Cockroaches!!

You know you’re definitely in Cambodia: When a random person takes a photo of you and half an hour later your face is on a souvenir plate getting sold back to you... When the attendants at the supermaket are pointing at your behind for a good 10 seconds and you finally figure out they're saying "excuse me, there's a cockroach on your butt… When you order fried rice for dinner and it comes as just that. Plain rice. Fried in oil… I LOVE it!!

This country is just so beautiful in the strangest of ways. The past month God has just been opening my eyes afresh to his goodness and his amazing love for this nation. Friends of mine (that many of you will know) Louise and Glen Andrews were able to come visit at the end of April, and I had the pleasure of showing them around the city.
I took them to see the S-21 Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields, where many Cambodianswere kept and killed during the Khmer Rouge Regime. It was actually such a blessing to be there again after 6 years and just have my heart broken again for this country…
Many people still have no idea what went on during that time and yet Cambodians are still very much living the effects of it day in and day out. BUT never have I been so convinced of and humbled by God’s amazing grace and his restoration for the broken.

So now a brief overview of the last month…
Asian Outreach HIV/Aids project: Together with a local nurse and counsellor, went out to a district over the other side of the Mekong River, to make home visits for as many of their 49 patients as we could see that week. It was great to see their faces light up when we arrived! The majority of them are women who have been infected by their husbands and now must fend for themselves, with often no income or help for their children. Just the fact that someone is there to care for them, laugh with them, listen to them, and encourage them is an amazing thing to be apart of.
Healing Home: Our neighbours set up and run a home primarily for those that are ill and have no money or way to get to hospital. They provide a bed, meals, basic medication and medical care. There is also room for girls who have been rescued or run away from the sex trafficking industry, for pregnant mothers, children with poor or no families and even those just searching for the Lord. At the time I joined, there were 2 paraplegics and we did the daily wound care for chronic bed sores. I was told that these had appeared when they were in hospital and had not been treated until they became bigger and deeper than our fists… What an amazing privilege to be able to freely pray for each residents healing and restoration. These are exciting times!
Destiny Rescue Children’s Centre: This is a home/school set up essentially for the children of rubbish dump workers and recycling collectors. Many of them are ridden with scabies, lice, and sores. After battling through a million of the little munchkins hanging off me left right and centre, we treated them with scabies lotion, fungal cream, and multivitamins. One word – CUTE!
Aim for Asia, Agape: Meeting with the directors, Don and Bridget Brewster, was such a great insight into the ministries working against the sex industry in Cambodia. Driving out to the area is intimidating enough in itself. Only 2 years prior it was the most popular and well-known area for child trafficking. The building now taken over by Agape for their ministry and medical clinics was once one of the holding houses for girls that were sold/taken for the industry. My heart just broke being there amongst it and feeling the oppression and incredible evil that had gone on. There are now classes for the children of the community to come and learn English, written Khmer, and catch-up classes so they can return to school. There is a free gym aimed mainly at the men/boys who make business from these young girls. Although a slow and dangerous project, they have seen at least 2 men give up their well paying career and begin to change their hearts. The medical clinics are just basic help for those who cant afford to see a Doctor, but people hear and now travel from the province to line up for hours and see the nurse.

I can barely portray in this newsletter the things God is doing in my heart and in my life, but I hope that you are blessed and challenged by the things that I share. It doesn’t matter where we are, he is Lord and he is able to restore all brokenness, all pain and all fear.
I am now coming to the end of my time here but will update again when that arrives. Bless you all. Any questions, comments or hellos are always welcome!!

Love Hannah

only by His grace

Greetings from Kampuchea! Well it has been a month filled with many challenges and changes but also of God’s amazing goodness and love…

Romans 9:16 reminds me that “it does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy…” I have been learning this more and more as I journey through my time here in Phnom Penh. Through all the joys, disappointments, challenges and blessings so far, it is so reassuring to know that in the end, it is not about us at all, but it is ALL about God and his mercy and grace. Anything we do means nothing without it. He is so good to us!!

