In November 2011 I flew to Manila, Philippines for a two week stay with John Dorrell. I teamed up with his ministry, Kids International Ministries, and The World Race in urban Manila for a time of serving. I spent my days hanging out with local kids, having Bible study, digging out a lot for a future hospital, spending time at orphanages, feeding the community, and discovering what Jesus was doing in this country.
It’s been another year of likes, dislikes, and memories so whether or not you’d care to know, I’d like to share with cyberspace my fav’s for 2011. Like last year, this is not just limited to 2011 content, rather it’s open to anything that I came to like in the last 365 days. (Yes, Hanson’s Middle of Nowhere album is still in the running) Also, these aren’t in any order. Enjoy!
Albums:
1. Augustana (Augustana) 
2. Brendan James (Brendan James)
3. Torches (Foster The People)
4. Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place (Anberlin)
5. Mountain Sea (Desert Noises)
Songs: (I couldn’t pick just 5)
1. On The Other Side – Augustana
2. Nothing for Granted – Brendan James
3. You Belong Here – Anberlin
4. What I Know – Parachute
5. Poison & Wine – The Civil Wars
6. Hurts Like Heaven – Coldplay 
7. Sleep Well – Mae
8. Mr. Simple – Super Junior
9. Robots & Aliens – Forever the Sickest Kids
10. Ghosts n’ Stuff – Deamau5
Movies:
1. Harry Potter 7.2 
2. The Help
3. X-Men: First Class
4. Super 8
5. Source Code
Websites:
1. cracked.com 
2. vimeo.com
3. digg.com
4. espn.com
5. rottentomatoes.com
YouTube Videos:
1. Halloween Candy
2. The Onion Heroic Boy 
3. Black Friday Prank
4. Just A Dream (Sam Tsui)
5. Sexy Sax Man
The last two weeks have been such a blessing from God. To be able to see firsthand the work that He is doing in Manila is a privilege that I don’t take for granted. In coming here I had hope to fulfill three things; learn, serve, and grow.
Learn
The community I lived and served in is called Cainta, Rizal; a smaller community which is part of greater Manila. I partnered with Kid’s International Ministries, or KIM, which ministers to the local squatter community. Squatter refers to a community lacking in basic living needs such as food, water, clothes, and shelter. Children roam the streets when they should be in school because their parents cannot afford a second set of clothes for them let alone tuition. Unemployment runs as high as disease and malnutrition and shacks house 10+ people. KIM operates in the community through an orphanage, an alternative home for girls called Josie’s Angels Zone (JAZ), the Yujin Ministry Center (YMC), and has strong ties to a local Christian school called Jesus Christ Church of the Valley (JCCV). The aim of KIM and its different organizations is to empower the people of Cuatro, their community, by providing for their physical as well as their spiritual needs.
Serve
Jumping in was easy since there is so much opportunity for plugging in. A few times I tagged along during “feedings” in which we would drive a van full of people to a neighboring community in need. Two containers filled with a nutrient enhanced soup/rice mixture would serve 150+ people. Feedings happen twice daily Monday through Friday. A couple of days I volunteered my time in the JCCV library reading to school kids. Where I spent most of my time was at the future construction site of a hospital. We needed to dig out the surplus of clay soil and take it by truck to a dump site about 2 miles away. I worked at this site just about every day for 4-7 hours and at the end of each day could feel it all over my body. It was actually pretty fun. You don’t always get to see a tangible representation of your ministry but in this we did. Most evenings I would hang out with John Dorrell and the local kids that he has been ministering to in his time here. There were bible studies, verse memorization, snacks, soccer games, and times when we just hung around on the street talking about whatever or having pull-up contests. I was able to see John’s impact on these kid’s lives. They look up to him as a responsible, Christ following man. Something they don’t see a lot of in their own families. While The Philippines still has some old ties to Catholicism and many Filipinos claim to be Christians, few actually act like it.
