Hello, we are the Koop Liechtys and we have the privilege of leading 21 adventurous students in Goshen College’s 2016 SST unit to Cambodia. Back on campus, Jill is the Administrative Assistant for the academic departments in the Newcomer Center and Dan is the Director of Alumni and Career Networks. We are here with our two youngest children, Elsie (17) and Cormac (13). Our oldest daughter, Emma, is a junior at GC and has joined us for her Christmas break. While this is our first time in Cambodia as a family, we have lived in Asia before, having spent three years in India as a family working and studying at an international Christian boarding school there. We are excited to be back to the region and are so looking forward to having our GC students arrive in January. In the meantime, we are posting some pictures from our first weeks here.
We arrived in Phnom Penh on December 2nd to finalize plans for the students who will arrive on January 8. We have been busy getting our unit apartment set up, meeting with our local assistants, planning group travel, establishing and reinforcing relationships with in-country NGOs and faith-based organizations, setting up housing, language training, educational lecturers and service assignments. We’ve been so impressed with the wonderfully friendly Cambodian people and the exciting, vibrant city that is Phnom Penh. Everyday, there are so many new things to learn and interesting things to see.
Here we are on our 14-hour Korean Airlines flight from Chicago to Seoul. We highly recommend the Bibimbap entree!We’re almost there!A panoramic view of the Royal Palace.A view of a city center wat from the hotel we stayed at the first night we arrived.This is Jill with Maria. Maria is one of our two assistants. She helps us with scheduling and making connections for lecturers and service assignments. This is her third time helping with the SST unit in Cambodia. She is holding her oldest son, Danish, who was born just after the last SST unit left Cambodia.Jill with Nana, one of our two local assistants. This is her second time assisting with the Cambodia SST unit. Nana helps us with many things. She is currently helping arrange host families.P’teah Goshen’s street address.This is Mr. Nam Nav. He is the guard at our apartment building. The students will be welcomed by his friendly face when they visit the unit apartment.The view from P’teah Goshen, the unit apartment. We look forward to hosting our group here for meetings and get-togethers.Sunrise over Phnom Penh.A sunset view from the unit apartment balcony. This near the equator, the sun sets between 5:30 to 6:00 p.m year ’round.Beautiful flowers like this orchid are everywhere.Lotus flowers are an important Buddhist symbol and beautiful additions to many restaurant tables.Someone has that Christmas spirit in this mostly Buddhist country. There will be a bunch of cute little elves here in the coming weeks!The busy night market near the unit apartment. If you have a nighttime hankering for some squid or chicken feet, this is your place to find them.Selling baguettes on the street. A happy holdover from French colonial times.The ubiquitous tuk-tuk. One of your daily transport options.A relatively quiet street scene. Most streets are packed with people, animals and vehicles.Typical Phnom Penh street scene with a shop on the first floor and housing above.Amazing artwork disguised as a wall.There are artistic details throughout the city.One of the amazing buildings that are around almost every corner.A happy baby gets a moto ride.A group of faculty and students eating, studying and socializing at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, where our students will be studying Khmer almost every weekday morning for the first 6 weeks.A classroom building on the RUPP campus.
