Mekong River Boat Project

Back Home - Final Post

2010-10-04T19:34:00.002-05:00

I have been home two weeks now and all of my jetlag is gone and we have begun our new journey. As you can see, we have visited with my Mom and daughter and will see our son this weekend.
Today we are in Marshall Texas in our RV planning our new adventure with the Sojourners. We hope to visit many churches over the next few years and build many new friendships in our travels. It is our prayer that we will have as an enjoyable experience as we have had in Cambodia.
We thank all of you who have faithfully followed us over the last 5 years. Your prayers and notes have done much to build us up and encourage us as we have labored along the Mekong River. This will be our final post on this blog. May God bless you all in your journeys as you seek to serve the Lord in your own personal travel though life.

Last WEI Student - Bun Roth

2010-09-26T15:38:00.003-05:00

Rick's final weekend in Phnom Penh was a busy one. Besides doing some last minute shopping at the market for me, he was visiting friends and saying "goodbyes". One evening was special because he shared some pizza and ice cream with Bun Roth and his family. Rick had been studying with Bun Roth for over a year and half several times a week. He is still the pharmacist on the Ship of Life. Bun Roth was an eager student not to just practice and improve his English, but to further his knowledge of the Bible. So on this evening, Rick presented his certificate of completion of the WEI study. Of course they had some gifts for Rick as a thank you for his teaching and friendship. Walt will continue his studies and Bun Roth will be eager to learn much more. gail

Welcome Back!

2010-09-22T00:09:00.002-05:00

Rick traveled safely back from Cambodia where I met up with him in Los Angeles. Our good friend Jim Gardner joined us to attend two Ranger games against the Angels. I guess we didn't bring them luck, because they lost both games! We head back to Texas tomorrow as Jim travels to Fresno where he will speak at a conference. gail

The Time Has Come

2010-09-14T13:33:00.003-05:00

Well, as you can see I haven't been a good blogger. For my defense, I have asked Rick to write some blogs, but without me prodding him on, I am afraid none were posted. So in less than a week, Rick will return to the states. With many phone calls, lots of emails and Skype voice calls and videos calls with the kids, we have stayed connected and have managed to get through our time apart. Sunday we will reunite in Los Angeles and attend a couple Ranger games with our good friends Jim and Mandy Gardner. They will stay for a conference and we will fly back to Texas to visit Brittany and his mom.
I wanted to post some other websites if you were interested in keeping up with the mission work in Cambodia. Never hesitate to email us for information about other works still going on and who can be contacted. Most of our mission friends send out newsletters about their work. Sarah Kate and Walt Epperson, who will stay on the ship, have a blog site that you can access. So below are some links.

rgnorthen@yahoo.com

www.waltepperson.com

Dennis and Sharon Welch Nutrition Program

Julie Broyles English Program

Rich and Rhonda Dolan CBI Sunset Bible School

Moms and Sons

2010-09-03T20:18:00.002-05:00

I never pass up a chance to see our kids, so when Diane and Shelly and I passed through Fayetteville on way to Missouri and then on to Nebraska, we took the opportunity. Alexander is a freshman at U of A, Cody was visiting friends and does some work in the area, and Greg is 3rd year law student. So us moms invited our sons for a dinner. Of course, we knew they wouldn't turn down a free meal, so no worries! It was a fun night, and Janice (who took a photography class this past summer) was the photographer!

Exciting News from Cambodia

2010-08-29T08:33:00.007-05:00

JESUS SAID,

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8

We have some exciting news to share with you about our work in Cambodia that we hope you will find encouraging. Please pray for our work.

For The Glory of GOD!

Special Announcement

We are excited to announce our commitment to join the Nutritional Feeding Program facilitated by Troy & Tabitha Snowbarger, On-Site Administrators of the program. Drawing on Troy and Tabitha’s experience, we have begun a process of on-the-job training in the Cambodian countryside. Initiated in 2005 by Doctor Shannon DeShazo and Bill McDonough, Director, Partners In Progress, this program strives to provide nutritional supplements to the basic rice diet of Cambodia’s impoverished, malnourished children. The Central Church of Christ, Stockton, CA has joined with Partners In Progress, Little Rock, AR to provide funding for the Nutritional Feeding Program. This announcement is yet another positive step forward for this program which has continued to evolve and grow over the past 5 years.

At the time the program began the Ministry of Health reported that 47% of the children under the age of 12 were malnourished, while the findings of Partners In Progress physicians placed that figure as high as 63% in the areas where they conducted their studies. The results showed that at that time more than 7 million children nation-wide were malnourished! Children who are malnourished are robbed of mental and physical development which then results in a nation being robbed of its future potential to develop for every generation that is malnourished. Young minds do not develop to their full potential and young bodies are never allowed to gain the strength needed to fight diseases or have the energy to study and work.

In addition to the Nutritional Feeding Program, Troy and Tabitha also administer a Back-to-School Program and a Book Club. All three of these programs work directly together in nearly all the same villages with the same children. Every weekday, three trucks with a two-person crew each travel to the countryside to feed about 1600 children in 12 villages on a rotation that allows all the children to be fed about four times a week. The nutritional supplement they receive consists of vitamin-fortified soy milk, bread, and vitamin and mineral enriched peanut butter from a traditional Cambodian recipe. All the food used in this program is produced locally and is familiar to the taste buds of Cambodians.

The Nutritional Feeding Program includes more than improved health through these nutritional supplements. Every visit to a village includes a lesson on improving nutrition through diet; personal, family and communal hygiene; stories from the Bible, songs and a prayer. Every 2 or 3 months the children are measured and weighed to evaluate their growth.

In these villages, the overall nourishment of the children has improved greatly and continues to do so! Many others have selflessly given to help provide nutritional supplements to Cambodian children that otherwise might have never had the opportunity to develop physically or mentally. Would you like to help too? Please join us as we pray for partners to help us feed more children. The children are the future of Cambodia and the future of the church that is growing within this impoverished nation.

Love & blessings in Christ

Dennis & Sharon

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

JesusServant4U@yahoo.com

www.missioncambodia.wordpress.com

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Matthew 19:14

Colorado or Cambodio hmmmmm

2010-08-16T08:46:00.002-05:00

While Rick is slaving away on the ship, I am enjoying a visit to Colorado. It is wonderful waking up to 60 degree weather vs 80 and humidity! So I am enjoying a few days here with Nancy but Rick did get to go to Phnom and stay with his brother for some relaxation. Rick took Roger to the home of Bun Roth (phamacist)last saturday to help them plant rice. They had alittle problem when Rick took hold of the cows to pull the plow and they cows ran off. They didn't plant rice but did enjoy a nice visit with Bun Roth's family.

