Bontey Slek Slum

Some of you will recognise this slum (picture 1 taken a couple of weeks ago) as the place where the church hold their "Joy Club" - an afternoon every Thursday where the children who live in the slum come to play, join in songs, hear bible stories and endure Mission Direct amateur dramatics!!

Last week 80% of the slum was burnt down (a family dispute getting out of hand!). These people who previously only owned the leaky roof over their head, the bench that they slept on and a few cooking utensil literally now have nothing.

The Red Cross provided them with the tarpaulins and somehow they have managed to rescue some of their tin roof and to buy bamboo canes to hold it all up - not that this is any real shelter from the daily torrential rain that we are now having.

Thursday 23rd - following aid donations New Life Fellowship went and gave out nearly 200 packs of aid - each pack containing 4 items of clothes (2 adult, 2 child), 1 cooking pot, 3 bowls, 3 spoons. It was an amazing sight - the people were orderly and patient for their turn. There was no pushing or shoving. Once all the bags had been dsitributed, there was a "swap shop" of clothes until each person found something that fitted them.

In the midst of this, we were invited to sit down with a family whose twins were just a few days old. They were proud parents in the midst of sheer abject poverty.

For anyone that donated clothes while they were out here on a team, or gave me money to give to those I saw in need - this is where your donation went.

Thailand

We have just come back from 2 weeks in Thailand. We were in Phuket with a couple called Mark and Sharon Biddle who run a programme of Self Help and Empowerment (www.shethailand.org) for bar girls. They help the girls escape from the sex trade by giving them counselling and practical skills that they can use to get a better job. Most of the girls also become Christians.

We then spent 3 days on Bangkok with our friends Marc and Ceri. The night-time picure is taken from the top of their appartment blocj, the city picture is taken from the river and the other picture is Chinatown.

New office?

After 4 months Daniel and I have found our new "office" that serves a pot of tea or cold coke for $1, has secure WiFi and is only a $2 ride from our house.

Afternoon tea?

This first picture is Heather enjoying a HUGE pot of tea after a hard afternoon of flip-flop ministry. The picture of Daniel was taken Sunday afternoon - if you look hard you can see the pot of English tea that he is working his way through!

How much can you carry on a Moto?