CREW News

day two in paradise

2011-03-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

We are here in paradise. it's hot and dry, very nice. today we are heading into town to find tacos cabeza and some leather goods.

Ojos Negros 2010

2010-12-31T19:20:00.000-08:00

We are hanging out at the Primera Inglesia Bautista in Ojos Negros, Mexico for a few days to renovate the restroom facilities. Me and my brother-in-law Andy Smith, Dan & Sandy Stilwell and Hassan Tjio are here with Pastor Speedy and Brother Abraham for a stucco good time. Us gringos don't have much experience with stucco, but our compadres are masters. We will also be tiling the shower stalls, adding partitions and fixing the door on the men's side that some one has kicked in. When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Pastor Ismael has just turned 80. He's a spry guy, although very short. Rosa, his wife, cooks for everybody, all the time. She makes everything from scratch and Ojos Negros has a lot of it's own fine Queso. The tamales and pollo crema were awesome.
Sandy brought a sewing machine and various sundries along. She made hot pads, aprons for the ladies and a tiny scarf for the chihuahua.
The play ground equipment that was installed during the summer was uprooted and hurled across the yard in September during an unheard of twister. Dan, Hassan and Abraham made the needed repairs.
Looking forward the the next time.

Ojos Negros 2010

2010-10-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

At the end of October, I will be traveling to Ojos Negros, Mexico with my brother-in-law Andy and members of Northview Community Church. We will be repairing and renovating the bathroom facilities at Primera Iglesia Bautista. Pastor Ismael and his wife Rosa have served here for many years. Besides the daily work of the church Rosa cooks breakfast for the elementary school kids, all of them, everyday. Pastor Ismael tells them stories of Jesus and sings songs while they eat.

Last year we renovated the dining-meeting hall. This year we will be improving the sanitary system, water supply and facilities.

You can be part of this much needed task. We need your prayers and your financial support in any amount. Check out the C.R.E.W. website for giving options and to see what we've been up to.

Blessings,
matt stone
Founder / President
C.R.E.W.

The finished project

2009-11-30T09:42:00.005-08:00

At last the project has been completed. The new facility was put into use on November 19th.

I arrived in Battambang on October 3rd to find materials and laborers on the job. Our first task was to get the foundation out of the mud. The rainy season was just ending and the ground was saturated and stinky. During the first week the footings and foundation were laid, then the rain started. We were ready to pour the platform, but form boards were not available and it was raining, really raining, for a long time. Another group of men from the states were due in on Monday to continue work so I decided to head north with the rest of the group and visit the David Center Orphanage and hang in Seim Reap. With the materials,cash and labor donated by CREW, COTR and others, we were successful and the facility is a much appreciated and welcomed addition to the ladies at the Transformation Center.

Thank you for your prayers and support.
Blessings
Matt Stone
Founder/President
C.R.E.W.

Bonus video

Sunday October 11

2009-10-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

Today we are heading out into the country to a small village church. The church is meeting in a small house off a muddy road. We start with some songs and prayer, the Pastor says a few words and Curtis gives a short talk translated by Setan. The majority of us are sitting outside and it starts to rain. Each of us is praying that it will stop raining until the service is over, the rain is very light until we are done, than it pours and pours and pours. We all go to lunch at the new market were many stay and shop. I walk back to the hotel and take a nap. For dinner, the group decides on something not asian, pizza. I have BBQ snake, tastes like a dry pork chop. I didn't see the snake before it was cooked, so I can't say what kind of snake it was, my waiter didn't know either. I had frog fried rice the week before, it tasted like chicken. The chicken doesn't taste or look like chicken. What are we eating? Did I mention my $2 haircut?
matt

Saturday October 10

2009-10-14T05:14:00.010-07:00

Today is tourist day, some are going to see AngkorWat and the rest of us are going to visit the floating city on Tonle Sap lake. The floating villagers are mainly Vietnamese and survive on fishing and fish. However, there are crocodiles, turtles, frogs and lots of birds. We are on a tourist boat, which of course, ends up at a restaurant/giftshop. Everything floats here, houses, church's,

stores, schools and water. The lake is flooded now, but as the water level goes down the houses will be towed further out into the lake until the monsoon's return.

