Halfway through the year again, where does the time go? June was a little busier thanks to all of Phnom Penh being reassigned as a Yellow Zone (freedom of movement with restrictions) and curfews have been lifted. Restaurants are now allowed to open for sit-in with much lower numbers of tables and people.
Mark and I were in a DIY store recently, and an older Khmer gentleman said to us that the Khmer women would be happier if the curfews continue as their husbands come home early before 8pm and not the usual time of 2am but the Khmer men would not be so happy!
Recently while at the riverside, we spoke to a girl we have known for a while who is heavily pregnant and really struggling. She had walked for 3 hours because she had no money to pay for a tuc tuc to get her to the riverside. While we talked, she told us about a little community of approximately 40 people on the far-side of the river many of whom are disabled, through landmine injuries or having to have limbs amputated. They would normally beg money from tourists and are going hungry as there are no tourists in Phnom Penh at the moment. We managed to get food parcels together within two days and delivered them to this little community. Sokheng our Operations Manager shared her testimony and we prayed from them. We are hoping to go back there again within the next few weeks with more food parcels and some Bibles and share more of Jesus with them.
Our children and families are doing ok, and we continue to monitor if they have enough food, give them colour pages and learning materials and see that they are well.
Sokheng and I have been out and about Phnom Penh pricing things for the day-care expansion. On one particular trip we went to a girl we know who owns a Christian fashion shop. I had been given a gift voucher for the shop from a good friend for my birthday, approx. £30. With that money I got, a laptop bag, 10 t-shirts for our children, 2 adult t-shirts and a leather-look jacket for Sokheng – all for £30! Not a bad shopping detour.
In the UK, a new fundraising project has been launched. The distance from Belfast to Phnom Penh is 6,328 miles. This summer join in the challenge: walk, run, cycle, swim, rollerblade, skateboard, cartwheel your way to help virtually cover the distance from Belfast to Cambodia. For more information and how to register yourself, your church, your family and/or your friends visit Facebook “Eggshell Cambodia Fundraising Page”.
COVID in Cambodia has seen Sokheng and I take up crochet. I think I am doing OK until Sokheng sends me pictures of the hats, skirts, tops, and hairbands she has made and then I realise I have a long way to go LOL. She made all the little girls in her own village, our children, the female staff and me, hairbands. I made Somnang a beanie as I didn’t want to leave him out. When I gave him the hat it was over 30 degrees, and he wore his hat all day because his mum made it for him.
We all have been on the roads and have seen caravans linked up to the back of cars, here we see a grass hut on the back of a moto – only in Cambodia!
We want to thank you for all your prayers for Adam our son, he is doing much better and is back to work part-time. The Consultants are still a little concerned about the third abscess in his liver and are talking about going in and draining it. Please pray for peace of mind for Adam as he knows how much having the other two drained hurt and the length of time he had to take antibiotics afterwards. We are praying that he does not have a long hospital stay again and would value your prayers around all of this.
Saturday 12th June was our AGM. Thank you everyone who attended online and look forward to what God has in store for us over the next year. We are praying that we can re-open soon, travel will get easier and for teams and individuals to come on mission to Cambodia.
Well, that’s us for another month, we love how God continues to reveal his plans at the right time and reassures us that he is in control. He is showing us where he wants us to show his love to those who do not know Him and is providing the means for us to help more children at risk.
When we have times of wondering why we are here, God affirms that we are right where he wants us to be, doing what he wants us to do, and this affirmation gives us the strength to keep going.
Until next time,
Blessings…
Liz and Mark.