I was so blessed in the first week of April to have my mum come to visit with me for 18 days! I was so impressed at her ability to balance on the back of my motorbike side-saddle after 4 years of being away. She’s awesome! We were able to have many cups of tea amongst hours of chatting. She also joined me on one of our mobile clinics all the way up to Ratanakiri provincial prison. Ratanakiri is 12 hours travel by bus, with roadworks, potholes, red dust, and karaoke on high volume all the way up! We arrived to find 15 plus prisoners packed into each prison cell, measuring about 3 square metres. No beds, pillows, sheets or blankets and only an hour or so during the day when they were let out of their rooms to walk around. As we set up our dental and medical stations, the guards would bring 3-5 prisoners out at a time. A very similar trend was appearing, patients complaining of numbness and tingling in legs and arms, headaches, night sweats, stomach pain etc…

As a mobile clinic we were limited in the medications/treatment we could offer and focus mainly on primary healthcare, however it was just such a privilege to be able to spend even a small amount of time with these prisoners. Many of them were so young and scared, most had been there over a year and not been seen by the court yet... I was so touched by meeting these men and having the opportunity to reassure them, encourage them and listen to their concerns. One of our staff was able to meet with the Prison Fellowship representative and Pastor of the area and gain permission to go cell to cell and share with the prisoners. As it was around Easter time, it was an excellent opportunity to explain what Jesus has done for them on the cross. Many of the prisoners had question upon question about salvation and several of them made a decision to follow Him that week. What an awesome God we serve!

The bible study I have been involved with at the HIV girls home continues to be a blessing. Over the weeks leading up to Easter we were able to talk to them about what Jesus’ sacrifice meant and what his Resurrection means to us as Christians. Please continue to pray for their hearts to be open to the love and freedom that is available to them.

Back at the office… it has been such a blessing getting to know the staff and students associated with One2One over the last 3 months. As you may know a lot of my time has been spent working alongside and training them in basic report writing, budgets, proposals and plans for the various clinics, conferences and courses that we run. As some of the circumstances with the staff have changed, my role also changed and over the last few weeks I have been wrapping up and handing over my responsibilities to the girls. I feel that I have learnt so much from my time with One2One and I am so thankful for the time I have had to share with, pray with and speak into these young men and women’s lives. Please continue to pray for them with me as they seek after God and learn more about living for Him.

SO… As the handover has been slightly earlier than expected I want to take the last 6-8 weeks of my time here to investigate other areas that God may have in mind for me! I will be taking some time to visit several NGOs, in particular those with a medical component, such as Servants/TASK, Daughters, Aim4Asia, Asian Outreach and Hagar. I may also have the opportunity to work some shifts in one of the Cambodian hospitals with a fellow New Zealand midwife. I would also love to take Khmer language lessons during this time and focus on the spiritual/biblical language so I am better equipped to share in this area!

I know God has called me “for such a time as this” and as I am seeking him about my future in Cambodia I know that He is guiding my steps.

Thankyou again to all those who support me and may you be blessed as I have been! Please continue to remember me in your prayers and thoughts, I always love hearing how you are all doing in the Land of the Long White Cloud…

Love and blessings,

Hannah

Marchy Mar March

WOW where to start?? Firstly, I’m sorry this has been a long time coming, but technically its still March, so I’m safe with the promised monthly updates!

Psalms 18:32 tells us that it is God who “arms us with strength and makes our ways perfect”. What a super relief to know that we don’t (and can’t) do this on our own! Everyday I thank God for this truth, for the fact that HE is my strength, that whatever I do, only HE can make it work, make it worth something. Epic.

At the One2One office I am working alongside 4 full-time staff, 3 amazing young ladies and one guy (in this picture we also have our part-time financial man in the back). This month I have really been stressing the importance of our prayer and worship time every morning. Over here (and actually anywhere we are working) it is so easy to get caught up in the tasks and the “ministry” and get so run down that we forget the simple truth that is right infront of us. God is our strength. It’s definitely a lesson I’m still learning all the time, even more so here in beautiful Kampuchea!

So as you may have gathered, things have been very busy! The first 2 weeks of March we held our first Mobile Swift clinics. These are free clinics offered to a particular area that is in need of dental and medical care. Both trips were both on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and run for 3 days each.

