Kratie

Kratie is the name of both a province in Cambodia and the main town of that region. It is about 160km to the northeast of here by carrier pigeon, or precisely 348 km by the main highway that does some serious tiki-touring to the east before turning northwest. There is a third alternative route - head off up the Mekong River. The town is delightfully situated on the banks of the Mekong.

I had headed up to Kratie for two reasons - to make contact with our patient, Sreyda's, family and also to scout out this part of Cambodia. Sreyda has actually no living direct family, just her mother-in-law and mum-in-law's family. Tracking them down was not too difficult; maybe 20 minutes of door-knocking the suburb and they had a white stranger outside their door.

Talking to Sreyda at the Healing Home for the first time, mother-in-law openly wept. I gather that the dear lady thought that Sreyda had died, as she had been basically abandoned as a paralysed lady with hideous bedsores in a hospital. Now mother-in-law's son has contact phone numbers for two of our staff.

Sreyda's home, at the top of the nice wheelchair ramp. It is actually spacious with two large rooms, and very clean and tidy.

Bucketing down - the rains have reached Kratie about ten days ago. Sellers in the open market hopefully wait for customers (yeh, right!) above, as some of the local lads are rained off the job (below)

In the years ahead, we desire to see Healing Homes planted through the provinces. Kratie is a region that has really got my attention time and again over recent months. Sue and I are persuaded that much of what God is doing in Cambodia is happening under the radar in provincial villages. I plan to do more scouting in the future.

Mekong sunset with a boat heading across to Koh Trong, an island about 5km long by 500 metres wide across from Kratie town. The Mekong is a seriously large river!