to do list

• Rejuvenate
• Clean my room
• Catch up with my Rusians
• Cycle regularly
• Finish reading 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel and Kings
• Shoot a music video with Dougy
• Play Okami
• Finalise passports, flights, accommodation, insurance, visas for Cambodia
• Catch up with Kim San
• Oxfam
• Learn how to cook stuff
• Rejuvenate

life is wonderful by jason mraz (2005)

"It takes a crane to build a crane
It takes two floors to make a storey
It takes an egg to make a hen
It takes a hen to make an egg
There is no end to what I'm saying"

"It takes a thought to make a word
And it takes some words to make an action
It takes some work to make it work
It takes some good to make it hurt
It takes some bad for satisfaction"

"And it takes no time to fall in love
But it takes you years to know what love is
And it takes some fears to make you trust
It takes those tears to make it rust
It takes the dust to have it polished"

i am going back

and i pray that You will use me.

tragedy

I received this email tonight from Kerry at New Hope.

This morning one of our little 7 year old boys Sophearot from our kindy class died after eating a poisonous toad, which he thought was a frog. He is the youngest child in the attached photo.

It rained here last night, so the starving go out and catch frogs, crickets, vermin whatever they can to eat. Approximately 7 children ate toads and 3 are still seriously ill in hospital. One of them is his older brother, but they are expecting all to pull through. Sophearot died early morning, the youngest of four beautiful but skinny boys.

This small fragile boy is laid out on a mat half covered with an old towell, looking like he is sleeping, while his mother and brothers sit beside him silently crying. His father is a soldier, and has returned to Siem reap only for the Khmer New Year and was about to return to the border patrol. His father earns $25 per month to provide for his family.

They cannot afford the funeral for their youngest child, and the buddhism religion believe it is imperative to have 2 days of the monks, family and friends praying over the child to get rid of evil spirits before he enters his next life. They also believe that if he isn't given a full funeral, and the body is just burnt, it will bring more bad fortune to the family.

Unfortunately, desperately poor families normally do not have the luxury of a funeral costing approximately US$250.

However, we will not let this beautiful boy leave this world without helping his family fulfill their spiritual beliefs.

If any supporters of our work here feel they would like to contribute a few dollars to help this cause, please donate through our webpage and Justgiving donations page. Feel free to add a comment.

Sincerely,
Kerry and Kemsour.

Sometimes I just don't know.

new hope

When I haven't been in contact with Kim San, teacher at Anjali, for a while, I get anxious. Oh how I miss them. And then to see some new photos..! Gah.

Spent the past couple hours browsing through airline sites and accommodation, jotting down ballpark figures of how much it's going to cost me this year.

Focus maz.

This is a video presumably one of the recent volunteers produced which shows what New Hope Community Centre does, and captures a bit of the local village.



It stirs up a certain memory.
Between classes one day, one of the younger girls waved me over to her home that was down the road from the Centre. As I approached her, this dog appeared between us and started growling at me. Another volunteer had a bad experience with dogs not too long ago so warnings about stray dogs were fresh in our minds. As I was slowly backing away, it followed, and my thoughts were pretty much along the lines of oh I am so screwed.

Then the girl comes around and casually - almost playfully - clamps her hands around the dog's muzzle.

As I swiftly ran away I realised this dog was protecting her - protecting her home. And never had I been so reassured by my own fear.

last words

"The tongues of dying men enforce attention like deep harmony"
William Shakespeare, Richard II, II.1.5-6

Here is an online collection of recorded famous last words, both fictional and factual although I was really only interested in the latter.

I guess I find it so fascinating because if ever a person is to be honest, to be truthful - be it only as to their personality and not to the content of what they say - last words are it.

And you gotta give it to Karl Marx when asked if he had any last words:
"Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!"

and they'll know we are christians by our love, jars of clay 2005 (originally by peter scholte 1966)

"And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love..."

I love the simplicity of this song. It is somehow both uplifting and rebuking, both joyous and broken, both optimistic and sobering. Which I personally think is an incredibly accurate reflection of Christian living.

Love - not intellect, not debate, not charisma, not a piece of jewellery, not even actions...

So far to go. So much more to do. To be. For truly, who do I really honestly love with the selfless sacrificial love that this is talking about? How many? Not enough.


"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that our unity may one day be restored."