Seeing a total of around 300 patients, our first 2 trips went rather well, however it was a great opportunity to see what things we need to work on, what things we are lacking and where we need more training. What the medical side normally does is treat the children for worms, lice and scabies. I have to admit I jumped at any opportunity to clean up or dress the odd wound! Nurses can’t help getting amongst the icky stuff!

If any of you have accessed One2One’s website, you will see some info about each of our support team members. Nan, an American Registered Nurse and house mum/co-ordinator to our student and guest home (Khairos), has just gone back home for several months, so I have taken many of her responsibilities on board. It is alot to juggle with the things I am doing already, but God is good and he equips us in the crazy times as well! Most of the students at Khairos home are not yet Christian or else very new, so with this role I am able to be apart of their bible studies and discussion. Its probably my favourite part about my job so far, what a privilege to be sharing Jesus with them, I absolutely love it!

So then alot of my time (is there any left?) is spent working alongside the girls in the office, trying my best to help with reports, budgets, planning and proposals. I am mainly working with Sokea, a lovely girl has just joined One2One this year to run the bible side of our ministry with me. We have been building relationship with several orphanages around the country and delivering bibles, teaching material, songbooks and the like to those that were lacking. We are now looking at where else we can best put our focus, as there is need everywhere. So please pray for that and for wisdom and guidance in our work, also for the means to do it!


On another note, some may have noticed on facebook that I had a wee tumble off my motorbike! Apart from some minor scratches and bruises, all is well. Even my old trusty laptop was unscathed! (and yes, I did just have it perched in my basket – what’s the worst that could happen – haha!!)
I have also had several run-ins with the law the past month! Who would have thought Cambodia now has road rules?! That was all good though, I found out! And was definitely willing to pay the due fine…. HOWEVER things work differently here…. So here is the picture…. Police salary is next nothing PLUS they stand on the corners just waiting PLUS business is somewhat quiet that day PLUS see a white girl EQUALS corruption EQUALS demanding a lot of extra $$$ and not allowing me to leave…. So sometimes I am able to haggle until back down to the regular fine, and sometimes I don’t have time or energy and then have to fork it out just to be able to leave the side of the road. God is good however and I surely am learning something from all this! Patience… Wisdom… Strength?…. Justice?.... Generositiy? … the list is endless.

I was able to join in a wedding a couple of weeks ago! After hours of hairspray and too many layers of foundation, we travelled about 3 hours in a bus to the province. Im pretty sure it was the hottest day of the year! Long story short, there were tiaras, gorgeous dresses, enough food for an army, old ladies poking my white skin, and a whole night of Khmer dancing around a table of fruit!


And now as time and space on the page are not on my side, I shall fare thee all well!
I want to thank you all so much for you support, be it financial, prayer, emails, thoughts!! You don’t know how much it is appreciated. May you know God’s love and blessing in your lives even more each day!

Lots of love and smiles from Cambodia,
Hannah

Hene's thoughts after 2 weeks!!

HEY HEY HEY everyone! How are things going in the land of the long white cloud hmm?

Well!! Thought I would send a quick note to say that I arrived here safely (obviously!!) and have started straight into work at One-2-One!
My role so far is pretty different to what I expected and is already bringing many challenges. But the amazing thing is that God has bought me here for a purpose and I am SO excited about that, about his plan for me, for One-2-One, and for Cambodia! One-2-One's heart and vision for the lost is so obvious and I'm blessed to be apart of this ongoing mission.
My 5 and a bit months here are now seeming to be so short but I'm trying to make the most of my time here and pray that it is effective!
The plan at this point is for me to assist Sokea (Newest addition to One-2-One apart from me, she has been teaching children in churches and elsewhere for 10 years and im stoked to be working closely with her on our project!) in establishing connections and relationships with leaders of churches and orphanages all around Cambodia, to get along side those leaders with ideas, support and further training. Sokea is a really level-headed girl and has such a passion for sharing Jesus, we are really enjoying working together but would love your prayers for clarity and wisdom in all our preparations over the next few months!

