What an amazing few months we have had here at AOC! From staff retreat in Laos, to AOC 25th Celebrations and Board meetings, we have been busy working as a team here in Stung Treng.
Staff Retreat
This year the staff really wanted to go to Laos, so off we went! The staff were excited as for most of them it was the first time for them to leave Cambodia. We started our stay at the 4000 Islands where we hired 22 bicycles and also floated down the Mekong.
Next we traveled to Pakse where we visited temple sites and waterfalls. Lots of good coffee and amazing Lao food. A great time had by all. So cool to be able to spend time together, share new experiences and reflect on all the hard work the team has done.
Celebrating 25 Years
On the 19th of October we celebrated AOC working in Cambodia for 25 years. Since 1993 AOC has achieved so much, having restored hope and dignity to hundreds of thousands of people in Cambodia. For the celebration we started the day with a Thanksgiving Devotional time, where all the AOC staff and board gathered to here several testimonies of the work God has done and is doing in various lives in North Eastern Cambodia.
Then we had a formal ceremony with a variety of local NGO workers and Government Officials, followed by a great lunch. During the ceremony we were honourd to have Dr. Rith, who previously worked with AOC in the earlier days. It was so lovely hearing him share his joy about his experience in the past. He shared how he had tears in his eyes as he entered the AOC gates... seeing how AOC has continued to grow and impact lives.
In the evening we had a big meal with the AOC staff and their families. It was cool to see the wives and children of our staff come and celebrate with us. We loved playing games and dancing together!
October Board Meeting
This past week we had our October Board meeting which was a great opportunity to catch up with the Board and share about all the work the team has been doing. Each project manager did an amazing job at presenting their project! We have been intentionally growing the capacity of our leadership team here at AOC and we are so encouraged by the quality of leaders in the organization. We are so excited about the vision for AOC going into the next three years!!
Prayer and Praise:
The next few months continue to be busy here at AOC, with many teams coming through and as we wrap up the 2018 projects.
We are looking forward to 2019 at AOC. We have our project proposals sent and are looking forward to expanding our programs in rural Cambodia.