tŏnˈlā säp [great lake], lake, central Cambodia; largest lake of SE Asia. It occupies the depression of the Cambodian plain and is fed by many streams; the Tônlé Sap River, c.70 mi (110 km) long, drains the lake S into the Mekong River near Phnom Pénh. At low water in the dry season (Nov.–May), the lake covers c.1,100 sq mi (2,850 sq km). During the summer floods, however, the waters of the Mekong back up into Tônlé Sap (which forms a natural reservoir) raising the lake's level c.30 ft (9 m) and more than tripling its area. Approximately 2,500 sq mi (6,475 sq km) of surrounding forest are inundated by the floodwaters and provide a breeding ground for fish. The fisheries of the lake are one of Cambodia's major natural resources. The Tônlé Sap lake and river are also part of an important inland waterway system.

Friday October 9

2009-10-11T01:20:00.009-07:00

Charlie did not get a hot shower, but he smells better than town. We are having breakfast in the only restaurant in town. Luckily for us they are french trained chefs and the food and bread is awesome. The coffee is the best yet. We are going to spend the whole day at the orphanage.

Charlie did magic tricks and yo-yo tricks. Curtis and Sean made balloon things. we all played games. Everybody had a great time and made new friends. In the afternoon we had a worship service with the kids. The older boys provided the music, Charlie gave a talk and the teams acted out a bible story. We finally said goodby and headed to Seim Reap.

matt

Thursday October 8

2009-10-11T01:07:00.002-07:00

We say goodby to Battambang and are heading to the David Center Orphanage in Anlong Vang by way of Sisapon and Seim Reap. It's about 220km. We will be picking up the other team members along the way. We have finally arrived at the orphanage, it's 4pm. The kids are glad to see us and we are glad to be out of the van. After a hour we all go to our hotel and grab some dinner. This is the first time we have all been together since Monday. The 4 teams have been in different places experiencing different things and nobody can keep quiet. Our hotel is no star, but comfortable. Charlie does not have hot water. Someone has taken the water heater off the wall. Will Charlie get a shower? Will Charlie smell better in the morning? Stay tuned.

the only guy in Cambodia with a beard
matt

Bonus Video

Wednesday October 7

2009-10-07T06:48:00.003-07:00

It's raining today, thunder and lightning, wetness and muggy. It seems hotter when it rains.
The boys are hard at work digging the footing trenches. The soil is wet and sticky. Not much fun. Next will be rock and gravel to level out the trenches, than brick. More rain, the boys stopped working this time and are hanging out under the veranda smoking. After lunch the brick is finished and the rebar is put into place. By Friday they will be ready for the slab. Depending on the weather.
All the materials have been purchased. This is as far as I can go. There is another construction group coming on Monday to build the roof and counters. I will be leaving tomorrow afternoon with Charlie, Tom and Scott, for AnlongVeng to the David Center Orphanage. I hear they have a few projects that need completion.

One sweaty guy with a beard in Cambodia
matt

Bonus Video

Tuesday October 6

2009-10-06T03:31:00.005-07:00

Yesterday afternoon the rest of the group from COTR arrived in Battambang. Sean, curtis, Andrea and Kim are going north to Sisaphon this morning. Charlie, Tom and Scott will be staying for the leadership conference being held at the transformation center compound.
Work continues on the project. The remainder of the footings are poured. There are 8 guys on the job. None of them speak english. They work on Cambodian time, using time honored techniques. In other words, slow and steady. Their daily wage is $5.00, although the boss will distribute the pay as he sees fit. 1 for you, 2 for me.
We are starting to get into the bricks. The bricks go into the hole up to ground level and are set with mortar. The space inside the bricks is filled with mortar also. During lunch we had a brief downpour. The boys are back from lunch bending and tying more rebar. We should be above ground tomorrow.

The only GUY with a beard in Cambodia
matt

Bonus Video

Monday October 5

2009-10-06T02:40:00.009-07:00

Up at 5:30 am to watch the football game, Dallas @ Denver. Shower, then $2.50 breakfast buffet & cafe. Off to work at 8:30. My hotel is about 8km from the worksite. This morning i'm taking a taxi. I decide on a scooter instead of a tuktuk. My driver speaks english well and we are off into traffic. DANGER DANGER!!! a young girl just about took us out. We survive the swampy driveway and arrive safely at the transformation center. Saveun and Pastor Timothy are laughing at me as I climb off the back of the scooter. They don't understand why I would want to ride on a scooter instead of in a car.

