, I kind of felt like I was back in Europe again.

After visiting the castle, we made a quick stop at May 4 Square. It's the Central Park in city center Qingdao, and is surrounded by tall commercial and residential buildings. The Square overlooks the sea and the docks were the Olympic sailing competition will begin later this summer in August. Qingdao city has been decorated head to toe in preparation for the Olympics. Even the neighborhood the hospital is, which is about a 40 minute taxi ride away, has Olympic banners and decorations in every part and on every lamppost. The Chinese are extremely proud to be hosting the Olympics, they see it is a great honor to host the world.

We ended up becoming pretty good friends with Mr. Wang the driver, and we invited him to go to lunch with us. We went to a shopping center nearby that we knew would be wheelchair accessible. Andy said he was in the mood for some Western food, so we ate at the closest Western restaurant. The food was delicious! Matt ordered an Italian pasta dish with shrimp, sausage, and beef in the sauce. I went for the traditional steak and potatoes. Mr. Wang decided to try a steak as well, and he absolutely loved it! After dinner he told us (through Andy translating) that it was the first time he'd ever even Western food, and that it was so good he was anxious to come back with his wife and daughter. Of course he also ordered a small bowl of rice and vegetables on the side so he still felt like he was having an actual "lunch" :)

After lunch we made a quick stop by Qingdao University. This is of course where Andy studies English and Jim Ely teaches with a handful of other teachers brought there through BYU. While we were there we had a chance to thank in person Fang Fang (in Photo on right with Andy and Joseph) who helped coordinate the wheelchair accessible van for us. Andy also gave us a quick walking tour of the entire campus. The first thing we came across was a group of students who were having their graduation photos taken on the steps of the main library. Andy said there is no formal ceremony or speeches or anything of the sorts during a Chinese college graduation. Each class simply gathers on the steps of the library, has their picture taken, and then they are handed their certificate of graduation. Dressing in a cap and gown is a fairly recent trend brought over from the West.

Another interesting part of campus for me was the large domed gymnasium. Inside, large tournaments of ping-pong, badminton and basketball were held. It was also the home arena for the Qingdao Hawks, the local CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) basketball team. I had heard that some American players who were not able to get good contracts in Europe were now heading to China to play in their leagues. Judging by the poster we found, the Qingdao Hawks main star is definitely not Chinese.

I want to express my gratitude for Jim Ely and the Mayor of Qingdao for making this day possible. I have been extremely anxious to get into Qingdao city and see many of its wonderful sites. I've been overwhelmed by the way the Chinese people have treated me ever since my arrival, they have been extremely accommodating given my situation. Matthew and I have gained a strong love and respect for the Chinese people, and certainly enough friendships to last a lifetime.