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To view photos from this project click here! The Ta Gnaok Orphan Home was built during the summer of 2001. Five years, and twenty-six orphans later, the home was in desperate need of a paint job. A team from the Life Pacific Bible College in Los Angeles California came to serve the people of Cambodia from May 25th through June 6th 2006. Their goal was to paint the lower level of the exterior as well as each interior room. The job began with a day of mixing paint, trying to create attractive colors that would brighten up the present atmosphere of the Ta Gnaok home. Pink and blue were created for the interior and a bold green was chosen for the exterior. On arriving at the home the team was met with smiling faces. The children were beside themselves with excitement and eager to know why the team had come. Work began almost immediately. The exterior paint was in such poor condition, that a day was devoted to scrapping as much of the existing blue paint off. The kids joined in with sand paper and metal scrapers, in an effort to help the project go faster. As they sanded the wall down, a blue powder collected on the ground. Work turned into play when the kids figured out that the blue powder looked better on their faces! After the scraping was complete, white primer was applied to the entire exterior. Shortly afterwards, the fresh green paint was applied. What a difference two coats of paint can make. As the team worked they were constantly being watched. The kids sat in groups and watched their home being transformed. One boy in particular was especially interested in the work. He was deaf but actually communicated very well, acting out what he wanted to say. He wanted to help, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. While working on the green trim, the team had a hard time with the ladder. The boy showed them how easy it was for him to climb above each window, putting him within reach of the trim. He was quite convincing, so they handed him a paint brush and got rid of the ladder. At this point, the team broke into two groups, sending one group inside to start on the interior colors. The bottom half was painted the light blue and the top half pink. As the week progressed, each room became new again. The final chore was to paint the metal railing up the stairs and the metal windows surrounding the home. It was a slow process covering each part of the bending metal, but the team finished ahead of schedule. With the extra time, they were able to paint the cafeteria as well, making the Pastor very happy. The finished product was something both the team, the kids, the Pastor and the village could be proud of. In addition to the painting project, the team put on a magic show for all of the kids. One of the team members was a clown and a trained magician. 250 kids made there way from all around the area and crammed into the freshly painted sanctuary! At the end of the show, balloon hats were made and everyone was happy! At the end of it all one of the team members said, “There was a lot of painting, and some days I was convinced it wasn’t going to get done. But the kids were our cheerleaders! Their hands hand participation helped us all to finish strong. When the project was finished and when the magic show was over, the kid’s smiles made it all worth it and reminded me why God brought us here.” |