Wiggly toes

Sreynoone popped in for an overnight visit last week.  She is one different little lady to earlier this year - looking healthy, happy and hopeful.  Over six weeks with us, she has had 28 radiation treatments for a brain tumour.  She was unable to walk and looked pretty terrible.

Back for a check-up, the news is very positive.  She is feeling well, doing well and really trusting Jesus in her life.  One of her big excitement points - 'look, now I can wiggle my toes.  I have not been able to do that for a long time!'

Sreymom, Sue and Touch praying for Sreynoone (above) and the big toe wiggle (below). These pics were taken upstairs - Sreynoone got herself up the steps and, leaning on the bannister, got herself into the chair.  After being prayed for she did a gutsy, unaided walk around the pillar in the background and then headed on downstairs.  We love this girl!

Six months in the saddle

The born-in-2006-bought-in-2007 Spider machine has just ticked over 20,000k's.  95% of those wee miles have been spent riding all over Phnom Penh.  Scary stuff, thinking that I could have almost gone clean around Australia (that would be 24,150km, Google educates me) with those k's; or to Wellington, NZ and back.  I would be very lucky to average 20kmh travelling in this city so number-crunching on a 40-hour working week basis has me sitting on this little steed for 6 months of these last four and a half years!

Happy birthday to the faithful machine - today I finally got a round tuit and have given the Spider a new chain and sprockets.  These footpath mechanics have Kiwi can-do aptitude; this young guy worked with care and skill.  

Da's death

The longest anyone has stayed at the Healing Home is a year.  Da came to us with horrendous bedsores.  Paralysed after falling from a palm tree, he was close to dying.  He had three more years of life.

Donnie had spent huge time, energy and money on Da since he left us. One of the huge frustrations here can be the fatalistic dependency mindset.  Susie was despairing over Da, as he would not follow through on self-care instructions.  The bedsores quickly returned from self-neglect and he eventually died from the associated infection.

Da's resting place. Pastor Paulie, the New Life pastor who is based in this area, visited Da regularly also and we are understand he kept his faith firm until the end.

His funeral was not so sad though - as we bumped into two lots of former patients in Da's village. Great things are quietly happening to our patients as they return home, and it was just so heartening to have sadness turned to rejoicing as we witnessed some happy happenings.

I had this lady come to me all excited and say 'you must come to my house and see my husband'.  Ahh names and faces ... but as soon as I saw this guy, I remembered him. He had been totally unable to walk; all the time we knew him he was legless and we actually sorted a wheelchair for him.  Now he is up and about - and his wife told us how all the neighbours ask 'how is it you can walk now; what medicine did you have?? - and he answers them 'no, it is not any medicine; I pray to Jesus'.

Nite (centre) had been with us at the same time as Da.  Literally dirt poor, she had malnutrition and arthritis.  Vaan, her husband was the village rat-bag who really got saved.  Now, he helps Pasttor Pauly, and runs a smallgroup from his house.  I've been to their place once before - then it was a tragic hovel.  Now, their home is their castle - I'm not sure of the story but I saw a plaque from Tabitha NGO on the side of the house.  Touch, their daughter, is 200% happier these days too!

Funny money

Burma (or Myanmar; there are very foggy 'rules' as to which country uses which name) has just wonderful bank notes.  Like Cambodia, there are no coins.  Unlike Cambodia, they do not weed out notes that have reached their 'totally used by' date.  Their notes just never die - they just keep on hanging together.

The real advantage of this system is two-fold.  Firstly, you are never in need of selotape.  There are layers of the stuff on one of the notes in your pocket. Secondly, you feel that you are carrying antiquities of great value, every day.  This is ancient art; the stuff that should be framed and hung in the pool room. 

Here's a few close-up shots of two or three remarkable survivors:

Bright kid

Meet Sreynot.  She's two years old, tho' we have her decked out in nappies for 3-7kg babies.  This little lady had her hair lip sorted the first time she was with us.  Now, her cleft pallet has been operated on and she is on a food catch-up, bigtime.  Sue makes and meulis and she just sucks in more than you could believe.

Last Friday Sue had Sreynot sitting on the table in the kitchen just like in this picture, spooning the mush into her.  Suddenly the little lady became all animated, making noises (she has not yet begun to speak), waving her arms around and then clapping her hands.  Sue figured something was happening behind her so she turned around.  Strolling into the kitchen from the outside door was Rat.  All Cambodian Rats need the capital R - they are not little critters out here.

Rat saw he was busted and made for the back of the fridge.  Sue made for her husband.  That would be me.  I remember the t-shirts; the ones that say 'No Fear'.  So, they lie.  Rat did exit and the drainage hole I suspect he scampered up and down is now nicely covered in wirenetting.  Bright kid tho' - even if she was wanting to play with the monster.

Sue's crack-up

Sue was looking totally mystified.  Sypho had come into the Healing Home office and asked Sue where the special oil was.  Special oil? - special for what?  'The one to help the patient with their wind' Sypho says in all innocence.  Now Sue is really puzzled - and shaking with laughter too.  What is this special flatulence-inducing oil that we are meant to have??

The story slowly comes to light.  A day earlier, she had anointed Bin, our sweet guy with severe liver problems, with oil - and prayed for him.  He quickly felt relief ....  Bin has returned home now with a bottle of anointing lavender oil tucked into his bag!

 

 

An earlier picture of Bin (far left).  This is his third time at the Healing Home; a long trek from his home in Kratie Province.  The last time he came, we got a phonecall while he was on the bus saying that he was also bringing two of his neighbours too as they really needed help also - was that okay?? He's such a great guy.