Trip To Phnom

2010-08-10T10:23:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Rick was able to travel to Phnom Penh for the first time since his return to the ship. I think if I had been with him we would have gone sooner! ha! Anyway, the ship moved to the next location heading back south on the Mekong. So as soon as it docked, Rick caught the last ferry across the river to ride a van to Kompong Cham City to drive the truck that Walt had left for him. Crossing the ferry, the crew got to talking to a man with a truck. How fortunate,so they thought, that this man would take them to KPC. As they started loading into the truck, they realized they were not the only riders, the man was carrying several Muslim men. Since the front was packed with them they got in the back of the truck. They offered a seat for Rick up front, but he declined to ride with the crew. However, when it started raining I think he might have answered differently. So for an hour in pouring rain they rode to KPC. Then Rick started driving the PIP truck. It was still raining, dark, and the roads had not gotten any better since the last time he drove! He was never more thankful to arrive in the city and get to his brother's room. I certainly thanked God and kinda glad I didn't know ahead of time. With trucks, people, motos, animals, all traveling down the road, it is scary in dry daylight. Rick's brother had Skype, so it was so fun to have a video call from them. Greg and Janice were here and we had a great hour long visit. He is back on the ship working away. Thanks for all your prayers! gail

Hot Times

2010-08-04T20:42:00.002-05:00

These Arkansas days have no sign of relief from the heat in the next few days! Maybe I should travel to Cambodia where it is at least in the low 80's! The ship got the paperwork to travel back through Kompong Cham province heading south on the Mekong toward the capital city. I am sure that it is good news for the crew. On board this week is the two nurses from Little Rock and Rick says they are adjusting well. When he brings them back to the city for departure, he will be able to visit his brother who is there again for a few weeks in Phnom Penh. gail

Nurses from Maumelle

2010-07-27T09:48:00.002-05:00

This next week will bring two nurses who work at Baptist Medical in Little Rock to the Ship of Life. Natalia and Kelsey. They are kind enough to carry some meds over for us plus I threw in some of Rick's favorites..dill flavored sunflower seeds! I know they will have a great experience with Sarah Kate and the medical staff. Please keep them in your prayers. Kevin and Catherine Carson who have been on the ship for couple of weeks have now left. I know Rick enjoyed having them aboard. Bill is working on the itinerary to move the ship back to Kompong Cham province which will take it back south on the Mekong. Please keep them in your prayers as they work with the Ministry of Health. gail

Trip to Vietnam

2010-07-19T08:38:00.003-05:00

Rick informed me that Bill, Kevin Carson, Walt, and the ship's engineer Sokhan has traveled by bus to Ho Chi Minh city to check out putting the ship into dry dock sometime in the near future. There are some things that need to be fixed properly which means going back to the ship builder in Vietnam. It will be a huge project just getting the ship across the border, but when we tried to do dry dock in Phnom Penh, it was difficult to get the right supplies and the proper maintenance men. For longevity of the ship, this is the best thing to do even though it means it will be out of commission for at least a couple months. If things are settled with the ship builders for a time frame to take the ship, we will post it for anybody who was interested in a medical mission in the near future. gail

Friends

2010-07-15T19:48:00.002-05:00

Sipadan Dive Trip

One of God’s gifts on this walk through life is blessing us with people who enrich our lives. I wish I could name some, but I know I would forget them all who touched our lives while working in Cambodia. However, two of them happened to be passing through Hot Springs and I was able to meet up with them at Books a Million for a coffee and chat. Dennis and Sharon Welch are now living full time in Cambodia and are involved in many ways, but the Sunset Bible School is the primary work took them there. I forget that they are babes in Christ having accepted Christ and baptized only eight years ago, because they speak with love and wisdom. Maybe it is their zeal and enthusiasm that some of old timers tend to take for granted and even lose in time. They opened their home to us with we needed a place to stay in Phnom Penh, but also their hearts to get to know them in a deeper friendship. They will depart for Cambodia July 28 and return home. Please keep them in your prayers as I will. Gail

Surprise.. a new post!

2010-07-05T19:31:00.002-05:00

Today is July 5th and we haven't written anything since Rick left. Sorry about that. As our time in Cambodia will soon come to an end, the blog is slowing down. A major problem is that I am not on the ship and I forgot to give Rick a camera to take. We have been communicating and I should have posted something sooner. The ship is as far north as is ever has been. Kratie is a new province and our director, Bill, wanted to go there for the month of July and check it out. It is probably about a six hour drive from the capital, Phnom Penh. Rick mentioned during his last phone call that his supplies are low and the city does not have anything available, so that could be a problem. There is a team from Texas on the ship now that includes a doctor and two nurses. Walt and Sarah Kate are doing great and Rick said they are working hard to learn the language. I will try to pass on information as I recieve it. Two nurses are heading to Cambodia from Little Rock at the end of the month and I am sending a camera with them! gail

Back to the Ship

2010-06-22T12:29:00.003-05:00

With sad farewells, Rick and I parted ways after a wonderful lunch with Greg, Janice, Alexander and Diane. Janice took Rick on to airport, mainly because I thought I would start crying, but also so Diane and Alexander and I could head toward Missouri for our nephew's wedding. I was glad to have a busy weekend. Rick did call and he arrived safe and sound and is back on the ship. Hopefully he will keep me updated and I can pass on information. gail

Northen Reunion

2010-06-15T22:39:00.002-05:00

Summer is the time for family reunions. The Northens are blessed to share time together each year. This year we met in northern Texas at a state park. It was on the warm side, but was still able to toast marshmellows over a fire! This was a practice run for Rick and I with the fifth wheel camper that we will travel in when we start sojourning.

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-03T09:14:00.002-05:00

How Blessed we are to enjoy a beautiful weekend camping in the Ozarks. We are thankful to a wonderful God and we thank the veterans who are still fighting to make this country what it is.

Rangers Weekend

2010-05-23T18:42:00.002-05:00

Our time here in Arlington is coming to an end. Zac and Brit joined us on Saturday for a game that the Rangers ended up losing, but had lots of fireworks! Tomorrow we head back to Arkansas.

Texas Storms

2010-05-21T08:58:00.002-05:00

The weather has been stormy here in Arlington, but the Rangers have been winning! It has been great here in our little campground and most of the storms have missed us by a few miles. We are seeing some old friends today and more baseball tonight. Please pray for our friends,the Welches, as they struggle through some family health issues while home on furlough. gail

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

Mother's Day was a wonderful weekend for me. Brit came up from Texas and Greg came down from Fayetteville. Their spouses were missed but I was glad they came. We started off going to Alexander's graduation. We spent a day out playing a foursome of tennis and then shooting handguns. Quite a family event! Ha! Sunday was a blessed day by sitting in church with all my family.
The next weekend we took off for Texas with the rv in tow. A stop in Jacksonville and Palestine before heading on to Arlington. Next...the Rangers! gail

Proud Parents

2010-05-09T23:21:00.002-05:00

The youngest of the grandchildren have now graduated high school! Alexander Fergadis, my nephew, celebrated his recieving of his diploma at the Jessieville School Sports Arena last thursday night. The proud parents are my sister,
Diane and her husband Dimitri. As Brit and Greg sat in the sports arena with us, it brought back great memories. Congratulations Alexander! We know you look forward for your plans to attend the University of Arkansas this fall. gail

Scene Change

2010-05-04T20:22:00.002-05:00

Being back in the states our scenery is alittle different! There is only the two of us at the table and no beautiful river sunset. But it is fun puttering around the kitchen preparing some meals. As you can guess, there is no rice! Today we worked in the yard planting some annuals to brighten up the rocks.

