Mother's Day, Meanderings, Marie...and More (Kit)

You have read comments from the others about the church service we attended en masse yesterday - started at 1015 and ended at 1230. 'Twas all very well that they had little machines that provided concurrent interpretation, but mine refused to work, despite my efforts of yanking out the aerial so as to pick up any signal beyond twenty feet, and waving it around searching for a signal, bopping others on the head, looking totally insane. However at one point in the service, I was called to leave my seat and approach the front along with a number of others. They had us all line up in front of the congregation. I looked over to our team in a state of anxiety. I had no clue what was about to happen next. I looked over to KVE who said "Mother" and then everything clicked into place. Mother's Day!! Jeff suddenly appeared on the scene with a gift in his hand - he was my 'son'! It was a pleasure to tell him that he has a wonderful mom of his own, who loves him very much (there was a gift for Grace too). When I later opened the gift I was just delighted - 2 bars of soap, which I may give way before I leave Cambodia, and a lovely krama which I will certainy keep.

A quick lunch and then a long, long trip via tuktuk to A Place of Rescue, run by Marie Ens. It was so wonderful to see this place: homes for dying AIDS patient, small homes (which hold bunks for 6-8) with live-in house mothers for each orphan , and homes for the 'grannies' who were completely destitute and living on the street, trying to eke out some food to survive...Their children are dead, killed in the genocide. They had nothing at all until being found and brought here. Grannies, families, kids, a football field, a volleyball court, chickens, rabbits, gardens, space, ... it is a wonderful place. These kids are so different from the ones in 'our' little village - yes, they are orphans, some are HIV positive, some have AIDs, but here they know they are loved. They were clean, respectful, and happy. And I had a ball - the girls raced up to me, grabbed my arms, and lined up for hugs. They put flowers in my hair, they cuddled and snuggled and laughed and smiled. Being far away from my own grown up daughters, I received a wonderful Mother's Day from these warm , energetic and happy little girls.

But morning comes early. Up to 'the suite' at 0615 hrs. In the van by sevenish, out to SP by eight, Vietnamese coffee waiting for us, 'Mr. Yoda' standing guard, flailing sign language and shrieking completely incomprehensible directions at us and at any kids who show up.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we...er... went. No sledgehammers today, but we worked and worked and worked. Clayton provides the coffee, arranges for lunch, goes off for supplies, and works very hard himself. We will really miss him - tomorrow is his last day with us before he heads off to the States for a bit.

Some very nice things indeed have happened to us this past weekend, but we were all very glad to get back to SP. We want to get this work done!! But it's tough. As I said in an earlier blog, we don't receive a roaring welcome when we arrive in 'town' and some people show open hostility to us. If this means that we are making even a slight dent - one heartbeat - in the ocean of human trafficking , I can live with their hostility. But the kids can be little sharks as well, tough little survivors without a lot of hope, without much of a future. And what will their kids be like, also with no teaching, no love, no peace, no hope?

Toph and a I headed out on a short walk this morning, a walk which quickly became an unanticipated guided tour, with Mr. Y, racing up to get in front of us, and leading us through the village. With his wretched physicanl handicaps, his inablility to speak, and possible cognitive defects as well, he (and possible only he) seemed to realize that we were just walking, that Toph was not looking for a young girl or boy, that I was not looking for children to buy (nand later use or sell). He gave us a wonderful tour of his small village. It is a sad, forgotten little community. I am sure here are lots like it, but Svay Pak has the reputation of being a child sex farm.

I would love to write more, but I keep falling asleep at the keyboard. It is 11:30 pm, and I have to get up at 0545, so I need to crash.

This comes with much love to you all.
K