Just the two of us ...

Tuk-tuk to the airport - Joan and Adrian heading out this morning

We are home alone, again. First Chris left for NZ on Wednesday and today Joan and Adrian's departure date was upon them. They have four days in Singapore on their way back to Toowoomba, so at least they get to fade gently out of Asia ...

It has been wonderful having our 'dedicated dedication guests' here over the last week. Thank you so much, guys, for coming and being such a blessing to us and to others.

Tarsha's Legacy Centre

Remember our good friends, Patrick and Carol Kelly? Their hearts are are so much for the poor, and there is great grace on them for raising up educational centres for those who are too poor to access education here in Cambodia.

We were greeted by David - a lovely, cuddly young fella.

Over the last 12 months Patrick and Carol have been involved in a huge initiative - to re-locate and house people who were being evicted from an inner-city slum area. A Khmer pastor, Sara, has a huge heart for his people within the slum and together with Patrick and Carol and and his wife Shansi, Pastor Sara has been looking to God for an answer.

Out of all this has come the purchase of a 90 metre x 10 metre block of land not far from Phnom Penh, where 18 small (6m x 4m) homes have been built. A whole new community has been formed.

Inside David's family's home - Adrian and Joan were so excited about this visit

Further, a school has just been opened on the property. Called 'Tarsha's Legacy Centre' (in rememberance of Natarsha, a young Tasmanian lady who lived a short earthly life, but whose passion for the poor lives on) this school serves not only the new community but also children in the immediate district. Shansi heads up the school of 90 children, together with a great team of staff.

Carol thriving at the centre; Shansi is in the white t-shirt beside her. Adrian is clicking away happily in the background.

This was an inspiring time that we spent with Patrick and Carol. It was great having Adrian and Joan with us too. They have a huge heart for these kind of initiatives, demonstrated over the decades in their involvement with such initiatives as 'Business Aid'.

Having a wonder through the new community

Wonderful Dedication

Yesterday was just great - a busy wee day that began at 7am early church and finished at 8pm with our homegroup gathering. In between was the key event - the dedication of 'Wonderful House', with people gathering at 2.30pm for the 3-4pm dedication followed by food and fellowship.

Welcoming our guests - Samdy translating; Chris ready and waiting in the wings!

We had 50 invited guests arrive - a happy mix of perhaps 60% Khmer; 40% expat. Sue and I welcomed everyone; then handed over to Chris Lee who sang (a Cindy song); brought tena kotu greetings from NZ, shared a little and then sang a great song 'God of Miracles'. Pastor Jesse followed with words about the vision and values of the home.

A bit of an overview - Susie and I up the front with Samdy - Chris with guitar behind us. The canvas canopy gave us much-needed shade.

Then it was time to anoint the property. This was a brilliant time - everyone was given a container with olive oil and 5 people were assigned upstairs; 10 people sent into the downstairs rooms where our sick will be; and the rest of the folk prayed and anointed the outside property. Sue and I were thrilled to see how everyone really engaged in this process. 'Wonderful House' and property is well oiled and prayed over!

Anointing prayer - Pastor Jesse, Patrick and Canadian Donnie in the upstairs kitchen

We then regathered and Pastor Mara led in a stirring Khmer-language prayer. The Barang (white fellas) present did not need to understand in order to know that Mara's prayer carried great power! Folk then gathered around Sue and I and really prayed for us. As they finished praying, rain started to lightly fall. We had canvas canopies so no problem.

Praying for Sue and myself

Adrian and Joan prayed for all the patients who would come to this place. I then shared briefly on 'Compassion with Power' and the reason the house is called 'Wonderful' (long story - short version: a very strong dream I had the night after our first visit to this property). By now it was raining quite hard and water was pooling in the canvas, so water baptism was offered ...

4pm - and the sun was shining again as we shared finger-foods, cold drinks and people had a good look around. Five people approached me as volunteers for the work too, over the dedication period.

Our next steps - do job interviews for two staff positions (3 days/nights on; 4 days off - then 4 days/nights on, 3 off...). Then we will work with those staff to set in a volunteer roster. A third staff member will be needed for cooking and cleaning. Next - staff training. Simultaneously we will have some physical work and alterations happening - led by Peter Parker from Waitara, NZ (Pete arrives July 11).

Adrian and Joan arrive

It was back to the airport this morning to greet the Meston's. They set a new customs-clearing record (16 minutes) and wewere all safely back at our place by 10am. We broke out the 'Ozone' coffee to celebrate (thank you, Chris!).

OK, so we have a few doors upstairs that were not built with basket-ball players in mind ... Chris and Adrian inspecting the house today.