Storm Homecoming

2010-05-03T12:21:00.003-05:00

Despite all the storms crossing Arkansas this past weekend, Rick arrived safely. Now with the sun shining and the weather beautiful, we are already out in the yard doing some clean-up! We will continue to post a few blogs, but again when we are in the states there is not so much news. We return to Cambodia June 18. So until then... just family news from Arkansas! gail

Muddin Time Again

2010-04-29T03:59:00.000-05:00

It is not the rainy season.. yet. However, there have already been some very hard rains. The second time it rained, we were next to a slope of pure mud. Unfortunately, we had to walk up it to get Michael to the airport. We all took extra shoes and rags to wipe our feet. The villager who lived at the top allowed us to use his water to wash our feet. The roads were the next challenge. But after several uncertain spots we made it through to our destination. And it is not even the rainy season…yet. It would not be so challenging except our little truck is not 4 wheeled drive and, worst of all, it is very low! When we come to deep ruts or even water puddles, we are always afraid we will, “high center” the truck and we seriously stuck. We did get stuck last week several times but got out relatively easily. We do some “muddin” but not for fun!

Sarah Kate and Sim

2010-04-27T03:57:00.000-05:00

When Sarah Kate came to work on the ship, we knew that a translator would be needed to help her in clinic. So when hiring, we looked for someone who could also help them learn the Khmer language. Sim was the person offered the position and seems to be doing a great job. At 3:00 every afternoon, Sarah Kate lets Dr. Tha finish up the patients as her and Walt have their language class. I try not to give Walt a too hard of time when I hear him speak Khmer with his Texas drawl!

Boys Gambling

2010-04-25T03:55:00.000-05:00

One afternoon while waiting for the ferry to come to take us across the river, we saw a group of young boys with their heads down playing some sort of game. We asked what was going on and it turns out the boys were gambling. Ugh! We thought they started way too young. But then they went on to say that it was allowed because of the upcoming Khmer New Year. I wonder about that one because it is a common sight all over the country to see men in a tight circle playing cards or throwing dice. Men who don’t look like they have two reils (pennies) to waste. I guess it is no different all over the world, people looking for easy money.

Grandma and the Bike

2010-04-23T03:43:00.000-05:00

We are always on the lookout for people who seem to be in serious need of help. We try to help them in some way to have a more secure home or perhaps give them some rice to eat and sometimes we help them to improve or enhance their business. This last week in Kampong Reab we met a lady who seemed to need a little support.
She was like several others before. Her husband had died and her daughter and other family were no longer around and she was trying to raise her 7 year old granddaughter. All of the villagers knew her as the “skinny poor lady”. Sarah Kate and her translator Sim went to visit her and found her in dire straits. She sold bunches of older looking bananas for 2 or 3 cents profit each! We suggested she try to expand her offerings but she did not have any way to the market which was several miles away. It was determined she needed transportation so we bought her a bicycle. She can use it to go to the market and her daughter might even be able to ride it some to her school in the future. We also gave her some rice which is always needed. Rick

Meet Borin

2010-04-21T03:16:00.001-05:00

We have a new crew member, Borin. This is his family that live in Phnom Penh. Borin is working as our clinical assistant which means he pretty much runs triage. With me leaving for the states, he will also do some laundry and cleaning. It seems difficult for us to understand that he would leave during the week and several weekends a month to work and not be with him family. But this is very common for those who seek jobs. As you can see in the picture, he has a great smile and teaching him about the ship was easy to do since he was eager and understanding. He rode back to the ship with us one Sunday and we saw one mode of transportation that he had built for him to carry his wife and daughter around town. We were quite impressed with his unique tricycle.

Last Day with Michael

2010-04-19T03:11:00.000-05:00

The day that Michael Wainscott left Cambodia we took him to our favorite hamburger joint. It was great to have Andrew and Natalie Hayes join us along with Walt and Sarah Kate. The restaurant considers itself an art gallery that displays local Cambodian art around on the walls. It is always interesting to see what is showing. But of course we couldn’t let Michael get away without him first riding an elephant at Wat Phnom. No one was around when we first went up to tell the man we wanted to ride, but after Michael got on, it seemed to draw a crowd! We thought that they should have let Michael ride without a fee because people then became interested. The last picture is Michael with Sim and Dr. Tha. You can see how he “stood out” from the Khmer! Ha!

Alternative Medicine

2010-04-16T23:49:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we were introduced to some interesting new medical techniques. A friend had asked us if a Cambodian Doctor, who was a recent convert to Christianity, could join us on the ship for a day. We said yes and when he arrived, we learned he was trained in Chinese Acupuncture treatment.
He seemed to be quite competent and the patients were eager to see him for his expertise. After several patients had good results, Walt decided he wanted him to work on his “bad” back. Walt is from a family who has embraced alternative medical of many kinds for many years. He was very comfortable with have needles inserted in his back! I watched his procedure done and I did much more squirming than he did!
Afterwards Walt told us all that his back was much better and it seemed to help for several days afterward. The Khmer Doctor gave the crew his cards and several seemed to want to see him in the future. Who knows…..I may even join them. Rick

Internet down

2010-04-10T07:10:00.000-05:00

Please check back with us at end of week. No Internet thanks!

Michael Wainscott... soon to be DDS

2010-04-03T20:02:00.002-05:00

Michael was with us this past week on the Ship of Life. He had some experiences only he can tell you about! Rick enjoyed showing him techniques of pulling teeth and giving injections. We took Michael to the airport last night for his flight back to Memphis. Unfortunately, Monday moring he has to be in his endo class. This is when jetlag can tear you up. It was great having him here and we hope he had a good experience plus open his eyes to a different culture. Needless to say, he stood out (tall) among the people when we walked through the villages! Thanks Michael for coming!

Weekend Fun

2010-03-30T19:45:00.003-05:00

THESE ARE THE MUSHROOMS BEFORE COOKING
THE MUSHROOM EATERS!
FRIED MUSHROOMS
THE GANG
Last weekend we went to Phnom Penh. We were going to take Don and Diane in for their return to the states. That was sad, but we were able to have some good times with Dennis, Sharon, Troy and Tabby. They have unusual places to eat, so once again we went to one that featured mushrooms. Everything on the menu had mushrooms. Not just any kind, but the one pictured which looks like a tree limb. I had the noodles and mushroom. Rick had rice and mushrooms, but they ordered fried mushrooms for all of us to share. That is the plate that looks like beef jerky. It had a similar texture to jerky also. But no problem, the cost for all us to eat and drink was less than $9.00 and then we were off to the ice cream shop! Gail

Giving Just A Little More

2010-03-28T08:21:00.002-05:00

Most of the time it doesn't take much to help a person, or make them feel valuable. We keep a lookout for families that we (the church that meets on the ship) can give someone who could use some rice, clothes, or other simple items that lets them know we care. This women had a son with downs syndrone. We can't "fix" that with our doctors on the ship and really there is no need for medicine. But we could give some clothing, rice, and baby formula. We hope that this idea of sharing and giving lets the villages know that Christians care, and hopefully it affects the crew. gail

Thanks Don and Diane

2010-03-26T19:41:00.002-05:00

They are off! No not the horses, Don and Diane! We took them to airport last night to head back to states. Although, I noticed on facebook that they were delayed an hour and half. Hopefully, the next post they will be at home. I think they have a very special birthday party to attend on Sunday. Thanks for all your hard work here on ship. We will miss you.. God Bless, rick and gail

Denah

2010-03-25T20:57:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite people in the whole world is Dena Lambert. She assisted me for many years and
watched me ride off into the sunset about 5 years ago. I have fond memories of her helping me through
the good and the bad of everyday practice!