Grow
As I reflect on the last two weeks I can see the ways in which God had me grow through this experience. The first thing that has been pressed on me is the crucial need of not only providing people with the word of God but also for their basic needs. Proclaiming God’s goodness will typically fall on deaf ears when stomachs are still hungry if you get my drift. People are much more willing to accept the love of Jesus if they are able to witness that love being acted out in the lives of His followers. Next I grew in the way I prayed. I’ve been realizing the last couple of weeks how sometimes I put little effort into my prayers. We’ve all been guilty of it at one time or another. We forget to actually think about the words coming out of our mouths and revert to repetition of phrases we’ve said time and time again. I encourage you to actually think about what or who you are praying for. Together let’s mimic the way that Jesus taught us to pray by asking for God to fulfill our daily needs. Lastly, God has shown me the necessity for individuals living abroad in communities such as this long-term. While short-term missions are great and can have a positive impact, they don’t always provide the longevity that is so important in places where problems won’t be resolved in two weeks time. I find myself asking God, “Should I go? Where? When? For how long?” I believe every Christ follower should ask God these same questions constantly. You may not believe He’s calling you to live overseas, but maybe He’s asking you to your neighbor’s house, your local school, or even the orphanage or homeless center in your community.
Now it’s time to come home. After 15 ½ months of being away the day has finally come. Will I be back overseas? I’m not sure, but God is definitely leading me in that direction. I leave this Friday and make a 13 hour pit stop in Hong Kong where I plan to gallivant about the city for the evening before my flight to Chicago. There are so many ways in which God has blessed me in my time abroad. He has taken me to Korea, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, The Philippines, China and America. He has provided me with amazing friends and people to call family. He has caused me to grow and mature as a man of God. He has fed, sheltered, and provided for my every need. He has poured out His blessings unendingly. Thank you Lord!
While my future is still sort of a question mark, I will keep everyone posted on where God leads me. Also, be on the lookout for new videos from my last two months of travels. Until next time, this is Caleb Hatfield bidding farewell to Asia and returning to you from “across the pond.”
So this is it. The end. I can’t believe how fast the last 15 months have flown by but they have and here I sit just 11 hours away from the flight that will take me away from this country. It’s easy to say that I’ve fallen in love with South Korea and that I will genuinely miss the amazing people that I’ve met along the way in my journey. I hope to see many of you again in the future and I trust God to make that happen! After so much time has passed, it’s easy to not even realize that you’re leaving a place for good. I certainly feel this way about tomorrow. Nothing can really prepare you for it and no amount of goodbyes or farewells will suffice. Yet, life goes on. It’s encouraging to know that for many of my friends I have the hope to certainly see them again in heaven.
So, this is it. Tomorrow morning I’m off to Manila, Philippines for a 2 week stay with John Dorrell and the orphanage in which he serves daily. I’m excited that God has given me this chance to serve and I know that great things are in store for my time there. I’m also excited for November 19th when I’ll finally touchdown on American soil for good…well, for now 
I’m ready to see everyone back home. I’m ready to be home. Everyone asks, “Are you excited to go back home?” And of course I am…but I also tell them that I’m sad to be leaving such a wonderful country, experience, and group of people behind. Will I be back to Korea? Who knows? Only God can determine that right now. But what I do know is that I will let His, not my, will be done.
Here’s my last impressions of Korea. I hope you enjoy it! Goodbye or see you soon!
Korea Complete from Caleb Hatfield on Vimeo.
Final videos compiled from my last few months in Korea. Its been…its been real good. Song is “Communication” by Mae.
The second half of my trip through Thailand led me to opposite sides of the nation. I first headed north to the foreigner friendly Chiang Mai. Probably my favorite place of my entire trip, Chiang Mai was old and new, with lots of things to keep you busy in a weeks visit. I had the privelege of staying with now friend, Ekk Jampa and his 3 American roomates. I met Ekk through couchsurfing.org and chose to stay with him because I knew he was a Christian guy and was the same age as me. Getting to hang out with him was much more than just a free place to crash for a week. Him and his roomates were totally hospitable and spent the majority of thei freetime showing me the better parts of the city. I had such a blast hopping from one thing to another all week. Some highlights throughout the week included:
~Riding elephants, ox carts, bamboo rafts, and scooters all in the same day!
