Smelly street

Street 105 runs in a north-south direction just a block from our home. It is the street that we take every day to and from the Healing Home. We call it 'smelly street' or 'river view road' depending on our mood that day. It runs alongside a large open sewer that, on a day with really decent rain, spills over onto the road at its southern extremity

Smelly street - with many houses and businesses right alongside, especially in the 10 blocks north of where this picture was taken

Heading up smelly street today, I saw an improbable sight - a kid paddling what looked to be a raft in the sewer. I was intrigued enough to do a u-turn and check the little guy out. I doubted that he was fishing and it seemed an unlikely spot for a recreational paddle ...

Look at this poor little bloke, rowing maybe 3km down this smelly hole for what looks like 12 cents worth of cans and plastic bottles.

Living the dream

If you have heard Sue talk about how we came to live in Cambodia, she tells of a very clear dream she had in Toowoomba. In this dream she saw houses, markets, and a house. The two distinguishing things about the house were sick people - and children.

Bunthon with some of the eager kids

We've run a kids club since early days here - but have never been satisfied that 'that's it'. Today felt different - complete chaos as 19 kids from ages 2 to 13 surged in to enrol in Bunthon's morning teaching class. The three r's are our initial goal (in Khmer of course).

Choryee (left) is the one who first provoked us on this course. At twelve years old, she is a natural leader and very sporty. Her parents want her in class but say they are too poor to afford the books. By day she cares for two siblings. Her little brother is not all at home - a mobile disaster unit who, between terrorism forays, is very dependent on big sis.

Interestingly, following the kids were four or five mums. They came all the way in to talk to Bunthon - can he teach their children English?

Here come the mums ...

We've got some weeding and sorting to do as we want to teach those who are not in school and the kids will need to be five or six years old. Nothing is neat and tidy tho' as some of the kids are left home to care for little siblings all day as mum and dad go to work. Bunthon is one excited guy tho'. 'I love the kids so much' he said a number of times. He's the man!

Numbing grace

We have been back in Phnom Penh a couple of days short of two weeks. Time is moving quickly and there is much going on that really encourages us.

In our descent into Phnom Penh this time, I remember turning to Sue and saying 'how did we do this?' She looked back at me and understood what I was saying. How did we actually pack a couple of 20kg bags and come to this country without knowing anyone (except Patrick and Carol Kelly just a wee bit) and no where near enough resources to last here very long at all?

I've reflected on this a bit and come to the conclusion that there is an anaesthetic in grace. Like a divine denial, the sensible pangs of anxiety simply were rendered inactive. We had great encouragement from many, yet among the voices of concern ('how will you ....') we could muster no corresponding concern.

Now, 30 months later I was flying back in feeling more nervously churned up than when we first arrived. Try to make sense of that!!

Happy reunions

Stepping out of church on Sunday, we were introduced to the cutest little baby. It was Naan. I totally did not recognise her! Now 3.5kg (remember, she came to us at 9 months old weighing just 1.2kg) she is a miracle in full flight. Naan has been in foster care these last two months and now her parents are saying that with six other children, they just cannot afford to keep her. The family she is with adore her and a sister of the foster carer is very keen to adopt.

Naan - of whom the hospital said 'no, take her away; she's going to die'; whose father said 'throw her in the river ...' (and he is a gentle, nice guy!). Never say die!!

Meanwhile, we have had little Long visit today. His mum is with us as she has had an arm mauled by her nice neighbour's not-nice dog. From a little crippled guy, Long is now biking one kiometre to school each day and is running around like a kid should.

Long showing me his new creation (top) and playing in the yard today. This is the joy we are so privileged to be partakers of - lives forever changed because God is good.

Literally a couple of hours before Long's mum suddenly turned up. Pastor Mara was meeting with me and recounted more about her story. Apparently she had tried many things to see her son recover from his crippling disease. When she had an invitation to the healing home, people in her village apparently said 'No, don't go. You are wasting time and money - he is going to die anyway'. Her response - 'I will try one more time'.

Upon her return to the village and without anyone saying a thing to her, she turfed all her idols and the spirit house out of her house and burnt them. She declared 'I do not trust you any longer - I now know what I believe'. She's a good one!

Kim's baby

We are thrilled to announce ... nope, just kidding. Tuktuk Kim is the Kim I mean. For the very many who have now made the trek to Cambodia to be with us, Tuktuk Kim is a key part of essential life survival here.

Kim was at the Healing Home the other day to get Daa to hospital and I asked him 'how is your wife, how is your baby?' 'Baby no good' was the answer. This is the first that I had heard that wee 9-month-old Sawan has real problems; heart issues and maybe more. He readily agreed to bring his wife and Sawan to the Healing Home.

Bonna going thru' the simple admittance paperwork with Win this afternoon. Already there is grace on Sawan - she is breathing easier and sleeping instead of squirming and crying.

There are a few new developments quietly getting launched this week. Firstly, Witmien, the delightful children's pastor at New Life Fellowship brought us a sick man this week, who is the parent of one of the children in a slum outreach. This led to us talking to Witmien about bringing greater strength to our Friday kids club. He joined us today for the one hour of happy chaos and promises to return next week with a view to getting some of his team involved to build the effectiveness and the scope of this program.

Also joining us this week is Bunthorn, a great young guy who really developed a strong relationship with Marty and Robyn during their stint teaching English here last year. The plan is that Bunthorn become the Healing Home teacher - to both our patients (very many of whom do not read or write) and to neighbourhood kids. Today Bonna talked with the parents of some kids who come to club but who are too poor to attend school. They are very keen to have their children in a free class. We start next week!

The Cat's Whiskers - 2

Whether by nature or by prayer I do not know, but upon return to the Healing Home I was greeting by Fiesty cat with almost a fully restored set of whiskers. Those stumpy trimmed ones will be a memory to giggle over for many years to come!

Evidence of growth - silly puss never moved for Chumnuo's trim-job and never seemed to know what she was missing

Also in need of some growth was Susie's little pot-plant garden on our little deck off the bedroom. There had been a few deaths in the potted family in our absence - despite us returning to two days of rain in the heart of the dry season. The temperature was 21 degrees when we landed too - about 10 degrees less than normal. 'Global warming' works in mysterious ways ...

Arriving home looking like a wheelie garden - Sue has already jumped off the back of the bike with her couple of bushes.

Here's my girl sorting our bit of potted greenery

Back where we belong

'Where is our home'? was a question I asked Sue a couple of days ago as we were sitting on yet another plane heading back to Cambodia. We are pretty certain that 'here in Phnom Penh' is our answer but after living out of both Aussie and NZ these last five weeks, a spot of disorientation does set in.

That's my whole-hearted first-born giving Josh a peck on the cheek following their excellent, moving vows. Sarah and Nick Fields, Kara's pastors, took the service and were just so warm and God-honouring.

Being in NZ for Kara's wedding to Joshua would have been the highlight - and being introduced to the wonderful world of Joshua's Assyrian dancing family line the icing on the highlight. That is three weddings in 22 months; all done and now we are happy to wait with long-patience for a new Bonnevie (Collins / Isaac) generation to step into our world!

Here are our precious ones - handling themselves with style in the midst of a genuine Wellington northerly gale that greeted the wedding day!

Part of the adventure of being absent is in the returning and seeing just how much our staff have grown. Sopheap was given the leadership to decision-making and overseeing the Home for the three weeks it was open during our time away. The girls have done really, really well. Patients have been arriving, good choices made and excellent care given. Sopheap mentioned in passing that one patient now follows Jesus too!