How to meet a journo

You never know what is around the corner out here.  On Tuesday, it was a car that was hesitating, then moving.  The driver was a very nice bloke who was a journalist.  He had studied in the USA and worked in Hungary. I had the honour of paying to improve his little Corolla.  Panel and paint happened the same day.  Nobody was hurt - just a few scrapes and bruises on the Spider moto driver.  It is not in my interests to reveal who that was.

The most fun was in the un-bending of my trusty steed.  I needed it before the un-bending process could commence, so I was mounted on a crab for a bit.  Then, the trick was to find the busiest fix-it place near me, and make some more new friends.

These 'fix-it-on-the-footpath' guys are good.  A mama ran the show, pad in hand as she kept a running total of all the motos that have met similar experiences.  Stripped down, forks straightened, plastic welding on the guards, front wheel made round again, tweak a few things.  Two hours; twenty bucks. 

Naki-ites

It was great to have a couple of lively girls blow in from New Plymouth recently.  Edith and Raewyn's trip out to us was inspired from a conversation that happened (I understand) while they were at my mum's place during a homegroup meeting.  Edith had a 'significant' birthday approaching, and she declared 'I would really like to go overseas to mark this birthday'.  Raewyn replies 'and I will come with you'.

Sorry girls - shocker of a photo of you - but you get to see a couple of our current patients.  Leakanah (in the black top) is a top little lady - receiving chemo and radiation, she has been with us for about three months. We are so impressed with her heart and attitude that we have just offered her a staff position for Sundays!  Sarin (in floral attire) came to us about three weeks ago.  For the three months prior, she had been curled up, comatose-like and close to starvation.  Something traumatic had hit her, that we are still working through on.  Now, she is eating up large, talking, beginning to walk again - and she has just said 'yes, please' to Jesus.

For 10 weeks prior to Edith and Raewyn coming, we had Tash from Christchurch staying with us.  Tash was great - diving into her roles as school teacher (at New Life School) and teaching hip-hop to all and sundry with great enthusiasm and making more friends then anyone before her.  Somehow, I never did get a pic taken of her - sorry Tash!!



Cambodian Cheese

I'm aware that it has been a while since the last posting - but 11 weeks?!!  That was a shocker - some weeks here can be pretty same-same but a lot surely happens in 11 weeks.

So, we can start by introducing you to cheese, Cambodian style.  I had heard of this animal prior, but got a decent introduction a few weeks back, while accompanying Sothea (a church evangelist) and Pastor Sotha (who oversights New Life provincial churches) for five days in Kompong Cham and Kratie Provinces.

Behold the 'cheese'

The beauty of this 'cheese' is that you need no dairy industry.  It is all fish.  There is very little smell.  That is because the smell has been turned inwards.  One finger-nail sized portion will take out a perfectly good plate-sized meal.  It is an amazing concoction!

The time in the province was great.  There was a very real sense of spiritual growth in the Kompong Cham village church that meets under the house of the local nurse.  In Kratie, a team from Canada had been through recently and built an excellent kids playground.  Now, a little school for 60 children is being established.

 Here are a couple of tricks of the local village - 'thermos' (above) and 'electric jug' (below)

We brought a couple of patients back to the Healing Home from this trip too.  The sweet young mum (below) had gone three years with a skin disease that covered her right cheek, nose and lips.  Hey younger brother also came back - he had actually been with us a month earlier, but missed his mum so much, he did a runner on day 2.  This time we brought his mum with him - but there was actually no need for him to come.  His, ahh, male problem, had been prayed for the first time - and things were all now good as gold.  Our staff are getting very brave in prayer!!