The best of times, the worst of times (Kit)

(Yesterday as I was attempting to write this blog, it suddenly sent itself. Today I just want to give it a title, and write a bit at the end, so that I can get along with a new blog. So if it looks different...).
Some members of our team have already posted tonight, so I will not go over the events again except to say that having the young women arrive at RH- just ordinary lovely young women like yours or mine - was an extremely emotional experience for me. After spending rather a lot of time this week in the nauseating and hideous Pink Room - now a glorious sunshine yellow - and hearing some of the unspeakable atrocities these kids have experienced (to say nothing of the horrific medical conditions some have acquired from their abusers: AIDS, HIV, herpes, inflicted injury, etc.), it was very profound just to meet them in person, to see their eyes widen with delight at what has happened to this hellhole, to see them smile shyly as we all met each other. Although our visit was short, it will stay with me for a long time. When I climbed into the van, and we headed on our way, the tears flowed.

So maybe I will tell you some of the other aspects of our life here in Cambodia. Barb and I are with eight great guys, men of God who are really affected by this place.

We meet in Grant and Jeff's room every morning at 0620 for a short devotional time, followed by the buffet breakfast in the hotel. The coffee here is an acquired taste, let me tell you. I have switched to tea. Rice, a variety of nice looking egg dishes, something that looks meat-ish, etc. I have clear tea, fresh pineapple and a chunk of French bread every morning - a perfect breakfast for me.

At seven we all pile into a van and head out to Svay Pak. We have a wonderful driver who weaves through the traffic with astonishing skill. The traffic is something else. As well as cars there are thousands of mopeds on the road. Some have a driver, some a driver and a passenger (women ride side saddle, more often than not with no helmets) or a driver and five passengers, or a driver and six live ducks, or a driver and a passenger holding an IV bottle up in the air (we have not been able to determine which individual is being treated, though we have seen a number of these now). I saw a driver this morning riding along through the crazy traffic with about 30 dozen eggs balanced on the front of his moped. Food, clothes, kids, furniture, machinery, whatever, it gets transported the same way. And it never seems to stop.

We leave the city and drive forever along the river, and eventually we turn off the highway - and here we are. Svay Pak . As we drive a couple of blocks into the village, I cannot say we are treated with a roaring welcome. Clearly we are damaging the livelihood of a number of people in this little community - the brothel owners for instance, and those who run strange dark little coffee shops, etc, where men with money wait ...The homes here are tin roofed shacks, often windowless, and none seem to be detached from the next. Garbage goes out on the street.

As we arrive at Rahab's House, however, the little urchins arrive, cheering, waving immdiately, playing games, and keeping a sharp eye on anything that might be of value.

Clay has had Vietnamese coffee awaiting us every day since Tuesday. Basically they put a tablespoon or so of sweetened condensed milk into a coffee cup, then pour in some very strong coffee (tastes like about 6 shots to me). Stir it ...or not....wow!
Then we work.


Until today lunch has been Vietnamese noodles with vegies, etc. I am getting used to this, in fact I prefer it to any other lunch. We also have a big box of ice cold Coke around and I have started drinking coke for the first time in about 25 years. Today was pizza! - it went over very well.

We leave Svay Pak in the early afternoon for a couple of reasons. One is that the heat is sometimes overwhelming (we have taken to buying sixty liters of water every couple of days). But the village heats up in another way by mid afternoon, when it settles into the business of the evening.
We climb into the van, and depending on the emotion of the day and our level of energy we laugh and talk and tease, or we just sit silently. Without exception we are all filthy - covered in dust, in paint scrapings (old and fresh), in sweat. Back into the incredible traffic, back into the city , and finally back to the hotel. If you hear about a water shortage in Phnom Penh, that's just the Fairview team showering. The lukewarm water feels so wonderful.

We meet at 5:30 in 'the suite' and have a check-in as to how the day has gone for us individually and as a team.
And then dinner - we have found a couple of nice restaurants in the area, and we are reminded again how many choices we have. We not only get to anticipate a meal, but we can decide what...and where.

And after dinner ...well, I don't think we are a very exciting crowd. When we have to get up at 0530 in the morning and we know the work that awaits, we are almost zombies.

Barb and I have had some real problems with our computer, and cannot use it in the room at all, so we sincerely apologise if you have yet to hear from us. We long to write to you, but we also want to get these posts out...and then the computer crashes...or there is tropical storm... or.. or...So thanks for understanding, and know, once again, this comes with our love and huge gratitude to the whole Fairview family and all those friends and family who are also supporting us.
Kit