Hello Everyone
After a nice break and rest in Bangkok we came into Cambodia overland. Arriving at our apartment with great anticipation we opened the door to find that since we moved out the ever prevalent red dust and spiders along with their cobwebs have had several months to dig in, being tired we decided to deal with it in the morning after a good night’s sleep. Early the next day, as is the way here in Siem Reap, the crowing roosters and the monks chanting from the temple nearby got off to a very early start. To add to the early am symphony of sound there was a funeral going on down the street with loud amplified music. The owners of the apartment are also adding on to the building, short story...hammering, drills and clanging adding to the din. Needless to say we were up early cleaning and evicting the spiders, their creations and the dust.
Despite the chanting, crowing, dust and disarray we respectfully realised our fate could be outside of our thin walls rather than within. We watch as heavy piles of clay tiles and sacks of cement are carried on the shoulders of youth labourers, both males and females; who trudge barefoot up and down three flights of stairs throughout the day in 30 degree heat. We also hear their laughter and bantering throughout the day as they hammer, drill and mix concrete. We learn daily from the people here about their amazing resiliency against adversity and sometimes great odds and their ability to accept their situations with courage, grace, humour and patience.
We have made our connections with friends and projects and it will be a busy season. The Lake Clinic (TLC), who we have worked with for years is partnering with KIDS and the Compassionate Eye Foundation to build a mini mobile floating clinic. This project, thanks to the preliminary ground work from TLC is now in moving quickly, the steel for the floatation has been delivered and the welding sparks are flying. Work has also begun on the structure that will be put on the floatation to house the clinic. We are very pleased to be able to coordinate and work in partnership to make this project possible. It will be permanently stationed in a region that has an estimated population of somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 people who would otherwise have no health care at all, so this will be a great new year for the people living in this area.
Another project that is dear to our hearts is the Girl’s Home that KIDS has run and funded for 4 years . On our wish list was an addition to their house that would ease their quite crowded conditions and give them more space to live and study as they are growing bigger. Thanks to your kindness this in under way as well. The foundations are in and the walls will soon be rising out of the ground. The kids are thrilled. We will send photos of both projects soon.
It is Christmas Eve here and we are taking a day off after a rather hectic start but we are very pleased that the two major projects are up, running in high gear and we are working with great people.
We also see that our own resilience comes from our community of friends and family who continue to come together and give us such great support. We thank you all and wish you and yours much happiness, health and meaning for the new year.
Love,
Adrianne and Rick