Field Reports

February 2014 Thailand Trip
This Thailand Report covers the third and final leg of my February 2014 SE Asia trip. In the event you might have missed the earlier reports, you can see the Cambodia segment by clicking here, and you can see the Myanmar segment by clicking here. Leaving Myanmar, I headed straight for Pattaya, Thailand where I had meetings at the Fountain

February 2014 Myanmar Trip
Here’s a report on the Myanmar segment of my most recent trip Just getting to Myanmar is a bit more of a hassle than traveling to other countries in SE Asia. Myanmar requires a Visa – in advance. That involved downloading the proper forms, sending them along with my passport and a $20 money order to the Myanmar consulate in

February 2014 Cambodia Trip
This most recent trip to SE Asia was a particularly long and busy one. So, I’ll report on it in three separate sections — one for Cambodia, one for Myanmar, and one for Thailand. Here’s the Cambodian segment. In Siem Reap I connected with my good friend Jana Stanfield and joined in with a group of good-hearted people from Atlanta

My November 2013 Thailand Trip
This most recent trip to SE Asia was a very busy and productive one, with the full three weeks spent in various locations in Thailand. I was particularly pleased to be joined for the first week of the trip by a long-time friend and colleague, Peter Scontrino. Together, we began working with the Fountain of Life Women’s Center and the

Sangkhalaburi & Myanmar
Here’s the final episode in what has been a long, busy trip to SE Asia this time. Returning from Cambodia, I was met at the Bangkok airport my my good friend and colleague living in Thailand and Myanmar, Treasure Shine, Thailand Project Manager for Partners Asia, a US non-profit headquartered in Seattle and San Francisco. Off we went, first by

Fourth of July … and Cambodia
My Fourth of July was amazing. Along with a couple of my American colleagues and dear friends (Scott Friedman and Jana Stanfield) here in Siem Reap we concentrated on being the best of Americans and demonstrating what caring, compassionate Americans have to offer to the less advantaged people in the world. Jana, Bill, Scott We began the day with a

Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai
Still catching up on my recent travels — this time about my visits in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Entrance First stop in CR was to visit the Good Shepherd Sisters Girls Home an hour south, in the town of Phan. Sister Lena is still in charge there, but otherwise there has been turnover in the Sisters assigned to that

Two Days in Bangkok
Entrance Upon returning to BKK from Nong Khai, (which is in the north east of Thailand, not the north west, as one of my astute readers pointed out to me) I was met at the airport by Sister Louise who escorted me to her facility in central Bangkok. This a very large facility that I had visited on a prior

Two and a Half Days in Nong Khai
Nong Khai is an important town located right alongside the Mekong River in the northwestern part of Thailand, known as Isan, a mostly agricultural region. Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is right across the Freedom Bridge. People here speak their own dialect of Thai. And, they face the many challenges of a rural life, impacted by the vagaries of nature,

Three Days in Bali
Hi All, Busy time in Bali to begin this trip. Three-day off-site meeting. 30 people. No opportunity for an advance design. It was all on the fly. Arrived Sunday afternoon. Met with Nengah and Yati right after that to plan the first 1/2 day. Began the meetings first thing Monday morning (no time for jet-lag recovery) and designed and led

The Power of a Thank You
Today I’m delighted to share with you another edition of our Voices From the Field. This one is from our NGO partner in Cambodia – The Global Child (TGC). In

Voices From The Field
A few days ago, I was talking with Mike, a good friend and a generous supporter of our work. Mike asked me a lot of questions. Some really good questions.

Partnerships Are The Key To Our Success
Recently I’ve stopped using a few sensitive words when I talk about our work. Which ones? I’ll get to that in just a moment. What I really want to talk

The Need is as Great as Ever
The Need is as Compelling as Ever Now is the perfect time for you to make an important difference in the lives of so many kids Normally I begin these

These Cambodians Really Need Your Help
I’ve just returned from another of my regular trips to Cambodia and Thailand. While there I visited with more than 25 of our NGO partners. As I ventured out to

Let’s Keep The Momentum Going
I Need Your Help to Keep the Momentum Going When I was speaking with a friend recently our conversation wandered through a variety of topics. However, his queries invariably returned

Holiday Gift Giving with a Creative Flair
During the holiday season my mind invariably turns to gratitude. Like many of you, I have a multitude of blessings. At this stage of my life, however, I realize that

Today I want to talk about books . . . the power of books
Think back with me. Think back to the time you were a kid. What role did books play in your life back then? If you were anything like I was

Three Stunning Success Stories
Even though I was unable to travel to Myanmar during this most recent visit to Southeast Asia, I did have the opportunity to meet with two of my wonderful Myanmar

Looking Back to Strengthen Our Way Forward
Why, you ask, would a forward-looking guy like me talk about looking back? That easy. The past happened only because of YOUR generosity. More importantly, your continuing support gives us