Our dream team

It is looking great - our four staff positions are confirmed as of yesterday. We have decided to go with a week-end cook as well and have a strong lead on the right girl for that also.

So, we will get their happy mug-shots up as soon as I am able - but for now, we want to introduce our carers, Mom and Sopheap; our little cook Dooit (her name means 'small' - the last of 5 children!) and our happy evangelist come organiser of our volunteers, Phanna.

These are great young people and a really good personality mix. Mom was recommended to me by pastor Jesse. She is the responsible one and a natural leader, warm hearted and a great sense of humour. Her English is very good and she earns extra points for saying nice things about my Khmer skills ...

Sopheap worked for us at Stepping Stones and we love her! We have unashamedly head-hunted her from her present position because she has such a mercy-heart; shy and sweet but a real praying girl and hugely loyal. She wrote us a card at the end of our time saying that she would love to work for us in the future - and we are delighted that she has chosen to join our team.

When I first met Dooit, she really reminded me of someone. It took me a few hours to put my finger on just who - little Yup. Yup is daughter Kara's sponsored World Vision child. When we met him with Kara last year he was this sweet as shy little guy, but when you looked in his eyes you could see how he was absolutely bouncing in the inside with excitement. Dooit is like this - very shy but eyes that bounce with excitement. Dooit will be our Monday-Friday cook.

Phanna will work 12 hours a week (4 days x 3 hours) - the rest of the week he is a church worker. Phanna is a joy carrier; consistently happy and enthusiastic, excellent English and an excellent reputation. We will get him translating our documentation too, lucky him!

Also, and very importantly, we have a great couple to live upstairs at the home. Donnie and Sophea have taken their time to pray and consider this, and are very positive. Donnie is a Canadian, formerly with YWAM where he trained in primary health care. He now works out of New Life Fellowship into the provinces in health care. Sophea is his Khmer wife; a heap of fun and can-do go.

Donnie is a living miracle himself. Hitting a car head-on when riding his motorbike, he suffered a broken neck, four breaks in his right leg; three breaks to his left leg and heaps of internal injuries. Wheeled from the scene in a fruit barrow, he was not in good shape. Long story for him and his pillion-passenger buddy (who was stitched up and sent home to die by the docs) - the short version is that world-wide prayer was mobilised and Donnie and his mate are all good. We told Donnie that a near-resurrection was part of our criteria for whoever is to live upstairs ...

Sue and I went shopping for the Healing Home today - and on Monday take delivery of a washing machine, a fridge and a 3+1+1 cane seating set for the foyer area. The painting has been done ... all good.

I'm off to pick up Peter and Larny in a couple of hours. Peter Parker comes from Waitara and is the hubbie of Jo who works as the administrator of our home church, CityLife. Larny is Pete's 17 year old girl. Go, the new generation!