Dena, meet Denah. She is 18 years old and belongs to the Cham Muslim community we are in at
present. She came to me with her good friend in tow earlier this week and wanted me to take out her
two top front teeth. Ouch! She is very pretty and as I have said many times before, it breaks my heart
to do this to a young lady. I asked her if she had plans to replace them and she said no. Her family did
not have the money to afford the replacement bridge. I decided to remove the teeth and make her a
removable flipper and she really liked it. She could speak only a few words of English but she, like many
others before her, said, “Thanks You”!

When I first saw her on the river bank, she always had her hand over her mouth to cover up the ugly
front teeth. Now she beams with pride in her new smile. Some days really are fun. rick

Pharmacy Facelift

2010-03-24T18:23:00.002-05:00

With Don Johnson here, some great changes have been made to the look and organization of the pharmacy. New shelves were made to accomodate the baskets of meds that are readily available as Bun Roth fills the prescriptions of each patients. A place for the laptop attached to the wall, makes it easy for the data to be input throughout the day. Don and Dian have both worked tirelessly for the two months they have been here and we thank God for their dedication and help.

Planting a Plant

2010-03-22T06:29:00.002-05:00

After a few months of living on the ship, Rick decided we needed a plant. I actually posted a blog about the new bouganvillia plant back in 07 and having it on the ship. Well, after four years we decided it needed a new home. So Rick took the plant up to the closest house that the ship was parked near and asked if they would allow him to plant it near their home. Of course, they agreed. So we are with out the plant, but I think it is in a better place! gail

Water Fun

2010-03-21T21:26:00.002-05:00

Every afternoon, some boys would come around the gangway and laugh and play. Rick was sitting on the bench near the door one day and started teasing them by pretending to chase them. Then he took off and actually did! They loved to run leaving him behind in the dust! But Rick tricked them. He went on second level and got some water. Then when they got close, he dumped water on them. At first they were too stunned to move. Then they started laughing. It was great fun. (too watch) I don't think I could have run after them! gail

On to Peam Chi Kang

2010-03-19T05:07:00.002-05:00

As we head north to our next city, we leave behind some people we were able to meet and see their daily life. From volleyball, to boatkids, to ladies gathering straw to make mats people are busy with their life chores.

Sun Sets

2010-03-17T07:16:00.004-05:00

After a day of working, it is good to watch the sun set. Sometimes the ship is located to where we can not see the sun set, but the color of the river changes. These pictures were taken by Dona and Diane (again). not sure what I will post when they depart next week! ha! enjoy...

Salt Mines

2010-03-16T05:23:00.005-05:00

Salt fields drying and they are scraping the salt into piles.
Gathering into storage.

We have not yet traveled south to Kep and Kampot, cities near the Gulf of Thailand. Don and Diane went to visit these cities on the way to meet a friend of theirs in Koh Kong near the Thai border. Kampot is where salt is harvested in fields that were first constructed by the French. Other NGOs have helped the area developed a black pepper market that the country exports. Thanks, Don and Diane for providing some great pictures to share!

Hair Cut

2010-03-14T01:48:00.002-06:00

I have put on this blog numerous humorous pictures. Well, here is one that reminds me that I need a haircut! Ha! Ok, so maybe I need a break from the ship. It will be another two weeks before we take the Johnsons to Phnom Penh, so the blogs may get worse. I know you like to see pictures of daily life, so here are a few. Gail

Lazy Saturday

2010-03-13T00:49:00.002-06:00

In the picture with us is Kierstin and Rob,Walt and Sarah-Kate, and Don and Diane Johnson. Rob has returned to Canada, and Kierstin is traveling with her sister in Thailand. Today the rest of us are enjoying a quiet day. Diane had this beautiful picture of a lotus flower in her collection and I swiped it from her to post. It is good to stop, slow down, and enjoy the simple things. gail

Lines

2010-03-09T17:37:00.003-06:00

Every morning the doctors walk up to where the people wait to recieve their numbers to be seen. The doctors ask quick questions and determine who needs care the most. Rick checks their mouth, so everyone gets to "open wide" for him! Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but all is necessary.

French Visitors

2010-03-06T22:34:00.002-06:00

SINGING.. FATHER ABRAHAM
SINGING OTHER PRAISE SONGS
MINEA(in turquoise shirt) INTERPRETING FOR GREG (in blue plaid shirt)
Bill and Marie-Claire returned to Cambodia from the states and visited us on the ship. Along with them came a team from France that had been in Burma and was stopping over for a quick visit to Phnom Penh. Bill and MC brought them to the ship not only to see us in operation but to sing and do some skits for the people waiting to be called into the ship. Minea translated for Greg, the missionary, as he told some stories. Songs were sung and the people really seemed to enjoy them. I neglected to get all their names, but check with Marie-Claire and she will know!

2010-03-05T23:55:00.002-06:00

Around the ship, there is always a lot of activites to watch. This group of monks came down daily to wash their gowns and bath. Kids swam and used our life rings to float. People come to wash their laundry, along with the cows. The first century christians were water people. Like the Cambodians, they needed it to live.

Interesting Visitor

2010-03-03T22:34:00.001-06:00

Meet Ivan. I was working in the kitchen and I heard some English being spoken with an accent I didn’t recognize. Our night guard’s English is about as good as my Khmer so I knew this person was having no luck talking to Sokun. I went outside and there was a foreigner in a rowing boat. He was wanting to know if the local market was still open and if there was a beach that he could sleep on. It was about 6:30 in the evening, so I knew the markets we closed, and the only “beach” was across the river where the fishing villagers lived. I asked him where he was from and where he was going. Turns out he had started his Mekong River trip from China, down through Laos and into Cambodia. His destination, Vietnam and the ocean! He lives in Spain and the manufacturer of his rowing boat was sponsoring this trip. He had been on the river for three months. He looked like it, too! I invited him on ship to eat some decent food. Rick came down and invited him to sleep and shower and have a good rest. He was a little hesitate to intrude on us, but the next morning he looked 100% better. He had a head cold, so Sarah Kate gave him some medicine. Then he rowed on down the river toward Phnom Penh. We don’t know where he is now, but hope he made it to his final destination.

Rob and Kierston

2010-03-01T17:19:00.002-06:00

The Canadians are here. With the Olympics going on, we have some great conversations about hockey! Ha! Meet Rob Burnstad and Kierston Burnstad from Edmonton, Canada. They are uncle and niece and this is their second week here on the ship. Kierston is an ER nurse and is helping see patients, assist in dental clinic and making sure the kids have some fun. She brought a bag of goodies with her! Rob has been watching the clinic area, keeping strays from walking on and making sure people were going where they were suppose to go. They have been a blessing to us here, and don’t mind when we kid them about their Canadian speech idiosyncrasies!