The Boys are hard at work cutting and bending rebar this morning. We are planning on pouring concrete today. The footing holes are full of water. Bale the water out and pour the concrete in, quick.

10 buckets of sand, 2 bags of cement, 8 buckets of gravel, mix it up and add water. mix it up and pour.

Stay tuned for more from the only guy in Cambodia with a beard.

matt

Bonus Video
this took days to upload, so please enjoy.

Sunday October 4

2009-10-04T17:42:00.002-07:00

It's Sunday morning, I am in the restaurant having cafe waiting for Saveun to pick me up. He is always late, I know this, so I have another cup. No hurry. We make a few stops in town to pick up printer paper and shovels. The car won't start. Savon opens the hood and jiggles the battery cables around, and the car starts. We arrive at the Transformation Center and the Sunday service has already started. There is lots of singing and bible reading, then Pastor Timothy gives a rousing talk. I don't understand any of it, but I know the jist of it. Pastor Timothy wants me to say a few words, so I give a short testimony. The new keyboard I brought is much appreciated and the musicians love it. They make it sound Asian somehow.

The boys out back have begun to dig for the foundation. There are remnants of older foundations and concrete about a foot down and the water table is very high right now. It's a muddy job.

After lunch I took a walk down to the river to watch the boat races. Too early and the wrong river. I watched the races later on TV. This grasshopper was blocking the sidewalk on the way back to the hotel.

Tomorrow the rest of the team should be here and I hope to have some concete in place.

The only guy with a beard in Cambodia

matt

Saturday October 3

2009-10-03T03:00:00.004-07:00

This is where we start, between the church and the old house, in the swamp. My guys are setting up the batter boards to position the footing. The building will be 7m x 12m. Everything is metric, so my tape measure is worthless. The contractor has his own tape measure, a hatchet, a length of plastic tubing, a plumb bob and this square. This is precision stuff and not for the squeamish.

Between laughing and talking about me (in cambodian) there is a lot of discussion about the placement of the batter boards and the final size. We'll start digging the footing tomorrow after church.

This computer is so slow and filled with viri, it is almost impossible to do anything before it shuts itself down.

Arrived in Phnom Penh

2009-10-02T05:14:00.001-07:00

After 15 hours in a plane and a 4 hour layover in Taiwan, We have arrived in Phnom Penh. It's hot and humid and the traffic is heavy. We are staying downtown at the lovely Asia Palace Hotel. No swimming pool, but there is a koi pond. The internet access no matter how slow is a bargain at $1 per hour. We dined at the TaTa restaurant on succulent beef, bony chicken, crispy fish and a soup with seaweed, tofu and shrimp. Dave chugged down a grass jelly drink which is a drink with grass jelly in it. This is an Asian favorite that reminds me of curdled milk, kinda chunky and funky. We also stopped by the TransformAsia childcare center close to the dump. Charlie wowed the kids with balloon animals and noisy things which frightened some of the kids and delighted others. 50 kids and 15 adults in a small room gets really hot, quick. We checked out the dump as we were leaving. Tomorrow morning I am taking a taxi to Battambang to start the construction project. 300 kilometers up the left side on Tonlesap lake.
stayed tuned
matt

Cambodia or bust

2009-09-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

I will be leaving for Cambodia on Thursday (10/01) morning at 2:00 am. Looking forward to a long boring flight to Taipai, Taiwan, a 4 hour layover, and then on to Phnom Penh. I"ll take a taxi on Friday to Battambang and get to work on our project. Our accomodations in Battambang are top notch, The lovely and famous Teo Hotel. Jackie Chan stayed there as did Anjolina & Brad. The Cafe is very good, but don't eat the Kocha Chicken. They have an Internet cafe right next door, a good thing because uploading anything takes hours so you can catch a nap in the meantime. The access is slower than dial up and the computers are antiques. I will be attempting a progress report each day with pictures at http://mycrewnews.blogspot.com. Be sure to check each day and I'd love to see your comments. English only please.
We are very excited about this opportunity to serve the people of Cambodia. We can and will make a difference in the lives of many Cambodians, as well as providing much needed cash to the local craftsmen and business's.
Many thanks to all of you who gave and became an important part of this much needed project. We have raised $2500 so far towards our goal of $10,000. There is still time if you would like to participate in the project. You can make a donation of any size at www.hisworkforce.org. Or send a check to the address below. 100% of your donation goes to this project and is tax deductible. Please remember this project and myself in your thoughts and prayers.

