Nekor Hospital Update

Hi kids,

                Thought I would forward this newsletter that Janne  Ritskes (founder of Tabitha) and the Nokor Tep Hospital project that we just finished the benefit performance for.  If you have a moment to read – it is both heartwarming and heart wrenching.  Every day we spend here we understand more fully the blessings of mortality that we have all been given – just being born in America.  Might be a good reminder of gratitude for the grandkids  - and of their wonderful blessings.

                We love you and we pray daily for you individually and collectively.  Time is really “blistering by” – literally, it was 117 degrees Saturday (heat index)  -   and we thought Texas was HOT.  The months of Monsoons have begun showers daily and when I say showers….the driving rain comes from every direction.  Unbelievably, we are coming up on a FULL year of our SENIOR SEASON OF SERVICE (July 4^th).  Thinking this morning – another month and grammy will be spending her second birthday here in Cambodia.

                Thanks for your prayers and encouragement – means so much you just can’t imagine.  We are having another Popasketti Sunday with 10 missionaries – Always a hit with the young Elders and Sisters and a treat for us too.  We cook it here and take out to the Branch we meet with each week Ta Khmau (pronounced Dak Mow) There are 4 sets of missionaries  - 2 sets  Elders – 2 sets Sisters.  They are some kind of terrific.

                I’m attaching a couple of stories (with pictures)– NOT sure IF you already read them  -  but added some more pictures for your reading enjoyment.  The kids may enjoy reading and looking at pictures. There is a picture of the fattest little baby (guessing 6-7 months) [attached] who was at the food distribution (about 4 hours drive from Phnom Penh)– He had NO CLOTHES – which is sometimes rather common in the outlying provinces (kites)….anyway when PopPop was taking his picture – YUP he peed (is that a word) all over him…Oops!  BE SURE TO SCROLL to the end to see all the pictures.

                Sending our wishes for a HAPPY, FUN SUMMER for all of you.  Hope you’re missing us just a little bit!  Thanks for the letters, messenger messages, phone calls and especially posting pictures and news of the you and the kids - on all the amazing technology outlets.  When we see your names come to INBOX, messenger, or get a chance to hear your voices – well, it’s like an oasis for your Lok Yai and Lok Tay.  Translated  (grandmother – grandfather).

SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!

Mom/Grammy/Lok Yai

(Sister D) as everyone calls me here!

Hospital Update:

June 2017 Dear friends and partners, It has been awhile since I have written. It is unbelievable how fast life seems to be passing by especially since we anticipate the completion of the hospital structure by December of this year. This opens up the pathways for our new steps of outfitting the hospital with equipment; finding partners who will enable us to train and equip Cambodia medical staff reach to new heights; of talking with other partners about supplying pharmaceuticals; of deciding what colors we should use to welcome our women. We have so many visitors come and hear and see – one woman asked me last week, why Janne, why. Why all this work and worry and heartache and hope. For me it is all so simple – my Cambodian sisters are hurting – hurting so badly that it is painful to meet with them – empty handed and bereft. In one village of 260 families we have 15 women in various end stages of losing their lives to diseases for which I am helpless to change yet I myself have so many options. Sokleang is a very sad story of losing her  battle – a picture hard to see yet she is the one living with this ravaging disease – I listen to Sarouen as she talks of her horrific pain involved with uterine cancer – 15 women in one village – 15 women I walk away from – 15 women who believe that somehow, someway they must be inherently bad for this to happen to them. It does not matter what village we go to, the story is the same – I can do no else than build Nokor Tep and fill it with compassion and mercy for those who have none.     So many of you are helping to make this happen. I can only name a few but they are surrounded by others who help them – a chain of humanity from around the world reaching out to Sokleang and so many like her. Equipment lists are being formed with the help of Philips HealthCare and being filled by many people – people like International Hope and Angkor Gold, from Canada, Cathy, Moira and others from Australia, Dave, Mary and Erika from the USA just to name a few. A number of astounding medical professionals such as Anita from Australia, and Archibald from the USA – each representing so many others – professionals skilled in women’s health issues – professionals who are willing to give of themselves to bring succor and hope to so many women here.       Pharmaceuticals are being donated and collected by people such as Wilma and Chris in Canada, Dave, Mary and Erika in the USA, Jeff and Eleanor in the UK – unbelievable efforts and gifts of time and energy just so that women like Sokleang may have comfort and hope.. How do I name all of you who have raised so many funds for us – money needed to build and equip this center of light and hope. People like Sam, Bruce and Micheal and so many more for the Ride For Nokor Tep – a thousand painful miles of bike riding through Cambodia for women like Sokleang. People like  Casey, Ed, Frank and Stien, and so many others around the world painting their nails so that women here may have a chance – how do I tell of people like Margret and Russell, Clydette and Charles, Leo and Veronica who in their great mercy gave so much and made it possible to achieve so much more. How do I say thank you to my fellow Cambodians – my Tabitha staff like Joyce, Heng and Srie who are tireless in their efforts to make this happen; People like Para and Sophon for their endless hours of support; or people Like Mealy and Siphana for giving all of us the opportunity to share the news with so many Cambodians who had not yet heard. How do I thank the poorest of the poor who with their pennies who have donated more than $400,000.00 USD over the past 4 years.  How do I say thank you to another Sokleang who got up from her deathbed three years ago to go from one house to another in her impoverished village collecting a few pennies from each home – telling each donor that she herself would not live long enough to benefit from Nokor Tep but she believed that her daughters would benefit. No, Nokor Tep is not a burden for me – it is journey – a journey of touching the lives of so very many - - many who are ill and waiting. How do I tell others of my co-founders Phavi and Sieng – of our amazing journey of hope and desire – of our own changes in recognition of the grace each of you have brought to our lives. How do I explain each of you to others – your faithfulness, your faith in us – but – most importantly your compassion for our sisters here in Cambodia. I am listening to a special song as I write – it’s a song from Hillsong called Broken Vessels – the line that touches me most is the line Amazing Grace – that is what we are all about – what you are all about – I praise my God for that gift – it cannot get any better! Janne PS: we are in process of redoing our web site – it will tell of our needs and our progress as all of us together move ever closer to the reality of a center of light for our women. Keep watching – it should be up within a few weeks.