Triage

2010-02-28T18:34:00.003-06:00

The area in the back of the ship is where we have triage. The people have to sit there until chairs open up for the doctors or dentist on the lower level. It is a time to play with the kids and visit with the people. We have health video clips that we show on the tv, but there is always time to color. Kierston is handing out markers with paper for the kids to draw.

Patients

2010-02-27T08:01:00.002-06:00

SAD
HAPPY
OLD
YOUNG

These are some of the people we treat on the Ship of Life. All ages, shapes and sizes. To some, we are the only healthcare they might ever experience.

Life on the River

2010-02-26T05:41:00.001-06:00

It has been great having Diane and Don Johnson on board. They take great pictures and alot of them! So the next few blogs will feature so village shots! Enjoy gail

Full Days

2010-02-25T04:25:00.003-06:00

This has been a very busy, yet fulfilling week. Many patients have been helped and medicine given. But we have had time to watch the life around us. Ferrys full of people, fishermen in boats busy with their nets, and children playing. Next few blogs, I will put some pics on of just life around us each day. The Lord is good. gail

2010-02-24T17:22:00.000-06:00

It gets rather hard to come up with some catchy titles for these blogs, so please excuse me. The ship is sailing north to the new village Prek Liv. Rick and I went on in to Phnom to visit more with his brother, Roger, who is teaching at the dental school. On Saturday morning, we went to the Zoo. Yes, Cambodia has a zoo. Now it wasn't quite like San Diego's Zoo, but it had elephants, monkeys, tigers, bears and a few native animals that I don't remember the names of. It was about a thirty minute drive out of the city, but it is always good to visit in a car. We really looked forward to the hamburger afterwards! It was a great time.

Off to Siem Reap

2010-02-22T03:10:00.002-06:00

The stockton team has left and are in Siem Reap. We encourage everyone who has the time to go and see the temples. It is hard to imagine that they have been built so long ago without machinery of any kind and are interesting to see. Paul helped with the flow of patients throughout the ship and also performed some fix it jobs! Teresa and Bobbie saw patients with Piseth as a translator. Sarah-Kate saw patients with Borin who was trying out for a full time position. We wish the group safe travels as they return to their homes. gail

Getting Ready for the Day

2010-02-21T06:26:00.003-06:00

Our days begin with the handing out of numbers. Svay Sornos has been a very busy place. We have seen close to 200 every day with Sarah Kate seeing patients along with Teresa and Bobbie (from Stockton) and of course, Dr. Somantha, our Khmer doctor. We were blessed to have Sharon Welch come out and help for a few days this past week. She is normally in Phnom Penh working, but wanted to spend some time with the Stockton group. It was fortunate for us for her to come. Diane watches out while the numbers are being given out. She has been doing most all the triage duties! gail

Sunday Service

2010-02-17T06:33:00.002-06:00

What a great evening we had Sunday night. Our worship service on the ship is at 5:00 to allow any crew members who want to participate to get back from having the weekend off ship. This past Sunday, Bill and Marie-Claire came out for the day and Bill shared a lesson with us. That was great but the singing was too! With the Johnsons here and the Eppersons along with the Stockton team, wow, what a great song service. I was glad the crew could hear what wonderful accapella singing can sound like. With just Rick and I, it is not quite the same!

Svay Sornos

2010-02-16T02:14:00.003-06:00

Here we come! The ship is arriving at Svay Sornos and the children are running to greet us! It is a small community but with lots of children! Saturday, out came the frisbee and ball for some games. The frisbee ended up in the river only once. It is interesting to see a few brave kids come out first to play, but soon the area is full! I reminded the guys to put on sunscreen alittle too late and we had some red faces that evening. gail

Stockton Team

2010-02-13T08:27:00.003-06:00

We have met some pretty neat people from California and the group here now is included! Paul and Bobbie Covey, Teresa Baker and Thara Teav are here for two weeks from the Stockton, CA area. Paul has been great helping move the patients around and helping the crew with some ship issues. He is retired Navy. Teresa and Bobbie are nurses and are being helped in the clinic by Thara who is translating for them. Thara and her husband were able to leave Cambodia during the Pol Pot Regime and escaped to California. They were helped by Christians and became believers. Their story ends happily and they give back by coming back to Cambodia to help other Khmers. We are blessed to have them these two weeks and hope they, too, are recieving a blessing. gail

Thanks Phil!

2010-02-08T18:42:00.002-06:00

Phil Gardner stayed on the ship a few weeks and managed things until we could return. Phil is a tireless worker and gives up his retirement years to travel and help in many countries. He was first in line to go to Burma after the tusnami to hand out food. I shouldn't even begin to write the countries he has traveled in the name of Christians to help the helpless. We sure appreciate his time here and the crew enjoyed him also. Phil is still in Cambodia teaching English at the Wei school. We traveled the ferry to arrive at Russey Chroy where the ship was.

The Reinforcements are Here!

2010-02-04T22:55:00.001-06:00

Not that we have been besieged are anything, but Walt and Sarah Kate Epperson along with Don and Diane Johnson have arrived in Phnom Penh. After some errands in the city, we departed for the ship that included a ferry trip across the river. By the time this blog was posted, they have already put in a day’s work. We are happy to have them on the ship to work, but also to have someone else to play cards with besides Rick and I!

Tennis Fun

2010-01-29T19:24:00.002-06:00

We are having a slow start to get back blogging, but thought we had better share our great time in Australia at the Open. We just bought ground passes and saw the players in the outer courts. It was fun to see them close up in the earlier rounds. Here is Murry, Bryan brothers and of course Rick wore his Arkansas t-shirt to let everyone know where we are from! Now we are back on ship and we think the crew is happy to see us! Next blog.. about work! gail

Loveable Ladies!

2010-01-26T20:14:00.003-06:00

You have met these two wonderful ladies before, but I was blessed to have stayed in their home on my return to Cambodia this last trip. Doris Lohry and Emily Pownall are truly the most Godly women I know. They encourage me to study my bible more, love life, and be thankful to God for all of his blessings. Thanks for the hugs, and the bed, and I hope we will see you again soon. gail

Down Under

2010-01-22T17:19:00.002-06:00

We have not forgotten this blog. We are at the Australian Open. Details to come. Love all r & g

Sharing the Ship

2010-01-15T16:33:00.002-06:00

We aren't the greatest presenters, but when asked to share information about the ship, we jump at the opportunity. A few Sundays ago, Westside Church of Christ in Russelville, AR invited us to share the Ship with their missions committee and members for evening service. Their missions outreach and involvement is very impressive and we are blessed to have them involved in Partners in Progress by supporting the ship. Now we want them to send a team over and visit us! It is so important for congregations who support mission work to visit and stay involved in all areas of support, (emotionally, spiritural and monetarily)for their missionaries and it appears Westside does just that.
It is always fun to have people see pictures of the ship and the crew and get a better idea of what is going on. Thanks Westside for inviting us and we look forward to having several of you come to the ship! gail

