Sorry for not writing last Monday. We were still up North and came home on Tuesday. We went to Stung Treng and slept one night over and the next day we went all the way to Ratanakiri. We went to meet with a doctor from Malaysia, who is running a school where children with autism are included in the class as well. They also do therapy as well. It was good and encouraging to talk with her about possible networking and further training for Twans. It was also very hard emotionally because autism and the path our brave Gideon had to walk was not an easy road. I think this will be good to use in the future. We are not sure what God has in the future for us. The next day it was back to Stung Treng again and we celebrated Toinette’s birthday together with our Khmer friends.
This Saturday night it was Anton’s Year 10 graduation dinner as Hope School here is only till grade 10. It was nice to see our big boy dress up pretty smart and hang out with some friends at a real cool BBQ place in town, while mum and dad were just next door with a good friend. It was a bitter-sweet moment not having Gideon with us.
We just came back from the Year-end function at school tonight. Anton had to say a few words and he did really well. He will be missed at school. Hopefully, by the grace of God, he will be able to do online Cambridge soon. We are just waiting for his exam results in July. Tomorrow Anton and dad will be on the bus to the big city so he can write his last exam on Wednesday. Please keep him in your prayers and pray for safe traveling back and forth.
Poor Noah is a bit in shock after they broke down her “palace” due to construction on the road. She was just sitting next to the road and sleeping in a box during the night. I bought her a small bed hoping she would at least stay on it and not on the ground all the time. Made a little shade for her but we need to wait for them to finish the road before we can do any structure for her. Considering everything she is doing pretty well. My friend Isaack came along yesterday and we could visit quite well. She was more concerned about the ants biting her than her nasty big wound.
Twans is full time in the village for the next 2 months. She loves being with the students. She shared this after their last home visitation. We will not put a picture or real names to protect the children. “I and Mary visited one of the primary students ‘ homes today. It is an election so the mother was at home. The student (8 yr old) and her brother (4yr) were covered in skin rashes and scabies. The mother shared that she is never home, she works near Phnom Penh to earn money and the father is a truck driver so the children are home alone most of the time. The mom makes a big bottle of prohok (smelly fermented small fish) and that is what the children eat till she can come home again. As we left the home, Mary said to me “Teacher, how sad for the children to not have a mother’s love near them every day”. Yes I know there are so many even worse situations but that does not take away from the intensity of hardship. We realized again as teachers we must be open vessels for God’s love each day.
Please keep in touch and may this week be a special week for you all. Remember now that the world is coming to a bit more normal, our home is always open for you to come and visit.
Love
Rossouw-clan
No comments:
Post a Comment