God, Who is never late and seldom early ...

Today would be January 31st, which is our last day of managing the Stepping Stones preschool. So, Susie did some cooking and I did some shopping and we had a great little break-up party for our kids and staff.

Phanarath (left) and Sopheap (beside the back wall) watching over the little darlings

Guntle with Naiomi (left) and Anna (right)

Yesterday we met with a Filipino pastor who had been hovering for a couple of weeks, interested in the school. Today it was all go - a letter drafted telling parents that Stepping Stones lives on; a new manager (Marina) who is a trained teacher and has run a Montesorri school - and our three Khmyer staff all keep their positions.

Marina, the new manager and head teacher for Stepping Stones

Communicating with parents - there is class tomorrow!

It has all been something of a whirl-wind, and no doubt it will involve us taking some time to help in the change-over ... but we are thrilled. Our staff are gold and we are just so pleased for them as well as for the future of this little pre-school.

First things first tho' - now that our six weeks looking after Sozo Childrens Home is also finished, we have a date with Club Evergreen this Friday/Saturday.

Survival essentials

Don and Pat left us this morning, after three months dwelling in our executive suite on the second floor. They are back to Perth for their 50th wedding anniversary, before turning around and coming on back out here in one months' time. They won't be camping back here tho' - they have arranged long-term digs at a place owned by one of the Transform staff.

Don has some great practical advice for those who aspire to surviving out here. 'A reliable tuk-tuk man and a mobile phone, and you are right', he asserts. Tou is their ever-faithful, all-knowing, hugely-obliging tuk-tuk driver. This morning Tou took them out to breakfast, and even had a gift for them (see it swinging from the moto handle bars there). He's a pretty special guy. Don's trusty mobile is in his hand - one very, very valuable piece of equipment out here!

This couple are champs. We've loved sharing our place with them (tho' they had themselves so well set up upstairs that often we never even knew when they were around) and we hugely honour how, in their senior years, they have determined to be a blessing in this nation. May Aussie and NZ spill out thousands more of their generation into this nation and surrounding nations.

Twice conned

Dr Annie Chen-Green and two of her three daughters - Joanna and Esther - paid us a delightful 4-day visit this week. They are goers - there were a number of people and Christian ministries that they were wanting to connect with and they did a heap in their limited time-frame.

Funny small world we live in too - Friday night Sue and I were out to celebrate Colleen (from Asian Outreach) 'close to 50th' birthday. Callum (who joined us for Christmas lunch) was also there and Susie mentioned to him about Dr Annie, and how daughter Joanna was a third year dental student. Callum teaches dentistry at a university here. 'Dr Annie Chen Green' says Callum. 'I know her - I know her family. Her father used to train me in gymnastics; I trained with her sister'. Callum was doing a clinic in a mens prison Saturday mornng, so the upshot of all this had Joanna being Callum's dental assistant for the next morning.

Joanna, Annie- with the dodgy note and Esther

Anyway, we had a giggle on their final morning. Out here in Cambodia, the US$ is the main currency. However, a torn note is worthless. $20; $100; whatever - if it is torn, it is rejected. Annie was a bit concerned as she had been slipped a torn note in her change. So, I took a closer look ...

This week went where?

This week is still a work in progress, but it sure is moving at a rate of knots. With our week-ends spent at Sozo Childrens Home, the week spent overseeing Stepping Stones Preschool and the joys of receiving visitors and leading a Sunday study as well as language lessons and study, our days move very quickly.

Sue is something of an old hand as a pre-school teacher now and the kids love her to pieces. One of our teacher helps has also left and we have brought on young Juntee, a great little lady. Together with Phanarath - who teaches the youngest class - and Sopheap who is Sue's helper, we really have a great little team. Tuesday was my day on deck - a rest for Susie (except she ended up doing a spring-clean in prep for the arrival of Annie and daughters) and a first-ever-in-my-life for me as a pre-school teacher. No worries!

Tuesday was also the return of the Centre of Peace sweet-hearts: one tuk-tuk, 10 kids and Bophal on a return visit. Much fun had by all!

This week-end will be our last at Sozo. Grahame and Sandra are due to return from Brisbane in the week. It certainly will not be the end of our involvement with them or the young ones tho'. Long live committed relationships!

Tonight should be the expat small group with our church - but I'm running a healthy fever and am hacking away so maybe not. Tomorrow is language, making sure Annie and offspring are all good, pre-school and a birthday catch-up with Colleen (who refuses to divulge age info) and friends. Then Saturday back into Sozo.

I'm beginning to hang out for clean air and sand between my toes. There has been tremendous grace on these first 7.5 months out here, and we are hugely grateful to God, family and friends. Never-the-less, it sure will be good to see our mums, our kids and many good friends again. I have not started the sleep count-down yet tho' - too much to live for in the now to be pining for the future!

7-11

We may still be relatively new guys on the block, but our lttle home is being well visited and well inhabited. With the arrival of Dr Annie Chen-Green and her two daughters, Joanna and Esther, this week, we again have a full house. The Chen-Greens are from Christchurch, where one (of a very long list) of Dr Annie's involvements is running a clinic for needier folk out of three different churches - including Northcity (where Donald and Janice Scott pastor).

So, this now rings us up to 11 visitors who have trucked it out to our door here in Phnom Penh - 10 Kiwis and one most welcome Aussie. Go check the blog - and the first person who emails in with a list of the 11 will receive a gift to the value of 10,000 riel - honestly!