Cambodian women get new kitchen

2009-09-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

I will be traveling to Cambodia October 1st through the 13th. I have my ticket, e-visa and shots. The only thing left is to pack. This will be a great trip and awesome opportunity to help the Cambodian people and see my friends again. The Cambodians are so gracious and hospitable, it is a pleasure to visit. We will be staying at the Teo hotel in Batnambang, 4star by their standards, Motel 5 by our standards. The Teo has a fine restaurant, laundry service and the slowest internet cafe around. I will be sending out a daily progress blog and pictures if they upload before bedtime.

I will be building a kitchen and dining facility at the Transformation Center. This structure was built at another center operated by TransformAsia. It is mainly concrete floor covered with tile, concrete block walls with stucco and concrete counter tops. The over structure is mahogany posts, timbers and planks with thin steel roof panels. The appliances consist of propane rice cookers and fire pits. There are sinks for washing vegetables, meat, fish and various body parts including hands. Running water is provided, if it is available. The structure is very functional, given the weather in Cambodia. Half the year it is hot and the other half it rains and is hot. We will be buying materials in town and hiring local laborers and craftsman. In Cambodia concrete does not come premixed in big trucks. Instead, you acquire a big pile of sand and gravel and many bags of cement. Then the guys make a big pile of all the aforementioned ingredients where they think the concrete should be. Then add water and stir, spreading out the mud as they go. It is a fine thing to watch, and amazing how accurate they are. My first task will be to dig a hole and prepare the foundation.

Many thanks to those who have decided to be a part of this project. There is still time to make a difference in the lives of the ladies we will be helping, the men we will be hiring and the many families that will benefit. Your donation of any amount will go a long way to accomplish this task. You can donate online at our website, hisworkforce.org or by check to C.R.E.W. We are a 501(c)3 corporation and your donation is tax deductible. 100% of donated funds go directly to this project. Please remember us and this projects in your thoughts and prayers.

Blessings,
Matt Stone
Founder / President
C.R.E.W.

P.O.Box 581 Snoqualmie, Wa. 98065

Cambodian sex trade

2009-08-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

At an age when most children might be preparing for their first day of school, Srey, 6, already has undergone trauma that is almost unspeakable. She was sold to a brothel by her parents when she was 5. It is not known how much her family got for Srey, but other girls talk of being sold for $100; one was sold for $10. Before she was rescued, Srey endured months of abuse at the hands of pimps and sex tourists. Passed from man to man, often drugged to make her compliant, Srey was a commodity at the heart of a massive, multimillion-dollar sex industry in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.¹
            Around the world, more than 1 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade each year, according to the U.S. State Department. The State Department believes Cambodia is a key transit and destination point in this trade.
            Cambodia has lost its fathers, mothers and grandparents to the Killing Fields leaving large numbers of very vulnerable and poverty stricken children. Over 42% of the population is under 15 years old. It has become common to sell young girls and boys to brothels where they are first 'broken down' and then abused horribly by many 'customers' each day. A small portion of their meager earnings are sent back to support their families.
          TransformAsia has developed a range of programs through the years to address this horrible crime against those close to God's heart and against the very fabric of society. They are committed to making a strategic difference.
          Years ago Randa and Setan began rescuing girls from brothels. They soon realized that they would need to provide skills training and vocational opportunities for the girls to support themselves. So, they started the first Transformation Center. This has become very successful and many young women have graduated, getting jobs or opening their own shops. Many of these ladies are now happily married.
         Over the years, the TransformAsia leadership began to have a burden to rescue the girls before they were sold to the brothels and were abused day after day, year after year. So many emotional scars could be avoided. Thus, they began developing the Protect a Child program to help highly vulnerable children and their families to gain hope and a vision for the future through the love of Christ. They also developed the Compassionate Prevention boarding program for those who had no other options and were very likely to end up in the trade.²

