Love is in the air down under

There is a duel warm glow happening with us - a week in the clean air and warmth of Aussie's Sunshine Coast, and the marriage of Melody to David. It has been a big week down under. First there was a great couple of days catching up with friends in Toowoomba. Then we changed location to the coast, where we rented a house that took 10 people in preparation for The Wedding. Melody had four kiwi girlfriends come and stay for the week leading up to Saturday, plus Christian and Becs, Kara, Sue and I = 10. Do the maths - 80% girls making 100% of the noise ...

It is great belonging to duel family too. To all the Kiwis who came on over to celebrate with us - thank you again. For our Toowoomba friends who rejoiced with us too - it was wonderful having you alongside. Susie and I felt incredibly surrounded by so many friends who have walked with us in life for 20, 25, 30 years and longer. And of course all the family family who came on over - all very, very excellent

Two of the best looking guys around, trying hard not to steal the limelight from the bride ...

Melody and David had a great day. Here we go - Kara's computer has managed to load these pics . If you are around Coffs Harbour I'm sure they would not mind if you dropped in for a few days ...

We are now in NZ. Much of today was spent with Sue's mum. She is an awesome lady who is courageously coming to terms with eternal life that is drawing closer. We have been looking forward to Melody's wedding for months. Sue's mum has something far more amazing; far more wonderful to look forward to.

Killing fatted chook

KFC have hit town this year. Their apparently hormone-enhanced big birds are a real hit with the rising middle class locals. Store number 2 opened at an address near us, so what better way to have our final lunch gathering before getting on our big bird tomorrow to wing it down under.

Sypho (a great, kind-hearted new volunteer) Dtouch, Chantol, Bonna and Sopheap tucking into American Fowl. That's Phanna's fingers doing the walking bottom left.

Donnie (who lives upstairs with his wife Sophea) takes charge for the five weeks that we are away in Aussie and NZ. Melody and Dave get married in 9 more sleeps - how soon is that! Then we are over to NZ for family time, especially with Sue's mum. We were talking on skype with Mum Boyle again this morning. She is sounding like a miracle mum - thank you Lord!

We've got folk in our house in our absence too. Les and Virginia are Aussies (well, he is, she is Filipino, now a Queenslander) spending 5 months or so in Cambodia with the organisation Destiny Rescue. They moved in yesterday - great for them and great for us to have the place lived in.

PS Rat report: Us - 2 (as in 2 flat rats) Rats - 1 (as in one missing rat trap - vanished, walked, vapourised ...)

Rats

We've been encouraging the staff to report stuff that goes wrong when it happens. This is better than discovering the floaties two days later or whatever ...

When I arrived this morning, Bonna usshered me into the kitchen. I was greeted by a washing machine hose that had partially turned into confetti. Our deductive processes led us to smell a rat. It appears that the overflow hose that the installer had 'plumbed' into the outside garden had a rat crawl up inside it - and then eat its way through the said hose to gain kitchen access. Never a dull moment!

Repairs to rat chomping in process. The area is now baited with some pretty serious rat traps brought to us by Chris Lee. Note the finesse of the installers hole in the wall - another fix-it job to get to!

Meanwhile, the girls are on a mission - to make Rin laugh. They are hilarious as they clown around outside, hooting with laughter at whatever they are on about. And yes ... Rin has laughed more than once. She is also sitting up much more upright now. Sue reckons that she was so malnourished when she arrived that she simply did not have the strength to sit up. Her legs that were all curled up are also straightening and stretching. Sue is aiming at getting her using the walker next week.

Laughter outside - because a happy heart is its own medicine. I don't think that we have introduced Pech either - she is on the swing in the background with her lovely 12-year old girl, Sreynet. Pech has HIV.

Cleaning out the fish-pond - more laughter and hi-jinx

We love paperwork

Sopheap signing her life away as she fills out a New Life Fellowship full-time staff form. That is Phanna looking on. Sopheap is wearing the 'Compassion with Power' t-shirt that we have had done - a great design from Inkey (I kid you not) in Christchurch that we get printed here.

It has been an excellent decision, setting up the Healing Home as a ministry of the church we are a part of here. There are so many positives in establishing the healing Home as a Khmer work in Cambodia. An added bonus for us has been that we are able to come under all New Life Fellowship's policies and procedures. This is enormously helpful when working in another culture.

Grandma on wheels

Douch our cook getting granny Ree settled for her ride.

Ree is one hard case granny. She has a delightful sense of humour and insists that she is one capable girl. So when Wednesday evening rolled around she was keen as to get to the mid-week service - on the back of a moto. Donnie was heading over and 3 girls had already comandeered my bike, so off she went with Donnie!

She was back on the back of another bike today - heading home for one night and two days. She has been concerned about her house as it does not have a lockable door. Sotea, who works with Donnie doing health clinics, took her the half-hour trip home today.

Hopeloss

An unhappy Hope on day 1.

Hope appears to have gone walk-about. She is of the prowler-yowler variety so she has always made her presence known. It's been 5 days since we have seen / heard her.

The mis-named Feisty, however, is very much at home. She's either on the girls bed, the sofa or stretched out on the desk. The girls like her to sleep inside as they are concerned that she could become someone's tucker.

Cat on computer course (above) and honing admin skills (below)

Goodbye to good friends

Marty and Robyn McKone pulled out yesterday after 10 good days with us. They were a relieved young couple too - their next stop was Phuket, where a few thousand protestors had spent a few days thoughtfully occupying the airport runway in an attempt to get their prime minister out of office. Phuket re-opened the airport the night before they left.

Marty and Robyn have done something very progressive - they have downsized their house and cleared their mortgage specifically to position themselves to be a blessing in the nations. They purpose to work 9 months of the year in NZ and spend the other 3 months of the year ... in Cambodia. Right, guys??

Doing stuff together - painting one of the new bedside tables that Marty had made ...

and praying for Rin (Marty) and Heang (Robyn) following the devotional that Robyn led.