Additionally, we have had 7 people live with us - as in dwell in this house for a month or longer. There is an interesting nationality mix here - three Khmyer, Dutch x 2 and Western Australian (as distinct from Aussie, you know) still resident x 2. Don and Pat ship out on the 31st - but WA newcomers Bart and Wilma are due to set up digs here Feb 15th for as long as we are away - or longer. Bart and Wilma are coming out to work with Hagar - and we have offered them a spot to settle in and get sorted for a month or three.

Who is our neighbour?

We are very aware that a substantial new neighbour is heading our way.

There is a half-hectare or so block of land behind us that is being developed - and has all the neighbours going with a version of who and what. First inkling for us was when the wall behind our house was demolished - and replaced with something akin to the Great Wall of China. Our kitchen turned into a very dark little breeze-less hole ... until Noworries, son of landlord, came to the party with some translucent roofing. We have light again, if not wind.

Next, palm trees have been trucked on, ready for planting. 'A hotel', say some. 'A mansion' say others. 'Night and day noise' say us. It is going to be a handy 6 weeks to be back in Aussie and NZ (starting Feb 20th).

Palm trees ready for their re-plant (above) and workers watching work happening (below).

Happy squeals

Our friendly tuk-tuk man, Kim (that's not me!) was all laughs as he pulled into Centre of Peace yesterday - and as quick as a wink 10 little 3-4 year olds hopped in ... followed by Bophal (pictured) and Sophia (not in the pic). As the answer to the question of 'how many people can fit in a tuk-tuk?' goes - 'always one more'.

There were happy squeals galore as the little ones explored the Stepping Stones activities. The slide was an initial hit

and without any instructions, they followed local protocol on its use ...

After 30 minutes on the outside play equipment, it was inside for a kindy song in English, then painting and colouring in. The kids were actually very high in concerntration and skill in handling the paint brushes and crayons - tribute to Bophal's input into their young years.

Then it was eat-a-mandarin time and back out to play before Kim took the precious load back to the orphanage. It was such a successful two hours - and something that we will look to repeat. Meanwhile, we have an appointment with Bophal this Friday to go shopping for children's books. We have been left with a gift from one of our lovely visitors to upgrade the nearly non-existant resources in the classrooms.

Weekly happenings

God, Who is never late and seldom early, came through with part 1 of the Stepping Stones answer yesterday. We had set Monday January 14 as the deadline to communicate with parents of the little students in regards to keeping the school open or not. Monday morning arrives - and an email to say the lady we were looking to is holding her course - to Africa. Great! So, I have written to the parents advising them that the school will be closing.

Meanwhile we have been in contact with Bophal from the orphanage. Today we will take two tuk-tuk loads of 10-12 of her pre-schoolers to play on green grass and in sand - and to do some learning stuff. Bophal was just shining excitement over the offer. We'll see where this leads to. I only learned yesterday that she is actually a trained pre-school teacher who has trained others to teach little ones. All very interesting ... and we remain confident that God has the very best plan for the Stepping Stones facility.

I have taken on a new teaching class at church on Sunday mornings. I'm teaching a great group of 25-30 young ones; cross-legged on the floor of an office for an hour. I arise like a wobbly old fella - but love the opportunity to input thru' this discipling course. It is 10 weeks long - I'll get to teach up to week 7 before heading Down Under, Aussie, then NZ wedding bound.

Our visitors are thriving. Julia is leading a class at Stepping Stones this morning. Andrew and Ruth have a day with World Vision, visiting their sponsored child and family and seeing various projects that WV are involved in. Tomorrow they will spend additional time with Hagar.

Hitting the road - Andrew and Ruth out and about today with World Vision. World Vision have a brilliant team in this nation and do exceedingly well in their projects, staff raising and Christian discipling.

Not so new New Year greetings

10 days, no blogging - many apologies. Many excuses too - but to all of you, we pray God's best blessings upon your life for this coming year.

We have been trotting along at a bit of a pace lately - caring for the pre-school by week and the Sozo Childrens Home by weekend. Additionally, we have the joy of Kiwis Andrew and Ruth Smith arrive on Sunday. Andrew and Ruth are key folk in the remarkable Bethlehem Christian College, a school of 1300+ ranging from grades 1-12 and a further 400 students in tertiary training (teachers, pre-school teachers and Christian counselling).

Andrew and Ruth Smith at the brekkie table. Yes, we have vegemite!

Yesterday was spent introducing Andrew and Ruth to Marion at Cambodian Harvest (blog on her still to come - Marion has a jam/dried fruit factory that employs land-mine amputees), Bophal at Centre of Peace and our Hagar girls. Hagar has multiple high-profile trafficed girls cases on the go at this time, including a horrible case with an American man. Then it was off to church for the evening meeting. This morning we packed them into a taxi for 3 days in Kep - lots more lined up upon their return, including a day with World Vision to meet their sponsored child.

The pre-school is giving us a lot of really valuable experience in working with Khmyer staff. It is going very well really, but wherever there are people, there will be issues! We are so fortunate to have this opportunity through January. The hunt is still on for the manager ... and we are talking with Bophal (Centre of Peace orphanage) about getting a bunch of her little kids to come and play on grass and in sand some afternoons this week. Her eyes just lit up!!

OK - what happens is that when stuff gets busy .... language suffers. Not good! Hi ho hi ho ...