We've had a fun day with Chris, Adrian and Joan. We spent over an hour going through 'Wonderful House', walking through every aspect and explaining what we see for the future. Then it was time for a lovely long catch-up over lunch before a bit of a city tour. One of the things on our 'to-do' list was to buy a guitar, so that music may ever fill the house. Chris strummed his way through a few shops before picking a great little guitar that will do us well.

Heading for home, with guitar and a couple more fans to keep these poor over-heated Antipodeans cooler.

I even got the guys to the local market this evening, for a stroll through the fruit and vege bazaar. Adrian reckons that Cambodia is very much like the Philippines, and Chris sees India at every turn. They are all well and thriving - and I trust now zedding ...

Pastor Chrismas

Chris arrived last night. How wonderful it is to have him here! I'm just about to pop downstairs with a cuppa for him. He says that he awoke at 4am and then dozed until 6am, so he is a happy camper.

We too are happy campers. Not only has he come, but he has been a one-man Christmas delivery service. In addition to a serious amount of sheets for the house, he has come with mum's famous muesli, enough chocolate to keep us bouncing for weeks, manuka honey and best of all ... my trusty hammer! Plus, there are more tools, rat traps, mouse traps, gingernuts and licorice. Our coffee table overfloweth!

Welcome, Chris! Spot the hammer ..

In a couple of hours Joan and Adrian from Toowoomba touch down. We are blessed Kiwis!

Cleaning House

Sue mopping out, with Cindy Ruakere singing strong over the proceedings.

Susie has always been like a beaver when it comes to work. So, no time has been wasted in getting 'Wonderful House' into sweet-smelling mode. It will take a few days to complete to Sue's top standards.

Meanwhile, we are filling the house with the praises of God too. We'll just leave the cd player going so that from day 1, the goodness of God will be continuously declared into this place.

Amazingly Wonderful

We have the property! Monday was to be the transfer day but there was a plumbing leak and a hole in a bathroom floor ... No majors - we just gave our landlords some more space.

So today we took possession of the property that shall be dedicated on Sunday as 'Wonderful' Healing Home. It has scrubbed up pretty well too - the owners are stuff collectors, so with the majority of the 'stuff' now gone (and some stored in nooks and crannys inside and out) we can go to work and scrub it really clean and set up the house for receiving the sick and needy. A lot of furniture has been left for our use too, that is a real blessing.

Upstairs - I took photos of everything to have a furniture inventory to give to the landlords.

Today was a good reminder of the people we are here to care for. Hagar had asked us to visit a lady who has been diagnosed with cancer in her womb. She lives in a wood-shed sized single roomed wood shack, that sits over a lake. To pay the rent on her $15/month hovel, she washes clothes - $2 on a good day; $1.25 on a 'normal' day; sometimes just 50c. She has a wee daughter and her mum sharing her shack. To reach it, you walk down a dirt path and then along a boardwalk that runs over the lake. Slums line every step of the way on both sides of the walkway.

Sunday is the big day to dedicate the house. I have brought a good young guy named Chheat on board for the next six weeks to help with getting us organised. He's got a great attitude and a soft, kind heart. He's bedding down there tonight as our security man. Also on guard duty are the dogs.

Chheat - my man Monday to Friday

Dogs? Well, the story is ... ah, too long. We have four dogs that come with the place. There were meant to be three on a one-month trial, but the landlord slipped out the gate without taking the one he was meant to. So, we have three yappers and Momo the rat catcher. Judging by Momo's amorous ways we could have nine yappers and one stud in the days ahead ...

Momo the rat-catcher

Brian Elliot

Brian (right) Pastor Samdy translating (left) and a guy in church testifying about hearing out of one ear again after some years of it not doing too good. Sorry about the pic quality ...

Over thirty years ago I read a remarkable book entitled 'Anointed for Burial' - the remarkable story of Todd and Deanne Burke and their ministry in Cambodia immediately prior to the Khmer Rouge take-over. We still have this book - it is a Bonnevie treasure!

Last week we had Brian Elliot in town - a warm-hearted American who was doing a week of teaching at church on the subject of prayer ministry to the sick. Of course the timing of this overlays perfectly with our preperation for the Healing Home. Jesse had me share for a few minutes one night about what we are doing, and he too spoke to the congregation about his desire that, out of these meetings, many people would come forward and volunteer to be a part of the Healing Home ministry.

Anyway, back to Brian. He and his family worked on the Thai border in 1979, following the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge by the Vietnamese. Then for four years from 1992, he lived in Phnom Penh and worked among the believers here. His language skills are still very impressive - way ahead of Susie and I.

Following a meeting one night, we went out to dinner with Jesse, Soar and Brian. Somehow the subject of Todd Burke and the book came up. 'That is how I came to love this country' he said. 'Todd Burke was our pastor. He was always showing slides about Cambodia and talking about this country - that is what brought us out here all those years ago'. How amazing was that ...

