Happy autumn!

Hopefully you have all settled into your fall routine, and you are enjoying the cooler weather. We have had a lot of rain the last few weeks, and the city is “trying” to build a new road by our house. As you can imagine, digging up a road and then having two weeks of rain results in a muddy disaster that you can hardly drive through. There have been several mornings that I was tempted to not take Benjamin to school! Getting the moto stuck and arriving to school with mud up to my knees isn’t my idea of a good start to the day. 😂 But on the bright side, we will soon have a concrete road that goes by our house, making life sooooo much easier! We’re excited about this new development, even if it’s difficult at the moment.

Our volunteer, Lia, arrived on September 2nd. She is teaching English classes at New Life Church and also at Safe Place Children’s Home. Being able to speak and write English is a huge advantage for poor children in Cambodia, giving them job opportunities and better education options as they grow older. After our many years of working here, we have come to realize that once basic needs are met, education is the next best ways to invest donors’ money. It really does make a huge impact on the lives of orphaned and at risk children, giving them the chance to break the cycle of poverty that they were born into. We are so glad that Lia can be here for two months and help us support the orphaned and vulnerable children in this way.

Unfortunately, just 10 days after she arrived, Lia was sick. Really sick! After three days at home we went to the doctor. They sent her directly to the emergency room, and it turns out she had Dengue Fever. Talk about a rough start in Cambodia! She spent five nights in the hospital, and another week recovering. She is finally feeling well enough to get back to her regular teaching schedule. Dengue Fever is transmitted through mosquito bite, and currently there isn’t an immunization for it.

Warm Blankets Switzerland had the opportunity to sponsor 15 orphaned children to attend a three week English program. The public schools have their summer vacation in September and October, which is the end of the monsoon season. A local private school reached out to us and asked if we would be interested in partnering with them to offer 15 orphans a spot in a three week summer English program. After getting a few more details, we agreed that it was a good investment for the children. They started on Monday and are having a great time!

Lukas installed a filter at our new home and temporary office space. This is the “Cadillac” of all filter systems 😜  It’s also where a lot of his experimenting and testing takes place.

Pastor Noeurn and Rouet welcome baby Praneet to the family, her name means “beautiful”. We warmly congratulate them and wish her a full, healthy life. We look forward to knowing her as she grows.

Well, that’s it for this month, have a great September. Here’s the photo link for more fun pictures from our month.

Blessings!

Jenny, Lukas and Benjamin