We have a Selena!

How long is 26 years in your life? That's a full half lifetime for me - and that is how long this lady has been our good friend.

Selena arrived yesterday to step into the gap - as Sue and I leave for Aussie and NZ on Monday for a month away. About six months ago we made contact with Selena and asked her if she would please come and cover this time - and her answer must not have been a 'no' ...

Susie and Selena in catch-up yak mode

Actually, she tells a neat story. She says that she had been talking some to the Lord and telling Him that she was ready to step forward ... that whatever she was invited to do, she would say 'yes' to. Our email arrived a day or two later! Who was it who coined the phrase about 'it is not our ability that God looks for, but our availability'. There is a lot of truth in that one. In Selena tho' we receive the best of both worlds - a hugely capable person; a skilled nurse and a huge lover of people.

So, we are getting her up to speed. She has experienced a mango-banana-passionfruit home-made smoothie, a decent power cut, a motodop ride and two days in the Healing Home. We have three more days to give her additional survival skills before she swims in her new environment.

KK@HH

The Kids Klub continues to put some holy chaos into our week. These last couple of weeks we have dropped back from twice (Tues; Fri) to just Fridays. The little darlings are reasonably full on - but it is great.

One thing we have observed is just how incredibly fast the kids are to learn a song and dance routine. Our girls will literally present a song once - and a group of kids will eagerly jump up front and do it word-perfect.

Sypho leading the story content last Friday. This culture is very geared to story-telling. A whole lot of information and theory will not touch the surface of the Cambodian soul - stories are their language!

Snack time - you just have to love these kids!

Singing to Jesus. The girl on the right is a natural leader, a natural sportswoman - and never in school. By day she cares for little brother while mum and dad are working. We will look to talk with some good folk when we return here in late April to see if we can see her get a good education.

Sreymom

We have a new girl on the team! Well, almost new - this is already week 4 for Sreymom. She was reasonably close to quitting on Day 1 - the day that Daa and his horrific bed sores entered the Healing Home. But, she's a regular trooper and fitting in great.

Jesse, the pastor at New Life Fellowship here, originally recommended Sreymom to us back in August. She was maybe just a little shy back then and Chantol came on board instead. Now 'little sister' Chantol has landed a business job with our Aussie buddies Mark and Jo Dennert - she's studying business at nightschool and was always upfront with us about her future goals.

Sreymom visiting with Nget at Sihanouk Hospital yesterday - in the ward next to Daa. This tiny lady has been vomiting for two months. Susie again prevailed with the hospital to get her admitted. Today she was sitting up in bed with a huge smile. She is eating now and stopped vomitting.

And as regards Daa, someone gets to visit him most days. Today he has undergone a six-hour operation for those bed sores. I was at the blood clinic today to contribute one of the three units of blood needed for this op to be able to go ahead. In all of this we are building a good relationship with hospital staff and management too. This particular hospital especially cares for the poor and does not charge patients. They do well.

As for Sreymom, she has the essential quality of a ready sense of humour and a real high responsibility ethic. We love her lots.

A sign and a wonder

Remember the tale about 'a good car accident' the other month?

I was coming home from another lie-in at the dentist's today (any-one for a root canal??) and came across this Lexus.

Now, rules of the road here say that the only thing superior to a Lexus is ... a Lexus with 'police' number plates (of which there are plenty!). But ...

Check this out - if this was a stamp and you were a stamp collector, this wee item would be worth a quad-zillion!

... yes, lo and behold, I have discovered my first 'saved' police Lexus. Seeing has to be believing - right??

Cambodia's most wanted

Meet Kamein, one of our many friendly neighbourhood kids.

I heard the gate open the other day, during our morning devotions time. I looked to see Kamein and his little brother slip into our yard and scoot across to our outside dining table. Milliseconds later and his little feet were flying out of the yard, a look of glee on his face and a little jackfruit tucked under his arm like a rugby ball. Close behind him was his comrade in crime.

I caught up with the little guy later in the day and asked for the fruit back, please. We explained that coming in to our yard and stealing was an inferior idea. Kamein was a pro. He looked me dead in the eye and said 'no I never'.

He convinced Bonna who was on translation duty for this bit of neighbourly education. I gently pressed again - that indeed he had and that my eyes had watched his every move. Kamein was a study in human nature. He held the innocent poise. Then his brain deciphered the content of my response. His eyes briefly flickered as he registered 'busted'.

But the 'busted' look was ever so brief. Without missing a beat he turned and pointed his finger at little brother, who happened to wander up to the gate at that moment. Genesis chapter 3 is alive and well in our neighbourhood!

Kamein - innocence behind bars

Great hair day

The village hairdresser is returning!

After three years of being bedridden with terrible buttock sores and a rotten foot, then six months in Phnom Penh (half the time with us; half in hospital), Srourn is returning home. Donnie's offsider, Sothea, is on the road with him as I write.

Srourn heading out with Sothea. That is as much left leg as he has now. Standing to the left is Sreymom, our new carer. I'll get to that good story sometime ...

For Srourn, this is a very, very big day. His life is filled with living hope. He speaks with joy about returning to work as a hairdresser and the excitement of knowing that he has a good future. I look at this great guy and I'm just so glad that we get to share in the joy of this all. Susie and I are happy campers!

From monk to village evangelist

Meet Chang, one of Cambodia's hidden treasures. He's just headed back home after a week with us to get mobile again. His pushbike is waiting and he was keen as to get back on it and evangelise villages in his district again.

Chang used to be a monk. He spent three years in 'Monk School' and then did the real McCoy for a year. As such, he understands Buddhist thought and practice extremely well and has a very effective ministry out in the villages. He has been a Christian for just three years and works as an evangelist now.

Part of his story has to do with being sick and unable to walk for years. Then he came to Jesus; his pastor prayed for his legs and off he went! He packs a small Bible and a bunch of photos in his shirt pocket, using the pics of his sick days to testify that Jesus is his healer. His joy is absolutely striking.

I took him the 20 minutes thru' to CSI clinic together with another chap on Monday (yes, two passengers on the bike is standard for me now!). Chang sang gently non-stop all that time. He returned beaming. His swollen, painful knee (a result of a moto driving into him) was looking much better - the doc popped the knee-cap back in.