Sunday Evening’s Family Event

Sunday evening we celebrated the first half of SST, and especially the graciousness of our hosts, with students’ families. About 85 people, including all of the students and representatives from all but three of the host families, took place at Sreyhem Roberts’ beautiful home about seven kilometers outside of Phnom Penh.

The afternoon and evening included conversations; extensive jumping on the trampoline; swinging from a swing near the back of Sreyhem’s property (until the swing broke, dropping one of Charlie’s brothers to the ground); and playing cards, basketball, sei, and pool. We also shared a catered meal prepared by a local restaurant, with spring rolls, morning glory soup, sweet and sour pork, and chicken wings.

Sreyhem’s home was the perfect location for the family party, and Sreyhem and her husband Mike were very gracious hosts. We are so grateful to our Phnom Penh host families for their warmth and welcome to all 19 of our students this semester. These local families will be sorely missed as students leave for their service assignments Friday.

SST Director Tom Meyers arrived in Phnom Penh later Sunday evening and is spending several days meeting with our local contacts here before heading on to China for an administrative visit there. We’re finishing up our regular academic program of lectures and language training and preparing students for the next leg of the SST journey.