Where have all the people gone?

The house has suddenly gone quiet. It is five weeks since Andrew Smith from Tauranga opened the doors for a good kiwi influx. Peter and Larny were next; then Dr Annie from Christchurch closely followed by her friends Christine and Roberta Ward. Then Ben made it seven.

Dr Annie exited on Sunday - and will be back in Phnom Penh with a team (including her three daughters) in November. She is an amazing lady with more energy than an All Black on steroids. In her three weeks here she was a locum for an expat doctor, ran clinics, trained health workers, did physical assessments for nearly 100 children whose parents work the rubbish dump, connected with a wide assortment of folk and organised busy days for Christine and Roberta.

Roberta and Christine on the Mekong - Roberta has a great eye for photography

Roberta is a walking legend. She has had big-time bone cancer in her leg and now is facing secondaries in her lungs. She defies medical limitations constantly - and she and her mum show great courage in coming out here for their second visit to Cambodia to follow up on development work that they are supporting. They are at the airport as I write, heading back to NZ after three weeks with us plus their first week at Siem Reap. They are very determined to return to this land too - you go, girls!