Rebecca Anne (Snyder) Mengwasser, our beautiful adventuresome daughter. The mother of three gorgeous daughters and the wife of Navy Lieutenant Commander Alan Mengwasser, Rebecca joined us in Cambodia for the fastest days of our mission.

The famed Angkor Wat, roughly translated as 'City Temple', as seen just after dawn with the reflecting pool in the foreground. It is a great source of national pride, (its image is on the Cambodian flag) and the country's prime tourist attraction. Built over hundreds of years starting in the early 12th century, it is the best preserved temple of antiquity in the country. With a distinct Hindu influence (prior to Buddhism) it was built with a massive moat and an outer wall 2.2 miles long. Our guide was quick to point out that the moat no longer contains man-eating crocodiles.

We loved the elephants! Prior to the ride, we purchased a big 'bunch' of bananas for a dollar and fed them up close and personal, stroking their trunks under the watchful supervision of their handlers. A 15-minute ride around the Bayon Temple complex cost $15 for each passenger.

This photo was taken from the top of our elephant. Bayon Temple is the central temple of the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom, located just to the north of Angkor Wat. It is a Buddhist temple with elements of Hinduism. The temple represents the intersection of heaven and earth. It was built in 1190 AD by King Jayavarman VII.

Three smiling faces. Bayon is known for its huge stone faces--well over 200 of them.

The third temple site we visited was Ta Prohm, unique in that it has (as cited at sacred-destinations.com) been largely left to the clutches of the living jungle. With its dynamic interaction between nature and man-made art, this atmospheric temple is a favorite for many - who can't help but feel a little like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft (which was filmed here) as they pick through the rubble.

Construction on Ta Prohm began in 1186 AD. Originally known as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple dedicated to the mother of King Jayavarman VII. An inscription at Ta Prohm provides statistics on the temple's workers. Allowing for some exaggeration to honor the king, the inscription's report of around 80,000 workers, including 2700 officials and 615 dancers, is still astounding. Sadly, Ta Prohm has been looted in recent years due to its relative isolation, and many of its ancient stone reliquaries have been lost.

While in the airport waiting for our return flight from Siem Reap, we received a call from the oncologist reporting that Kim Loan's condition was deteriorating rapidly. Her cancer was metastasizing to more vertebrae and tumors had overtaken half of her lungs. We rushed to the hospital to get a full report and to visit her. Her breathing was heavily labored as she smiled a response to our expressions of everyone's love to her. That was yesterday. Shortly after 5:00 this morning, we received a call saying that Kim Loan had passed away. While terribly saddened, we are grateful that a loving Father in Heaven has chosen to end this beautiful young woman's suffering and bring her home. As expected, the Viet members of the Church are rallying in support of her parents and many friends. We have been busy today assisting where we can. The funeral will be held tomorrow morning.