~A 2 hour zipline course called “Flight of the Gibbon” that took you through the Thai jungle as if you were a gibbon yourself.
~$1 smoothies with virtually every meal.
~Visiting 2 international schools: Grace International and Chiang Mai International
~Street food: Pad Thai, fried rice, fresh fruit, Roti (banana & choc pancake), meat-on-a-stick. All usually under $1-2
~Walking street. On every Sat/Sun night an entire street is closed so Thai vendors can sell their homemade products and delicious food.
~Super Mario Bros. nights.
~Meeting tons of cool people.
~The “sticky waterfall”. You could seriously walk up this 100m waterfall without worrying about slipping.
Needless to say, my time in Chiang Mai was unforgettable and I really like forward to returning there again someday. I was also to meet missionary Andy Owen and his children to talk about life in Thailand and his particular ministry church planting and providing leadership services. My visits to the international schools sparked my ever-growing interest in teaching overseas in an international school and gave me a better idea of the process of getting in.
After nearly a week in Chiang Mai, it was off to Phuket for a short 3 days of fun in the sun. I stayed at a hostel for roughly $7.50/night and rented a scooter for a couple of days at about $6/day. On my first day out I simply grabbed my day pack and scootered around the island stopping for the occasional dip in the ocean at several of Phuket’s gorgeous blue water beaches. I took plenty of pictures since taking a bad picture in Phuket is virtually impossible. That evening I enjoyed an amazing meal of barbequed chicken and pork with cucumbers at the beach while I watched candle lamps float toward the star studded sky. It doesn’t get much better than that. The next day I spent on a ferry that took us to multiple smaller islands. At each island we would unload on kayaks and cruise in and around the island. One particular island had us go through a cave that led to the inside of the island which was filled with monkeys. I also met some really cool Aussies named Brad and Jasmine that invited me to their resort the next day to hang out by the pool and eat free food. So that’s how I spent my last day in Thailand. Sipping free Pina Coladas pool side working on my October tan…rough life huh?
Looking back on my time in Thailand/Cambodia I can’t help but see how much God taught me and the many ways in which He blessed me. I learned about the need for genuine Christ followers in these countries boldly proclaiming the gospel to the many lost and unreached people there. I see the need for the basic needs of many people to be met. I witnessed the corruption of men and the power of Satan in their lives. But, I also saw the grace of God in the lives of many. I met individuals who were sold out to Jesus and were willing to follow Him to literally the ends of the Earth. That’s what I want for my life. I want to say and actually mean it when I say, “Jesus, send me anywhere you want me to go.” It’s certainly an intimidating way to go about your life but is there anything else other than that? When will we as Christ followers stop making excuses for why we can’t do this or that and just follow? I feel like God had me read the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan for a reason while I was on this trip. If you haven’t read it, go and read it…now. If you have already read it then read it again and ask God to reveal to you the ways in which you can better serve Him, a God who is crazy in love with you!
What a blessing the last month has been in my life. As I look toward the future I’m excited for what God has in store. The Philippines, Indiana, Virginia…He is so good. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers while I was and still am traveling. Please continue to pray in these ways:
~That God would give me the wisdom I require for my future in moving and finding a job back in America.
~Leaving Korea and saying goodbye to all the wonderful people that I’ve met here.
~The Philippines and however God will use me there.
~Praise: My friend Stephen Howard has scored an amazing job in VA beach and already a promotion!
~Jacob & Candace Barr and their futures back in America or around the world.
~Praise: My friend Minnie got into grad school at Syracuse U!
Farewell Little Ones from Caleb Hatfield on Vimeo.
My days in Korea dwindle and the goodbyes have begun. This is a tribute to my favorite rugrats in Changwon on my last day at the Kindergarten. Song is First Breath After Coma by Explosions in the Sky
It’s been about 5 days now since I left Cambodia. It was an incredible learning time for me to be in a country that is plagued by poverty and religious misdirection. The majority of Cambodians are from Buddhist families and make less in a day than we do in an hour. Despite their “lacking” of what we would consider necessities in life, the are very warm and welcoming people. I enjoyed the opportunities I had to talk about life with them and really hope that Jesus would continue to work in that country.