'Wonderful' Healing Home update

Manny, the engaging son-in-law to the owners of the new house, asked me to call around sometime. I took Mike Cullen there this mornng so that he too could get a feel for the place that will soon become a healing home.

I'm amazed and grateful for this sense of the favour of God in our dealings. We had a few sticking points with the lady of the house last time around that were unresolved. Today, she was pleasant and almost warm. Two air-cons have been installed that we did not expect. Security razor wire has been put up. We have the offer of three of their dogs - one a professional rat-catcher; the other two serial barkers. Unwanted furniture has been moved out and a heap of cleaning and tidying has taken place over the last week.

Here's our good natured landlord - a retired former high-ranking government official, his daughter who is a very well-known singer, and son-in-law Manny, with Mike Cullen. Those are mango trees front and back - yay!!

Our take-over date is Monday June 16. We will hold a dedication service on-site on Sunday 22 June. Chris Lee has his tickets booked, as do good Toowoomba friends Adrian and Joan Meston. We are thrilled to have these awesome friends stand alongside us for this time.

Mike Cullen's in town!

It has been so special, having Mike in town this week. He arrived on Monday, after spending two amazing weeks ministering in Nepal. He's here to visit Colleen (who is here with Asian Outreach, and comes from the church Mike and Janne pastor in Tauranga).

I was lucky enough to tag along with Mike and the Asian Outreach team yesterday for a training day they held in a village. Once a month a group of pastors and housegroup leaders get together for special training. Mike took three 90-minute sessions for the 20 attendees. Conditions were warmish - no electricity, no fans, much sweat! Even tho' our hottest month is April, temperatures have not moved much since then.

Crossing the Mekong River by barge - Colleen and Mike

A 'whats-your-name' ice-breaker game had everyone having fun at the beginnng of the teaching sessions

Mike has been camping at our place since Tuesday. He heads back to kiwi-land tomorrow. He's busy with AO again today, doing staff training. We re-scheduled our Sunday afternoon homegroup to last night also, and asked Mike to lead that time. He was excellent and folk certainly were ministered too.

Indonesian Conference

Happy Susie! That is Aussie Kerry next to her (she works in an amazing ministry to street-children) - obscured in the 'Cambodian whities' lineup is Mark and Jo, Pam, across-the-road English Ann and Marion who runs the business employing land-mine amputees.

Life is full of fun turnngs and surprises out her . Susie had a very strong sense that we were to attend a refresher conference end of May, and from an internet search dug up the 'Glory Encounter' 4-day conference in Jakarta. Word kind of spread - and there ended up being eight of us from here.

More fun times - our Bangkok-Jakarta flight was cancelled, so that had four of us overnighting in Bangkok. No problem - we just killed a day in Bangkok rather than Jakarta. I felt like the white man with many wives in tow ...

The conference was a beyond special time. Charlie Robinson, just the most fun Canadian guy you will ever meet who works alongside Todd Bentley, took the opening session. It was great! At the end of his message he was kind of yakking, then turned and said 'who is here from Cambodia? Come on up the front'. He prayed and prophesied over us - an amazing, encountering time. Nothing like that happened again during the conference. We have been well loved and encouraged by God!

Not much of a pic - but that is Charlie (centre) - the Indonesian interpreter (closest - he only interpreted for the night meetings) and one wild Chinese interpreter from Taiwan (far left). She was so much fun - a sharp-as lady who loves the Holy Spirit.

Accommodation was in a hotel which usually had hot water .... We travelled between the hotel and the conference by buses that were put on - a 20-minute run on a good day. There were no good days. Jakarta traffic is gridlock. It pretty well took an hour there at 7.15am; an hour back at 3pm; an hour there at 5pm and 30 mins back at 11-ish pm. We got smart one day, flagged the afternoon bus back and camped in a Dunkin Donut shop. Another highlight!

A real highlight was to connect with Jill Austin again. We did not get much time with her as we had a bus to catch - but the 10 minutes with her was absolutely brilliant. She carries such a godly presence and amazing love.

The schedule gave 90 minutes to worship at night - 6.30 until 8pm. Then they started at 6pm! The musicians were brilliant - more orchestral-based than band (violins, cellos, great sax) and often the worship level was very high. Most of the folk attending were Chinese (Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and Indonesian; some Malaysians, a smattering of white fellas (mostly American or Aussie missionaries in Indonesia). We were the only folk from little Cambodia.

We're doing a reunion at our place on Sunday afternoon - part de-brief, part pray-up. I've got some girls to check up on too - see if they are still giggling and dancing!