Packing the Bags

2010-01-12T22:16:00.002-06:00

It is 10:05 p.m. and I should be getting in bed, but as usual there is still things to do! We like to make life exciting by waiting until the last minute. But no matter, we will be on the noon flight to DFW, then on to LAX to catch the midnight flight to Taipei. So hopefully our next blog will be from Cambodia! Thank you for all your prayers and kind words. It has been a wonderful time here visiting friends and family. God Bless, gail

Christmas in Colorado

2010-01-02T19:27:00.002-06:00

We just returned from a great week in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We feel so blessed to have great kids and their spouses. We enjoyed skiing and playing some fun board games together. The drive out was alittle spooky with the storm that blew through on Christmas Eve and we were passing through that area on Christmas day. We arrived safe and enjoyed the snow. We have about ten days left before we return to Cambodia so we are game faces on! Right now our Razorback game face is on since we are watching the Liberty Bowl! Enjoy the season! gail

Good Friends

2009-12-21T18:13:00.002-06:00

This time of year is special to get with friends. And our good friends, the Bennetts, were able to come and share a meal with us. Gabe, Michael, Greg and Brit had many memories to share of hunts, ballgames, and camping trips from our family time together growing up. Rick and I feel very blessed and fortunate to have friends like Paula and Gary who help take care of things while we are over seas. Thanks for the memories! (with more to come!!)

Happy Holidays

2009-12-19T22:07:00.003-06:00

Our family had a great day today getting together for our holiday exchange. Good food, fellowship, and playing Wii. It was great laughs watching each other on the Wii Fit balance board playing games. From our family to yours, Happy Holidays!

Long Time No Blog

2009-12-11T10:03:00.003-06:00

I have been in states for thirteen days now and thought I'd better write something or all of you dedicated followers will stop following! Note on calendar that we will be back in Cambodia at the end of January! As you can see by the thermometer we are having some cold days in Arkansas! I love it! We have enjoyed a Christmas Party at the Northside church where our "in-laws" attend. Maybe I should say Greg's in-laws. It was fun and Jimmy had an awesome singing group perform. I have had a wonderful day with my sister shopping and seeing a movie. Last night we had a great time with Don and Diane Johnson and Max and Ann Baker. We laughed alot and ate some delicious chilli. But sitting around the fire has been very relaxing, too.

Leaving the Mekong Behind

2009-11-30T15:52:00.003-06:00

My flights were great. All connected and no delays so I was at the airport in Little Rock at 10:35 p.m. after twenty two hours in flight. A nice run through DFW gave me some exercise but made the flight with time to spare! It was wonderful to attend church Sunday and then have lunch with my family! God is Good! gail

At the Airport

2009-11-27T22:26:00.001-06:00

I am sitting in the coffee shop with my coffee and free wifi. Not a bad way to wait for the flight. I pulled one of my dad's stunts to reach this point, however. If you didn't know dad then you won't get it! Earlier this morning I checked in online but it said I still had to go to the counter to get the boarding pass. When I arrived at the airport, the lines were already full. I notice a counter with two ladies that looked like they were checking in some boxes. There was no line. I went up and told them I had already checked in and had no luggage. Rick (bless his soul) had taken my bag with him. The lady took my passport and bingo, I had a boarding pass. I walked around about a hundred people and headed to passport control. I'm sorry, it is in my blood!!
The next post will be from Arkansas. We will try to post some but our life is not so exciting stateside. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragements! gail

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:48:00.004-06:00

I am sure your first thought about the picture is that it is a sunset. Nope! It is a sunrise. Most mornings I only surface for a cup of coffee, but today I was going to leave for Phnom Penh and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with many Christians working in the city. I didn't leave till much later, but I think I was excited about the day, so I moving around alittle faster! Rick left last tuesday to enjoy time with some of the Northens in Texas. I stayed behind to captain the ship. Ok, not captain, but make sure the crew didn't jump ship. In reality, the crew is probably more scared of me than Rick! But no worries, things are great and I will be flying out saturday and if all connections go smooth, I will be in Arkansas the same night! By the way, Greg, will you pick me up! Enjoy your friends and family this special time. gail

Winds and NO Rain

2009-11-24T21:54:00.000-06:00

The river is dropping now after the rains have stopped. Here we are at KoKi docked near the ferry. You can see from the pictures how quickly the water has dropped. The captain had to move the ship off twice while we were stopped here. The winds are strong too. It feels great to me but the people are covered from head to toe. I have to ask some to remove their heavy jackets to take blood pressure. We are moving across the river next and we won’t feel the wind as much. The water tanks are low and the waves cause a rocking motion beats the water against the sides. As a visitor once noted, it sounds like logs hitting the side of the ship. But we get use to it and it lulls us to sleep! gail

T-Shirts

2009-11-23T16:24:00.001-06:00

Many people come onto the ship wearing T-shirts made for the American market. I have asked at least 50 kids wearing Mickey Mouse shirts if they know who Mickey Mouse is! They all say no! Most of the shirts are made for some US company and rejected for some minor flaw or misspelling of a word. This man’s shirt was different though.
Ask Me About Jesus. What a great idea. So I did. He was Vietnamese and could not speak a lot of Khmer but I asked him about Jesus. He was confused at first and like most did not know what his T shirt even said. I kept asking him about Jesus and he said he was a Christian. He said he attended church every week close to his home.
Maybe, as Christians, we should get some of these shirts also. Pretty scriptural actually. Maybe the shirt could say, “I’ve got Good News”. Romans 10: 14-15 urges us to do just that.

Cambodian Children

2009-11-21T21:22:00.003-06:00

Each village is unique, but they all have one thing in common, children. Depending on where the ship is docked, we see the children playing throughout the day. Many times they just come and sit and stare at all the activity going on. In the afternoons, they lose interest and go about their riding bikes or playing their games. This village was a good place for the jumprope. But now, we are at Ko Ki and there is not a good area. So the kids just hang on the ropes! gail

Deck Full

2009-11-18T05:45:00.003-06:00

Last friday which was the last day the team from the Philipines was here, we had the kids come on ship to sing and play games. Of course we had to have popcorn! Chito told stories aboutJesus as Piseth translated. The team had bought sandels to give to the kids and I am pretty sure they enjoyed getting them! After taking the team to the city for their departure, Rick and I drove back to the house that was built by the crew for the grandmother and her grandkids. We just thought it would be good to check on them. The yard was cleaned up and they had things arranged very nice in the house. It was worth the drive to see them again.