Getting to Cambodia was no walk in the park. I woke early and had to wait about 2 hours for a van that wasn’t overly packed to begin my journey to the border. The trip lasted about 5 hours and our 15 passenger van was carrying 21 if I recall correctly. It was certainly close quarters for everyone but I guess in a way it was just preparing me for the future…Upon arriving at the border, I shared a taxi with a younger man from France who happened to be traveling to Battambang that evening as well. What I noticed very early on about Cambodia was that this country was no Thailand. By comparison Cambodia is much poorer and less developed. This made for some pretty cross country driving but certainly didn’t make our journey on a bumpy rode in an old Camry taxi any smoother. When I arrived in Battambang I headed straight to the YWAM base where I would be staying where I was greeted graciously by Rady, the director of this particular base. Having no real affiliations with YWAM, I felt very blessed that they just let me come and stay with them for 3 days. A DTS (Discipleship Training School) team from Hawaii also happened to be staying there as well so I had a nice opportunity to spend some time with other Americans who had already spent a few weeks in the country. My time in Battambang was short and between resting my swollen ankle and reading I didn’t do a whole lot. I did however stumble upon a very busy boat racing festival which was certainly unique and spent one evening in worship with the base in their weekly community service. The morning I was to leave I headed to the bus station but all the buses to Siem Reap were sold out. I was told taxis we only a few dollars more so I agreed to take one…
At first I thought my fellow riders would only be the 2-3 gentlemen who had been hanging around the taxi waiting for it to leave. Then the unthinkable happened. A whole Cambodian family strolled on up and began putting their bags into the trunk. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for trying new experiences, but something didn’t sit well with me about this. So how do you fit 10 people into a 91′ Toyota Camry? (oddly the same car I drove in high school…we never tried for 10) Well, the driver sat with another man on his side, I rode in front with a man half on my lap, 2 men and 2 women sat four across the back seat, and each woman held a child in their lap. Amazing right?! 3 hours and an extremely sore bottom later, we arrived in Siem Reap, praise the Lord!
My new friend via couchsurfing.org Rady Rure picked me up downtown and took me to his guesthouse for volunteers at his school. It was certainly better than my expectations and it was nice to have a little space to call mine for a few days. Rady was extremely gracious and kept me fed throughout my stay in Siem Reap for free. That afternoon we went to the school that he opened, teaches at, and supports out of his pocket. It’s really an incredible act of selflessness and I’m certain that God brought me into contact with him. The school is out in the country and sits on an acre of land that he rents. A couple years ago, Rady and his friend built 3 classrooms and a library in order to provide tuition free English lessons for Cambodian children who can’t afford private lessons. Rady uses money from his own savings and the few donations he receives from others to support this project as well as his family of 9. Did I mention he has 6 adopted children living with him?! While Rady isn’t particularly open about his faith in Jesus Christ, he’s certainly seeking after God’s will in his life. He hopes that when the time is right he will be able to share openly with his students who Jesus is and how he has provided the school, not himself.
I spent my first 2 days volunteer teaching at the school with Rady and a couple of other volunteers. I also dug deep into my minimal artistic past to paint some flowers along one of the buildings. Click here to visit the schools website and get involved! Rady also took me around to some of the more touristy areas of the city including the wonder of the world, Angkor Wat. I’m really thankful to God for taking me to Siem Reap and being able to see His work through people like Rady. It is my hope that students and people in the community would continue to see the work that he is doing and see Christ being lived out in the way he lives.
I’ve spent the last 5 days here in Chiangmai, Thailand busier than ever. I’ve met loads of amazing people serving the Lord here and have been encouraged by how many people have devoted their time, money, and comfort to see His kingdom come. I look forward to updating you on the last leg of my Thailand trip once I’m back in Korea on October 26th. Until then, thank you for your continuing prayers. God bless!
ps. Unfortunately I don’t have much for pictures as I don’t have access to them…but I can post one or two from a day zip lining in the jungle!