We are also suporting various life group/bible studies 4 evenings per week. Im LOVING it! One is a group of 13 young girls living in a home recently set-up from Rainbow Bridge orphanage, another one is the dental and medical students at Khairos house (the home that is also our office and One-2-One's guesthouse), and the rest are University students. Not many of these kids are christian yet and it is such a priveledge to be able to join in teaching them about God, the christian faith, and the love that is available to them! Most of them have come from Buddhist familes and some feel they are still "inbetween religions". They are very open to hearing about Jesus however, and they are really earnestly wanting Him to reveal himself to them. It is amazing to hear their stories, and their questions. God is SO working in these groups and we are praying for them everyday that they will become stronger in their faith, that they will open up their hearts to God. Please join us in prayer for them also!

So what else??
Phnom Penh is still awesome I am glad to announce!!! Its been 4 years since I was here, and there are a few changes! Moto drivers having to wear helmets, needing a licence for driving (whats that about??? haha), more big ridiculous cars, more and more malls coming up, constant building going on, ATMs everywhere!!!! Its different but also the same crazy/laid-back chaos that I love!
I was so blessed to able to buy a moto last week from some NZ friends, it has been so handy getting around town on the old bomb, and not too many close calls so far! (Dont worry too much mum and dad!!)

Oh! One dumb thing though is that my helmet got stolen couple days ago... very easily done I can tell you! Busy market + millions of motos getting parked by the parking boys + white girl = stolen helmet! BUT its ok, i got a better one for cheaper! So hey its all gee!!! :)

I'm currently living with 2 lovely ladies, Colleen (adopted aunty) and Maria (Swedish friend from last time). They have been really awesome at making me feel at home and its great to be able to have somewhere fun and relaxed to go back to everyday! I have a real-life flushing toilet AND the most comfy bed ever!! God is good hey??

It has been so amazing meeting up with all my old friends again! Great fun speaking Khmer (local language) with them and meeting all their new husbands, kids and wives etc etc! (makes me realise how so much happens in just 4 years!!)

I will send another update in few weeks with some more details, photos, and adventures!!
Thankyou so much again to those of you who have decided to support me financially! I will really be needing some funds for rent and setting-up things etc, so just a reminder to those who havnt yet set yours up that you can email or facebook me for my account number (prob shouldnt put it on blog??)

Bless you all so much for your generosity!

God is so good!!!
Love Hannah

YAY IM GOING BACK TO CAMBODIA!!

GREETINGS from Hannah!!!

As most of you will already know, I am newly graduated from my Bachelor in Nursing and am about to embark on a new adventure! In 2 weeks I will leave our beautiful New Zealand shores for 6 months to live and work in Cambodia!

Although, out-of-the-blue, I am super excited and expectant about this opportunity God has opened up to me.

And now, what I will actually be doing….

Since graduating, I have been working part-time as a practice nurse in a Christchurch Dr’s surgery, and will be sent from there through a christian organisation called One-to-one Charitable Trust. This is affiliated with the Tooth Angel Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, which has been running in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city, since 2006. One-to-one’s ‘arrowhead’ entry is through offering free medical and dental care to local Cambodian’s, however its heart is in making disciples for Christ and mentoring and supporting them along the way. The three key areas of work are in the orphanages, slums and prisons.

So!!!

I have been asked to join this team and support the integration of bibles into 9 different orphanages, working alongside the Cambodian leaders in setting up a fun, interactive and effective discipleship program for the kids, staff and their families. I will also work alongside an American Nurse doing practical nursing, admin, computer support, English lessons and mentoring/training of Cambodian staff so they are more able to take over when I leave.

Where does that leave me???

As you may know, I lived for 2 years in Cambodia in my late teens and feel relatively competent with the language and culture there. However it is a rather different (and slightly daunting) story returning to Phnom Penh on my own and pretending to be a grown-up!! I would like to take this opportunity to offer anyone who is interested in supporting me and my work the chance to do so. I will be requiring a minimum of $800 NZ dollars per month. This will cover accommodation, power, water, food, travel, and communication. I would be greatly appreciative of anyone who is able to support me financially and in prayer for my 6 months. I would also LOVE to hear from you and keep in touch with what’s going on, this will be possible via email, Facebook, Skype, and hopefully txting!! Please let me know before the 25^th January if and how you are able to help out so I can get in touch with account details!

Blessings, God is good – all the time!!! Love Hannah