Hard Days Work

2009-11-16T06:57:00.004-06:00

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While the ship was docked at Bantiey Dek, we watched these ladies weed several plots of land. Wow, I stopped complaining about being hot when I saw them squat in the hot sun all day weeding the rows. The first picture is early in the morning. The second is later that day when we were about to stop clinic. The next day they began another area farther from the ship. It sure made me appreciate even more the blessings I have. gail

Bantiey Dek

2009-11-13T22:32:00.002-06:00

The village where we worked with the team here was called Bantiey Dek. As you can see we were docked next to fields and there were no trees for people to wait under. The Captain put up the canopy to help shelter from the sun. Dr. Josie worked with a translator called Chhay Heng. The other translator was Sioudom and they both did a good job. It was their first time to volunteer to translate. They had a good experience. We were all kept very busy and saw around 250 patients for medical and 50 or so for dental a day. Dr. Gina and Dr. Lani worked with our dental student who was with us for the week. gail

Team from the Phillipines

2009-11-12T20:19:00.003-06:00

We have not been great with the blogs for a good reason. We have with us this week a team from the Phillipines. Six wonderful and talented people who are working very hard to help the people here. Dr. Gerry is a surgeon and Dr. Josie is an obstetrician. Both have seen many people. We have two female dentists, Dr. Lani and Dr. Gina, who have given relief for Rick. The leader of this group is Lusi "Chito" Cusi and his wife Tess. They have been invaluable with the pharmacy and helping register and keep the people moving in the right direction. After clinic a couple of days, the group would go out and have sessions with the children. Teaching bible stories, singing songs and coloring. They have been great with the crew and I think everyone has had a good week. This group is coordinated by the March for Christ organization that has medical missions in the Phillipines and many other Asian nations. Cambodia is blessed to have them come here. gail

Sailing By

2009-11-10T08:32:00.002-06:00

We left Kos Keo and went north to Bantiey Dey where we stayed for the week of our holiday, the Water Festival. It was a great trip for me because I got to stay on the ship. Rick had to drive the truck because I told him I couldn't back it onto the ferry. You can see him do it with ease! It was a nice trip and great to see the life along the river. gail

Good Friends

2009-11-05T05:08:00.002-06:00

As Gail wrote earlier, we enjoyed visiting Myanmar and the home of our good friends Bill and Marie Claire McDonough. They are wonderful host and catered to our every wish for the 3 days we were with them. We visited the world’s largest Pagoda in Yangoon and several other interesting sights. There are many ethnic tribes in Myanmar with very interesting customs and dress. While shopping at one market I was shocked to see a Razorback shirt for sale on the rack! So……I bought it. Who would have thought the Burmese were Hog fans! They also had LSU and Texas A&M shirts. The picture is for my A&M crazy son-in-law.

Myanmar Lord's Day

2009-11-04T15:03:00.003-06:00

This past Lord’s Day we had the priviledge of worshiping with the brethren at two house churches in Yangoon, Myanmar. The two houses were owned by two impressive Burmese sisters. I will not mention their names for safety reasons but I was reminded of Paul’s mentioning the church at Laodicea meeting at the home of Nympha, a dear sister he wanted to greet.
The singing was strong and loud and full of life. The members were sincere in their love and fellowship and we felt blessed to have been with them. Many are being taught and the Word is being planted in hearts of Myanmar people day by day. Praise God!

Back to Phnom

2009-11-03T21:44:00.002-06:00

Sorry we have been out of touch for a few days. We have been visiting our dear friends Bill and Marie-Claire who are now based in Myrammar (Burma). The country is pretty well controlled by the "Generals" so control on communication is tight. You can not access Yahoo or Blogger but we could access Facebook! The next few days while we are guarding the ship while the crew is on holiday, we will post some pictures from our trip. Then on Sunday, the 7th, the Phillipine team comes so it is back to work! gail

Fun and Games

2009-10-30T20:16:00.002-05:00

Excitement is in the air! The Water Festival holiday starts today and the boats of villagers pulling their long boats for the races were passing us all day! It was fun to hear the people yell and shout when we went out to wave and take pictures. In honor of the holiday, Rick got the crew to have a volleyball game. It was quite interesting considering none of us were that talented at it. We all had fun despite some sores hands! gail

Kos Keo

2009-10-29T03:54:00.002-05:00

The ship is docked in Kos Keo very close to some houses with nice garden areas. As I walked outside this morning waiting for the patients to come aboard, I took these pictures. One lady was very proud of her garden area and kept it up very nicely. Next door a man was plowing his garden with beast of burden. This scene could have been from perhaps 2000 years ago. He did have a modern looking stainless steel plow attached to the ancient looking handle. rick

Conrad Whitefield

2009-10-28T06:49:00.002-05:00

This week we have a visiting dentist aboard the ship from Nashville Tennessee. His name is Conrad Whitefield. Conrad is a veteran of many medical missions in the past mainly in Central America. He is a very experienced practitioner with a delightful personality. We have had a good time talking about dentistry in the past and present. We are not so sure about these “new fangled” dental techniques and the youngsters using them! Only kidding! He has a son who he shares a practice with back home in Donaldson TN. We are really enjoying getting to know Conrad! Ly Saung, a fourth year dental student is assisting him this week. rick

Shade Trees

2009-10-26T22:51:00.004-05:00

The last few villages have had some great trees for the people to sit under and wait. The sun has been very hot and the shade of the trees makes it so much more comfortable. It makes it nice for the people waiting. gail

Supervisor

2009-10-25T06:41:00.003-05:00

Behind every good construction crew there is a great supervisor, right? That's me sitting on the hood of the truck. Actually, the girls and I had some interesting conversation. Then the grandaughter, Huot, came over and showed me the picture of her deceased mother. So I had the brothers come over and got their picture together. They were certainly proud of their new house and even though I didn't help in any way, other than moral support, it felt good. gail

Widow - Part 2

2009-10-24T03:56:00.001-05:00

We decided to build her a house! We went to the local lumber place and priced the materials to build her a small house. The owner of the land thumb printed a document allowing her to live on his land as long as she was alive. We had the materials delivered to the site and went after it.
All of the crew pitched in and helped. It seems that all Cambodians know how to build houses. Here you do not contract with a builder, you build your own. So all of the crew knew something about the building process.
It took us a total of 8 hours to build the house and even though it was only 13X10 feet in size, it was secure, with a solid roof and a door that she could lock from inside. Some of the local men helped us with some aspects of the project but we did most of the work. People stopped by all during the process and wanted to know what was going on. We prayed with her when it was finished and asked God to bless her little home. They were all very appreciative to say the least.
I know what you are thinking. How much did it cost? $278.50. Turnkey. Our little church could not afford the cost but I told them I would raise some money from friends. We might even look for other similar causes and repeat the process. If you would like to help or take it on as a bible class project, let me know. It really is a good feeling to help widows and orphans in their distress.

Another Widow in Need

2009-10-23T03:46:00.001-05:00

This last week we asked several visitors to the ship who might be in need of a little special help in their community. We were pointed to another widow who lived pretty much hand to mouth each day. She also had 3 grandchildren who lived with her. Their mother had died and the father had abandoned them. So we went to visit her.
She cooked rice cakes beside the road from her makeshift home. She did not own any land but was allowed to build a crude shelter to sleep in each night with her grandchildren. She expressed her fear each night as the local dogs would bark and she could not see in the dark what might be near. We bought her a flashlight and gave her some rice but the roof leaked and there were no side walls to her house. We considered taking some tarps and wrapping it around the outside of her house for some security. We also thought how we might cover the roof somehow to stop the rain from coming in each night. We decided to think about it. How might we help her?