         C.R.E.W. will be in Cambodia, in October assisting TransformAsia at their Transformation Center in Batnambang. We will be building a kitchen and dining room to accommadate the growing number of women and girls staying there. You can help these women and girls help themselves. You can be a part of their lives each day by helping to build this much needed facility. We need funds to purchase materials and hire local craftsman in country. 100% of your donation will go to this project. We are a 501(c)3 corporation, so your donation is tax deductible. A donation of any size will be a huge blessing to these ladies.
         You can go to www.hisworkforce.org to donate securely with Paypal or Google checkout. Or send a check to CREW at the address below.

¹excerpt from http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/23/sex.workers/index.html
²excerpt from http://www.transformasia.us

Newsletter August 1 2009

2009-08-25T23:00:00.001-07:00

In 1999 I went to India on my first mission trip. I helped to build brick bunkhouses for orphan boys. The trip was such a blessing and great fun that I went to Mexico in 2000, 01 & 03 and helped to build, then remodel a church in Maneadero. After the 2004 Tsunami I went to So.India and Thailand to assist in the relief work. I came home wanting to be able to provide construction services anywhere at anytime. I have been blessed with many skills and talents in the construction trades, so in 2005 I founded C.R.E.W. "Construction Resources and Ecology to the World". We are a 501(c) 3 corporation dedicated to providing construction services, potable water and sanitary systems to the disadvantaged and those suffering from disaster. Read more.

In 2007 I traveled to Cambodia with COTR to assist in rebuilding this house. The house was formerly a "karaoke crack house". Apparently Cambodian punks like to get tweaked and sing karaoke, not that karaoke was good to start with. Either the crack or the karaoke filled the house with bad spirits and no one would live in it. The house is at the Transformation Center Safe House compound in Batnambang; run by Dr.Setan Lee, founder of TransformAsia, where women and girls rescued from the sex trade are given a safe place to live. Here they have daily prayer and bible training along with training in vocational skills that will enable them to provide for themselves working with computers, as a beautician, or as a seamstress. We pretty much tore it down and rebuilt it using traditional Cambodian materials and techniques. Meaning, Mahogany lumber and local laborers. Check out the whole story & pictures Read more.

In October I will be going back to Cambodia with COTR. Some of our group will be facilitating a Leadership conference, others will be helping out at the David Center Orphanage , and myself and a few others will be building a kitchen and dining facility at the Transformation Center Safe House compound. Since our last visit the house has filled to capacity. The women do not have any covered facilities for cooking or eating. Setan has asked us to build this structure. You can be part of this much needed project by donating funds. My goal is $10,000 for this project. Your gift of any size would go along way to help these women. Check out our website at www.hisworkforce.org to donate. We are now offering a C.R.E.W. branded credit card from Capitol One. $25 is donated by Capitol One on your first purchase and 1% there after. And, please keep us and this project in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Cambodia 2009

2009-08-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

I will be traveling to Cambodia in October with COTR to assist my friend Setan Lee, founder of TransformAsia. Members of COTR will be facilitating a leadership conference for Pastors and laypersons, serving at the David Center Orphanage in Anlong Vang, building a kitchen and dining room at the trade school in Batnambang, and we will be also be visiting Kampong Chanang and the site of the new TransformAsia University. The University has been a dream of Setans’ ever since he escaped the killing fields in 1979. God has brought this dream to reality in His time.
On my trip to Cambodia in 2007, we renovated a house on the trade school grounds to accommodate the growing number of women and girls TransformAsia has rescued from the sex trade. They are taught life skills at the trade school, such as sewing and computer and they learn of the love of Jesus. The house is full of women but there is a need for a kitchen and dining hall. We are praying that God will enable us to provide this much needed facility for them.
If you would like to be a part of God’s work in Cambodia, here are a few ways to help. Please

Pray for us and TransformAsia
Donate funds
Get and use our branded Credit Card

Thank you
Matt Stone
Founder / President
C.R.E.W.