Feeling the love

Trust, or should I say mistrust, is a huge issue here in Cambodia. Behind the friendly faces and smiles lie generations of abuse, betrayal and harsh control. It really takes consistency and long patience to win child-like trust from the hearts of the people of this precious nation.

I mentioned to Sue earlier this week that I felt we were entering a new level of trust with our staff. Some of our girls have been working with us for over two years now. Sopheap had initiated a conversation with me where she really opened up about her heart concern for what was going down in a friend's life. The way she had so opened up really encouraged me that trust is growing deeper.

Then yesterday we were wonderfully ambushed by love. We had communicated with our team that Friday was a very special day - 33 years since our big 'I do' day. We were taking the afternoon off to do stuff together and go out for dinner. All our staff thought that this was great! In the late afternoon we received a phone-call. Please would be come to the Healing Home - they had something to give us.

Flowers for Sue and I - and a pressie too. It was the card, with a note from six of our staff inside, that really amazed us the most tho'.

Five of the staff were waiting for us like excited kids. Two red roses emerged from the fridge and a wrapped pressie produced. They could not find an anniversary card, so a card with two big hearts and 'Happy Birthday' was pretty close!

Inside the card were handwritten notes that were so delightful and loving. Our hearts were made very, very glad indeed. Little Rim, our newest girl, was just delightful. She wrote some lovely stuff and signed off 'from me. Rim'! I just loved it!!