2009-10-21T02:14:00.002-05:00

This pretty young girl with the pan on her head sat everyday next to the ship to sell her pastries. The round balls are not bad but I don’t care for the soy bean inside the middle. This is a good thing, so I won’t eat them! But the round ones with chocolate looking icing are really good. There is only one of those left on the pan in the picture. It is not chocolate on top, but a caramelized sugar and they give you a taste of homemade donuts. I went out one day and bought some for her, but gave them to the crew. The second picture is of some children playing a jumping game. Two girls are holding a large rubber band made from many smaller bands around their bodies. Then the other kids try to jump up and pull down the band with their foot. The band is raised higher as they accomplish each height. The girl jumping could go very high. gail

Study through Internet, A New Brother in Hanoi

2009-10-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

A fellow missionary and friend who is working with the Sunset Bible school in Phnom Penh recently had a situation he was not sure about. He had been studying with a young Khmer student in Hanoi, Vietnam via the internet and the young man was wanting to be baptized. Doesn’t seem like a dilemma, but sometimes the students want to be baptized only to make the teacher happy and to travel to Vietnam would not be inexpensive or convenient when you were not totally sure of the sincerity of the person. But Dennis prayed and trusted that God would bless him no matter what the outcome. Dennis flew to Hanoi and stayed with Thort in his dorm room while they studied the Bible. Thort was sincere and earnest in his desire, so they found a bathtub in a guest house and Thort was baptized. Thank you to all the people who take time to do bible correspondence with students all over the world. There are many hearts ripe for harvest. gail

Fancy Bicycle

2009-10-18T04:16:00.000-05:00

This guy had the fanciest bicycle I have seen in all of Cambodia. It has front and rear shock absorbers and disc brakes! It has 15 speeds and more spokes than I have ever seen in my whole life on any wheel! I removed his carious wisdom tooth and he rode off with a smile in style. rick

Ice Cream, Ice Cream!

2009-10-17T03:26:00.003-05:00

We all scream for ice cream! Last week I stopped for ice cream from a local vendor on the street. I was amazed how creamy and smooth it tasted. I told Gail about it and she decided to try some after I passed the 3 day test. (No explosive diarrhea in 3 days!)
Sure enough I passed the test and she joined me when we moved the truck to our next location this week. She agreed it was pretty good…..not Blue Bell but pretty good. It was coconut flavored.
Linh, our cook, went to the vendor for us and purchased it for a quarter each. rick

Dental Time

2009-10-16T04:00:00.004-05:00

I try not to blog too often on the dental clinic but I haven’t for a while now. Last week a lady with pain came and her tooth seemed to have fused roots and come out with only moderate rotational force. When I tried the “moderate” force nothing happened. So I began to elevate it some more and it only wanted to come lingual. This is somewhat unusual but it just kept coming to the lingual and eventually came on out. To my surprise it had interesting anatomy to say the least! How the roots did not break I will never know but I was thankful.
The same week I was using a Cryer to remove a lower mesial root and broke the head right off of the elevator! Guess I was leaning on it a bit huh? Maybe just poor metal but it gave me a momentary surprise anyway. The head and the root came out quickly with a back up elevator. rick

Pure Religion

2009-10-15T01:45:00.003-05:00

We have been collecting an offering for the last several months and have been trying to help the poor with our small 11 person church fellowship. We bought about $50 worth of used clothes several months ago and have handed out many to needy people.
We recently decided to help more. In each village we come to we usually can identify the poorest quite easily. We have decided to help one person or family in each place we visit. We send several crew members to interview them about specific needs and ways we might help. In Prek Dack, we found a poor widow woman who was taking care of her 2 orphaned grand children. The picture is of Piseth and Captain Cheurn with her little house in the background.
She gets up at 3 am each morning and rides her bicycle to buy fruit that she will prepare and sell in the market. She told us her bicycle was in disrepair and she needed it to be fixed. We did that for her and also gave her twenty kilos of rice for her family. I told our little church we were practicing pure and undefiled religion according to James Chapter 1. Now we just have to keep doing these kind of things and keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. rick

Sandar, South Mekong

2009-10-12T22:42:00.003-05:00

This was the village we were at last week and a very interesting place. The Pagoda grounds were covered with statues of animals from the Chinese calendar. They were all very colorful. We are only 3km from the Vietnam border and at the market, Linh said they wanted Vietnamese money, dong, instead of Khmer reils. The second picture is of some young boys jumping from the tree into the water. We see kids jumping from bridges, but this was a first. I think the tree is a perfect place to jump from! gail

Small Blessing

2009-10-11T19:55:00.002-05:00

I was having one of those "poor me" moments when I was thinking of the fall weather going on in the states. People were writing about the football weather and fires and brisk cool air and I was starting to get the envious feeling. Not a good thing, I admit. But I was doing guard duty on the middle deck and a wonderful cool breeze came up. Clouds billowed up and brought the most amazing "chilly" wind! I knew God was telling me 'ok, I can't give you snow, but how about this'. I actually had chill bumps on my arms. God does care about the samll things. gail

Special Necklace

2009-10-09T23:02:00.002-05:00

Several years ago I wrote about a young boy who had a tooth on a string around his neck. It had a piece of wire holding it to a string. It was for “protection”.
Last week I saw it again. This time, however, the necklace was specially made with a custom made gold basket to precisely hold the tooth. The young lady was 21 and had worn it for about 10 years she said. She, like the boy before, wore it for protection from evil spirits. It was upper lateral incisor of her deceased Grandfather.
We have our rabbits feet and other assorted good luck charms. They take it more seriously! I have learned to understand and respect their beliefs and customs more and more each day. What seemed at first, “weird” now is understandable. They believe, like us, what they have been taught, what has been passed down. Maybe some day she will learn not to fear evil spirits, and trust in the Holy Spirit! rick

Life Changing

2009-10-08T05:57:00.000-05:00

It seems that most of what we do is rather ordinary. I remove the abcessed teeth of my patients over and over day after day. Our Khmer MD prescribes the same meds over and over each day for the same conditions day after day and occasionally we refer someone to Phnom Penh for a serious condition. Last week, however, we had a different situation arise.
She was standing in line with her mother for an extraction. She did not speak and it seemed like something about her was wrong. Her Mom did all of the talking. She was 20 years old. When they came on board, I saw her around 10 o’clock. Her Mom told me that she was an epileptic. She described how her daughter would have a grand mal like seizure every day which would last, from start to finish, for about 30 minutes. She had never seen a medical doctor for this condition. She had never taken any kind of medicine for it.
I called over Dr Tha for a consultation. He decided to place her on dialantin for the seizures and see how she did. We were to be in their village for another 3 days so we could see how she did at least at first. I asked them to come back on Friday for a follow up and possible extraction. ( I had at first imagined how it would be to get her bleeding stopped while having a severe seizure!)
She came back on Friday and had not had a seizure for 3 whole days! I removed her offending molar and sent her on her way. She had a relative with a cell phone and hopefully we can keep her supplied with medication if it continues to be effective.
Wow! Life changing? I think so. She probably had never been to school because of the problem. She was probably an outcast in her society. Others probably thought she had an evil spirit in her. Perhaps her life was like the young boy in Mark Chapter 9 who convulsed and foamed at the mouth. We did not heal her like the Great Physician did in Mark’s Gospel, but we did hopefully relieve her symptoms where she might now have the chance for a more normal life. AS Jesus said in Mark 9, we will add prayer to this also.
That day was not so ordinary. I imagined her being my daughter. That day felt “good”!
Rick