Five great weeks

After a long blog silence, Sue and I arrived back in Cambodia yesterday. The tuktuk drive back home from the airport quickly brought us back to present reality - turbo-hairdryer hot after just the most incredible lingering warm summer back in New Zealand.

Our five weeks away - two in Australia and three in NZ - were wonderful in every respect. Much of the time was rightly family-centred - wedding planning with Melody in Toowoomba and all the joy and excitement of Christian's marriage to Becs in Cambridge, NZ. Our cup overflows!

The walk into Bonnevie-hood - Becs and her dad heading down the aisle

Now, stage 2 begins for us. Already we have been approached to bring help to a man abandoned by his family, terminally ill with Aids. Our next few weeks are very important.

Many have asked regarding the property on the last blog entry. We love the place and are so keen - but each tme I have prayed I have had such a sense of 'wait - stand still'. This has been hard to do, but timing is everything and therefore 'watch and pray' we must.

Aussies Bart and Wilma, new arrivals from Perth, were in our house while we were away - and moved into their own digs just before we got back. It is funny rattling around here on our own again. We were to do a bunch of connecting today, but Susie mysteriously picked up an allergy reaction last night that turned her top lip into Donald Duck on botox. The swelling is coming down now happily. Sorry, the lady refuses to allow a blog shot sporting The Lip.

We returned to Cambodia via Gold Coast and then an Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur. This new route (for us) is brilliant - less flying hours, comfortable flights, markedly cheaper and the bonus of a night in KL. I'll get a paper written up for all of you who plan to come on out to bless Cambodia - all part of our purpose for being out here!

I trotted off to market this morning and had the joy of getting that rusty language going again. Not so much fun was returning a little lighter in my pocket. My new mobile number is +85512788706 ... good-bye trusty i-mate.

OK Susie has cooked the dinner and a man has got to eat. To all of you who were a part of making our return to Aussie and Kiwiland such a joy - thank you so much!