June 2004 |
The Cambodia Trust was founded in 1989 to meet the needs of the over 40,000 landmine amputees in Cambodia. Since its start, the program has grown substantially fitting both artificial limbs and braces for those disabled from disease such as polio and cerebral palsy, accidents, as well as landmine and unexploded ordinance survivors. The Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics is a regional training center with students from Afganistan, Laos, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Indonesia and Cambodia which works within The Cambodia Trust. It trains students to return to their countries to continue this much needed service. Lara has been evaluating patients and training the staff in using a team approach (medical and psychosocial) to meet their patients� needs. She�s seen incredible, and sadly, largely preventable disabilities. Website: www.cambodiatrust.org.uk David will start working with World Vision after returning from the States. The project focuses on pregnant women living in an urban slum area called Steung Meanchey � increasing their knowledge of motherhood, expanding community services both through training local health workers and helping the Ministry of Health provide additional services, and helping those with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other diseases to access services available within the private sector. Praise God this opportunity has come together! www.wvasiapacific.org/country.asp?id=4 The clinic in Champus Keak is still waiting on a couple key components. We applied for a grant allowing the clinic to operate as a low cost facility for the poor. And there is still no one identified to administer the clinic. So pray with us for someone who has vision for this ministry. We�ve also started visiting church members. While we certainly know what poverty has brought to this country, it�s certainly another experience to walk through it. We need wisdom knowing how to respond to what we see � how to best demonstrate love and concern without being patronizing. Also pray that the Lord will direct us regarding our roles within the local church. Soon to be Stateside, David, Lara, Benjamin and Jonathan |
| Always a bite� Food is a central social function in Khmer society. We receive knocks on our door almost every day from neighbors bearing gifts of food � some quite tasty, others quite� local. I�ve been asked to join meals when I�ve gone to get a watch battery, bought a hose from the hardware shop, and frequently when I�ve said hi to our landlord. When you stroll through the streets, you can find all sorts of �treats� � frogs, snakes, bats, duck eggs with chicks still in them, and, of course, various large, no, enormous, stinky bugs. Perhaps you need to think if your next meal might just bite back! |
 |
| At Home in Cambodia |